As storms, security, and airline cutbacks turn flying into a gladiator sport, marathon traveler Jolie Hunt offers 10 insider tips, from a surprise credit card perk to the only acceptable luggage.
As someone who travels for both business and pleasure, I spent 256 days on the road last year. When I share this stat with friends and acquaintances, I always get the same two questions: "What about your boyfriend?" And, "How are you not fat from all that airplane food?" I practically have a script prepared: A) The boyfriend gets the perks of a global existence, and B) Who eats airplane food?
I love life in transit, because travel, if done right, can be rather pleasurable: books get read, letters get written, deliciously bad rom-coms get watched. I've found that 10 simple rules can make the difference between a pleasant trip and a nightmarish one. Grab your government-issued photo ID and off we go.
1) When it comes to luggage, you want wheels and you want a lot of them. For my money, I think Samsonite Black Label is the way to go. They have fairly stylish choices—with some color, thankfully—and four wheels on their bags, which means you can glide through the airport with your bag (and your dignity) upright.
2) If your plane gets re-routed, be proactive and start working the phones. Twitter recently became the most reliable source of information from airlines and airports. And most high-end credit cards will cover incidental costs to rebook fares and secure hotel rooms, even if your airline doesn’t. American Express Platinum is superb in these dire straits and their concierge service is the gold standard.
3) The '70s are over—no one dresses for air travel anymore. For long flights, a headband is genius. You can sleep for hours and then, with one swift maneuver, you again have a hairstyle. Invest in a travel blanket, preferably cashmere (it can double as a scarf). The Company Store makes great ones that you can personalize, and Ralph Lauren does a fancier version in cable-knit cashmere as part of their travel pack. Finally, footwear that is comfy and easily removable trumps all else. Resist laces and zippers, but don't sacrifice style. My top choices are Puma’s Imani Mesh women’s sneakers (no laces, great colors, oh-so-comfy and stylish) and Prada’s Mesh Ballet Flats.
4) Bring your own food, it saves calories and ensures you’re making smart choices. In addition to grub, I can’t live without Chapstick, tissues, socks, a magazine (or seven), and Kahina Face Serum.
• Clive Irving: 2010’s Unsafe Skies5) If you plan to work mid-air, invest in some Bose Noise Canceling Headphones. They block out all ambient noise and turn your seat into an oasis of silence.
6) Any trans-Atlantic or red-eye flight requires real sleep. Beginners should try melatonin—I’m not sure it works, but the placebo effect may be enough to get your eyes shut. Intermediates, try Tylenol PM. For the advanced, I suggest Ambien or the generic Zolpidem. Resist overuse, though; I only use sleeping aids to survive a long overnight flight or to get into a new time zone, especially in Asia.
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7) Always book a car service or taxi ahead when you’re headed to an unknown location. It removes one item from the travel-anxiety equation and allows for minimal payment disruption when dealing with local currencies.
8) Skycaps are worth it not only if you have a lot of baggage, but because oftentimes they get you to the front of the queue, which is worth its weight in gold.
There’s a lot of buzz about small business funding these days. The issue has become a major one not only in the small business community but also among government leaders. It’s certain that finding the funds for your small business venture, especially until cash flow becomes regular, is a challenge every small business owner or entrepreneur faces. If you’re facing this issue, we hope the resources below will help. If there is a creative way you have dealt with this issue yourself, please let us know in the comment section below. We would love to hear.
Basics
Four tips for raising cash. Raising money for your business venture is always a challenge and more so in a challenging economic climate. But tough times shouldn’t stop a determined entrepreneur from getting under way…whether investment is easy to come by or not. Open Forum
Praying for the help of angels. This simple post gives first-time entrepreneurs a detailed overview of the angel investor’s world. But more importantly, it takes a look at why angels invest and the kinds of businesses they prefer to invest in. If you’re seeking investment for your business start-up, it’s best to know what invest are looking for…including angels. The Smart Startup
Policy
U.S. program brings entrepreneurs/investors together. Venture capital investor Brad Feld talks about the newly unveiled Startup America Partnership as proof Washington “gets it” when it comes to promoting entrepreneurship. While we’re sure any program putting entrepreneurs and investors together can’t be all bad, a look at lowering taxes and revisiting the potentially harmful healthcare law would help as much as investment Brad. Feld Thoughts
Startup America boosts funding. Another post celebrates the federal program aiming at putting together entrepreneurs with investors. Here Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer, explains and praises the program. Getting funding to startups has become a major focus of government policy, but how will this translate to the broader small business community? Tech Crunch
Startups
New startup aims at providing capital for small business. A new company is trying to automate the loan process allowing small businesses to get an evaluation then apply for funding online. In essence, On Deck Capital takes the classic business approach of finding a problem and solving it. In this case, the problem is finding a better way to get investment for other small businesses. DealBook
Trends
Groundhog Day predictions. Yes, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog, made his own predictions for the length of winter and the coming of Spring, but small business experts are making their own predictions too. Here are five small business predictions for Spring from a variety of sources, not surprisingly a few touching upon small business funding and its availability. Business News Daily
Small businesses get more credit card offers. Credit card companies will be making more offers to small businesses, according to recent media reports. But could entrepreneurs be too worried about taking on extra debt to take advantage of this opportunity? Read Rieva Lesonsky’s detailed overview of this new funding option and what it means. Small Business Trends
Resources
A whole new fundraising frontier. Could social media be the next frontier for small business fundraising in the same way that it has been for marketing and networking? Enter Kickstarter and other similar sites that turn to online communities as a way of funding projects. Could it be right for your funding needs? Open Forum
Raising capital: a how-to guide. Putting together funding for a small business has never been easy. Still it can be one of the most important skills an entrepreneur possesses. Still, getting started with the fundraising process for your small business is not rocket science. Here are some basic steps to get you started. Open Forum
News
Is small business funding still plagued by discrimination? A settlement as a result of a discrimination suit filed against the U.S. Small Business Administration has apparently still not resolved the issue of whether the federal agency is bias toward minority applicants for business funding. What’s your take on whether the federal loan program could be impeding investment in small business especially in minority or under-served communities? NYTimes
From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Small Business Funding Facts
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