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How to Find the Best Deals When Booking Your Next Trip

By Abby Miller | Knowledge Base | No Comments

For some people, the worst part of their vacation is planning the details. But this is where you can get the most for your money and ensure you book as much fun as you can pack into your trip.

Good planning is the key. You can avoid the stress of overpaying for flights, finding the best hotel for the best price, and reserving the top restaurants. All you have to do is make good plans and stick to them. It’s not just about the money, it’s also about having fun.

If you are one of those people who hate to plan, think of these tricks as a way to really save money. Keep large blocks of time on your schedule open to be spontaneous. But try these ideas on how you can use your favorite online calendar to plan your vacation and save money.

Sign Up for Airline Discount Alerts

Once you identify where you’re traveling on your next vacation, sign up on travel and airline sites for alerts about discounts. These alerts typically offer discounts to travel during a specific time frame. Log these into your online calendar, along with the deadline to book, to make sure you don’t miss out. You can compare prices offered by different discount travel sites and plan your trip.

Use Travel Points Earned From Airlines

You may be a frequent flyer who has accumulated a number of travel miles. These miles typically do not last forever, so check out when they expire. You can enter the time period these travel miles are valid for in your online calendar. Look for dates that overlap with the flight discounts you identify and consider getting the most out of your travel miles. You can book a discounted flight, use travel miles to pay, and save money in both cases. It’s more savings than you would earn by just shopping around.

Plan Early If You Are Renting a Car

The price of renting a car has skyrocketed since the pandemic, thanks to rental car companies selling off a lot of their fleet. But that does not mean you can find bargains. Sign up for alerts from the rental car companies you trust most and add an alert to travel sites you use. Rental car discounts often come for certain travel periods, much like flights. Log these discount offers into your online schedule, along with their expiration date, so you don’t miss out.

Shop Early For Hotels, Airbnb Rentals

You may be able to save money on hotels by signing up for discount alerts on travel sites and your favorite hotel chains. Some hotels offer five nights for the price of four, or similar deals if you book between certain dates. Keep track of these as you do your flights, rental cars, and other discounts on your online calendar. Give each type of discount – flight, rental car, hotel – its own color code as you enter them into dates, and keep an eye out for the overlapping dates. This will help you plan your actual travel dates when you nail down the discounts.

Schedule Dinner Reservations In Advance

It may not seem necessary, but many restaurants at vacation spots fill up fast. You could find yourself forced to dine at more expensive, less appetizing, or mostly uninteresting restaurants. Take into account reservation options at the restaurants you most want to visit and reserve them as early as possible. For example, some popular restaurants at resort destinations fill up fast as your travel dates near or require you to book reservations a month or more in advance.

Check out their reservation requirements and plan your trip accordingly. Your effort to make plans with your online calendar might just be the difference between a magical experience and a disappointing one.

Reserve Your Place For Activities And Tours

You will often find discounts online when you book certain tours and experiences in advance of your trip. Once you have your travel dates and destination nailed down, search for tours and activities in the area. Find the ones that interest you, and chances are you can receive a discount by booking early. Make the reservation and enter it into your online calendar as one of your vacation activities. You will not have to wait in line to buy tickets at higher prices on the day of your scheduled visit. You also avoid the disappointment of finding out the tickets are sold out.

Consider Credit Card Rebates For Travel

Some credit card companies offer higher rebates on certain types of purchases throughout the year. For example, a credit card could offer 5% back on all hotel purchases or for rental cars. Log the dates those discounts are offered on your calendar, assigning a unique color code to it. You may find that many of the purchases you already planned to make are covered by credit card rebates. This is a great way to save money, assuming you commit to paying off the card balance when you return. Otherwise, the interest charges applied to the credit card will easily wipe out your savings and end up making your trip more expensive.

Avoid Airline Booking Fees

You can save money for your next trip if you pick your seats early. Once you identify the airline and the flight, find out when the first opportunity to pick seats is. Mark that date on your online calendar so you don’t miss out on options. You may find yourself waiting and paying $30 or more per seat to get what you want. This is a great way to avoid airline booking fees if you are traveling with a companion you want to sit with on your flight.

Eat Local

You can save money on food by planning meals at inexpensive, but interesting local restaurants. It might be a sandwich shop, a pizza parlor, or a falafel restaurant. You don’t need expensive dining or big-money chain options. The local eateries that are off the tourist route often offer inexpensive options and feature local food favorites. It’s a great way to save money and learn more about your destination. If the restaurants take reservations, take advantage of the opportunity and make one. Better to have a seat guaranteed at a restaurant that is half full than be shut out at a place that is overbooked by locals.

Eat Early

Something many travelers don’t know is that you will spend more for dinner than lunch in many countries. Many restaurants offer lunch specials to attract business. Consider loading up on a large lunch, and spending less on breakfast and dinner. You can check online for lunch specials at your destination before you arrive. If you find deals in certain restaurants that look appealing, reserve spots there and add them to your online calendar.

Don’t Be Afraid To Haggle

You can plan on big savings as you book your trip if you are not afraid to haggle when you arrive. In many countries, haggling is an expected activity that the locals encourage among street vendors and at markets. It is OK to offer less than the marked price for items, even for food at some locations. Do some research before you travel to learn more about the local customs. Make sure you understand the currency in your destination to ensure that you account for any currency fees and differences. Once you’re comfortable with what is expected and the currency, don’t be shy about haggling. It can help you save money for your vacation and get great deals on fun souvenirs.

Image Credit: Photo by Vojtech Okenka; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Find the Best Deals When Booking Your Next Trip was originally published on Calendar by Abby Miller.

How to Boost Appointment Numbers Without Increasing Your Marketing Budget

By Gunjan Saini | Appointment | No Comments

Want to increase the number of appointments you get each day without increasing your marketing budget? It sounds like a picture-perfect world for appointment-based businesses. However, this scenario is far from a fairy tale. There are definite ways your business can increase appointment numbers without adding a dime to your marketing spend.

By using the following tips in conjunction with your existing marketing campaigns, you’ll fill your calendar with as many appointments as you can handle. Here’s how to get started:

Book Follow-Ups in Person

Each time a customer walks through your doors, it’s an opportunity to sign them up for another appointment. No marketing resources are required — just your best customer service skills and leveraging a great window of opportunity.

Setting up a return appointment in person is quick and convenient. It also provides an opportunity for you to engage with customers and develop a relationship that will increase their attachment to your business. Use your online appointment software to send follow-up information and appointment alerts even when your customers are booking return visits in person.

Review Calls to Action

When your business relies on online appointment software to bring people in, your website will often be your first interaction with new customers. If you want to maximize the appointment conversions you get from website visitors, you need a good call to action.

Your call to action ought to be short, sweet, and to the point. It should be just enough to hook a customer’s attention and draw them in to deeper content that will persuade them to book an appointment. Examples of a good CTA include the following:

Book today and get a free product
Sign up and start earning rewards now
Visit today and get 15% off your appointment
Download our free resource

Using data analytics, you can experiment with a few different calls to action until you find what works the best. Changing just one sentence on your website can see a spike in engagement rates and increased bookings.

Focus on Organic Reach

Social media is a powerful tool for businesses. What’s important to note is that you can create successful social media campaigns without pouring money into them. While a well-calibrated paid campaign can be very effective in bringing in new customers, you can have a lot of success by focusing on organic reach.

Organic reach refers to the views and engagements you receive without paid amplification. Organic posts can sometimes get lost in the sea of content that fills customers’ feeds. To beat out the other posts competing for your audience’s attention, use the additional tools at your disposal. Stories and live video, for example, have proven to yield high engagement rates and longer view times than other forms of media.

Now let’s talk about content creation. How can you improve your organic reach without increasing your marketing budget? The truth is, you don’t have to. Photos and live video can be taken right on site, providing an authentic feel to your social media content at little or no cost to you.

Start a Rewards Program

A good rewards program will boost your customer retention rate and also attract new customers to your establishment. It incentivizes appointment bookings and will naturally raise their number even without a heavy marketing campaign behind it.

The costs of establishing a rewards program are minimal. Most of the effort goes into setting it up, whether you put together a punch card or a points program online. Talk to customers at your business location about signing up for the rewards program, and word of mouth will do the rest.

Speaking of word of mouth, referrals are a business’s best friend. Customers who are referred by family and friends tend to be more loyal and make more return appointments. Sweeten the pot by treating both parties to a special deal when a friend is referred and books their first appointment.

Improve Your Booking Process

A user-friendly booking process will keep your conversion rate high. Slow loading times on your website, on the other hand, will drive impatient customers away. Placing your online booking platform somewhere easily visible and accessible ensures that customers can easily find it on their own.

Look at your online appointment software from the perspective of a new customer. What changes would you make if you were in their shoes? Little things like using a bigger font or reducing the number of screens users have to click through will go a long way.

Perfect the Customer Experience

A whopping 91% of young consumers trust the business reviews they read online. Yes, that includes both the good reviews and the bad ones. If you want to boost your appointment numbers, do everything you can to make those reviews positive.

That doesn’t mean you should try to entice your customers to leave positive reviews in exchange for discounts. Instead, encourage them to be honest when leaving a review for future customers.

While positive reviews will ring true and bring more people in, negative reviews will point out the flaws in your business so you can make needed changes. Be sure to respond publicly to discontented customers and tell them how you’ll make things right. Showing customers that you value their input will increase brand loyalty and bring in new faces every day.

Ready for this call to action? Start applying these techniques today to boost your appointment numbers. You’ll see an increase in bookings as well as higher retention rates without spending big bucks.

8 Best Employee Perks on a Budget

By Jason Barnes | Business Tips | No Comments

When business is good, your employees should share some of the reward for the work they do every day. One obvious way to keep your workers motivated and encouraged is to provide a good benefits package. Tossing an extra perk or two into the mix could well prove a deciding factor in your ability to attract and retain hard-working employees.

Your business might be dealing with a tighter budget these days due to the recent pandemic. Or, perhaps you’re managing a new startup without a lot of wiggle room. It is possible, though, to offer your employees a few perks without breaking the bank. Here are just a few ideas:

1. Offer a Flexible Schedule

Time is everyone’s most valuable asset; it’s the one thing that can’t possibly be replaced. Consider allowing your employees to spend their time the way they’d prefer.

Of course, every employee will need to put in a certain number of hours every week, but allowing at least some flexibility can provide a boost to morale. You might even be surprised to find that this perk increases productivity.

As long as deadlines are met, an employee coming in a little late or leaving early shouldn’t be a huge cause for concern. Pushing this idea one step further, consider offering remote work options that allow trusted employees to transition away from the office to home as needed. Being allowed to finish projects at home allows workers to stay connected to family and keep office stress levels to a minimum.

2. Keep It Casual … Within Reason

When employees need to be in the office, allow casual clothing as long as it stays appropriate and is not a distraction. Giving employees some leeway to decorate their own offices increases their comfort. This sort of freedom is greatly appreciated and can be implemented without any additional bottom-line cost.

Be aware that you might need to enforce an occasional upgrade to employee dress code on days when potential client meetings are held on site. Be clear with all of your employees about what you expect on special days and the impression you wish to make. Casual wear can be great for spurring creativity, but it might not be the best choice when courting investors.

3. Offer Employee Discounts

Whenever possible, extend an employee discount on your products and services. This can be a welcome bonus if your product is highly desirable or your service is needed on a regular basis. If you run a cleaning company, say, provide a discounted price for employees requesting the service or a discount on supplies they can take home.

Maybe your company doesn’t offer products or services employees need. A worker at a marketing firm won’t have much call for those services unless they’re launching a business of their own. In this case, get creative as you look for partnerships with other companies. Maybe your company could offer in-kind services to a local restaurant. Offer to run a marketing campaign for them in exchange for food vouchers you can distribute to your team.

4. Invest in Wellness Programs

The health of your employees should be a top priority. Many companies already offer some form of health insurance, but expanding on those plans can be cost-prohibitive. Fortunately, there are other health and wellness perks you can offer in the meantime.

For example, some gym memberships cost as little as $10 a month. Memberships will enable your employees to manage their health more effectively. Vouchers for spas, physical therapy, or massage studios are another wellness perk you can offer your team.

5. Consider Expanding Paid Time Off

Everyone appreciates getting a day off with pay. While you can’t be expected to pay your team to do nothing continuously, offering an extra day off every so often will score huge points. You send a strong signal to your employees that you value them as human beings and see them as more than productivity machines. An extra Friday off gives employees a chance to plan a short-term vacation without worrying about lost income.

Even better, giving employees the option to either take a paid day off or accept those hours as additional pay puts them in control of your largesse. Hopefully, you have at least a few employees who love what they do and would be grateful to get a little extra cash instead.

6. Provide Opportunities for Professional Development

Take an active interest in your team members’ career goals. Check in with them regularly to ask how they’d like to expand their skill sets. Your company will benefit as your employees expand their network and take advantage of opportunities to advance their career. You don’t want to become known as an employer that holds people back.

As appropriate, send your employees to conferences, speaking engagements, and networking events as they become available. If possible, offer assistance for any college courses or online classes employees are taking to hone new skills. As you invest in their future, you’re likely to benefit from improved work performance — and greater loyalty.

7. Promote Ride-Sharing and Office Commute Assistance

Most employees have to commute to the office every day. Managers can look for ways to make drive time more bearable by offering fuel credits or bus cards as an alternative. Once the pandemic passes, organizing an office carpool would help employees save money and appeal to those who want to minimize their environmental impact.

Some companies are even offering a fleet of office bicycles as a clean alternative to cars. When the weather permits, employees living relatively close to the office can choose to leave their car in the lot overnight and get a little fitness time as well.

8. Host Informal, Upbeat Company Activities

Holding some after-hours activities is a great way to bring your team closer together. Company activities can be a nice employee perk. As long as the events are properly planned and you make it clear that participation is 100% optional.

If your budget allows for it, look into discounted group tickets for athletic events, movies, or other entertainment. You might even think about offsetting the cost of babysitters or otherwise helping those with families enjoy a worry-free night out.

Take some time to see what your company can reasonably offer without sacrificing its stability. Offering your team one perk is better than nothing. And, you want to be able to offer something without regretting it later. Perks are best offered with an open hand and a sincere heart.

How to Create A Time Budget (And Stick to It)

By Amanda Abella | Maintenance, Time Management | No Comments

When most people hear the word “budget” they think of their finances. It makes sense because money is a resource that needs to be managed. However, your time is a resource too. In fact, I would argue your time is even more valuable because you can’t get it back. That’s why it’s important that you also create a time budget for your life.

What is the purpose of a time budget?

I like to think of a time budget as a guideline that helps you spend your time the way you want to spend it. Granted, sometimes there are things we don’t want to do – like go to the dentist or pay taxes. But, for everything else, it’s important that we find time for the things that matter to us. For most people that looks like relationships, health and their careers. The only way to do this is to manage our time wisely and with intention.

How do you create a time budget?

The first step is already done – which is to determine what matters to you in life. The next step is to figure out what each of these important things looks like. Remember, your time is a limited resource so it must be used wisely. Let’s start with career since that takes up a lot of our time each week. What does being intentional in your career look like? What tasks will actually move you forward with your goal? What tasks are a waste of time or cause you to move backward? When do you stop working each day. The last one is especially important because you have other areas of your life that matter to you as well. Chances are you didn’t go into business for yourself to work all the time, especially because many people crave work life balance. Once you determine when you work, you also need to determine when you do other things. For example, I go to a fitness class on Mondays and Thursdays. I also dedicate weekends to friends and family.

How do you stick to a time budget?

In order to stick to your time budget, you need to have certain things in place. Just like you use apps and boundaries for finances, you also need them for your time. Here are some things that will help you stick to your time budget:

A calendar application. Let’s be real, if something isn’t on your calendar it doesn’t actually exist. Furthermore, a calendar application can help you time block tasks and activities. It can also let others know when you’re not available.
Very strong boundaries. People will take advantage of your time if you let them. That’s why it’s up to you to have very strong boundaries. Don’t hand over control of meetings and learn how to say no. Otherwise, you give away too much of your most valuable resource.

A time budget is just as important as a budget for your finances. Both resources need to be managed to the best of your ability for a balanced life. It’s up to you to determine how you want to spend your time and protect it.

Originally published here.