I have stayed away from this blog for awhile.  Well, I was busy and wanted a break from the usual.  There are always so much to do.  Also, I’ve started exploring some new avenues to monetize blogging and have been working on that too.

Anyway, so much has happened.  Cyclones, earthquakes, what have you.  But the earth is still revolving and life has to go on.  And like, nosey parkers will be nosey parkers.  They can’t mind their own business and are always finding faults with others.

When planning for holidays, it’s great to know that there are resources that cater to budget travel.  I always believe that instead of overspending on accomodations, one is better off channeling that expense to other aspects of the trip like eating or shopping.

Hence, for those planning to head to Europe sometime this year, take comfort that you can find cheap Paris Hotels or Venice Hotels and save the money for all the branded goods shopping.  

Cutting back on the accomodation expenses also means you can enjoy more sight seeing trips without having to worry about a tight budget.  Like instead of spending a fortune on Hotels Rome, you’re definitely better off spending money exploring the Vatican Museums or checking out the Colosseum in Italy.  Or stay in affordable Amsterdam Hotels and have fun exploring the Van Gogh Museum or Ann Frank House.

And remember: there are simply too many things to see and do in Europe and you’re definitely not going to be couped up in the hotel all day long.

I really don’t like the new Wordpress 2.5 very much.  It’s supposed to be more user friendly but I just can’t get used to some of the new features.  Like having to scroll down for the categories and the image upload menu is looking way funny too.  So far, I’ve only upgraded one blog to this version because I have no time to upgrade the rest. 

And will someone tell them to remove that notice right at the top of my admin menu that my wordpress version is out of date.  It’s really annoying!

While above-the-line advertising is an obvious choice for most business wanting to promote their products or services to their target audience, below-the-line activities such as organizing roadshows is more cost effective as it allows them to reach out to their customers directly.

The expense for organizing roadshows is also reasonable, as the bulk of the cost is on rental and setting up.  One of the most important means of attracting traffic to the venue is the use of banners, such as those colorful and attractively designed ones you see at FastSigns, a company specializing in digital printing.  A well designed visual is bound to attract eyeballs and that could convert to traffic and even sales.

The same principle is true if you are running a retail operation or are offering hospitality service.  Attractive signs with a meaningful message is a sure way to get visitors.

What’s great about using such marketing materials is that you can actually design them in such a way that they can be re-used and this effectively brings more mileage for your marketing expense.  Definitely more effective than a one-time advertising blurb!