Oak Furniture – An Excellent Home Furniture That You Should Consider

If you love wood and would like to add an exquisite style in decorating your home, why not opt to obtain oak furniture instead? The good news is that you will be able to obtain such furniture in a very affordable price. At the same time, you will not only bring style to your home but you will definitely benefit from the durability of furniture made from oak wood.

Now, if you intend to use this type of furniture at home to make an investment you will be able to get the right value that is practical with your own budget. The furniture can compliment your garden so you don’t have to focus on just styling indoors but you can also use oak furniture to make your yard or your garden look a little more authentic.

Probably you are wondering why invest on wooden furniture instead? Aside from oak being known for its affordability, one may also look into its other features that can bring advantage for your very own home like for instance its durability and its capability to serve you its purpose for a longer period of time. If you are to purchase furniture for your home, isn’t it that you would like to be able to make use of it at the longest time possible or even last from one generation to another?

You may be thinking if it is more of an advantage for you to choose purchasing furniture made from aluminum and glass because they may come cheaper than that of oak wood but the question here is, how long will you be able to use them and keep them for the next generation of your family members to use?

With oak furniture, you can guarantee yourself that what you will be using to style your premises can withstand wear, tear or even decay. You can also assure yourself that the material the furniture is made from a strong material which have been preserved for years and years. If you are searching for furniture that is worth the money you will spend then you should opt to check out these wooden options. No doubt you will never go out of fashion with wooden furniture.

How To Save Money On Last Minute Travel Plans

Last minute travel plans are always exciting. You are suddenly charged with the idea of packing and going off on a vacation. It gives you a sense of adventure and you look forward to making the most of it. But, as intriguing as the last-minute travel plan may sound, there are a lot of arrangements that need to be done. And, these things may cost you a bomb if you don’t plan properly.

Worried? Well, here are some tips that will help you save money even if your travel plans have been made a day before the date of departure.

Book Your Tickets First

If you are looking for a cheap flight ticket, booking online is the best option you have. All you have to do is visit different sites and hunt for the best deals. Sometimes, if you download a travel app, you might get an off on your tickets. It might not be much but it will still save you some money! You should also checkup different social media platforms of airline companies to know if they are offering any last-minute deal. If you aren’t going too far from home, consider booking train or bus tickets as there are better chances of finding them at a reasonable price.

Look for Pocket-friendly Accommodation

When you are making last minute reservations, it’s difficult to find luxurious hotels, especially if you are travelling during the holiday season. However, you don’t need a very good hotel if you are going to spend most of your time outdoors. Just a good bed and a clean room should suffice, right? So, if you want to save some extra bucks, just check out some youth hostels and budget hotels, which generally have enough vacant rooms to accommodate you.

Pack Your Essentials with You

When you are on a tight budget, it’s better to carry your personal essential items with you so that you don’t have to spend money on your trip. Things like travel packs of toothpaste, soap, and other toiletries can easily be packed into your luggage. This way, you will be able save a lot of money that you might have otherwise spend on them. You should also pack in the right clothes, which are suitable for the weather of the place you are travelling to.

These are some of the most important tips that will help you save money when you suddenly come up with an impromptu travel plan. Apart from these, you should also consider taking local public transport on your trip as they generally come cheaper than renting cabs or cars. You could also save some money by eating out of local, small restaurants rather than the fancy ones.

Small Business Is Hard Enough: The Challenges of a Small Business After a Disaster

Disasters, I know we all hate that word. As humans we gird ourselves and simply say, “It won’t happen to me”. But the data shows that it’s not if it’s going to happen, it’s when is it going to happen.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), 40% to 60% of small businesses fail following a major disaster. The number of presidentially declared disasters has more than doubled in recent years. However, many disasters don’t affect a large number of people like these declared events do. In fact, fire is the leading business disaster.

If that is not bad enough, researchers estimate that approximately: half of business do not survive their first 5 years and 8 out of 10 fail within the first 3 years after a disaster.*

Small Businesses have unique challenges that are quite different from their larger counterpart. Since 52 % of businesses are operated from the owner’s home or property their ability to recover is harder simply because they have to focus to two recovery efforts. There is never enough time to get them both done quickly and easily. If their business is in their home, there is no place for the work to continue. The property damage for a small business owner impacts BOTH the family and their business.

While owning a small business may seem like the American Dream, owning a small business has many challenges. But after a disaster the challenges become more profound. There seems to be recurring views of these owners both before and after the disaster.

Here are 7 challenges Small Business Owners face after a disaster:

1. Illusion of Security

2. Nothing could be done to protect against this

3. Complete 360-degree disaster for the individual

4. Self-imposed limits

5. Imprudent use of financial resources

6. Not understanding what is happening to their customer base

7. Assumption everything will get back to normal

Starting a business is a big achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining one is the larger challenge. There are many standard challenges that face every business whether they are large or small. The largest challenge for small business owner is planning.

Small business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, money and resources to make their ventures successful, yet, many owners fail to properly plan and prepare for disaster situations. You can protect your business by identifying the risks associated with natural and man-made disasters, and by creating a plan for action should a disaster strike. By keeping those plans updated, you can help ensure the survival of your business.

When disaster strikes, having a plan and being able to put it into immediate action can mean the difference between staying open to service the needs of your customers and community or shutting down for a few days.

I know, not another plan! Who has time for that?

Resilience is different from preparedness. Where preparedness is something that you do; resilience is something that you become. In becoming more resilient, you as the owner should take intentional action. Do one thing today. (Just one thing). Do you back up your data? No, then get that done. Do you have an emergency contact list for your employees, suppliers, major clients? No, then get that done. Do you review you insurance policy every year with your agent? No, then get that done. Little by little, doing one thing moves you closer.

You’ve finally achieved your dream. Don’t lose it to a power outage, hacker disruption, fire, earthquake or other disaster. If you’re not prepared, a disaster could put you and your employees at risk, possibly shutting down your business forever.

Online Education Certificates – What Are They?

Online education certificates are academic or professional certificates that are granted to students who successfully complete a course of study that is offered through the Internet. Online education is continuously gaining more and more popularity, as the Internet becomes a bigger and bigger part of our daily lives. Online education courses of study are appealing to people who are interested in gaining a professional or academic qualification but do not have the time to attend a campus program. By enrolling in an internet education certificate program, students of the program are able to work full-time and work on their online education certificate requirements part-time from their homes in the evenings and weekends, or at other times that suits them. Online education programs are also appealing to students who have other commitments, such as parents of children, whose priority is taking care of their children and families. Another appealing aspect of internet education certificate programs is that they do not require relocation as all classes are conducted online. This allows one to enroll in a program that would otherwise be unavailable due to distance.

As online education is becoming so prevalent, many institutions are offering education certificates in a variety of disciplines. Some online programs are offered by degree granting institutions, while others are granted by professional organizations or community colleges that grant certificates and diplomas. Many traditional campus colleges have internet educational programs, and there are also a number of institutions that offer only online programs and do not have a campus.

Online education certificates from accredited institutions carry academic value. Many employers are recognizing the value of internet education certificates, although some employers remain conservative, and prefer a traditionally acquired certificate. On the other hand, there are employers who encourage their employees to enroll in online programs to enhance their skills, as enhanced employee skills are beneficial to the employer. Some employers may even pay their employees’ online education tuition fees. However, when considering an online program, it is important to ensure that the online program is reputable. There are many companies that will allow customers to purchase degrees as well as certificates without completing any work. Certifications from such companies are a waste of money as they do not carry any merit. Internet education certificates can allow one to learn new skills or academic experience. They can also greatly improve one’s career opportunities and increase chances for professional growth in the ever so competitive workplace.