Traveling and eating go hand in hand, and no one wants to travel somewhere where delicious food can’t be found! Whether you have the budget to eat out on the island’s best restaurants every night of the week or would like to try a variety of cuisines, Bonaire has the food, the sights and the sounds for you when you take your next trip. Here are a few Bonaire food and travel tips to keep in mind next time you arrive in this beautiful island paradise!Traveling to Bonaire can be quick and easy. Many North American and European cities offer nonstop flights to Bonaire and surrounding Caribbean islands. Bonaire is accessible by air and boat, although typically only cruise ships dock in the major ports. Water taxis are available for transportation around the island and are great for touring the beautiful coasts of Bonaire. Bonaire is a world class scuba diving destination and many companies operate private boating tours to the best scuba and snorkeling sites around the island.Although Bonaire is a geographically small island many visitors choose to rent a car when they visit. Small busses and taxis are also available for travel around the island and public transportation is readily accessible.Bonaire contains an abundance of wildlife and flora native to the Caribbean. Visitors can observe flamingos and other rare animal species before hiking through the beautiful wildlife preserve located on the northern part of the island. The variety of beaches located on the island are perfect for having a relaxing day, packing a lunch or dinner, swimming in the warm water and enjoying an extraordinary Caribbean sunset.Bonaire has many different restaurants catering to a wide variety of locals and visitors of all budgets, preferences, and nationalities. Local foods center around dishes like soups, stews, fried treats and the delicious seafood fresh from the ocean around the island. International cuisine includes Chinese, Argentinian, Italian, Indonesian, Suriname, and more. Fast food is uncommon in Bonaire but the options visitors have for trying all sorts of new restaurants more than makes up for it! Diners should call ahead to confirm the restaurant’s opening hours as many close briefly during the afternoon for siestas and some are closed during certain days of the week.Traveling and eating in Bonaire is a once in a lifetime experience, sure to impress even the most travel-savvy tourists from around the world. Whether you are staying in Bonaire temporarily or plan to make this a long term vacation, the options this little island has will amaze you.From water sports and sailing trips to the endless possibilities for relaxation, the hospitable vibe of Bonaire translates across cultures. From the restaurants you will eat in to the places you will stay you will be surrounded by the warmth of the sun, the smell of the sea, and the friendliness of the people around you. Getting here is simple, but getting home might be difficult as the memories of your delightful vacation will be hard to forget.
Epidemic of Abandoned Properties Hits American Cities
Although the epidemic of abandoned properties is presented in the media as affecting cities the real battle will be in city neighborhoods.Vagrants, drug dealers, prostitutes, thieves and other undesirables are attracted to abandoned properties causing the remaining residents to live in fear.The loss of taxpaying property owners leads to major shortfalls in tax revenues for essential services such as policing and fire fighting which adds to these fears.If remaining residents also decide to flee, the survival of these neighborhoods will definitely be at risk. Before discussing the challenges to residents here is a quick definition of an abandoned property.Abandoned property defined An abandoned property is a property which is intentionally and permanently relinquished by the owner (or tenant) who does not intend to use or maintain it. Some municipalities can place abandoned properties on an abandoned property list (a legal instrument which triggers significant municipal powers with regard to that property).Residents ChallengedFear has already caused a massive loss of residents from neighborhoods in the 1960′s. During that period white families in particular fled downtown neighborhoods fearing the influx of poor Afro- Americans. Most of these neighborhoods have not yet recovered more than fifty years after what was called ‘White Flight.’Experts explained ‘White Flight’ in terms of ‘tipping point theory’ whereby a large number of group members suddenly change their behavior at a point in time.Tipping-points may also apply to city neighborhoods today. Just as the whites feared the influx of poor Afro-Americans those remaining in city neighborhoods today are also living in fear. But this time the fear is of vagrants, prostitutes, drug dealers, thieves and other undesirables.So, will a similar tipping point occur in these neighborhoods? Are there lessons to be learned from the last ‘White Flight,?’ And if action is not taken soon, will city neighborhood’s invaded by these undesirables suffer a similar fate to downtown neighborhoods in the 1960′s.Here is a list of challenges which could cause residents (owners and renters) to abandon their properties. These people are afraid. And justifiably so.1. Personal SafetyResidents have reported that living near an abandoned building and having young children means that it is impossible to allow the youngsters to spend time outside for fear of their safety because of the undesirable types who are in the neighborhood. One mother of two young children reported that she assumed the females in the abandoned buildings were prostitutes and drug users, She didn’t know if the males were drug dealers, users, or if they were making drugs. But she was convinced they were living in the abandoned building. And she was afraid.2. HealthOthers have explained that living next to vacant properties and abandoned buildings often involves a sense of loss of control that vacant properties impart. Loss of control is the root of fear. That fear leads to social isolation which leads to poor health. It is a lot more than just an abandoned house next door or nearby in disrepair. It goes to the fear people have of living in the neighborhood.3. SquattersOwners and residents complain that squatters move into abandoned homes and then claim they have a right to be there. Reports have been made of squatters bringing trailers onto abandoned properties which they then strip while leaving the refuse there. There is little wonder that the remaining residents in these neighborhoods are afraid.4. Arson In Flint, Michigan, the Fire Battalion chief claimed that in April 2012 neighbors of abandoned homes feared their homes could be next! He said there were 66 suspected arsons in Flint during the first three months of 2012, up from 43 in the first three months of 2011 which saw the second most fires in recent department history. The fear of the house next door being intentionally burnt down must be scary for neighbors.5. Property ValuesIn Franklin County, OH., abandoned properties are being demolished to prevent them dragging down home values. Real property foreclosures are still comparatively high and experts agree real estate is a soft market. Loss of property values in neighborhoods with abandoned properties inevitably leads home owners to fear how they will be able to retire after the value of their homes have been dragged down.Last wordAny of these challenges, individually or jointly, could be tipping points similar to what happened before the ‘White Flight’ from downtown neighborhoods in the 1960′s. When people flee neighborhoods in large numbers the long-term survival of those neighborhood is threatened.Tipping points will be different for different neighborhoods. Which is why local politicians would be well advised to focus on the challenges to residents and their neighborhoods. If politicians fail to act now they will quickly find they are no longer representing taxpayers!If you own or rent a property close by one or more abandoned properties please let us know. And if you are thinking about leaving, tell us why. Your comments will help others who are forced to remain in these neighborhoods as well as the local politicians who represent them.The challenges to residents from undesirables invading neighborhoods may be short lived. We hope so. But if not, forewarned is forearmed. Better to be safe than sorry.
Keys to Be Successful in Business Marketing
Business marketing is when a business markets and sells its goods and services to other businesses or organizations. These other organizations may resell these goods and services or use them in their own business to support their operations. Business marketing is often called as industrial marketing or business-to-business (B2B) marketing.The perfect example of Business to business marketing is the automobile industry. Automobile companies buy various spare parts such as tires, batteries, electronics and door locks which are manufactured independently by other businesses and sold directly to automobile manufacturers to assemble automobiles.Even the Service industry is also engaged in large number of business to business transactions. For example Companies specializing in housekeeping provide services exclusively to other organizations, rather than individual consumers.Business-to-customer marketing is when a business markets and sells its goods and services to retail consumers for personal use. While most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred to as B2C companies. The business-to-consumer as a business model differs significantly from the business-to-business model, which refers to transaction between two or more businesses.Business market (B2B) vs. Consumer marketing (B2C)B2C marketing differs from B2B marketing in a number of key ways. A Business market has very few customers as compared to a consumer market which has large numbers of customers. A business market usually sells a customized product where as a consumer market sells a homogenous product. A Business to business transaction is a huge value transaction as purchase quantity is very high where as business to consumer transaction is a small value transaction. Price can be negotiated in business markets where as price is usually fixed in consumer market. Business markets have lengthy and complex selling process with multiple decision makers but in consumer market buying decision are simple and are made by individuals.Keys to success in Business markets are:1) Value creation & Customer satisfactionBusiness begins with value creation. It is the prime objective of the business to create and deliver value in an efficient manner which will ultimately lead to profits. Value leads to customer satisfaction. Customer experience is an integral part of B2B marketing. The customer experience is the key brand differentiator, even more than the price and product.2) Social media marketingSocial media marketing is when a company uses social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter to market its product or services. Social media marketing is one of the best and efficient platforms for marketers. Most social media platforms have built-in data analytics tools which enable companies to track the progress, success, and engagement of ad campaigns. Companies address a range of stakeholders through social media marketing including current and potential customers.3) Mobile marketingMobile marketing is a digital marketing strategy whose aim is reaching a target audience on their Smartphone, tablets, and other mobile devices through email, SMS and multimedia messages.Smartphone usage has increased multiple times during the last few years, app usage has also highly increased. Therefore, mobile marketers have increasingly taken advantage of Smartphone apps as a marketing resource. Marketers aim to optimize the visibility of an app in a store, which will maximize the number of downloads. This practice is called App Store Optimization (ASO).4) Multimedia Content MarketingMarketing using Multimedia content attracts more customers. B2B marketers are widely adopting this trend. The primary driver is the desire to make content more engaging, compelling, and shareable than just the traditional modes. The most common forms of visual content include 360-degree videos.5) Effective Personal selling & Executive BrandingDistribution channel is the path through which the product reaches the final customer. Personal selling is the most preferred form of distribution and promotion used by B2B marketers The sellers promote the product through their attitude, appearance and specialist product knowledge. Executive Branding is when an executive showcases his professional strengths as a way to attract the customers. Executive branding is also known as reputation management. Especially in B2B environments, executive branding is now considered a necessity. Senior management must create and develop their personal brand image to attract new customers.