VACATION LESSON 5

One more lesson I took away from my recent vacation - stay at the best hotel you can afford. The one I chose was one of the priciest and most luxurious, but it was well worth it. The bed was one of the most comfortable I've ever slept in, with lots of fluffy down pillows, and bedding padded with more down. Absolute bliss!

Service, of course, was impeccable. There was even free internet connection throughout my stay. The real test came on the last night. There was a massive district-wide power failure which plunged the streets and all buildings into darkness. But my hotel had its own back-up power supply. And the internet connection continued to work perfectly! As all my businesses are web-based, this is something I consider essential. I was able to check on my websites even while others in the neighbourhood fretted and fumed.

Don't ever short-change yourself. To get great results, you need quality input. Aim for the best, in yourself in and in life.

VACATION LESSONS

I'm back! That was a great vacation - sun, sea, luxury living. And I have a patchy tan to show for it, the result of applying insufficient sunblock lotion. I bought a lot of gorgeous pearl jewelry too, some from certified jewelry shops and some from vendors on the beach. All of it was real, except for one necklace. The lady who sold me the fake pearls must have done a little dance right after I left. But really, I had no-one but myself to blame. Being in internet marketing, I should have known better.

Lesson 1 from my vacation
Do Your Homework Before Buying

I did do my homework, which is why I bought most of my pearl jewelry from the certified retailers. However, I let my guard down during a full-day cruise which took me to a tiny island populated mainly by beach vendors. We were given only half-an-hour on the island. Coupled with the pressure tactics of the vendors, that resulted in me making some hasty purchases. I didn't even check if the pearls were genuine. When you buy something, do you know how to verify if you're getting the real thing, or even a fair deal? Make sure you do before you part with your hard-earned money.

Lesson 2 from my vacation
Don't Buy Anything Under Duress

When you're stressed out, you won't be able to think clearly. I've lived long enough to know that if something is meant for me, it will still be there when I come back. Otherwise, there's always something better waiting around the corner. Always.

Lesson 3
Set Your Standards High

Always go for the best that you can afford. A red flag should go up when something seems too cheap. You may have to pay more for quality, but you'll certainly be getting better value. Learn to recognise quality. The pearls I purchased from the certified jeweller are just stunning. I'm now considering featuring them in my jewelry website Silver Butterfly Jewelry.

Lesson 4
Start And Complete The Job Properly

Remember my patchy tan? I was sunburnt because I did not apply my sunblock cream thoroughly and evenly. My body hurt for days after that and my skin peeled, and I'm still patchy 3 weeks later. I had been particular enough to buy a good-quality, reputable sunblock cream, but I had failed to use it correctly. So I paid the price for my negligence.

As an internet marketer, I set pretty high standards for myself. I'm always looking at how to improve my websites. I want to offer my customers only good-quality products, and I want them to be happy with their purchases from my websites. As a consumer myself, I hate to be short-changed. So, as a business-owner, it's important to me that my customers are treated the way that I would like to be treated as a consumer - fairly and honestly.

For an internet marketing business to succeed long term, in a pool full of crocodiles, that's the best website promotion strategy there is.