Tips Guides

You’ve started your new business or you are looking for a way to connect with more customers. Customers are the life blood of any business, whether you have a small store, an online business, you are a direct seller or network marketer.

Have you considered setting up at public events to build your customer list? Trade shows, expos, country fairs, markets, craft shows and other various events which are open to the public and have vendors are a great place to promote your products and meet new people. People who will potentially buy from your or use one of your service.

Here’s how to use public events to explode your customer list:

Never sit down in your booth and never look busy, people will not want to bother you so they’ll walk on by. Plain and simple, you can’t meet people when you are sitting on your behind, which is the purpose of you being there.

Do not eat in your booth, again people won’t want to bother you and it’s hard to talk to someone when you mouth is full. Have someone spell you off while you go enjoy a meal or a snack.

Be friendly, greet everyone who looks you in the eye, and try and catch the attention of those who don’t. You are here to meet people and start building a relationship with them. People do business with people they like.

Bring plenty of business promotional materials; catalogs, brochures, business cards, samples etc. Make sure to collect the name and contact information of everyone who takes your materials. The easiest way to collect this information is to have a draw. List your services on the draw form so they can check off which ones interest them as well as their preferred method of communication.

Make sure that you bring plenty of stock to the event. You don’t want to run out of inventory near the beginning of an event. You can’t sell what you don’t have and people are more likely to purchase something they can take home with them. Again, you will want to ask for the name and contact information of anyone you sell to at the event so you can enter their name in your draw. A thank you note after the event is a nice touch and one that people will remember.

An important note about adding people you meet at public events to your email list, ezine or newsletter. It’s always best to use a double opt-in system to protect yourself from being labeled as a spammer. Simply explain to your event visitor, they’ll receive an email confirmation for their request and that they must click the link to receive the information.

Here are some tips on how to be a great neighbor at these types of events. Get to know the other vendors, be friendly and helpful as they can be a good resource to find other good events. Do not block your neighbor’s booth or allow your customers to block it either. Ensure your booth fits within the confines of your allocated space and never encroach on your neighbor’s real estate. Do not talk to customers who are looking at your neighbor’s booth or talking to your neighbor, this is seen as rude and intrusive by the neighbor and could cause them to lose a sale.

Last but not least, never break down your booth prior to the official close time of the event. This will trigger other participants to pack up their booths and kills the show for those participants who are still trying to do business.

Keep in mind the main purpose of doing public events is so you can meet new prospective customers and/or business leads and add them to your list. You may have heard the saying, “The money is in your list!” However, the fortune in in the follow up so this only holds true if you actually contact the people on your list.

Melody Thacker enjoys doing public events and running her own Watkins business. You can learn more about her and the Watkins income opportunity on her web site.

The Czech Republic, formerly known as Czechoslavakia, has been at the center of European history for decades. The city of Prague, one of the most beautiful in Eastern Europe, includes a mix of architecture ranging from Gothic to baroque and the influences of an ancient medieval kingdom intermingled with the modern touch of the recently dissolved Soviet Union.

International moving to the Czech Republic is an experience that will change your perspective on the world today and the events of the past that have shaped it.

International moving to any European country requires the help of an experienced international moving company which can instruct you on taxes and fees, proper packing and inventory lists, and local customs and languages. You can do these things on your own if you wish but you really are better off hiring someone to handle these headaches for you.

The Czech Republic has its own national language but you will often hear German, Russian, and of course English spoken in your travels there. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain there has been an increase in international moving to former Eastern Block countries. Western influences have brought about a rise in capitalist industry and you can even find McDonald’s and Coca-Cola throughout the country now.

The American Embassy is located at Trziste 15, Praha 1 in Prague and the country code for telephone calls is 420. The unit of currency is called the koruna but many local businesses also take Euros and even American dollars in some cases. Like most of Europe, the Czech Republic has a value-added tax (VAT) on goods and services. All of this and a basic knowledge of the language are important for a successful international moving experience.

In 1989, the country which was still known as Czechoslavakia staged a bloodless coupe known as the Velvet Revolution to separate itself from the Soviet Union and become a republic. Since that time, the country and particularly the City of Prague has grown up and become a haven for tourists and a favorite destination for international moving companies around the world. Cobblestone streets that have felt the hooves of king’s horses, the jackboots of Hitler’s armies and the heavy treads of Soviet tanks now are covered by swarms of visitors from Europe, Asia and America.

In 2002, massive floods in August threatened to destroy a large portion of this historic area. The Czech Republic and its hardy people survived and most of the classic architecture withstood the rising waters. Once the tide subsided the wave of international moving began again.

Today, the Czech Republic offers the best of what the West and the East have to offer. If you plan on moving there, hire a reputable and experienced international moving company to help you and do some research on the internet to gather information on culture, language and political climate. If you are going to Prague, make it a point to visit the Estates Theatre and take in a showing of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. It will change forever the way that you view theatre.

Nir Dotan is a writer and promoter of International Moving services, and
Omega Shipping Local as well as International Moving.

Crossing the ocean to move to another country and continent is an endeavor that should only be tackled by an experienced international moving company. The obstacles that need to be overcome require that you have as much knowledge about the international moving process as possible and when you need to ship your belongings by sea you should have the assistance of someone who has done it before.

International moving by sea is the most common and cost-effective way to move your belongings from one continent to another. If your country of origin is the United States and you are moving to Europe you will find that it is much cheaper to have your furnishings and personal belongings sent by ship than it is by air. Planes might be faster but you pay dearly for that convenience.

There are five steps in the international moving process when you are transporting by boat. There is the trip from your home to the dock, the dock to the ship, the voyage over, the ship to the arrival dock, and the transport to your new home. Each of these steps, or legs, in the journey has a detailed list of what to do and what not to do. Starting from the moment your items leave your home the whole process must be handled properly or you will be sitting in an empty house in a foreign country wondering what you’re going to sleep on at night.

The key to success is the packing and packaging of your belongings. A voyage overseas can get rough and your belongings need to be securely packed to avoid damage. An international moving company will know what to do and package everything for safety. They will also create an inventory list which will be required for the next phase at the loading dock. Once everything is loaded onto the ship it has essentially left the country so customs officials may want to examine it before it goes aboard. Once cleared, it will be stowed on board and added to the ships manifest.

The voyage over should be uneventful if your belongings were packed properly. Your international moving company should have included liability insurance in their price quote so that if anything does break it will be covered. Once the ship arrives in the destination country, the process that the shipment went through at the loading dock will be repeated. Items will be offloaded and the inventory list will be checked. The shipment will be examined for contraband and will be held in a clearing house if any items are deemed suspicious. If the job was done right on the other end this process should be quick and painless. Import taxes will be paid and your belongings will begin the final leg of the journey to your new home.

It all sounds very simple and it should be. Do your homework when you hire an international moving company and make sure that they have an established business and verifiable references. Find out how much you will have to pay in import taxes and put everything in the hands of your international moving company. Then enjoy your flight over knowing that your belongings are slowly making their way to you by sea below.

Nir Dotan is a writer and promoter of
International Moving services, and
Omega
Shipping Local as well as International Moving.

Scotland is the nation that is credited with giving the world one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind: the game of golf. Located at the northern end of the island of Great Britain, Scotland is a land of rich history, breathtaking outdoor scenery and mystical legends. International moving to Scotland is done mostly from England, which really doesn’t classify as international moving because Scotland is a part of the British Empire. It’s still considered a nation though so for the sake of this article we will consider it international moving.

The currency in Scotland is the British pound sterling. They, like Britain itself, have not adopted the Euro but many businesses within the country accept Euros and even American dollars as a method of payment. Great Britain is a member of the European Union but has chosen to not adopt the currency for reasons of tradition. Despite their position on the European continent England and Scotland are different in many ways culturally and economically than the other E.U. members.

International moving from outside the British Isles is usually done by ship. Edinburgh is a major shipping port with hundreds of vessels arriving and departing daily. It is also the most convenient landing and starting point for any international moving into Scotland regardless of what your final destination is. The terrain as you go north of Edinburgh turns into mountains, or highlands, and can pose many obstacles to the moving process. Hiring a local mover in country after your international moving company has gotten you through customs might not be a bad idea.

If you are moving in from the United States the U.S. Embassy is located at 3 Regent Terrace in Edinburgh. Despite good relations between the U.S. and Great Britain you might want to retain your citizenship status for a while after you move. Anti-American sentiments are not limited to the enemies of America. Many citizens of the U.K. aren’t too happy when yanks move in from across the pond. Keep close ties with your homeland just in case you decide that you don’t want to stay.

To summon police, ambulance or firefighter emergency assistance in Scotland, dial 999 on any telephone. The international country code for telephones is 44 and the city code for Edinburgh is 0131. Internet access is available throughout the country and you can get cell phone and wireless service from AT&T, Sprint or MCI just like in the United States.

International moving is a big decision and one that requires the assistance of a professional with experience in doing it. Quality international moving companies can be found in your local yellow pages and on the internet. Make sure that they have verifiable references and a good track record with your local Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce. Find out where the embassy is for your country of origin and get detailed information on the economy and job situation where you are going. Even if you are moving because your company is sending you there are no guarantees that you won’t have to look for work sometime.

Nir Dotan is a writer and promoter of
Moving services, and
Omega Shipping Local as well as International Moving.

International moving companies base their fees on the degree of difficulty that a move involves. Certain countries are less accessible than others and some are more expensive to live in. Greece, once the land of cheap luxury vacations, has become a modern Mediterranean paradise that you pay a hefty price to live in. Despite that, international moving to Greece continues and is handled by some of the top professionals in the world.

International moving to an expensive country is costly and complicated so usually only those who are financially well-off attempt it. Greece is not the type of place that you move to for a job opportunity. Most new residents settle there to retire or enjoy time away from the business world. Beaches and ancient monuments dot the landscape and the quaint villages and mighty cities welcome guests with a custom called philoxenia, a world-famous hospitality ritual.

Greece is located in a region of the world that is not known for its stability yet it has remained a constant beacon of democracy since before the rise of the Roman Empire. Athens is credited widely as being the original home of the concept and still attracts the most visitors per year of any of the Greek city-states. Comparatively, international moving to Athens is the least popular relocation into the country. Forty percent of the Greek population lives there but most foreigners who settle in Greece settle outside of the city.

The currency unit in Greece is the Euro and you should be prepared to spend plenty of them when you live there. American money is not popular nor are Americans, but that is common in that part of the world. The United States Embassy in Athens is located at 91 Leoforos Vas. Sofias and you can call for emergency assistance by dialing 100 on any telephone. The telephone country code is 30 and you can get internet access through a number of cyber cafes spread across the country.

International moving to Greece, as with any country, should be handled by a professional international moving company. All belongings have to be packed individually and inventoried for inspection by customs officials when they arrive. When moving to a country in the Mediterranean you should take as little as possible and sell or store items that you don’t need. You will have to pay an import tax when you arrive so have your international moving company or relocation specialist calculate it before the move so you know how much you have to come up with. This will eliminate unnecessary delays and make your move a headache-free experience.

A passport and a medical exam are the final two requirements for an international moving venture to Greece. Check with your local Post Office for passport requirements and the U.S. Embassy for information on required vaccinations and infectious disease guidelines. Medical technology in Greece is not as advanced as in the United States so have any complicated procedures done before you leave. When you arrive in Greece, you want to be able to just relax and enjoy the sun and the sea. That’s why most people move there.

Nir Dotan is a writer and promoter of
International Moving services, and
Omega Shipping Local as well as International Moving.

The city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands is one of the most popular international moving destinations in the world. By the year 2010 it is predicted that the number of transplants and migrants will actually outnumber the native population. This historic city, a maze of waterways, bridges and stately townhouses has become known in recent years for its tolerance policy towards activities that are illegal elsewhere in Europe. Prostitution and narcotics are controlled in Amsterdam, not outlawed, making it an attractive international moving destination for those who wish to indulge in these activities.

Sadly, the policies of Amsterdam have put a negative stamp on the Netherlands as a country filled with deviates and drug addicts. This is simply not true. Even in the Dutch capitol you are likely to find many local residents who do not indulge riding bikes and jogging in one of the many beautiful parks. Cities on the outskirts house master craftsmen in jewelry, porcelain and prints. Culturally, the Netherlands are also the homeland of the Pilgrim Fathers and many still visit the city of Leiden every year to pay homage.

Despite a tolerance policy within the country, international moving and the transport of items over the border are strictly regulated. The Netherlands is a member of the European Union and entry can give you access to other countries on the continent. International moving companies are thoroughly screened and smuggling or illegal activity of any kind is punished harshly. If you are planning on moving to the Netherlands, make sure that the international moving company you hire checks out with local authorities and can provide you legitimate references that you can verify.

The national language of the Netherlands is Dutch but you’re just as likely to hear English, Russian, French or German. Amsterdam itself is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on earth and a melting pot for people from all six habitable continents. The unit of currency is the Euro but keep some American money on you while you’re there. The dollar can still buy you peace of mind in Europe as can the British Pound. International moving companies normally accept all three.

When you prepare your belonging for your international moving company to transport, throw out or donate anything you don’t need. Shipping to another country by sea or air is expensive and often it is a better option to just purchase new furniture when you arrive. If it’s a temporary move, put your belongings in storage and pay it off in advance so you know it will all be there when you return.

Even if your international moving venture is permanent it is a good idea to maintain citizenship in your country of origin just in case things don’t work out. The American Embassy in Amsterdam is located at Museumplein 19 if you need help of any kind. The telephone country code is 33 and you can dial 112 on any payphone for police assistance. Internet access is available throughout the country and the technology is fairly modern so you can reach out to folks back home any time you like.

Nir Dotan is a writer and promoter of
Moving services, and
Omega Shipping Local as well as International Moving.