Travel the Gold Coast on a Budget – Backpacker Accommodation

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If you’re like most people, you’re looking to save money while still doing your best to experience everything your destination has to offer. And don’t worry, most travelers feel the same way, because everyone wishes to spend on things like, shopping and entertainment. This is why, lodgings tend to take a backseat. Moreover, people tend to spend a large amount on getting from one place to another, quite often, without even realizing it.

One of the best ways to see the Gold Coast is by seeing it on foot or by hiring one of the cheapest cars on the Gold Coast at Cutprice Car Rentals. There is incredible backpacker accommodation available on the Gold Coast and considering that most are less than a quarter of the price of a more expensive resort, they are great for people travelling on a budget.

Most backpacker accommodation is clean, modern and safe to stay for individuals who want to experience the outside world rather than just staying inside their resort. Places like Aquarius Backpackers Gold Coast and CLV Smart Stays offer affordable rooms for the single person or a group tour. Located in areas such as Surfers Paradise and Brisbane, they allow you to be close to everything for as long as you need to stay for a fraction of the price of more expensive rooms. These are also the best options for students, who generally travel on limited finances.

Most backpacker accommodation, including Cheers Backpackers Inn is located near all the popular nightlife and beach activities. Some backpackers like the Currumbin Apartments offer private apartments for the larger groups complete with fully stocked kitchens for your stay. Such apartments offer multiple rooms, which easily accommodate large groups or joint families. With associated facilities like laundry and telephones offered in these apartments, a lot of people are opting for this option. Many of these properties also have swimming pools, fitness centers and barbecue areas, which mean that you can also enjoy Gold Coast, without having to step out!

Whether you’re planning to stay for a day or a month, there are an amazing amount of wonderful hostels and accommodation for backpackers in the Gold Coast- great places to meet new friends or to just enjoy a relaxing quiet holiday. Since these are places where you will not have to spend massive amounts of money, you will have more to spend, when you head out for shopping, sightseeing or just partying!

How Can You Get Car Insurance After A DUI?

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No matter how expensive your insurance policies are, they cannot save you from paying fines due to traffic offenses such as speeding, careless driving, or DUI (Driving under Influence). A DUI ticket is considered a major offense since you put your life and everybody else’s into risk deliberately. You need to pay high fines depending on how serious the offense is. In case you are at fault in an accident when you are driving under influence of alcohol, you may get your driver license and vehicle registration suspended. Car insurance companies usually check your driving records before they can determine the next step. Insurers will consider the severity of the offense, your risk as driver, and economic demographics before they raise your premium rate, transfer you to high-risk class, or simply cancel your policy. Insurers will use those variables in different ways; some companies rank DUI a less of a risk compared to at-fault accident.

Providing coverage to high-risk driver is as well a risky business for insurer. They consider you a high-risk driver with a tendency to get involved or cause accidents. Once your policy is cancelled, you will need to find a new insurer which does provide high risk policy. Once again, depending on how serious the DUI is, you probably can still get cheap auto insurance quotes. A DUI at low speed as your drive from bar located not very far from your home will affect the driving record differently with a fatal accident at high speed while you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

How to get car insurance after my policy is cancelled?

There are some possible scenarios concerning your DUI ticket. Being pulled over and signing tickets are not admission of guilt. Please put in mind that you can always contest the charge in court at a later date. You can call an independent insurance agent to discuss how it will affect your insurance policy or rates. If your current insurance company cannot provide high-risk policy, it is best to find a new insurer who can. Nevertheless, you must try to fight the charge to get rid of the offense from driving record; clean records make it easier to find new insurer. Some considerations to put into account before trying to get insured again are as follows.

1. This is not going to be an easy process

As previously mentioned, some insurance companies cannot afford providing coverage for high-risk driver; this means you have very limited options. If you are proven guilty of a DUI offense, some big names in insurance industries may not even give you coverage for at least three years because DUI ticket will stay on your record for at least three years too. Before the ticket is removed, it will affect your car insurance estimate.

2. Contest the charge if possible

If the DUI offense is only considered a misdemeanor, not a felony, a good attorney will be able to reduce or even completely drop the charge so you can come out clean. The ticket will not appear on your record, and you can easily find a new insurer. Clean record is an indicator that you are a safe-driver or the preferred class of insurance customer. It should be easy for you to get affordable car insurance from any company. When the charge is reduced, the record is likely to appear on the record anyway. As a consequence, you will pay less expensive fines, but your insurance rates will likely to increase.

3. Accept the consequences and take punitive actions appropriately

The most common restitution is paying fines or conducting community services. There are plenty of community services such as diversion program, taking driving courses, etc. DUI ticket is an addition of the actual reason you are pulled over by an officer, so you have to pay fines for every offense accordingly. You need to know about SR-22 form as well. SR-22 is a form used as a proof of insurance. It is issued by your insurance company to verify that you are indeed insured. SR-22 is only required in DUI case, your license gets suspended due to any reason, you are at fault in accidents, or you are caught driving without insurance.

Real Estate Investors and Property Code Violations

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Most property investors and real estate agents would agree that buildings or vacant lots which are clearly deteriorating, run-down, or otherwise undesirable are tons of extra work and effort to buy and sell, and they will pass them up for prettier properties. In some cases this would be the right move, but oftentimes an ugly lot or house just needs some quick and cheap TLC to get it back into salable condition. Having the wrong attitude regarding unwanted properties can mean missing out on a huge profit which will eventually be scooped up by a savvier investor.

Many of these properties are vacant because owners had been cited for code violations and did not have the desire or means to bring the properties back up to code. Sometimes they are homes that were inherited, but the new owners live out of state and cannot afford to travel to maintain the property. Whatever the case, the fact is that there is much potential in these types of properties.

In most areas across this country, code enforcement agencies do not patrol neighborhoods looking for violations. They generally act at the behest of their local governments, in response to neighbor’s complaints about a property. Once they have been notified that there is a potential violation, code enforcers go to the location and inspect it. There are three types of code violations: building, safety, and heath. Building code violations usually include structural damage, broken or missing windows, broken doors, chipped or peeling paint, bad or missing siding, etc. Safety code violations include missing handrails on stairs or balconies, broken steps, tree roots which causing tripping hazards or trees about to topple, doors or windows that do not close or lock, and improperly grounded electrical outlets. Health code violations cover things such as pest or rodent infestations, standing, untrimmed grasses which could hide snakes and rodents, stagnant water in yards caused by poor drainage, and serious molds.

If a property has code violations placed against it, the owner is notified and given an average of 30 to 60 days to remedy the problems. After the deadline an inspector goes back out to the property and checks to see if it has been brought up to code. If not, the case is scheduled and brought before the local code-enforcement board, which orders the owner to bring the property into compliance within so much time or face daily penalty fees for each day out of compliance past the deadline. If the owner still fails to comply, the daily fees will be enforced. At this point, the code enforcement agency goes to the courthouse and transfers the court order into a lien against the property’s title. With this paperwork in place, the county then has the option to file a foreclosure suit against the lien. It is little known that violations against a property stay with the property through and onto the next owner(s); this is called “running with the title.” I. e., when a lot is sold, the new owner is responsible for bringing the property into compliance.

Sometimes an investor will come across a property that is obviously condemned and in need of demolition. In cases such as these, the owner of the property is ordered to have the building demolished and have the lot cleared. If they do not comply, the county will contract with a private company to do the job and then place a lien against the title of the property for costs accrued in demolition and clean-up. Even such a property has potential for investors, because land is worth money to independent builders, low-income builders, et cetera. These lots are also excellent ideas because they are already zoned for residential or commercial, depending on the demolished structure. Also, never overlook a vacant lot that is filled with trash, debris, and other rubbish. Most people shy away from such properties because they can seem intimidating, but sometimes all they need is a few dumpster-loads and a lawn-mower they are ready for sale again!

Real estate investors have great opportunities here. Whether the property has liens against it for code violations, is about to be – or already is – demolished, or has demolition liens against it, all you have to do is contact the owner and see if they would be open to selling the property (at a huge reduction due to the liens). Often you will meet the most motivated of sellers in these situations, because usually they live out of town and could not care less about the property, or they are simply sick and tired of being pestered by the county and are ready to get rid of the property. Take care though, and make sure that before you make an offer on a property, you verify with the code enforcement agency for that district exactly what violations exist against the property and what needs to be done in order to bring it into compliance. This way you can make an accurate appraisal of how much money you will be putting into the property to bring it to code upon purchase.

Besides driving around town peering through overgrown brush to look for old houses, there are easier ways to find the properties in your area which have code violations or condemnation orders against them. Local agencies should be able to either provide you with lists or tell you where you can go to obtain lists, which include property addresses, owners’ names and addresses, and information pertinent to the code cases such as the nature of the violation(s). This is public information and should be easily obtainable.

So the next time you seen an ugly old abandoned building, take a step back and look at the potential of the location, the land, or if all it may need are a few fixes.

I guarantee that there are investors out there who are as able as you are to take such a property and make thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in profit on it; and they will beat you to it if they are just a tiny bit more willing to do so.

You Don’t Have To Be Large Corporation To Outsource Your Customer Service

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Companies spend thousands upon thousands of dollars trying to attract customers to their business. Radio, TV, Newspapers and of course the internet are the most common form of attracting customers. You build expectation of grandeur only to be greeted by a machine when the prospective customer calls your business. The most frequent greeting is “We appreciate your call. In order for us to serve you better please listen to the following options” Then we expect this potential customer to take another minute or two to listen to all the options.

Well guess what. 80 % of these first time callers to your business hang up. I find it bazaar that the most important part of that being a conversation with the customer is being discouraged. Automated phone attendants are disrespectful of peoples time. It adds a layer between you and your customer. This is where marketing and sales don’t work as a team. I expect the decision to go with an automated attendant is left with accounting folks. Well guess what. The accounting department does not want the sales team in their department. The sales department should feel the same way about accountants being in their department. Humans talking with customers is a cost of sales and not an administration expense.

In short, successful companies understand the importance of human contact with their customers. These companies understand if you wanted to communicate with a machine the potential customer would email their business. That seems understandable. They also understand that when a customer phones their business they expect a human to answer the phone. Hello!

You don’t have to be a big corporation to make this happen. It’s rather simple actually. You out source your phones to a contact centre. Any contact centre worth their salt has the technology to answer the phone as if they are sitting inside your front door. It’s a shared service that you only pay for when the call center works on you behalf. This of course after a modest base monthly fee that includes customer care services. It’s all scalable. No calls get missed. Every opportunity is captured.

So how do you do the math to see if a contact center is a solution for you?

  • Calculate how much it costs to obtain a new customer. This is easily calculated by the number of new clients you obtained last year divided into the total cost to capture new revenue. Advertising, Sales Staff. Sales Staff Expenses.
  • Calculate how many prospects it takes to make a sale. This will bring you the cost per contact.
  • Contact your phone company and ask for the total number of inbound phone calls in a particular month. Also ask them the most important question. How many abandoned calls with in 10 seconds of the auto attendant answering the call. Remember that 80 % hang up and move on when greeted by voice mail or an automated attendant.
  • Take the closing ratio ( prospect converted to customer) and divide that into the number of abandoned calls. This should give you a feel for the lost opportunities.

I expect you find that the cost of the contact centre will be covered by new business generated. Add to the mix the increased customer experience of your existing customer base and watch the sales grow. Do the math. Include your contact centre as the front end of the sales team. Watch your customer satisfaction and sales numbers soar.