For many of us, it is time to start thinking about packing our suitcases and jetting off on our summer holidays/vacation. When I had a 'normal' job, this was a time to get out of the office and completely forget about work for a couple of weeks. Things are somewhat different now though as an Internet business never sleeps or takes time off so how do you handle your online business when you are supposed to be soaking up the sun on a far away beach?
Obviously if your business is large enough to have employees, you shouldn't have too many problems and can, hopefully, leave things in the capable hands of your staff for a week or two. But in the event that you run a 'one man band' and don't have anyone to reply to emails and deal with orders while you are away then I am afraid it is down to you to look after things.
So with this in mind, here are a few ideas that may help to ensure that your vacation remains exactly that :-)
1. Close your website down for the duration of your holiday. For me this goes completely against the grain - one of the advantages of an online business is the fact that it can earn you money whilst you sleep (and whilst you sunbathe). However some business owners do simply decide to shut up shop when they go away and write off a couple of weeks income against a stress-free break.
2. Find a local Internet cafe. For many people this is probably the easiest and most affordable option. Most tourist destinations have some level of public Internet access available at a reasonable price. Last year I even managed to get a half decent Internet connection on a tiny island in the middle of the Indian Ocean! The main downside in using Internet cafes is security. I have never been completely comfortable entering important passwords into public computers and have often ended up using two or three Internet cafes in the same resort and changing passwords on a daily basis! Slightly paranoid perhaps but it only takes one dishonest cafe owner to really put the spanner in the works.....
3. Take your laptop and connect via the hotel landline. Most hotels have an IDD (International Direct Dial) telephone in their rooms. This means you can dial straight out of the hotel without having to go via the switchboard. This being the case, you can hook your laptop up and dial up just as you would at home. The cheapest way of doing this is to do some research first and find a local Internet company that can offer 'pay as you go' dial up - don't dial into your home ISP as this will cost you dearly in international call charges. Be aware that not all countries use the common RJ11 phone socket and you may need to purchase an adapter socket. These are readily available on the Internet - just search Google for 'modem adaptor socket for (your destination)'. You should also check that the phone line you are about to plug into isn't digital - if it is, you could fry your modem. Ask the hotel reception or better still, get a tester unit that plugs in and checks the line for you - these are cheap and could save you a lot of problems. Whilst using dial up in this way is very convenient, it can be expensive (hotels are notorious for making huge profit on phone calls) and it is likely the connection will be very slow.
4. Take your laptop and find a wireless 'hotspot'. Wireless networks are becoming more and more popular and you will find them in many airports, hotels and resorts. As long as you have a wireless network card or a wireless-ready laptop, you can simply turn your laptop on and access the network at super-fast Broadband speeds. You will normally have to pay for access but you can usually buy unlimited access for the period of your visit. If you really don't want to pay and have time on your hands, try turning on your laptop close to offices, an Internet cafe or some coffee shops - you never know, they may have a wireless network set up with no security meaning you can logon for free! This is my favourite way of accessing the Internet abroad - it is fast, affordable and I can use my own computer with all of my own software which makes it very convenient.
5. Use your laptop with a mobile/cell phone. Not an ideal option but if you are somewhere really remote it might be your only option! Remember that different countries use different cell phone frequencies so you need to make sure that your phone will work in the country that you are visiting. In order to keep costs down, sign up with a local phone service provider and a local ISP - this means that you will pay the lowest call charges possible (though they will probably still be pretty expensive). Connection speed is likely to be appalling but this might work for you if you are only expecting a few emails..... Personally, this option became unworkable for me several years ago - too slow and far too expensive.
6. Use a laptop/PDA/Blackberry or similar with a GPRS connection. GPRS is a wireless technology which allows PDAs and similar to have an 'always on' connection in a similar way to Broadband. GPRS is provided via the local mobile/cell phone network. With GPRS, you pay not for the time that you are online but for the amount of data that you transfer. This means that if you set things up correctly you can just download your email headers, delete the ones that you don't need to read and then only download and reply to the important ones. Therefore costs will be kept to a minimum and it doesn't matter if the connection is slow (from a cost point of view at least) since you are only paying for the amount of data you transfer. Speeds should be quicker than a normal mobile/cell phone connection. Ensure you check that GPRS is available in the country that you are visiting - most common destinations can offer the service but you may find that some more remote countries are not yet GPRS enabled.
Most important of all - enjoy yourself! :-)
Copyright 2005 Richard Grady
Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html
In this article I will discuss how important is it... Read More
The internet marketer is really a perfect profession. This profession... Read More
Thank goodness, the most profitable product in the world you... Read More
When you start your online business, you will go through... Read More
The first steps in defining your ideal marketing plan determining... Read More
starts when a web site is being planned... And is... Read More
What is e-Marketing?e-Marketing is still quite a controversial subject to... Read More
Dear Internet marketers: After going through a couple... Read More
Often times on message boards you'll see several reps from... Read More
It's so simple! I wish I'd discovered it a year... Read More
Do you want to make your ad appealing and increase... Read More
If you haven't heard the word 'niche' being batted around... Read More
Guerrilla Marketing Design is more an attitude than a system... Read More
What is a Joint Venture?How can this online marketing and... Read More
I. Summary of a marketing planThe marketing planning (concretized in... Read More
So you finally created the website that your business or... Read More
Web marketers see it all of the time.Companies of every... Read More
There was this great entrepreneur who came up with a... Read More
I hate reciprocal linking.It is such a hassle. Even specialized... Read More
Do you want to create a passive income? Are you... Read More
Have you ever wondered how can you possibly figure out... Read More
Since I sold my last business in 2004 I have... Read More
Do you want me to tell you the truth or... Read More
Why do we buy things? Well, some thing are out... Read More
Using Online Communities to Differentiate Your WebsiteAs a young girl... Read More
One of the greatest challenges businesses face is how to... Read More
Every business needs customers that's axiomatic.When you work on the... Read More
Creating a lucrative online business is not an easy task.... Read More
If you're looking for Internet marketing help you've come to... Read More
Establishing & maintaining rapport with your online audience is perhaps... Read More
"FREE" what a great word.We all like getting something for... Read More
Why is profiting on the Internet so hard for most... Read More
A Cautionary Tale for the Internet Marketing NewbieIn an attempt... Read More
The web and ways to market on the web continue... Read More
When you offer your products via an email campaign to... Read More
Psychology is the engine that drives human behavior.You can't make... Read More
For three years in Internet Marketing, I've tried to find... Read More
If you are marketing to an older audience, don't discount... Read More
What is the secret of being the best at Internet... Read More
One of the best projects to undertake as an online... Read More
Weblogs and Podcasting in the Marketing MixIt is rare that... Read More
When you boil it right down, there are really only... Read More
If you're just getting started in Internet Marketing, you may... Read More
Former U.S. president, George Bush Senior told the following story... Read More
There is a trend going on in the world of... Read More
It is difficult to for a real estate agent to... Read More
Dear Internet marketers: After going through a couple... Read More
What I'm about to explain to you will change to... Read More
Will you always be buried underneath a mountain of spam?... Read More
What is weird?, well in the 21st century it's getting... Read More
If your online sales have taken a dip lately, your... Read More
Whether you are a small company or a larger corporation... Read More
Freebies. Freebies. Everyone loves getting things for free.You can increase... Read More
Does your business have a Web site? Have you missed... Read More
Among the variety of techniques available to you as a... Read More
If you learn these website sales riveting tactics, you'll be... Read More
Learn the easy method I use to reveal marketing secrets.... Read More
One of the best ways to increase your sales is... Read More
starts when a web site is being planned... And is... Read More
You read that right. There's a new law in California... Read More
Copyright 2005 Javier SalcesVisitor conversion is a challenge faced by... Read More
Starting an internet based business when you have zero marketing... Read More
Hyperboles abound in Internet Marketing. Myth has its own area... Read More
Copyright 2005 Richard KeirIn a recent article I talked about... Read More
One day I was talking to a friend who had... Read More
Although the vast majority of website traffic is the direct... Read More
Internet Marketing |