At any time of the year, our naughty four-legged furry friends, such as our pet cats and dogs among others, are more prone to illness or injury especially if they are spending more time outdoors. Many pet owners are worried they wouldn’t be able to afford health care services for their pets. Pet insurance is a smart option to help you with the veterinary expenses. But before you finally decide, here are a few tips to assist you in your pet insurance choices.
To start with, there are several types of pet insurance to choose from. A pet health insurance plan reimburses the pet owner of covered veterinary care and itemizes covered treatments, lifetimes, or per illness maximums. As you will see below, the cost of a pet health insurance policy will vary based on the amount of coverage, the type of coverage, geographical location, the type of pet (species), its breed and age, and even whether it is sprayed or neutered. Check this Seven (7) Factors which affect pet insurance cost:
1. Type of Coverage
For the type of coverage, some factors that affect the pet insurance cost are pet’s illness, accident or routine care. When considering this, you should know what benefits are covered and what are not covered. Generally, the larger the amount of coverage, the greater the premium amount. If you take over a larger share for your pet’s veterinary care, the premium will be smaller. Choosing not to cover your pet’s routine care will help you lessen the cost of insurance.
2. Policy Limits
Some important things to consider when dealing with policy limits are deductible, co-pay, incident cap, annual cap because these factors affect the cost of insurance. You should determine how much you need to pay before the Pet Insurance Company reimburses the expenses. You should also know what maximum amount is paid per incident or illness as well as annual caps. To get a more affordable pet insurance, it’s recommended to choose a higher deductible, higher co-pay, and lower annual maximum.
3. Geographical Location
Since veterinarian costs differ significantly between areas, the location where you live affects the premium. Generally, the cost of veterinary care is much expensive in a big city than in a small town, which affects reimbursement rates.
4. Type of Pet
Certain pets tend to have more illness or accident problems than others. Like for example, dogs have more injuries and health problems than cats. Because of that, it’s much expensive to insure a dog than a cat.
5. Breed of Pet
There are certain breeds of dogs and cats that have more health problems than other breeds. The insurer considers this factor to calculate the premium you need to pay to insure your pet.
6. Age of Pet
The age of your pet also affects the cost of pet insurance. Generally, pets that have age between 8 weeks and 5 years old are given with the best rates. For those older pets, the premium will be higher because they usually have more health problems than younger ones.
7. Spayed and Neutered Pets
Usually those spayed or neutered cats and dogs will receive a lower premium because they have a lower risk of having diseases and illnesses.
Top 7 Tips on How Injury Victims Can Beat the Insurance Company
It is an unfortunate reality that auto accidents occur at a staggering rate in the State of Washington and throughout the United States. Along with the potential shock, injuries, and property damage associated with a car accident comes the inevitable battle with the insurance company. In order to ensure that you don’t throw away your rights when it comes to being injured in a traffic collision, here are seven tips on how you can protect yourself against and beat the insurance company.
1. Identify all witnesses so there will be someone to support your case if it goes to court.
2. Get all contact information from witnesses at the scene. When you interview them, ask them what they saw and make a note of phrases they used like “slammed into,” “plowed,” “speeding,” or “he ran the red light.” Some people believe that there are insurance companies who send adjusters to the scene of an accident in order to catch people off guard, asking incriminating questions or to have them sign away any rights they may have to future compensation. So, beware of insurance representatives at the auto accident scene. To avoid being questioned about your injury by an adjuster, schedule a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible after the accident.
3. Many attorneys are frequently asked by adjusters, “If your client was truly hurt, why did he wait so long to see a doctor?” If you are hurt in an auto accident in Washington, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Immediately after the accident, take pictures of your car.
4. A picture taken of your car at the accident scene is proof that is difficult to dispute. Pictures of the damage will help tell your story. If you can, take pictures of the other cars involved in the accident. Some people carry a small, inexpensive camera in their glove compartment for these types of situations. Also, many cell phones are equipped with a camera feature and can be used for this purpose. Also, take pictures of your injuries before they heal. Bruises and other injuries heal after several weeks, and months after an accident. When the insurance adjuster is arguing that the crash was not very significant, pictures of your bruises and other injuries will help solidify your claim of injury. Keep notes about your injuries.
5. As weeks or months pass after an accident, you might forget how it hurt just to get dressed, and the adjuster will try to make it seem like any description you give is an exaggeration. Keep track of any pain medications you may be prescribed for your injuries. Obtain letters from your employer and family describing how the injury has changed your life. These kinds of written documents are invaluable when presenting your claim to the insurance adjuster or to a judge and jury in court. Keep receipts, because the adjuster will ask for proof of anything you claim as an expense.
6. You should definitely keep receipts for prescriptions, household services made necessary by the injuries you suffered in the accident, car rentals, etc. Keep each of those receipts so you can document every expense. The insurance adjuster may try to tell you that your claim is worth much less than it really is.
7. It is highly common for an injured victim to not know the real value of their claim. And an adjuster will try to get you to believe that your claim is worth much less than it actually is. It is the adjuster’s job to save the insurance company money by settling your claim for as little as possible. The adjuster will try to make your claim seem unimportant, so you may want to seek assistance elsewhere to determine your claim’s true value. The bottom line: The insurance company is not on your side.
The goal of the insurance company is to make as much money as possible. They do this by giving you as little as possible for your injuries.
Top Tips to Improve Insurance Agency Email Delivery
Business of all types can benefit from a well run email marketing initiative. Today however, they must take extra precautions to ensure they maintain a high quality sender reputation to optimize delivery, and improve conversions. Review these top tips and make sure your organization is following all of them:
Ping Test Emails
Always ping test your emails prior to your initial campaign, especially if it is an older list, a trade show list, or a prospect list. And once ping tested, never use failed ping tested emails.
No Longer At
Monitor your autoreplies and remove no longer at and retired immediately after every campaign. These email responses must be closely reviewed, as the autoreply can come for a source that is different from the actual email that should be removed.
Consistency & Frequency
The consistency and frequency of your email campaigns is important in maintaining a positive sender reputation. ISPs attempt to create and evaluate the email marketing history for your domain. The more consistent you are, and the more reasonable you are with your frequency, the more likely you are to create a solid reputation as a sender. That assumes you are following the other tips listed herein.
Avoid/Diminish Complaints
Lots of complaints will spell lots of trouble for your sender reputation and domain. The best way to avoid complaints is to limit campaign frequency (every two weeks for most general campaigns is a good rule of thumb), honor opt-outs immediately, focus on quality content and collateral, and restrict “sales” pitches.
Avoid Spam Traps (Honeypots)
Spam traps, sometimes referred to as honeypots, are email addresses specifically created to catch email from marketers who don’t follow email best practices. The traps target marketers who are scraping email addresses from the web or are simply blasting emails using poor quality lists. Sufficient “catches” by spam traps can result in low deliverability or even domain blacklisting.
Use Relevant, Educational Content
“Buy my stuff and save money now”! If your content is salesy, spammy and irrelevant, your sender reputation will be adversely impacted, and it will happen quickly. Try to make your content relevant and educational. Changing regulations, industry innovation, important news of the day, and educational webinars are going to be better received than an invitation to buy your products or services.
Email marketing is both an art and a science, and is increasing in complexity and deliverability nuance. It can be a great lead generator when properly used, or a waste of time and money when used with an email “blast” mentality. Insurance agency marketers lacking the time or resources to accomplish this type of initiative can outsource their campaigns to a proficient insurance agency marketing firm.
Really Cheap Car Insurance Tips – What Are Things You Can Do to Get Cheaper Quotes?
Auto insurance can be an expensive bill for many people each month. Some people can barely even afford it, or worse – try and go without it, despite it being illegal to do so. Trying to obtain really cheap car insurance is something into which drivers put a lot of time and effort. While using a site that offers quotes and comparison tools can be helpful, not all of them are equal. Even if you do use such a site, you might not get the low quotes that you want.
In order to get cheaper quotes, here are a few tips and “hacks” for getting deals on auto insurance:
• Know the factors that affect the types of policies and rates you get. While many factors vary from one company to the next, there are a few that are always considered: your driving record and history, age, model and make of vehicle you drive, city and state, how often you use the vehicle you want insured, and credit score. Some factors, like where you live and how old you are, cannot be changed. For the ones that can, make improvements as best you can.
• Check for any and every discount possible. If you have close family in the military, for instance, you yourself might be able to get reduced auto insurance due to “affinity discounts”. In some areas, you can get discounts by taking safety driving courses. Look for site-specific and company-specific coupons as well.
More Tips for Really Cheap Car Insurance
• Try adding a more experienced driver with a clean driving history to your policy. If you are under 25 or have a poor driving record, it might be in your best interest to ask a family member who has a sparkling clean driving record and more experience to join your policy. If they agree to this, DO NOT let them down and make any mistakes, as being on the same policy as you could actually hurt their own score.
• Know what to look for when using really cheap car insurance quote sites. The lowest quote you get might not be the best, depending on what it does cover and does not cover. You could end up paying more money in the long run if you choose the wrong kind of policy. Understand what kind(s) of coverage each quote includes and decide whether or not you really need it all, or if there is any you can do without. On the flip side, make sure it doesn’t LACK anything you WILL need.
Whenever you think you are ready to start searching for really cheap car insurance, use a quality, reliable website. One site recommended by many people is Esurance. Discounts of all kinds are available, so check and see if you qualify for any of them.
The Advantages Of Staying In A Downtown Hotel
No matter whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, where you stay can make all the difference to the success and pleasure of your trip.
Sometimes, you might choose a hotel that is on the outskirts of town, either because you are not familiar with the area or because you think the accommodation is less expensive away from the centre.
What you will often find is that this choice has made your daily excursions to places of interest or linking up with your business colleagues very inconvenient and totally out-of-the-way, causing you problems with transport and punctuality.
Your choice of a hotel on the outskirts of town may be miles away from where you are expected to be for your business or personal plans.
If you have traveled by plane and need to rely on public transportation to get to your destination, you will learn very quickly that public transport options may be extremely limited, which means that chances are you could spend a lot of your precious time waiting around. You may also discover the options of dining, sight-seeing and discovering places of interests are limited, because your accommodation is too far away.
From experience we know that staying in a downtown hotel is the best solution for all manner of reasons, the most important being simply because of the convenience factor.
When you stay in a downtown hotel it puts you smack bang right in the middle of everything; where you can enjoy the hub and flavor of the city and its inhabitants.
From restaurants, stores, tourist attractions, public transport to business centres and conference venues you will find them easier to access from a central city point.
Public transport hubs, almost anywhere in the world are always located in the centre of the city, adjacent to the downtown area. There will be many amenities and attractions within walking distance and if transport is needed, the ease of catching a cab, hopping on a bus or boarding a subway is usually pretty easy from a downtown hotel.
In cities around the world, the downtown area is always the heart of the city and this pivotal point will be very close to many places that a visitor would be interested in seeing, either for business or pleasure.
In most cities, if not all, the world of business is centered around the downtown area and when you stay in a downtown hotel, you are right in the middle of the action, so to speak.
The walk to a convention centre or office building can often be more convenient and enjoyable than taking public transport. If transport is required you will usually find a bus stop or train station close at hand.
If traveling by plane to your destination, the trip to and from the airport usually ends at a downtown terminus as airport shuttles and taxis have express routes to central areas making your trip easy and quick. For the downtown hotels, there is no need to call for a cab to the airport when the time comes to depart as the airport shuttles have the standard route, often leaving on the hour or even as often as every 15 minutes.
When it is time to check out and head home, the return trip to the airport can be so much easier when you can simply walk out the door of your hotel and board the shuttle to transport you to the airport.
Source by Midge Hand
Hotel Ambiance – What is Essential is Invisible to the Eye
We define ambiance as the mood or the atmosphere that we encounter in a particular place at a particular instance of time. Ambiance, in this context, is a very important aspect of the hotel experience. It’s not really something guests see, but rather something that is felt, something that is experienced.
Without ambiance, hotels will simply be buildings with a bunch of rooms for lodging-and nothing more. Ambiance helps transform the hotel from a building with accommodations to a home away from home, an establishment where guests can be alive and well. Ambiance is the hotel’s character, important both for the hotel’s own mark as well as for the enjoyment of its many patrons.
Take the Gravetye Manor Hotel, for example. It is perhaps one of the most ambiance-filled hotels ever. This garden hotel located in England may not be the most flamboyant and spectacular hotels in the world, but it is filled with an inherent beauty and character afforded by the garden, the hotel’s stone construction, and a remarkable view of the surrounding English countryside. Its unchanging composition makes travelers come back for more.
Another excellent example is the roof of the Lebua at State Tower, located at the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. With its breathtaking perspective overlooking the sprawling Bangkok cityscape, it’s no wonder many voted it one of the most ambient hotels in Asia.
See, the thing about ambiance is that one hotel doesn’t have to be located anywhere in particular just to simulate an atmosphere. Sure, being surrounded by lush groves and a rustic setting helps create a particularly relaxing mood, but it takes more than location to pull it off.
When it comes to creating that perfect atmosphere, well-appointed rooms that complement the hotel’s desired theme or character are always a big plus. Every tiny little detail should be able to work with every other detail as well as the environment, in order to create a unified mood that meshes together perfectly to achieve the desired result.
Sometimes it’s all about getting all things perfectly matched. From the food to the furnishings to the music played in the dining hall, these details all help create a unique ambiance. Lighting, of course, has a big effect on the ambiance. Even the decorations on the doors and the intricate tapestries adorning the walls play a significant role in establishing a mood inside the hotel.
People look for ambiance practically everywhere, from where they will be sitting at lunchtime to where they will be drinking their venti caramel frappuccino when the night comes. Atmosphere is everything-well, maybe not everything, but it sure is a very big something-especially when it comes to choosing hotels. Getting that particular mood just right helps establish the character of the hotel, and it is this defining characteristic that will help make guests book at the hotel more than once. Great ambiance translates to happy clients, and having that down pat means the hotel is well on its way to success.
Hotel Franchises – Pros and Cons
Here is a quick review of the basic pros and cons of buying a hotel franchise. Every investor is different. Depending on who you are some of the “pros” may really be “cons” and vice versa. Consider this a starting point in your assessment of hotel franchise opportunities.
Starting with the good stuff, let’s look at the Pros:
Reduction of startup risk – you are working with someone who has done this before successfully.
Turnkey operation – again no reinventing the wheel on processes, procedures or procurement. Your franchisor has built the system already.
Standardized systems – backend accounting, IT and financial systems already in place so you aren’t spending your time implementing reservations systems.
Buying power – as part of a larger whole, you get the benefit of volume buying.
Consulting readily available – experience counts and your franchisor has been around the block. Ask for as much help as they are willing to give.
Marketing – the brand image and marketing is out there already. You aren’t chasing one-off travel reviewerers to get your name out.
Financial assistance – some franchisors are willing to help you with funding these high capital projects.
You are your own boss – the glory of that goes without saying!
Now let’s take a look at the downsides:
Less Freedom – You are married to your franchisor – for better or worse!
Royalty Payments – as a franchisee you pay for the supports above.
Costs – Hotels are high capital and operating cost businesses.
Lack of Support – if your franchisor doesn’t help as you expect, you may be out in the cold.
Inflexible Systems – even if you have a better way to manage reservations, you are using their method.
Unbalanced Contract – all franchising contracts, not just for hotels, are tilted toward the franchisor.
Dependent on Franchisor – their performance is your performance.
These are all things to consider as you step toward a decision about buying a franchise or hotel business.
Hotel Staycation
There are vacations where you temporarily visit another city, state or country and take in all these new places have to offer and then there are staycations where you stay in your own city and act like a tourist. Both are great ideas for something fun to do, and both have their advantages and disadvantages but if you choose a staycation for this year’s holiday, what about still going to a hotel?
Usually staycations mean you use your house as your home base and you take trips out daily to things in and around your city. It may be that museum you have always wanted to go to but never got around to it, it could be a new water park that just opened, it could be a trip to a nearby park to do things like canoeing that you always wanted to try. At the end of the day, you go home to sleep and do something fun the next day till the staycation is over. What if, instead of going home you checked into a hotel, right in your own city? It’s like a vacation and a staycation all in one and while it may be more expensive than just going home, it adds some excitement to your holiday.
Staying in a hotel is always fun. There are different beds, different layouts, things like the pool and gym to check out, and they usually have a bar or restaurant attached for easy snacks, meals and unwinding times too. Staying in a hotel offers you something different from the same old routine. It gets you up and out in the morning and offers you a warm and comforting atmosphere when you return. You don’t have to make the beds or pick up the towels and yet you come back to a perfect room at day’s end.
Hotels these days have WiFi and other amenities to make it just like home while having a little adventure and you don’t have to stay long, just a night or two will up the fun factor of a staycation and give you different memories that you can share. They also always have plenty of information about nearby places and events that you may have missed. So play tourist in your own town, it’s fun and you’ll learn a lot about where you live, and while it’s always nice to go home again, check into a hotel, if only for a night. You’ll be glad you did!
5 Mistakes You Want to Avoid When Booking a Hotel Room
If you think you can get the lowest hotel price waiting for a last-minute deal, chances are that you might end up paying a lot more for your trip. In this article, we are going to share a report statistics with you to help you get the best deal.
According to a report from TripAdvisor, the best time to book a hotel depends upon the place you want to visit. For instance, if you want to go to Europe in summer, make sure you choose to book when the rates are the lowest. In the same way, the money you need also depends on the region you want to visit. Given below are a few common hotel booking mistakes that you may want to avoid.
Waiting too Long to Book a Hotel in Europe
In summertime, Europe is the most popular among tourists. According to the report, in Berlin, you can save up to 33% if you choose to book at least a few months ahead of the season. There are some cities where you don’t have to worry about booking. They are Paris and Istanbul. The reason is that these cities have more than enough hotel rooms. So, that won’t be a problem for you.
Booking too Early
In Asia, you don’t have to spend a lot to spend your vacations unlike Europe. For instance, in Dubai, even if you book two months ahead of the season, you can save up to 40%.
Booking over 5 months ahead of your Trip
Booking over 5 months in advance will cost you more in case of some places that the study covers. However, two exceptions are Moscow and Barcelona. For these places, you can choose to book up to 7 months in advance and still save a lot. As a matter of fact, traveling to Moscow can get you up to 55% discount, which is a huge sum.
Worrying about Summer Season Bargains in the Caribbean
Conventionally, in the Caribbean, low-season pricing may help you save a hefty sum of money. You don’t have to worry about when to book to get the best deal as booking when the prices are the lowest can save you as high as 7%, which is not much. In other words, you can enjoy the lowest prices no matter when you choose to book.
Thinking about last-minute savings for Expensive Cities
If you are going to visit New York city, know that you can’t get the best deals for summer trips. However, if you still want to save a considerable sum of money, consider booking 30 to 60 days ahead of your trip. This can help you cut your expenses by 25%.
Long story short, the next time you book a hotel for your next trip, we suggest that you go through this article again if you want to avoid the common mistakes. The idea is to make the best decision. Hopefully, this will help you get the most out of your trip while saving you a considerable sum at the same time.
Stay at the Haunted Hotels of San Jose
San Jose is the region in Northern California known as Silicon Valley. It was founded as the first town of Nueva California as a Spanish colony. The city offers a wide variety of cultural, recreational, business and entertainment opportunities. Hence, many tourists decide to stay at the many hotels that guarantee a pleasurable, comfortable and relaxing experience.
Haunted hotels are the perfect place to experience thrill and comfort at the same time. It can also test one’s bravery. Many of the haunted hotels have a past history, sheltering unwanted spirits. Below are the three haunted hotels in San Jose.
Ramada Limited
Ramada Limited is a three story Motor Inn by the San Jose Convention Center. It is located at the center of the downtown area. This hotel is just 3.5 miles from the airport and 3 blocks away from the San Jose State University.
Hotel amenities include free wireless high speed Internet, continental breakfast and a parking area. The hotel also provides modern equipments at the fitness center as well as outdoor pool with Jacuzzi, sauna and a steam room. Guestrooms are equipped with refrigerators, coffeemakers, data ports and direct dial phones. Functions and special events can be held at their spacious meeting rooms.
You can enjoy all these amenities with a thrilling and unforgettable stay for one or two nights. Guests and workers had experienced people screaming because of a green glowing light and rattling locker doors. A dancing couple also happened to disappear on thin air at the ballroom.
Hyatt Hotel St. Claire
Hyatt Hotel is a deluxe Lakspur Hotel at the heart of downtown San Jose. It is just three miles away from Mineta International Airport and a walk-away from San Jose McEnergy Convention Center. The hotel offers elegant and enchanting accommodations that suit one’s comfort. This hotel presents a free-spirited atmosphere with superior services and cuisines. Guests who want to experience business or pleasure can be dazzled with the luxurious and stylish setting of Hyatt Hotel.
Some people who visited the hotel believe that it is haunted. Stories indicate that the hotel has a resident ghost named Julia. She is a prominent young woman who was married at the Palm Room in the 1930s. Her fiancé abandoned her at the altar and she took her life at the basement.
Guests experienced hearing footsteps of a high heeled woman and background pictures that contain a wedding gown train with bride’s feet. There was also a strange incidence at the second and sixth floor.
Unwanted sightings are just one part of the hotel’s exciting offers. The hotel’s first rate amenities and services are the important features you can’t afford to miss. This includes complimentary Internet access, a mobile office, business center, lobby and restaurants. Guest rooms are equipped with flat screen televisions, Microsystem CDs with MP3s and audio cables.
Hyatt Hotel also offers a relaxing evening entertainment at the restaurants like I1 Fornaio and Panetteria. I1 Fornaio offers authentic Italian dining for 220 seats, while Panetteria has a wide array of baked goods. The hotel also offers more than 10,000 square feet of meeting spaces. The modern authentic venues can accommodate 450 guests. Hyatt also recommends exclusive perks for discounts, gift cards and hot deal pricing on packages.
Winchester Mansion
Winchester mansion is a 162 acre residence of Sarah Winchester. The mansion is continuously constructed from 1884 until her death on 1922. It was estimated to cost about $5.5 million.
The story of the haunted mansion started when Sarah Winchester’s husband and son died. A medium told her to move west and build a house for the deceased spirits killed by Winchester rifles of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Sarah’s family was cursed and the only way to save her life from death is to build a house for the spirit to reside in. Sarah will live as long as she keeps on building the house.
It originally has seven storeys before it was reduced to four after the 1906 earthquake struck the building. It was made entirely with redwood and a floating foundation. There are 160 rooms with 40 bedrooms and 2 ballrooms. It also has 47 fireplaces, 17 chimneys, 2 basements and 3 elevators.
Today, the house is owned by the Winchester Investments LLC and declared as a Historical Landmark in California.