What are you some tips to avoid jet lag?

* Bedtime Changes. Adjust your bedtime by 30 to 60 minutes a day to match the schedule of your destination. For example, if you’re going from the west coast to the east coast of the US, there’s a 3 hour difference. If you normally go to bed at 10:00pm PST, begin going to bed at 9:30, then 9:00, then 8:30. When you arrive on the east coast, you won’t find yourself staying awake until 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning trying to fall asleep.
* Change Time. The minute you depart, adjust the time on your watch to the time it is at your destination. This will help you begin to adjust to the new time and what you would be doing at that time when you get there – e.g., eating dinner, attending a conference, etc.
* Drink water. This should probably be at the top of the list since dehydration is one of the worst things you can encounter when traveling. In fact, start drinking water a day or two before you leave, drink ONLY water on the flight, and continue to drink water through out your trip. By all means, stay away from alcohol and caffeine. They can cause enough issues when you’re on the ground and those issues are just magnified when you travel – especially by plane.
* Sleep at the right time. Again, getting acclimated to the time at your destination is critical. Use whatever it takes – earplugs, headphones, eye masks, or sleep aids. So, if you’re on a long flight and it’s 10:00pm at your destination, try to sleep. Even a little bit of sleep will help with the time transition.
* Stay awake. This is just like the previous tip but in reverse. If you should be awake at your destination, then stay awake on the plane. Talk to others, make a few trips up and down the aisles, or watch a movie.
* Exercise. Move your body as much as you can. Not only will you avoid potential blood clots in your legs (which can be dangerous), blood circulation always makes you feel better. Walk a bit. Maybe stand in the back of the plane and do a few toe touches or back stretches. You don’t have to go as far as doing jumping jacks (because, well, that would be silly). Just try to keep the blood flowing.
* Eat light and right. Now is not the time to toss your eating pattern to the wind. Nutrition is key. To help stay away, eat a high protein snake or meal. To promote sleep, eat carbs like pasta. Try to minimize the salt (to prevent fluid retention in your feet/legs) and fats (since they make you feel sluggish.
* Supplements. Consider taking a supplement such as melatonin or a homeopathic product called, “No Jet Lag.” Also, you might want to make sure you are getting sufficient zinc. Zinc is excellent for keeping away infection and a simple Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc supplement taken 1-2 times a day can work wonders.

The first you might have suspected is thoroughly reviewing the financial books and status of the operation you are considering. The last thing you want is to buy the business and find out that sales have been dropping steadily for the last year. The nature of the documents presented is critical. Sales tax receipts, IRS tax returns, bank statements are all key to establishing the actual cash flow of a business. Having an independent accountant review the financial worthiness of the company is costly, but will certify that at least to the present, the business is in order.

The second issue to be cognizant of is the vendors required to successfully operate this endeavor. Despite the fact that most investors or owners will only buy the assets and not the liabilities of a company, the vendors may not distinguish between the previous and current owners. It must be made clear and in writing that you will only be purchasing the assets. A call to the vendors may prove beneficial though a complete change of account status is usually the best course to take. Changing the business name may not be required or even desirable, but may be the best option.

The last major issue to consider is the nature of the business itself. Is this is local business or is it national or international in scope? Is this the type of business in which the previous owner’s personality has actually driven much of the business relationships? Believe it or not, many people do not react well to change, and may often be reluctant to patronize the same store when it changes hands.

The occasional reference to the previous owner and how they did things or purportedly charged a lower price will likely come up. This can be especially challenging in small town or in a neighborhood setting where customer grow accustomed to seeing the same people. Determining whether you can successfully fill in and forge a new path beforehand is quite challenging but it is something to definitely consider.

Well, that is a good argument and may be valid. However, the times, they are a changin’.

Having a website is like having a sign that says you are open for business. It is just a little part of doing business but it can make your business seem more legitimate to your clients.

Why?

You automatically:

- look more professional
- have more credibility

When you give a person your contact information, it makes you seem more established. When people see that you have your own website, right away it looks like you care about your customers and want to give them information. It is all about positioning yourself and setting yourself apart from the competition. If someone just rolls into town and they look up 3 different businesses and yours is the only one with a website, the others will look poorer for it.

When you have a website, it shows that you are up-to-date and current with your marketing. People expect to see your website address. They may never go and visit your site – they may not need to, but that doesn’t matter. You need to have a site and you need to get it out where people can see it. It can set you apart from other businesses in your town that do not have a site.

Another good reason to have your own website is that you can convey your image to people right inside their own homes.

Someone sitting in their living room can look you up online and find out about your business, the products or services you offer and get to know a bit about you before they even leave their house to buy your product or service. When you buy advertising space, usually the more you buy, the more it costs. A ½ page ad in the phone book costs more than a ¼ page ad. Then they charge you extra for colours and so on.

When you have a website you get to leverage your advertising dollars. Now all you need to do is market your website address and drive traffic there. Once people get to your website, you have basically all the space you want and it doesn’t cost extra! Now you can have pictures, audio, video, demonstrations, coupons, information, details, features, benefits, colours, logo, and anything else you can think of – at little or no extra cost! Far more than you can include directly into the various types of media you are currently utilizing.

So now you have a great “advertisement” – your website – but you are able to buy smaller, less expensive ads in the media. This can be very powerful to your advertising budget.

Having your own website name means you can have an email address at your-own-business-name.com (for example). It becomes part of your identity. It means you can have a company email address. Everyone needs an email address just like everyone needs a phone. Some people just prefer to use email over the phone and by not having one, you could be leaving those people unserved. Do not discount the value that a website – even a simple one – adds to your small business.