How to Open a Bed and Breakfast

Opening a bed and breakfast is a challenging task and not for everyone. If you've always dreamed of having your own B&B, make sure you know what's involved so your dream doesn't turn to a nightmare. Follow these steps:

1. Assess whether or not you have the personality to be a good B&B host. You need to be outgoing and friendly at all times. You need to be on call 24/7. Talk to some bed and breakfast owners. Ask about their day-to-day activities. Is this the kind of life you're prepared to lead?

2. Find a location that is not only a place you'd like to live and work, but is also a place visitors would come to. This might be in or near a popular tourist spot, or it might be an out-of-the-way corner where passers-through can stop for rest and good food. Make sure there is something distinctive and alluring about the surroundings.

3. Check the zoning laws in the area. Be aware that not all cities allow bed and breakfasts. You must also check if there are any food service restrictions. If you're remodeling or restoring an older building, make sure you comply with all local building codes. Your contractor should be handling this for you, but it's your responsibility, so check on him.

4. Create a business plan. You need to know as closely as possible, what your costs will be in order to set your prices. Talk to other bed and breakfast owners, who may be willing to share their numbers with you. You can also contact the American Bed and Breakfast Association (ABBA, or a similar organization in your country) for any guidelines they may have.

5. Determine the number of guests you'll have at any one time. If you have more than five guest rooms in the U.S., you'll have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This may entail installing wheelchair ramps and other handicap conveniences and providing handicap parking.

6. Check the competition in your chosen area. You'll need to set your prices to stay competitive and you may find a way to get an edge by offering services they don't.

7. Be realistic about your marketing costs when creating your marketing plan. They can be expensive. Find ways to get free press - press releases, articles in travel magazines, editorial coverage of your special events, etc.

8. Put up a website and get your B&B listed in all the guides and directories. Keep an eye on the competition's advertising. What's working for them could work for you.

9. Hire staff as needed. At first you'll need a housekeeper for sure. As your bed and breakfast grows more popular, you may need to add a cook, a bartender, a waiter and a gardener.

10. It's a good idea to hire a reservation service, like B&B Midwest Reservations. This will not only reduce your workload, but it will eliminate the need to get and pay for a credit card merchant account and it will expose your B&B to a wider audience of potential future guests than you could do on your own. It's somewhat costly, so use your judgment and don't forget to take these fees into consideration when setting your prices.

11. Set up the rules of your bed and breakfast. Things to consider include hours of check-in and checkout, whether or not pets will be welcomed, cancellation and late arrival policies, whether children and smoking will be allowed.

12. Plan the details that will keep your guests returning - a good wine list, excellent food, spotless rooms, tours of local attractions and those special personal touches.

13. Join ABBA and other useful organizations like your local chamber of commerce. This will increase awareness of your business in the community.

Follow these steps carefully and turn your bed and breakfast dream into a reality.

How to Maintain Emotional Intelligence and Positive Thinking in the Ballet World

Deborah sets forth with help for you, the would-be ballerina or male ballet dancer, to gain more understanding and control over the demanding world you live in.

Any student of music, writing, and performing of any kind, needs to know some survival techniques to maintain emotional intelligence, and stick with positive thinking. Every new class, with new exams, and fierce competitions, can instigate implosions of self-doubts. How do you take command of your mental and emotional space before that important event? Or so you can sleep well every night?

Deborah designed this book so that teens and pre-teens could discover that there is a way to begin a dialogue about self-sabotaging beliefs and thoughts that so influence their patterns of behavior and success. This 48 page book introduces eight teens with common problems and challenges such as how to take charge of your feelings and how to perform like a pro in the dance studio or anywhere and everywhere. You will learn techniques such as Mental Rehearsing, Creating a Feeling, Refocusing and a very powerful Acting as If. These fun (but seriously amazing) activities will help to train your brain - whether a teen or an adult late starter in ballet - towards success.

As a ballet teacher, I've always recommended to students to look outside the dance classes for ways to help manage their frustrations, fears and struggles with the competitive and perfectionist aspects of the performing arts. I think that private and independent study is best for people - contemplation with direction, and applying uplifting creative techniques to maintain a positive perspective, in one's own way.

That in itself is the challenge - finding one's own way. "Train Your Brain: A Teen's Guide To Well Being" is a wonderful first step on that path.

The Coolest Ways to Compare 4WD's

Four wheel drive vehicles, or 4WDs, are great for more steep or rugged driving applications. But how should someone select a four wheel drive which will meet all the specifications in terms of performance? One useful way for a consumer to go about doing this is to compare 4x4s in terms of their performance capacities and other attributes. This will give the individual a sense of which ones will suit his or her needs best.

Check out some of the following cool ways to compare 4x4 vehicles.

Off Road Performance: One category in which consumers can make comparisons regarding a new 4X4 is in the area of off road performance. How well do various models perform on steep inclines, stones, slippery areas, in water, and so on. An individual can search the internet for information on these various attributes as well as ask dealers or previous users about them. If off road use is one of the intended uses for the vehicle (which is a common motivation for buying a 4WD vehicle) this is one of the most important attributes.

Towing Capacity Towing capacity is an important attribute of an SUV if you are planning to use it for this kind of work application. Find out how much weight various 4WDs are rated to tow. This is usually given in Kilograms. The consumer should consider the probable weight of items they might be involved in towing and then see which 4WDs are weight rated for those amounts. They can use this for comparison purposes between vehicles, weighing it with the other attributes they are interested in.

Ground Clearance If someone is planning on using their new 4x4 vehicle for off road purposes, ground clearance is an important item to pay attention to. They will want to consider the types of off road environments in which they might be driving and see which off road vehicle would perform best. Will they be driving in rocky areas, forest locations? Beaches? Mud? Gravel? Irregular areas that may combine any of these? They should compare various vehicles based on clearance, always remembering that extra clearance, not merely the minimum, is ideal.

Tires The types of tires on a new 4x4 can affect issues like traction, hill climbing ability, clearance, and comfort of the ride. Consumers should see what size of tire various 4WD vehicles take and also look at the variety of different sizes available for specific models. They should also pay attention to tread types and the capacity of tires for different road and weather conditions.

Engine The engine size in cubic centimeters, the number of liters, the horsepower, the number of cylinders, and so forth should all factor into a 4WD comparison. Applications like climbing, towing, fast on or off road racing will require stronger engines. If someone is unsure how much power their engine requires they may want to aim higher in a general sense in order to insure that the engine in the vehicle selected will be adequate.

Read Reviews

There are numerous review websites, ezines, and auto magazines that review 4WDs. Looking at user and critical reviews can be a good source of comparative material on various models. The advantageous thing about reviews is that they give more than technical information. They let a consumer know in qualitative terms what experiences drivers have had with the vehicle in question.

Test Drive Finally, it is important to test drive various 4WD vehicles to see which ones feel the best as far as comfort, handling, and interior features (dashboard controls, lights, air conditioning, and sound system, etc). Even if an individual can't test drive the vehicle in rugged conditions, just driving it around the dealership or on a nearby road can give the driver a feel for its attributes.

The Calling Card Alternative

For a few years now, the calling cards business is booming. Everywhere you go, everywhere you search you might find one: in WallMarts, grocery stores, newspaper stands, vending machines in coffee shops. But the place you can find the most of these long distance alternatives is the internet. A quick search on Google, Yahoo or other search engines will reveal thousands of websites that sell calling cards. So,it's an easy pick, one might say. Well... not quite.

According to the FCC, almost 70% of the calling card businesses are fraudulent. Meaning mostly that they get your money but you don't get the calling card. That means that you have to be very careful when choosing a website to buy from. On top of that, calling cards vary in number and features, so you have to choose the one appropriate to your needs. Their low rates however, come with a price at times. Companies selling calling cards use VoIP technology and other third party carriers to complete their calls. While not as expensive as a satellite connection (hence the low rates), this technology is at the beginning, so problems may occur from time to time. This is why calling cards are not usually recommended for emergency calls. For calls within the United States however, calls made with calling cards (also known as phone cards) have a good quality and connection rate, given that you have found a good supplier.

So here are the steps you need to take to get the best out of your calling card purchase:

- Find a reliable website (this means no weird pop-ups, no advertisement of Viagra on the website - you get my point).

- Take a look at the available calling cards and rates.

- Check out any details of calling cards: usually, next to or underneath the picture of the calling card there is a link that will take you to a "Details" page. Look for maintenance fees, rounding, any other surcharges, expiration dates.

- If you intend to make a lot of long calls over a short period of time, choose a card with a maintenance fee. This means that a certain amount will be deducted from your balance each week/month until you use up the card. But if you plan to make so many calls, you'll probably use the card up by the time the maintenance fee is deducted. Calling cards with maintenance fees also tend to have lower rates.

- If you use the card just once in a while, choose a card with no maintenance fee. These cards usually have higher rates, but you don't have to worry about your balance going down if you do not use the card.

- Look for a Customer Service number. Reliable companies have Customer Service, in case their customers have questions or problems.

After this, get the card you this is best for your needs and wait for it to arrive in the email. Unless otherwise specified, you should be able to use it immediately. Good luck!

List Building - How Effective is Article Marketing for Your List Building Campaign?

I am going to cut right to the chase here and tell you I think article marketing is incredibly important to your list building campaign.

Over the last few months, I have tried a variety of traffic sources, many of which have been successful in terms of building my list, from a quantity of new subscribers, but where the article marketing wins hands down is in the responsiveness of the subscribers.

My email open rate is highest among article readers. My click through rate is highest among my article-based subscribers. And the bulk of my income has been from the article-based subscribers.

So how do I do it?

1) I write articles geared towards the niche market of my list.

2) I add a bio to my articles that includes the particular web page that has an opt in form for a subscriber list of that niche market.

3) I submit my articles to the various online article directories.

4) The traffic comes in, and I receive subscribers.

I know I make it sound simple, but that is because it really is simple. If you haven't tried article marketing in your list building efforts, give it a shot today. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results, in my humble opinion.

Tips For Getting Even Greater Productivity From Your Turf Equipment

Whether you purchase your grounds keeping equipment new or have a used Toro in your vehicle fleet, every piece of equipment will eventually age. It is important to keep every vehicle and tool in the best shape possible to ensure a long service life to keep down costs and prevent an untimely breakdown from ruining a gold course's maintenance schedule. Let's take a look at what it takes to keep that used Toro and other used turf equipment in the best working order.

When To Perform Maintenance

During the growing and playing seasons, it is difficult to make time to really keep a careful eye on every piece of equipment. That used Toro mower is put into service daily, so there is not a lot of spare time to do thorough maintenance and repairs. However, during the active seasons, every little bit of work will add up to keep used turf equipment in the best shape.

Make it a priority to do even a quick wash and cleaning on a mower and always check the oil on any engine before running the motor. On a rainy or slow day, lube the fittings and pull off the guards and do a better cleaning, this will allow you to better spot any potential problems.

In addition, the winter season allows crews the time to do major work on their used turf equipment. Be prepared to spend a good deal of time servicing every piece of machinery so that they will be in the best shape for the next year's busy seasons.

Let's take a look at a few of the best upkeep habits to get into each winter season.

Winter Work

First focus on all of the parts of a used Toro that see the most work. This means checking all of the mower and drive belts for cracks and other signs of wear. Throwing a belt on the first day of spring is a safety hazard and will quickly get any crew behind schedule.

Relieve the tension on the belts and check each pulley for a smooth rotation and quiet bearings, then replace and lube as necessary. Then, check the blades on the mower. A new set of blades or even just a re-sharpening will restore a precise, clean cut. It is amazing the difference in greens cut by a fresh blade as compared to a dull blade.

During the course of a year, most engines should have an oil change every 25-50 hours. Even if the schedule does not call for a change, make sure to have fresh oil in the engine as it sits over the winter. Use an air hose to clean off radiator coils and cooling fins. Use fuel stabilizer to winterize all used turf equipment. Clean off all electrical connections and attach batteries to a trickle charger. Check tires for any leaks and fill them back up, uneven tire pressure will result in uneven cuts.

These maintenance tips are designed to keep your used Toro or any mower in the best condition once the new season hits and to protect your investment for years to come.