Since the collapse of the world economy last year and the massive increase in food and petrol prices we are all looking for new ways to save money. This article was written to help those of us who are suffering to try and save some money through a few practical tips.

Find Your Basic Foods Costs
As with any project, the first thing to do is to do your research. Visit your local super market and make a note of all the basics such as bread, milk, butter etc. This will give you a base rate to work from and thereby tell you how expensive your store is in comparison from another one. I would also recommend making a note of the food and drink items you personally value. I love my whisky and pork scratchings. Having made a note of these products visit the other nearest supermarket and compare prices.

Ditch The Supermarkets
Shopping at the big stores can be expensive. Supermarkets are very convenient because you can buy everything in one location. However, whilst the large stores might be more convenient they have forced many small stores to close, thereby preventing competition.

In today’s economic climate the local corner shop is seeing a resurgence. The local butcher and grocers are seeing an increase in trade as people look for bargains further afield. Don’t expect to find lovely straight carrots or perfectly shaped bananas. Instead you will find cheap, honest food, sourced from the local area. Not only is this produce fresh but it also puts money back into the community.

Online Bargains
We all love something for free, or at least discounted. Unfortunately discounts and offers only seem to be offered on a seasonal basis in the shops, such as at Christmas. However, if you need a bargain here and now why not try online. This becomes even more relevant when you consider the cost of petrol these days.

The money comparison sites are an obvious place to visit when doing your research. These sites compare products and services across the range. Watch out however for comparison sites that in reality will cost you more than if you had gone direct to the manufacturer. For example, there are many cases where you can get cheaper insurance by going direct to the seller.

The savvy surfers can also save themselves money by checking online vouchers or discounts for their normal high street shops. Web sites regularly highlight offers that are available in their stores. This is useful to know as the spotty teenager serving you in the store is highly unlikely to be aware of any particular promotions.

Price Wars
Always keep an eye on the news for a bargain. It seems like every winter all the gas and electric companies are fighting for our money. . Go to an energy comparison site and see which energy company can beat your existing bill. Make sure your loft is correctly insulated so that you don’t spend too much money on energy.

Economies In The Fridge
When we think of being thrifty we all probably remember the older generation, especially those who had to endure the last World War. Firstly, don’t throw items out of your fridge once they have reached the “Best before date”. This will save you an absolute fortune. You only need to dispose of old food once the “Use by date” has expired as this is a health warning. Having said that, you don’t need to dispose of ambient products like tinned food or pasta until well after the “Use by date”. Just use your common sense on this one.

DIY Vegetables
Something else that can save money is to grow your own vegetables. This might not be for everyone as not all of us have gardens. Nevertheless, you can grow your own veg in pots. So no excuses! The planting season for vegetables is usually around February. This is however a good time to plan your garden for next year. You can plant some seeds as early as February. In the mean time you can prepare the ground. In the mean time you can grow herbs in doors throughout the year.

Other Options To Look Into
For those in financial difficulty one possible temporary solution to ease your debt is to look into getting a short-term loan. A second option is to do some research into a 0 balance transfer credit cards as these can be used to restructure your finances.

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Organising your holiday money
Most of us plan our holidays meticulously in terms of where we go on holiday, what we pack, and where we stay. Why is it therefore that before we go on holiday we just don’t bother to take the time to get a good deal on foreign exchange despite the money it could save us.
This article gives top tips to how you can make your money stretch further whilst abroad.

Why take cash on holiday?
Cash has its advantages and disadvantages. An obvious draw back of cash is that if you lose it, its gone, and that is that. The reality is that we all need to take at least some cash with us before we go so that we can pay for food or taxis when we arrive

If you are thinking of getting foreign exchange you don’t need to worry about the bureaux de change commission but you do need to keep an eye on the exchange rate. You also need to do your research before you go. Don’t just go to your own bank and don’t get your foreign exchange from the airport - both probably don’t do the best deal.

As the exchange rates vary you must do your research. To find the best exchange rates you need to go online. If you use a comparison site make sure you compare the charges when you look at the exchange rates.

Pro’s and Con’s Of Travellers chaques
If you are going to the back and beyond travellers cheques are probably not a very good choice. Taking cash or a credit card gives you a greater deal of flexibility as you don’t need to go to a bank. American dollar traveller’s cheques are probably the only exception as they are a widely accepted form of cash payment in the US.

Pre-paid debit cards
A prepaid debit card is a useful option when going overseas. It is a card that is already pre-loaded with currency prior to your departure so you just spend and withdraw as you go.

The benefits of the prepaid credit card are that you can get one what ever your credit rating and they are far more secure. If you lose a card the issuer merely cancels it and sends you a new one.

Debit cards
Debit cards are what most of us would usually take on holiday. Most of us have one, little thought and planning needs to take place, and your bill arrives in your bank statement the following month with all the rest of your purchases.

Unfortunately the average debit card rate is about 2.75 to 2.99% which makes this option not the cheapest method of getting foreign exchange. In the UK withdrawing money is free but when you are abroad this will cost you up to 3%.

Using credit cards overseas
Just as debit cards, most credit cards will charge you about 3% but there are some exceptions. Certain cards will not charge you any fees on foreign transactions. Some will not even charge you for foreign transactions.

All the above assumes that you payoff your balance at the end of the month so that the interest charges don’t cancel out the gains made on the foreign exchange rates.

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Taking Credit Cards On Holiday

Citations latest offering of small business jets is the CJ1+ and not to state the obvious it is an upgrade to the CJ1. Whether you are buying this business jet or you are a private jet charter passenger you are surely going to be in for a pleasant surprise.

This aircraft was originally created for the small business charter entrepreneur owner/pilot but it is now loved by individuals as well as corporations. Seating six people, this business aircraft is perfect for flying small business groups to that illusive island vacation or to business meetings abroad.

The CJ1+ has had it’s interior upgraded. It still has the standard cabinetry but it now has new window shades and the cabin has been modified to make it more roomy. Sit back and enjoy the flight at the new refreshment centre.

To reduce the sound of the already quiet engines the CJ1+ has special acoustic padding to ensure you have a peaceful journey. The aircraft can now climb to 41,000 feet (12,497 m) where the weather is far less. This means you enjoy a far more comfortable ride as you get less turbulence at this height.
Compared to the Citation CJ1 this new model is far more efficient, yet more powerful. Eventhough the CJ1+ has a higher payload that the CJ1 it only burns an average of 132 gallons per hour.

The CJ1+ has two powerful Williams FJ44-1AP engines that deliver a huge amount of thrust and performance. Efficiencies have also been made in the aerodynamics of this aircraft thereby reducing drag and increasing performance. The aircraft also uses natural laminar flow wing delays the onset of flow separation longer, which improves the lift-to-drag characteristics ten to fifteen percent when compared to previous straight-wing designs.

Improvements in efficiency and power mean that the CJ1+ has an increased take-off weight of 300 pounds over the CJ1. These advances have meant owners now have a greater range and more options for payloads which gives them greater flexibility for planning routes. Whilst the CJ1+ has increased in size compared to the Citation CJ1+ it is also faster. An increase in power has meant that the CJ1+ has a greater capacity for luggage. The three baggage holds can stow up to 822 pounds of luggage.

As so many things are automated in the CJ1+ flying this aircraft is a easy. Air from the engine is used as de-icing for the horizontal tail, wing edge and engine, in addition to the removal of rain from the cockpit windscreen. Owing to the many automatic systems this jet only requires one which enables operators to keep costs to a minimum.

The flexibility and ease of use of this aircraft is evident by its ability to take off from a 4,000 foot runway in all types of adverse weather conditions, such as from hot temperatures and high elevation at maximum payload capacity. This versatility has partly come about by the re-design of the tail section which has reduced the overall weight of the aircraft but has not sacrificed on the cabin size.

All the technological improvements that have gone into this aircraft has resulted in the CJ1+ being able to climb to 41,000 feet in just 27 minutes and cruise at 448 mph (720 km/hr). This makes the aircraft perfect for short flights that take up to just over an hour. For example, London to Nice, London to Rome, or London to Berlin. The ideal candidates for these aircraft are small business, like air charter companies, and individuals. If you were lucky enough to fly on one of these aircraft please send us your feedback to smarteraircharter.com.

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Franchising is perhaps best described as a partnership between the business to be franchised, the franchisor, and the individual, franchisee.. An individual buys the rights to replicate the business concepts in a specified way over a set period of time. This includes training, support, and marketing. The individual is provided with a tried and tested formula that works. They get a brand, a corporate identity, knowledge and other support to ensure that the business thrives. A Franchise Consultant is usually required to give expert advice in this field to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The franchisor invests time, money, effort, and knowledge to create a business formula that is capable of being duplicated by others. The franchisor benefits from this agreement by being able to expand to other regions without the need of capital investment.

There are many types of franchises. The investment type is where the owner puts up a large part of the capital to finance a high cost franchise system, e.g. hotels and restaurants. Even though the business owner retains overall management this type of franchise often involves hiring others to manage the business outlets.

When the owner controls numerous areas or manages a team of operatives this is called a management franchise. A typical example would be a van operated organisation run from a depot/hub.

Executive franchises are those run by individuals and are often white collar businesses such as financial consultancies and personnel consultancies. In these case a premises are not important because the business is take to the client.

Unlike the investment franchise the retail franchise owner is the operator. This type of franchise involves heavy investment in property, equipment and staff. This type of franchise can be sold for a profit by the franchisee should they wish to cash in on their investment or retire.

Another franchise type is the sales and distribution franchise. In this case the franchise owner will be distributing or selling items in a geographical area where other drivers can be taken on to serve regions as the client base builds.

The typical man with a van franchise is called a mobile servicing/job franchise. Examples of this type would be an installation business, repair service such as a mechanic or cleaning service.

If you are looking to make a franchise out of your business you need the advice of a good franchise consultant. A specialist franchise consultant is required to look at the legal nature of the agreement, to examine the marketing package, and to basically help the franchisor build a package that can be reliably setup as a viable business model.

Contact Franchise Development Services (Southern) for franchise advice.

FDS Southern
Introduction To Franchising

H1NI otherwise known as swine flu has now reached pandemic proportions throughout the world. As it spreads travellers are likely to face long delays at airports because of more checks. People are also more likely to be at risk of catching swine flu when travelling because of the recycled air on aircraft.

The risk of catching swine flu can be avoided by using private air charterbecause you will be flying in smaller groups of people you know. Using private jets also reduces the problems caused by health checks delaying your flight as you will be in a small group of people. You will still have to be checked by you will probably be one of four in a queue rather than thousands.

According to Dr Richard Dawood at the Fleet Street Travel Clinic in London “travel does increase exposure to respiratory viruses and that anyone who becomes unwell away from home may have reduced access to good medical care including antiviral drugs.”

The UK Government announced yesterday that there were 100,000 cases of swine flu which was double the number of cases from the previous week. The new cases are mostly under 14s who are being called “super carriers” as they pass on the infection so quickly.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that this strain of flu is the fastest ever spreading pandemic. This particular strain of flu has made more progress in 6 weeks than any previous viruses had made in 6 months.

Many airports are now screening passengers arriving on international flights, with more likely to follow as the virus spreads. For example, all passengers travelling to Hong Kong will be screened on their arrival. This will also involve quarantine and even hospitalization, if detected with any symptoms connected with the flu.

Passengers arriving in Hong Kong are being asked to fill out a form stating whether they have been in countries where swine flu cases have been confirmed, and if they have displayed any flu-like symptoms in the previous 10 days.

In many countries screening consists of passing through a scanning device that checks your temperature, directly checking your temperature with an oral or ear thermometer, completing forms about your health, and providing details about your travel itinerary.

Airlines are also being vigilant. Cathay Pacific crew have been given the option of wearing face masks. However, facemasks are more cosmetic than prevention as soon as they become moist they are ineffective against preventing the virus. Many airlines have told their cabin crew to be vigilant of people with flu like symptoms.

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Private Jet Charter

Private jet charter offers clearer itineraries, greater security and flexibility, and vastly superior convenience of routing over scheduled carriers.

Flexibility is one of the major pluses of using our Private jet charter services. At Flaps International we try to recreate the effectiveness and delight that flying once epitomised by using smaller, more suitable airports, private terminals and remote check-in facilities. Contrast Private jet charter with ‘Air Sardine’ operating to and from an airport 50 miles from home or office and you soon see the benefits.

Unlike flying with scheduled operators using Private jet charter means your itinerary can be as flexible as you would like. If the flight is due to take off at 9.00 am all you need to do is show up 15 minutes before your journey rather than two or three hours. Should you wish to diversify your timetable at short notice just contact us and we can re-book your flight.

As many private planes are smaller than the average plane this means we can use provincial airports rather than the major airports. Using local airports means that you can land closer to your objective thereby saving you time. We can even offer you a door to door service by fixing a taxi to pick you up and drop you off.

Using local airports also means you can avoid all the delays associated with having to queue up for security checks.. Avoiding security is still not an option but rather than having to wait in line with thousands of people you might be only one of two in the queue.

On consideration of 9/11 security is a real question to consider. Using local airports means you are unlikely to be a target of terrorism. If we do fly to any major airports you will not go through the usual channels. Instead you will be directed to the VIP Charter terminal.

If you are thinking what type of jet you will fly in, this will depend on how many people are flying and where you wish to travel to. The most economically sized planes for groups flying domestically, or within Western Europe, are those carrying up to four, up to eight, up to 19 then up to 29, 34 and 42. The next jumps are around 70 then 120. The large intercontinental routes tend to be VIP configured aircraft. At the opposite end, if you require an air taxi service, you can either hire a helicopter or charter a light aircraft.

Renting a private jet can be unexpectedly, economic. For example, if you needed to fly several people to Nice for a business meeting this will probably mean putting these people up in a nice hotel for the night. What happens if your meeting runs on the next day? Private jet charter means you can have the plane on standby, ready to fly you back at any time. Should you have to stay an extra day the jet can stay with you overnight.

Increasingly people are coming to realise that executive jet charter is a more efficient, more civilised and increasingly affordable way of flying.

{Flying Private jet charter with Flaps International Ltd means you will be amongst royalty, business leaders and sports celebrities who are turning away from the cramped, expensive flights of the scheduled airlines in favour of its more civilised and affordable form of flying.
Our Private jet charter gives you a seamless service locally and around the globe and specialises in local operations from Birmingham, Gloucester and Coventry, as well as dozens more UK and European airports for helicopters, turbo-props and jets from one passenger or 1,001.

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