Ultimately who owns your Facebook Business Page?

Ffacebook brand pages

Facebook Pages are all the rage and with good reason: Every business that deals with people needs one because Facebook is where the people are!

Problem is most small to medium-sized business owners are busy, don’t have the time and would simply prefer to have someone else do it for them.

Facebook “experts” everywhere are offering to help create with the ‘difficult’ task of creating Facebook Pages for busy professionals who want them.

Fact is, a basic Facebook Page is very easy to create and sometimes you’ll hear someone say “sure, I can do it for you,” but before you let them, here are a few pointers to ensure that your Facebook Page is the property of your business.

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Why Develop a Strategic Marketing Plan for your Tourism Operation?

Strategic Marketing Plans for SME Tourism Operators

If you think that in tourism developing a strategic marketing plan is something only the big, fancy hotel chains do, then think again. You CERTAINLY need one, too! It’ll help you better understand your business, your customers and your strategy for success.

In fact it even more important that you use your smaller and tighter budget in the correct way and in the correct direction. A scattergun approach needs a LOT of money to be effective. With your smaller budget you are going to be looking for needle point accuracy in each of your campaign to guarantee ROI. As little trial and error as possible is definitely the aim. A-B testing with large focus groups is just totally beyond most of our budgets!

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The Art of Business Plans

Business Plan presentation

In my work over the years, I have seen a lot of PowerPoint pitches, but I have also read an awful lot of business plans. The PowerPoint pitches have driven me nuts for sure (see my blog on THAT!), but the business plans explain my recent need for reading glasses.

One of the goals of my articles on this website is to reduce these external factors that are driving me nuts, so this article is all about the art of business plans. [Read more...]

How to stop the screw ups when giving a PowerPoint presentation

Since, for whatever reason, PowerPoint presentations seem apt to go wrong, it’s a great idea to cut out at least a couple of extra steps; not only will your presentation look more professional, but there’s also less of a chance that something will go wrong between saving and presenting.

The answer:

Save your PowerPoint presentation as a show!

[Read more...]

Buying a Scuba Dive Business in the Tropics: DUE DILIGENCE?

So what exactly is this “due diligence” we’ve all been twittering on about when we talk about buying a scuba diving business? Seems very uptight and accountant-speak to most of us and about as interesting as my Auntie Mildred’s boil on her…, yes well you get the idea…

Simply put, performing due diligence means taking an extremely good scrutinizing look at the business to see if it holds muster and actually IS what it claimed to be before you made the offer. The basic translation is:

“Has the Seller told the truth in regards to how big the business is and how much money they make, or have they told porkie-pies in the MoS or Financial Highlights” [Read more...]

Resort Support named One of Constant Contact’s 2011 All Stars

Constant Contact All Star 2011

Resort Support recognised for achieving
exemplary marketing results for its clients

Suva, Fiji— 16 March 2011– Resort Support, a provider of online marketing and support to the tourism industry in Fiji, has received the 2011 All Star Award from Constant Contact®, Inc. (NASDAQ: CTCT), the trusted marketing advisor to more than half a million small organisations worldwide.

Each year, a select group of Constant Contact customers are honoured with the All Star Award for their exemplary marketing results. Resort Support’s results for its clients ranked among the top 10% of Constant Contact’s customer base.  [Read more...]

Buying a Scuba Dive Business in the Tropics: LEGALLY IT’S YOURS!

PADI 5 Star Dive Centre

Okay, so you’ve now done your Due Diligence, and after your inspection of the dive centre and the gear, and your Accountant’s close inspection of the books is all deemed satisfactory.

You now decide that it is all hunky dory and the Buyer was overall relatively honest in their claims,  it is now time to move to next step, Exchange of Contracts and Settlement and complete the Deal. [Read more...]

Buying a Scuba Dive Business in the Tropics: THE OFFER

Now this is the big step everyone is dancing around. The big decision!

In my experience, the decision to buy a scuba diving business happens, not over a conference table or in an office, or even in the dive centre itself. It’s an emotional decision done over a cup of coffee in the morning at home, or maybe on the porch of the hotel room at night actually in the destination.

You have all the MoS, and now a lot more info by spending a few days with the Owners and looking at the business. Probably been for a few dives on the dive boat, seen the staff doing what they do. Maybe sat round the pool and watched one of the OWSI’s do a DSD with some students.

You sit and try to analytically look at the MoS, and try to get a feel for the limited financial info you have been given. But in the end, you just decide:

“YES. This is the life i want to lead at this stage of my life, so lets work out how I can get it…”

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Buying a Scuba Dive Business in the Tropics: THE INITIAL PROCESS

Buying a Scuba Dive Business in the Tropics is something that seems like a bit of a Black Art to most dive instructors and dive centre owners.

Many of them have spent the past 10 plus years in the tropics, living the good life. After a while working as a Divemaster, they progress onto instructor and spend a few years working for a selection of dive centres and liveaboards around the world.

At some point an opportunity pops up that one of these dive centres is looking for investors, or indeed looking for an all out Buyer…

Next thing that pops up is “Right, this sounds good, what do we do now and what information do we ask for now to make sure we’re not buying a White elephant?” (or words to these effects, to be honest, this is normal uttered after a few beers and has a bit more of a fruity flavour to it, lol. We are still scuba divers after all…)

This article is going to look at the All Out Purchase of a Tropical Destination Dive Centre.

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Why and how to hire past owners when buying a scuba dive business in tropics

So you’ve just bought your dream scuba diving business on a tropical island.

You’ve done all your due diligence, and you (and maybe your partner) have decided that “THIS is the place we want to live“, and “this dive business is the answer to how we can enjoy this lifestyle“. [Read more...]