Internet Marketing Companies

The commercial real estate market has been a tough one, so too is the business travel industry. For those who do a lot of travel and find themselves working on location, well, they realize what a great service that Extended Stay Motels are. And with their many locations around the country, they make a great asset to any company on the move, or executive caught between locations for extended periods or days on end. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed the nice rooms, WiFi, desks, services, and ease of use. Indeed, the prices are good too.

Well, it appears that due to the tough economy Extended Stay got a little over extended in debt. With Bankruptcy options nearing crunch time it appears that the company will be sold to one of their competitors which hopes to expand into their market. Extended Stay has a good bit of market share, and it appears a multi-billion dollar deal is in the works, meaning someone will take over that debt, and roll into the economic expansion period and into the positive business cycle with one of the best brands in the business.

Apparently, CenterBridge, Paulson, Goldman, CitiGroup, and others will get this deal done. This adds 700 locations to the competitor who takes them over. This will be one of the largest commercial real estate deals in the hotel industry in quite a while. If the deal does get done, it makes sense to keep the brand name as it is well traveled by seasoned business folks who are busy making this world go around. Before retirement in the franchising industry, we made sure to stay at one of their locations whenever possible, it just made life easier when we were setting up new franchisees around the country.

We needed a temporary base of operations and we were able to use these facilities to launch our Bonzai and Blitz marketing missions to attract new clientele in the market for our new franchisee team members. Good security, good service, and all the things you need when you are at you office away from home. Best of all with their large parking lots and great locations, we could park our mobile command center in the parking lot only miles from all our potential new customers. Read the rest of this entry »

So, you’ve polished your shoes, had your suit dry cleaned and finally persuaded your boss that you are the best employee to send to the overseas expo conference, but what now? Travelling on business for the first time can be a strange balance of both exciting yet nerve-wracking, as you are being paid to visit a new country but are expected not to mess the opportunity up. Like most trips though, the key to simplicity is in the planning.

Even in the internet age, business travel is just as popular as ever amongst all levels of employees, and the advent of new technology has undoubtedly made the whole process easier to organise and probably more fun too. Before you go, make sure you have all the essentials covered.

Book the hotel before you do anything else (on the work credit card, of course) and make sure it is both near the conference facility for an easy morning commute, and also mid-priced. Do not go for cheap just because you are not paying for it, as your company will certainly be claiming the tax back on your trip, so don’t rough it unnecessarily. Of course, try to get as much for your money as possible though, like free wireless internet, breakfast and parking. Once you have found the perfect hotel, make sure it is close enough to any amenities you might need during the trip, including restaurants and entertainment.

Next prepare your technology. It almost goes without saying that being able to find a reliable internet source abroad to send any necessary paperwork is never going to be simple, so make sure you take everything you need. Try and borrow a work laptop if you don’t already have one, and always bring a small USB flash drive, so that you can transfer data quickly and easily if need be. Likewise make sure your mobile phone is set for international use. Finally, make sure you save a copy of all of your bookings, boarding tickets and itineraries in your office e-mail, so that a colleague can access them in an emergency.

The day before leaving, pack with consideration. If you’re only going for a day or two, you might not need to check-in any luggage, This would save you time at the other end and you don’t have to worry about losing anything either. Pack simple, with one key piece, like a suit, and then two or three accompanying shirts and ties to match. Most hotels provide irons or trouser presses, but it’s a good idea to call ahead and check.

Arrive at the airport early and double-check everything is on time immediately. Afterwards, get online and start researching who you are likely to meet on your business trip and, if you have time, perhaps try and find somewhere to eat once you have landed. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, there are many hotels near Heathrow Airport where you can spend the day working, or book a room for the night.

Once you are at the conference or meeting, keep a pen and notepad on you at Read the rest of this entry »