How to Keep Valuables Safe While

 Travel Tips  No Responses »
Dec 102011
 

There are a lot of things we carry when we are traveling. On the small trips we have things like money, jewelry, house keys, etc. On the big ones we carry things like passports, visas, etc. Apart from all this, there are the credit cards, debit cards, traveler’s checks and other such things. While traveling can be a fun occasion, much looked forward to, it also brings a lot of responsibility; especially of carrying all the above things safely. The chances of us misplacing these things are high, especially when we are busy with other things. The two main reasons for this are – the excitement and anxiety of the journey, and being in a new place. In our houses, we have designated places where we keep our purses, wallets, keys etc., so that we become habituated to picking them up from the designated places every day. However, it takes time to get used to a new place; and most often it is time to leave by the time we get used to it! So how does one carry valuables safely while traveling?

Tips to Carry Valuables Safely While Traveling

1. Distribute the Money
Why? – So that if you lose it (knock on wood!) you don’t lose it all
If you are traveling alone, distribute the money. Place most (or a major chunk) of it in a wallet and put the wallet in your main suitcase or bag. I assume your bag is equipped with some kind of lock-and-key system. Do not open your bar till your reach your destination. Make a rough estimate of how much money you will need on the journey, till you reach your destination. Add, say, $100 to that. Place this money in a different wallet and carry this in your pocket. Spend from this wallet till you get to your destination. If you are traveling with someone, distribute the money amongst yourselves. However, the best thing to do is to travel on a budget.

2. Avoid Wearing Jewelry
Why? – Well, it’s pretty obvious ‘why’, right?
Instead of wearing your jewelry, you can carry your jewelry at the bottom of your suitcase or bag. DO NOT carry it in your purse, just in case somebody is very quick in nicking your purse and stealing it; or in case you misplace your purse. A common tendency is to think that since the purse is always going to be in your hands, it will remain monitored and hence safe. But I assume other things like tickets, reservation details, phone numbers, keys, etc., are all going to go in there. So you are going to be frequently opening your purse for something or the other. What if you accidentally just drop it?

3. Hook the Keys
Why? – So that you do not misplace them
You get those really nice key chains these days that come with a big dog-hook, or a carabiner. Use one of these to carry your keys. You can hook the key chain to your jeans or your handbag. This way, you won’t forget the keys in a restaurant or any other place. This is also a good way to carry the keys so that they are accessible. You don’t have to turn your bag upside down and look through all your belongings to retrieve your keys! It’s right there!

4. Go for a Mini Backpack Purse
Why? – They are so much easier to carry; they look stylish too!
Have you seen these? No? Google NOW! They look really chic, classy, and smart. Plus, they are really convenient to manage. The best thing to do is to sling the backpack purse in the front, like a baby carrier, instead of on your back. Two big advantages – one, your hands remain free to carry your luggage and other things; and two, your purse is always monitored, it is practically under your nose! Keep your passports, visas and other documents that you may have to produce frequently, in the backpack purse. They remain easily accessible and safe. Once you reach your destination, place the documents you are not going to need frequently in your suitcase. You risk losing the documents if you carry them around.

5. Prefer Hard Cash
Why? – Losing your credit card can be really risky!
Yes, credit cards are a boon in ways more than one. But suppose, just suppose, you misplace your credit card. Now, it is quite possible for someone else to find it and use it to his/her maximum benefit by the time you even figure out you have lost it! If you lose cash, you lose only that much cash as you were carrying. But a lost credit card means the money in your bank account is lost; so in fact, you are left with only the cash you were carrying! Boy, oh boy, that hurts; especially losing your credit card overseas! Always prefer to use cash instead of using credit cards while traveling. Also prefer to withdraw money as and when you need, using your debit card, instead of using your credit card.

Some General Tips

One cannot be warned enough about thugs and scams, especially while traveling. Stories of travelers losing their money, having their passport and visa stolen, having rogues misuse their credit cards, are not uncommon. Here are some general safety tips that will help you keep valuables safe while traveling:

Never leave your belongings unattended
Always check your belonging before leaving your hotel room/place of residence, and also on reaching it
Know your wallet well; that includes how many credit cards you are carrying, how much cash do you have on you, etc.
While shopping, always check your belongings before leaving the billing counter; did you take the change? Did you take your card?
Do not carry anything you don’t NEED

Follow the above tips and you are good to go. Traveling should be easy and free of unnecessary hassles, or it loses its fun and enjoyment quotient. One of the surest ways to ensure your traveling is easy is to take the burden of keeping your valuables safe off your shoulders. I follow all the above tips while traveling, and they always help me; I am sure they will help you too.

 Posted by at 10:12 am

requires a lot of preparation and

 Hotels  No Responses »
Nov 202011
 

The presence of business sense and acumen is essential while starting a business and becoming a successful businessman, whatever may be the kind of business. The restaurant business too, is no exception to this rule. Consistency and quality are the two most essential things which you should inculcate in yourself, in order to become a successful restaurateur. Your initial days in this business might be very tough or hard, and you may have to face heavy financial losses. The main reason behind this is that you would have to compete with the established and famous restaurants in your locality, with very few resources, employees and capital. Reputation is of prime importance in this business as people prefer to go to only those restaurants which offer quality food and a fair deal for the money spent. Mentioned below are some tips on how to start a restaurant business.

Capital
Initial capital is necessary for restaurant business, as this can be used to set up the basic infrastructure of the restaurant. You can apply for a loan from a bank that has a low rate of interest, which will make your initial journey easy. You can buy useful items like chairs, tables, grocery, kitchen equipment, eatables by using the cash credit facility. Choose a good location for your dream restaurant, which will help to increase your business turnover substantially after a few years. The selected location should be ideally in the heart of the city which will be good for you from the business point of view. It is mandatory to secure the essential permissions and licenses in advance for implementing your restaurant business plan from the concerned government authorities.

Sometimes, starting a restaurant on your own is very tough both – financially and physically. In this case, you can look for a good business partner and have a legal agreement with him which will have details regarding the sharing of the profits and ownership rights of the restaurant. You can also indulge in franchise buying of a reputed restaurant chain. The advantage of franchise buying is that you get guidance from the company and also the established brand name of the company will help you in creating a large customer base for yourself. You can take some useful suggestions from your friends who have their restaurants about how to start a restaurant business.

Designing and Recruiting Staff
Be very particular when it comes to designing the interiors of your restaurant. Have good finishing for the walls and quality flooring such as Italian marble flooring for your tiles. If your budget is high, you can have POP’s and artistic paintings for the walls. The plates in which food will be served should be colorful, nice and attractive. You can have a unique lighting system with round lamps fitted in the ceiling. Have a good menu card and try to make available all those food items which people in the nearby locality like to increase your business. While recruiting employees, be very careful because hospitality and good reception is the key to success in the restaurant business. Train your employees in all the aspects related to the smooth functioning of the restaurant like cooking, serving, receiving guests. You should yourself take keen interest in the designing of your restaurant. Make sure that you are not compromising on the quality of your food as this can drive away your customers permanently. Also, you should avoid looting your customers.

Advertising
Advertising about your restaurant is very essential, at least in the initial stages of your business. People should be aware of what you can offer them and at what prices. All the above mentioned things are vital, if you want to survive in the tough competition in this field. As you see an improvement in your business, change the business strategy and wait for the returns.

You will definitely understand how to start a restaurant business after reading this article. Refer to other sources to collect more information about this very profitable business.

 Posted by at 10:04 am  Tagged with:

Restaurant Start Up Costs

 Hotels  No Responses »
Nov 152011
 

Opening up a restaurant is not an easy job. This is because, there is a lot of planning involved in it. Before starting a business, you need decide on the type of restaurant you would like to open, its location, the type of customer you want to cater to, the volume of your business, the number of staff to be employed initially, kitchen equipment required, the overall ambiance, the quality of food to be served and many more things that will constitute your restaurant. However, I will not go much deeper into the planning, as it is only the restaurant start up costs that will be dealt hereof.

Factors to be Considered Before Starting Up a Restaurant

At the outset, I’ll advise you that, while calculating the restaurant start up costs, always assume that the costs of everything will be higher than what you have yourself estimated and accordingly start looking for startup business financing. Taking this into consideration, the following factors would help you in calculating your restaurant start up costs.

Permits and Licenses: Well, before starting up a restaurant, you need to obtain the necessary permits and licenses. This is an important prerequisite, in order to avoid legal issues. To get essential permits and licenses, you have to pay the government for all the legal charges involved. Therefore, this is the foremost factor, you need to consider in the estimation of your restaurant costs.

Location: Location of your restaurant is the most important factor to be considered, while estimating costs. This is the area, where you will have to spend the most. The location where you are planning to set up your restaurant is important. Locations that have high profile people staying in the neighborhood would obviously be expensive, whereas, a comparatively low profile area would be less expensive. Also, locations in the midst of the city or in the downtown areas would cost you much more, than those in the suburbs. However, it is up to you to decide, which location to choose.

Restaurant Construction: Now, that you have decided the location, you also need to decide on the costs incurred in constructing the restaurant. The amount of construction materials required, the legal permissions involved to construct a restaurant at that place, all form a part of the restaurant construction costs.

Marketing: Market surveys, research and analysis all form a part of the marketing activity and will also cost you. You will have to pay heavily for the service charges, if you give your marketing work to some professional marketing service providers. However, if you do the marketing yourself, it would not cost you as much.

Advertisements: Quite obvious! To increase the popularity of the restaurant you need to advertise it sufficiently. Therefore, cost of advertising, also needs a consideration in your restaurant start up costs.

Restaurant Equipment: This includes purchasing the equipment, instruments, kitchen tools and accessories, furniture, safety measures, interior designing costs, and the installation costs. Decide the quality and jot down a brief estimate of the cost of all these things.

Employee Recruitment and Payments: You cannot go searching for employees for your restaurant yourself . To ensure that you hire the best for your restaurant, you need to contact a local recruitment agency that will shortlist the best people for you. Therefore, the charges of such agencies should also form a part of your restaurant start up costs. Further, employee salaries, incentives and uniforms, also need a consideration.

So folks, I hope after reading this article, calculating the restaurant start up costs will no longer remain a difficult job for you. Before signing off, I would like to say that correct cost estimation, financial planning, proper business handling and most importantly, vision for everything together, make an ideal entrepreneur. So, now go ahead, and see your dream of becoming a restaurateur turn into reality!

 Posted by at 9:59 am  Tagged with:
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