The Secret of El Salvador – Terrific Beaches Just Minutes From a Major Airport

If airlift is the key to the second home door, then El Salvador is the best bargain on the street. It may look like a fixer upper because of the country’s history with hurricanes, earthquakes, war and poverty but its main airport – now the hub of all of Central America soon will be hosting more than 2.5 million passengers a year – is 20 minutes from the region’s Costa del Sol and some of the finest beaches on the West Coast. If there is one single amenity that drives second half traffic it is waterfront property and El Salvador has 200 miles of Pacific Ocean coastline that few North Americans have ever seen, let alone researched for a real estate purchase.

El Salvador, from the Spanish word “The Savior”, is bordered by Guatemala on the west, by Honduras at the north, by Nicaragua and the Gulf of Fonseca on the East, and by the Pacific Ocean on the South. It is the smallest country in Central America, and has the highest density of population in the region and has the second largest U.S. Embassy in the world. The distance between San Salvador and neighbor capital cities of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua is about the same (4-hour drive). Approximately 70 percent of the regional commerce is concentrated in these four countries.

TACA International Airlines, owned by a Salvadorian family, operates about 65 percent of all the traffic in and out of the El Salvador International Airport also known as Comalapa International Airport. TACA, which is expanding its hub in El Salvador, provides non-stop service to San Salvador from Toronto, New York, Washington, D.C., Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago and recently purchased a string of regional carriers that will provide additional flights within Central America and the Caribbean. Delta (Atlanta), United, Continental (Houston) and American also provide direct flights to the country’s capital city.

Compared to U.S. coastal communities, homes in El Salvador are an absolute bargain. For example, Joan Rich Mantecón, a San Francisco Bay-area Realtor who specializes in international second homes (www.internationaldwellings.com), had listed for sale a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home on the beach at Playa San Diego, south of La Libertad, in May, 2007. This fully air-conditioned house had been painted inside and out in 2004, had two swimming pools and Jacuzzi, a five-room servant-renter quarters, large gazebo for hammocks, outdoor BBQ and enough room to park five cars in the backyard. This property is 20 minutes away from the airport and also 20 minutes away from Santa Tecla where there is a Costco and various malls. There’s a seafood restaurant on the beach only steps away and the home’s caretakers live across the street. Price? $325,000.

The Number 1 Greatest Marketing Tip of All Marketing Tips!

All business owners should be continually searching for marketing tips to better their business. You might have a great system set up, and you know everything there is to know about your industry. This still doesn’t mean your business is going to be a success. It’s sad that is a reality for some business owners because they will never make it. They can get past this by either learning about how to promote or hire someone else to do it.

Out of all the strategies, tricks, and tips to make an effective marketing campaign, there is one thing that stands above the rest. The marketing tip of all marketing tips. Want to know what that is? It’s establishing your business apart from it’s competitors. It’s branding your message. It’s your unique selling proposition or USP.

Your unique selling proposition is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the very reason why people should buy from you and not someone else. What makes you special? What can you offer that every other company in your industry can’t? Why are you so different?

A lot of you are probably saying ‘oh well, we have a low price…‘ or perhaps ‘we provide the best quality…‘. Well I’ve got bad news for you. These things don’t matter to the public anymore. These exact differentiations have been used since the ’70s and buyers have already heard them a thousand times. So, you provide the lowest price…do they sell it at Wal-Mart?….Then, you don’t have a buyer anymore. We all know you can’t beat Wal-Mart’s prices.

You have to really grab the prospects attention with your USP. It has to be different…and I mean really different. The word unique is in the phrase. Be one of a kind. Things like integrity, loyalty, honesty, best service, most quality, longest time in business, and lowest price are all ineffective USPs in today’s market.

This is one of the greatest marketing tips you can hear. Sometimes finding the right USP can be very difficult though. It can take time until you find something absolutely perfect. Once you have it though, you wouldn’t believe how much more business you will get.

Ask yourself these questions to help find your USP:

  1. How is your product/service better or different then your competitors?
  2. What physical or emotional needs does your product/service supply?
  3. What is your ideal buyer (age, gender, demographic, etc) and what do they like?
  4. In what ways does your customer service excel?
  5. What is special about your staff?
  6. What do customers say about you?

These 6 questions will help you focus into the right USP. Once you have your USP created, you need to brand your company around that sentence. Not only do you need to create why you are different, you have to live it. Fulfill the promise you make with your USP and people will know why they should buy from you more then anyone else.

Should You Work From Home to Make Money With the Internet?

With soaring gas prices, it’s no wonder that many American workers are dreaming about eliminating their commute and working from home. Recently, many companies have begun to allow their staff members to work from home for economic reasons.With recent advances in technology, the web, email, internet, modems, cheaper fax machines and voice mail, some people rarely go into the main office anymore. Working out of your home can be a mixed blessing though.There are certain benefits that any worker would love. If you are facing such a decision, take a look at a few pros and cons of working from your home. There is clearly a lot to consider before making this transition.Ask yourself these questions: Am I a workaholic and if so, would working at home worsen that problem? Would I feel isolated if I’m at home more than usual? Could I separate my business from my personal life if both were under the same roof?Be honest about your personality and think carefully about your work-life balance before you decide. Be realistic about potential feelings of isolation and true reasons for wanting to work from home. Make sure you are making this decision on a personal happy basis.Do you enjoy being your own boss? Do you work well without requiring constant feedback and direction? You also must be willing to stop work and not be chained to your desk 24/7 which would negatively impact your family life.Do you have good self-control and are goal-oriented? These two disciplines alone can help you make money as you desire with the Internet. And by working at home you have the freedom to fly with your own creatively.There’s extensive research that supports increased productivity among home-based employees. Also, that they are more dedicated, effective and positive towards their chosen employment.Working from home may be your idea of bliss, but those affected by your decision may not see it the same way. Be sure you have worked it out with your partner and/or your family, and that they are happy with your decision also.Your spending more time at home will affect their lives too. In most cases the effect will be positive, but you still may have family commitments and make sure that your plans do not conflict with other family members.More and more innovative companies have work-from-programs. All 1,100 of JetBlue’s reservations agents work from their homes and if that is your desire it certainly can be done.