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	<title>Company Retreat &#187; This</title>
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		<title>Classical Music in the U.S. This Summer</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/classical-music-in-the-u-s-this-summer/1716/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/classical-music-in-the-u-s-this-summer/1716/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 May 2011 01:03:41 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[company retreat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[classical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MUSIC]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Classical Music in the U.S. This Summer
A listing of classical music performances in the United States this summer.
Read more on New York Times
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Classical Music in the U.S. This Summer</b><br />
A listing of classical music performances in the United States this summer.</p>
<p>Read more on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/arts/music/classical-music-in-the-us-this-summer.html">New York Times</a><br/><br/></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Atlific Hotels Announces Copper Point Resort Opening This Spring in Invermere, British Columbia</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/atlific-hotels-announces-copper-point-resort-opening-this-spring-in-invermere-british-columbia/1700/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/atlific-hotels-announces-copper-point-resort-opening-this-spring-in-invermere-british-columbia/1700/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Apr 2011 17:09:00 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Atlific Hotels Announces Copper Point Resort Opening This Spring in Invermere, British Columbia
INVERMERE, BRITISH COLUMBIA&#8211;(Marketwire &#8211; April 19, 2011) -
Read more on Marketwire
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Atlific Hotels Announces Copper Point Resort Opening This Spring in Invermere, British Columbia</b><br />
INVERMERE, BRITISH COLUMBIA&#8211;(Marketwire &#8211; April 19, 2011) -</p>
<p>Read more on <a href="http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=1429998&#038;sourceType=3">Marketwire</a><br/><br/></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Kohl’s Department Stores’ 2010 Holiday Campaign Highlights Why Kohl’s is the Smartest Choice this Holiday Season with &#8230;</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/kohl%e2%80%99s-department-stores%e2%80%99-2010-holiday-campaign-highlights-why-kohl%e2%80%99s-is-the-smartest-choice-this-holiday-season-with/1444/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/kohl%e2%80%99s-department-stores%e2%80%99-2010-holiday-campaign-highlights-why-kohl%e2%80%99s-is-the-smartest-choice-this-holiday-season-with/1444/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Oct 2010 06:57:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[company event ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2010]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[campaign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[choice]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Highlights]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://companyretreat.com/kohl%e2%80%99s-department-stores%e2%80%99-2010-holiday-campaign-highlights-why-kohl%e2%80%99s-is-the-smartest-choice-this-holiday-season-with/1444/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kohl’s Department Stores’ 2010 Holiday Campaign Highlights Why Kohl’s is the Smartest Choice this Holiday Season with &#8230;
Kohl’s Department Stores today announced its 2010 integrated holiday campaign which emphasizes an unparalleled combination of even more incredible savings opportunities than last year, industry-leading policies and customer conveniences to help shoppers get the best values on quality [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Kohl’s Department Stores’ 2010 Holiday Campaign Highlights Why Kohl’s is the Smartest Choice this Holiday Season with &#8230;</b><br />
Kohl’s Department Stores today announced its 2010 integrated holiday campaign which emphasizes an unparalleled combination of even more incredible savings opportunities than last year, industry-leading policies and customer conveniences to help shoppers get the best values on quality brand merchandise and enjoy a multi-channel shopping experience throughout the season.</p>
<p>Read more on <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/101028/20101028005803.html?.v=1">Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance</a><br/><br/></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Hire A Car In Austria This Summer, More Than Just Football</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/hire-a-car-in-austria-this-summer-more-than-just-football/1003/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/hire-a-car-in-austria-this-summer-more-than-just-football/1003/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:54:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[all inclusive retreats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Austria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Football]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[just]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[More]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Summer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[than]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://companyretreat.com/hire-a-car-in-austria-this-summer-more-than-just-football/1003/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This summer will see thousands of football fans descend upon Austria for the upcoming Euro 2008 championships. Car hire companies will doubtlessly make a great deal of money during the period as travelling to and from the various venues will make up a large part of most holidays. Advisably, the use of car hire services [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This summer will see thousands of football fans descend upon Austria for the upcoming Euro 2008 championships. Car hire companies will doubtlessly make a great deal of money during the period as travelling to and from the various venues will make up a large part of most holidays. Advisably, the use of car hire services will make the viewing of your nations matches much easier; while travelling the mountainous roads of Austria offer the driver immeasurable pleasure. </p>
<p>&#13;<br />
Sadly for English fans the championships will not see their team&#8217;s inclusion. That is no reason however not to travel to Austria and tour the cities in a hire car. True football fans will enjoy the spectacle on a level above national pride, and the party atmosphere will be a great incentive for some. With hosting cities at either end of the country the opportunity to see the marvellous scenery in transit will also be a reason to travel to Austria for many.</p>
<p>&#13;<br />
Vienna will be one of the major cities of the tournament and will see a large number of nationalities meeting up to view some great football. Not only will the stadium be jam packed but the outside viewing screens will see scenes of partying and revelry. If I were travelling to Vienna I would advise using a hire car from the airport and staying outside the city; having your own transport will allow you to view the matches within the city whilst allowing retirement to the more relaxing scenery of the surrounding hillsides. </p>
<p>&#13;<br />
Salzburg is only a short but stunning drive from Vienna, perfect for traversing in a hire car; ensure to book one that has good handling; you will need it. Salzburg will also have large viewing screens in Mozart square; the amazing baroque architecture will offer brilliant surroundings to view the stars of the European game. This historic city will offer the tourist much more than football and those who wish to sample all this artistic city has to offer will not be disappointed. </p>
<p>&#13;<br />
Innsbruck is usually famed for its ski jumping competitions but this summer will see football invading the city. In the west of Austria, a great idea for a trip would be to hire a car and visit northern Italy in between games, with arguably the finest stretches of road in the world, this part of Europe is a must for those who love to be behind the wheel. This alpine city is one of the finest in Austria and has fantastic transport links to Switzerland, Italy and Germany.</p>
<p>&#13;<br />
The most southern host city of the Euro championships is Klagenfurt, the city will providing covered viewing areas for fans while its large pedestrian areas in the city negate the immediate need for a hire car, touring the Worthersee, the warmest alpine lake in Europe is a trip worthy of any tourist&#8217;s time. The oppressive Hochosterwitz Castle gives tourists who are not overly excited with the sporting entertainment the chance to see some of the history of this once powerful principality.</p>
<p>&#13;<br />
Touring the alpine scenery of Austria in a hire car is a pleasure. There are stretches of road that will truly leave drivers breathless and amaze passengers. It is strongly advisable to traverse the mountain roads in your own time and in your own transport, the mountain villages are worthy of excursions and the inhabitants are friendly and hospitable. </p>
<p>&#13;<br />
This summer Austria will be one of the busiest places in the world, missing out on this festival of football would be a crime. But if you would prefer to avoid the football Austria offers many serene retreats that will ensure relaxation and refreshment.</p>
<div style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border:1px solid #c1c1c1;font-size: 10px;">
<p>Travel expert Thomas Pretty strongly advocates driving holidays and regularly uses Budget&#8217;s <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.budget.co.uk/car-hire/car-hire-austria.htm">car hire Austria</a> services. To find out more please visit http://www.budget.co.uk/car-hire/car-hire-austria.htm</p>
</div>
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		<title>Puerto Vallarta Iguanas &#8211; Learn Some Interesting Facts About This Endangered Species</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/puerto-vallarta-iguanas-learn-some-interesting-facts-about-this-endangered-species/902/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/puerto-vallarta-iguanas-learn-some-interesting-facts-about-this-endangered-species/902/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:54:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[all inclusive retreats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[about]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Endangered]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Iguanas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[interesting]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://companyretreat.com/puerto-vallarta-iguanas-learn-some-interesting-facts-about-this-endangered-species/902/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you thinking about going on vacation but don&#8217;t really have a clue about where you would like to go? How about the island of Puerto Vallarta?
People who escape reality here find a world of safe haven and paradise. For one, Banderas Bay: a place fit for sunbathing, snorkeling and surfing. Should you love these [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are you thinking about going on vacation but don&#8217;t really have a clue about where you would like to go? How about the island of Puerto Vallarta?</p>
<p>People who escape reality here find a world of safe haven and paradise. For one, Banderas Bay: a place fit for sunbathing, snorkeling and surfing. Should you love these types of activities; then this is the place for you.  No need to be alarmed about where you could stay&#8230;Puerto Vallarta has inclusive condos and hotels everywhere you look.</p>
<p>Puerto Vallarta Nature</p>
<p>For those needing an escape in life, relax in nature. What is there to see? On this island, there are colorful butterflies, lots of tropical flora, egrets, pelicans, scissor tails, geckos and even the Puerto Vallarta iguanas. The island is covered with them. </p>
<p>Puerto Vallarta goes Hollywood</p>
<p>This island has also been featured in some Hollywood movies but the island took a front seat in the 1963 film &#8220;Night of the Iguana&#8221;. This film may have brought many people to the island; perhaps it&#8217;ll do the same for you.</p>
<p>Taking a bus tour will not be boring. How is that? On the bus with you will be entertainment of drumming, tooting flutes, &#8220;bus-kers&#8221;, singing and strumming.</p>
<p>When you reach your final destination, get settled into a lap of luxury in the condos or hotels while the native Puerto Vallartans take care of your needs. </p>
<p>While you are there, take up some golfing, enjoy the bars, the galleries, take to the water and surf, go out just to listen to the music, have fun snorkeling or scuba diving, walk along the seashore, do some swimming, take a look at the island&#8217;s proud iguanas and overall, just enjoy the beauty of this island&#8217;s nature.</p>
<p>Puerto Vallarta Iguanas </p>
<p>The iguanas of this island thrive here because they are close to nature. The iguanas can be seen next to streams and rivers. Some people will notice them as they sit on the trees, soaking up the sun&#8217;s rays on their bodies. They can get a glimpse of these iguanas while they are eating fruits, flowers, seeds and the leaves off bushes. If they feel threatened, they will dive in the water. It is a good thing these iguanas are fast runners and excellent swimmers.</p>
<p>Some of their habitats include the cacti, shrubs and burrows. It used to be the iguanas could be seen along the coastline but because people traveling bother the area, they have retreated back to the other side of Puerto Vallarta. Even though these do not mind these areas of habitats, they do miss the open beachfront where they can bask in the sun. Why do they do this? They stay in the sun to regulate the temperature of their body.</p>
<p>Puerto Vallarta Iguana&#8217;s Defense</p>
<p>When the Puerto Vallarta iguana feels threatened or when they sense an attack is coming, they use their tails to strike. Not to mention they will bite or scratch an enemy. This is their way to defend themselves. Besides all this, they are rather harmless to humans.</p>
<p>Because of the destruction of the trees to make way for other things for tourist and natives alike, the natural habitat and the lives for these iguanas are in jeopardy. It is important that people of this island restore what was once an island habitat for these iguanas before they disappear.</p>
<p>On a side note &#8211; for those who visit this island and see the iguanas, most would love to own them as pets.</p>
<div style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border:1px solid #c1c1c1;font-size: 10px;">
<p>Abhishek is passionate about Iguanas and he has got some great <b><a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.Wonderful-Pets.com/820/index.htm"> Iguana Care Secrets </a></b> up his sleeves! Download his <b>FREE 100 Pages Ebook</b>, &#8220;How To Take Great Care Of Your Pet Iguana!&#8221; from his website <b><a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.Wonderful-Pets.com/820/index.htm"> http://www.Wonderful-Pets.com/820/index.htm </a></b>. <i>Only limited Free Copies available.</i></p>
</div>
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		<title>How is the bailout a solution when its used this way? ?</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/how-is-the-bailout-a-solution-when-its-used-this-way/772/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/how-is-the-bailout-a-solution-when-its-used-this-way/772/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:00:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[company retreat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bailout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[This]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[used]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[I posted this a few minutes ago and it got deleted. So here it is for you to look over. Pass the info on!
the Aig spent the tax dollars bailout money this way: If you&#8217;d just gotten a government bailout, you might be tempted to hold a retreat at a nice California hotel &#8212; and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I posted this a few minutes ago and it got deleted. So here it is for you to look over. Pass the info on!<br />
the Aig spent the tax dollars bailout money this way: If you&#8217;d just gotten a government bailout, you might be tempted to hold a retreat at a nice California hotel &#8212; and that&#8217;s exactly what American International Group (AIG: 3.51, -0.36, -9.30%) executives did.</p>
<p>The committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. to address and examine downfall of AIG, the world’s largest insurance company. The committee planned to discuss the financial excesses and regulatory mistakes that led to AIG’s government bailout.</p>
<p>One of the items discussed was AIG’s expenditure of $440,000 for a corporate retreat at the St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Los Angeles, Calif. These funds were spent on Sept. 22, a week after the Federal Reserve extended an $85 billion emergency loan to AIG to keep it from going bankrupt due to insurance liabilities.</p>
<p>Click here to see the full hotel bill</p>
<p>According to the receipt from the St. Regis, the eight-day company retreat was a lavish one &#8212; $139,000 was spent on hotel rooms, while even more money &#8212; $147,301 &#8212; was spent on banquets. Another $23,380 was spent on undisclosed spa treatments and another $6,939 was spent on golf. A full $9,980 was spent on room service and food and cocktails at the hotel lounge.</p>
<p>The St. Regis Monarch Beach resort is described on its Web site as “a landmark resort of legendary proportions.” </p>
<p>Legendary, indeed.</p>
<p>here is the link: http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets&#8230;</p>
<p>Does it make you mad? What do you think? </p>
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		<title>Design an effective company greeting card this holiday season</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/design-an-effective-company-greeting-card-this-holiday-season/485/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/design-an-effective-company-greeting-card-this-holiday-season/485/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:51:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[company event ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[card]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[effective]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[greeting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Season]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://companyretreat.com/design-an-effective-company-greeting-card-this-holiday-season/485/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#13;
Oh Shoot! It&#8217;s Greeting Card Season again! It&#8217;s an absolute pain in the rear to send Christmas Cards or other holiday greeting cards to all your customers, but sending cards can be really good for business. The holiday season represents another promotional opportunity for businesses and smart companies can get themselves noticed prior to the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#13;</p>
<p>Oh Shoot! It&#8217;s Greeting Card Season again! It&#8217;s an absolute pain in the rear to send <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.overnightprints.com/greetingcards">Christmas Cards</a> or other holiday greeting cards to all your customers, but sending cards can be really good for business. The holiday season represents another promotional opportunity for businesses and smart companies can get themselves noticed prior to the new year &#8211; just before clients and customers reevaluate their company budgets and business relationships.</p>
<p>A company <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.overnightprints.com/greetingcards">Greeting Card</a> is hardly likely to &#8220;fill your customers heart with good cheer&#8221;, but it may well help to put your name to the top of their &#8220;friendly businesses&#8221; list. Also, if you&#8217;ve failed to impress a major client this year, it just might convince them to give you another chance. &#8216;Tis is the season of forgiveness, after all! You&#8217;d be surprised what a difference a simple a Christmas greeting can make!</p>
<p><strong>How do I make my Company Greeting Card look better than the majority of (yawn!!!) Company Christmas Cards?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Make it personalized</strong><br /> As the popular saying goes &#8211; &#8220;business is all about people&#8221;. So do something that informs customers about the people and personality of your business. Take a &#8220;goofy&#8221; office photograph; show your employees having fun at the last years Christmas Party; include a picture of a charity event that your company was involved in. Say something silly, sentimental, or sweet. Anything that will show your business in a positive light.</p>
<p>Try not to send something instantly forgettable. A photograph of your premises with a bit of snow on it, for instance, is a really horrible idea! And please don&#8217;t send out those &#8220;ye olde christmas scene&#8221; monstrosities (you know the ones; the snow covered field; the red-cheeked children playing in the snow; Robin Redbreast chirping happily on a branch; Victorian ladies and gentlemen ice skating on a pond!(Give me a break!)</p>
<p>The image below is an example of a company card that I received last year. There was no company information on it apart from &#8220;Seasons Greetings from Clearer Tech&#8221; scribbled on the inside!? If you&#8217;re going to send a company card, use the opportunity to distribute your logo brand, number, website, contact, and other company information! Just think, as your card sits on your customer&#8217;s desk throughout December, your business details will be constantly in their eye-view!</p>
<p>Looking at the greeting card below made me wonder: &#8220;Does this company also put such little thought into their business practices?&#8221; My advice is to not send a card at all if you&#8217;re planning to send a really crummy card. It could be counterproductive to your business.</p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p>What&#8217;s wrong with this Company Card?</p>
<p> No Company Logo No Contact address No Phone Number It&#8217;s obvious that this came from a &#8220;bargain pack&#8221; of cards It&#8217;s the kind of card that Grandma likes! It shows a lack of effort It says nothing about the personality and people of your company
<p>A personalized card shows your customers that you&#8217;ve put some thought and effort into your Christmas greeting. Clients will appreciate that you&#8217;ve taken the time to arrange a company photograph. While a photo of your employees wearing Santa hats may not be the most original idea, it&#8217;s far more personal than a card that came out of a packet that you bought at Costco!</p>
<p>In comparison to store bought greeting cards, creating a custom greeting card is actually the smart thing to do. Even if you represent a small business, you should think twice about going to the store for your cards. The likelihood is that you&#8217;ll have to write your personal greeting on each card, address each envelope, seal each envelope, put a stamp on each envelope, and post all your envelopes! This adds up to a lot of work on your part. Not only is it much easier to get your Greeting Cards online than it is to drive to the store for your cards, it&#8217;s also a heck of a lot less hassle! There are now some online print companies, such as OvernightPrints.com where you can upload your designs and photos, have your cards printed, and then get your cards mailed for you! This is a godsend when you need to send out a couple of hundred cards!</p>
<p><strong>Be original but be tasteful</strong><br /> Although you want to make a statement , whatever you do, don&#8217;t send anything rude or offensive (i.e, a card with a &#8220;sexy Santa Claus in a revealing outfit&#8221; might be fun for you and your friends but why take the risk of offending one of your good customers?) Be bold and original, but use your common sense when choosing a design! In business it&#8217;s always best to air on the side of caution. A good joke can be enjoyed by everyone, but you have to be REALLY careful not to be derogatory in any way.</p>
<p>While living in the UK last year, I received a greeting card from one of my business contacts that included a joke about an Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman and Welshman (a joke that was likely to offend the peoples of all four nations!) Being of Irish descent, I could have taken great offense to it, and chosen never do business with that company again. That wasn&#8217;t the case, but I did hear that they lost business as a direct cause of that particular Greeting Card!</p>
<p><strong>Designing your card</strong><br /> A montage of snapshots of your employees having fun at the office is a nice idea and would eliminate the need to organize a group company shot. If you do decide to take a company photograph, don&#8217;t use a cell phone camera! And don&#8217;t get the janitor who works in your office building to take the photograph! The result probably won&#8217;t be good. Either hire a professional or at least find someone who&#8217;s good with a camera to take the shot!</p>
<p><strong>Good ideas for Company Photographs</strong></p>
<p>  Snapshots of employees having a good time at last years Christmas Party (note: a snapshot of employees getting drunk and misbehaving at last years Christmas Party is a bad idea) A photo of the Company CEO dressed as Santa and the employees dressed as elves (or reindeer) A photo of company members dressed in anything festive A photo of company members hanging decorations A photo of company members exchanging gifts Company members popping champagne (to celebrate another successful year) Snapshots of company members enjoying themselves at company events or company charity events
<p>These are just a handful of good ideas &#8211; pretty much anything that will generate a positive and happy image of your company</p>
</p>
<p> This Company card won&#8217;t win any awards for design or originality but it does the trick!
<p>Unless you know how to use Photoshop, Illustrator, or other desktop design programs correctly, or you have a design professional that works for your company, don&#8217;t try to design your greeting card yourself. I can almost guarantee that it won&#8217;t look good. Luckily, there are a lot of online resources that you can use. Most online print companies provide nicely designed templates that you can add your photo to. Some sites are far better than others and can provide more contemporary templates and better <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.overnightprints.com/greetingcards">online design programs</a>.</p>
<p>Order from budget print companies, such as, OvernightPrints.com and you can expect to pay around $80 for 250 cards. This is not a lot of money for glossy photo prints that look a million times better than the flimsy cards you get in those &#8220;budget packs&#8221; of cards.</p>
<p><strong>Design and send your cards to print WAY before December 25th!</strong><br /> The ideal time to post your cards would be the 1st December. Keep procrastinating about getting your picture taken or sending your design off to print and you may end up leaving it too late! By around the 19th December, people start to take their holidays. Past this point, there&#8217;s not much point sending a Christmas greeting card. It will be highly unlikely that anyone will get to see your card or appreciate it. Fortunately, you would still get the opportunity to send a New Years greeting card. Wishing your customers and business partners great success in the new year is another effective way to interact with your customers.</p>
<p>Most companies don&#8217;t go to the trouble of creating and sending holiday cards. This is a mistake. They&#8217;re missing out on a great opportunity to network with businesses and maybe even find some new customers! For the small amount of effort and cost that is required to create a custom card, it&#8217;s worth it.</p>
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<p>I have worked in the Marketing and Design industry for nearly 10 years as both a Copywriter and Art Director.  I have created award winning advertising campaigns for ad and marketing agencies in the UK and the US. I am currently working in the marketing department of one of the US&#8217;s most succesful online print companies.</p>
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		<title>What do you think of this business idea? How easy/hard would it be to sell ad space?</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/what-do-you-think-of-this-business-idea-how-easyhard-would-it-be-to-sell-ad-space/484/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/what-do-you-think-of-this-business-idea-how-easyhard-would-it-be-to-sell-ad-space/484/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:51:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas for Business Events]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Imagine an 8 page+ (free newspaper) that is distributed in 10s-100s of place. Ad space is $40 weekly for the smallest ad, which is 3&#215;3&#8243;. Ad space can be used for publicity, coupons, event announcements etc. In a city of 200k, 600k copies would be distributed to gas stations, fast food locations, bus stations etc. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Imagine an 8 page+ (free newspaper) that is distributed in 10s-100s of place. Ad space is $40 weekly for the smallest ad, which is 3&#215;3&#8243;. Ad space can be used for publicity, coupons, event announcements etc. In a city of 200k, 600k copies would be distributed to gas stations, fast food locations, bus stations etc. </p>
<p>There are brief editorials throughout the paper to keep a reader glued/interested.</p>
<p>What do you think? I&#8217;m thinking about buying a franchise of one of these companies at a modest price of $8.5k.</p>
<p>Would this be easy to sell? I think it&#8217;s CHEAP advertising compared to listing in the newspaper, and more copies are distributed.<br />
The weekly print bill would be appx $700. 63  3&#215;3 ad&#8217;s can fit in an 8 pg paper.</p>
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		<title>i need someone to help me put this in my &#8220;own words&#8221; (:?</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/i-need-someone-to-help-me-put-this-in-my-own-words/483/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/i-need-someone-to-help-me-put-this-in-my-own-words/483/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:51:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[business group activities]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society, from buying a home to crossing the street. Lawyers form the backbone of this system, linking it to society in numerous ways. They hold positions of great responsibility and are obligated to adhere to a strict code of ethics.
Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society, from buying a home to crossing the street. Lawyers form the backbone of this system, linking it to society in numerous ways. They hold positions of great responsibility and are obligated to adhere to a strict code of ethics.</p>
<p>Lawyers, also called attorneys, act as both advocates and advisors in our society. As advocates, they represent one of the parties in criminal and civil trials by presenting evidence and arguing in court to support their client. As advisors, lawyers counsel their clients about their legal rights and obligations and suggest particular courses of action in business and personal matters. Whether acting as an advocate or an advisor, all attorneys research the intent of laws and judicial decisions and apply the law to the specific circumstances faced by their clients.</p>
<p>The more detailed aspects of a lawyer’s job depend upon his or her field of specialization and position. Although all lawyers are licensed to represent parties in court, some appear in court more frequently than others. Trial lawyers, who specialize in trial work, must be able to think quickly and speak with ease and authority. In addition, familiarity with courtroom rules and strategy is particularly important in trial work. Still, trial lawyers spend the majority of their time outside the courtroom, conducting research, interviewing clients and witnesses, and handling other details in preparation for a trial.</p>
<p>Lawyers may specialize in a number of areas, such as bankruptcy, probate, international, elder, or environmental law. Those specializing in environmental law, for example, may represent interest groups, waste disposal companies, or construction firms in their dealings with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal and State agencies. These lawyers help clients prepare and file for licenses and applications for approval before certain activities may occur. Some lawyers specialize in the growing field of intellectual property, helping to protect clients’ claims to copyrights, artwork under contract, product designs, and computer programs. Other lawyers advise insurance companies about the legality of insurance transactions, guiding the company in writing insurance policies to conform to the law and to protect the companies from unwarranted claims. When claims are filed against insurance companies, these attorneys review the claims and represent the companies in court.</p>
<p>Most lawyers are in private practice, concentrating on criminal or civil law. In criminal law, lawyers represent individuals who have been charged with crimes and argue their cases in courts of law. Attorneys dealing with civil law assist clients with litigation, wills, trusts, contracts, mortgages, titles, and leases. Other lawyers handle only public-interest cases—civil or criminal—concentrating on particular causes and choosing cases that might have an impact on the way law is applied. Lawyers are sometimes employed full time by a single client. If the client is a corporation, the lawyer is known as “house counsel” and usually advises the company concerning legal issues related to its business activities. These issues might involve patents, government regulations, contracts with other companies, property interests, or collective bargaining agreements with unions.</p>
<p>A significant number of attorneys are employed at the various levels of government. Some work for State attorneys general, prosecutors, and public defenders in criminal courts. At the Federal level, attorneys investigate cases for the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies. Government lawyers also help develop programs, draft and interpret laws and legislation, establish enforcement procedures, and argue civil and criminal cases on behalf of the government.</p>
<p>Other lawyers work for legal aid societies—private, nonprofit organizations established to serve disadvantaged people. These lawyers generally handle civil, rather than criminal, cases. </p>
<p>Lawyers increasingly use various forms of technology to perform more efficiently. Although all lawyers continue to use law libraries to prepare cases, most supplement conventional printed sources with computer sources, such as the Internet and legal databases. Software is used to search this legal literature automatically and to identify legal texts relevant to a specific case. In litigation involving many supporting documents, lawyers may use computers to organize and index material. Lawyers must be geographically mobile and able to reach their clients in a timely matter, so they might use electronic filing, web and videoconferencing, and voice-recognition technology to share information more effectively.</p>
<p>10 points to the first use-able answer (:<br />
thanks in advance*</p>
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		<title>Could this business idea succeed and is it legal?</title>
		<link>http://companyretreat.com/could-this-business-idea-succeed-and-is-it-legal/479/</link>
		<comments>http://companyretreat.com/could-this-business-idea-succeed-and-is-it-legal/479/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:07:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ideas for Business Events]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[legal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[succeed]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[With all the foreclosure homes in the real estate market, why not allow poor people to share % ownership in purchases of multiple real estate nationwide foreclosed homes?
So like suppose 1 house is on the market for $500,000 and 5,000 poor people each invest $100 each, then all 5,000 people share ownership of the $500,000 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With all the foreclosure homes in the real estate market, why not allow poor people to share % ownership in purchases of multiple real estate nationwide foreclosed homes?</p>
<p>So like suppose 1 house is on the market for $500,000 and 5,000 poor people each invest $100 each, then all 5,000 people share ownership of the $500,000 house.<br />
Then if the house appreciates to 3 million dollars, and the majority of the investors agree to sell the house, then a total profit of 2.5 Million is made, and that becomes $500 profit per poor person. </p>
<p>And you can do this with more shareholders and more homes and develop many many many real estate homes purchased with shares ownership for the purpose of turning a real estate profit.</p>
<p>Other things that would be factored in: The owners would each have to pay a small negligable share of property tax and homeowners insurance for their own share of ownership.</p>
<p>And lastly, each owner would be liable up to $10,000 towards all other investors in the event that home owner wrecked the home and the homeowners policy failed to accept the claim for damage.  </p>
<p>Also I would establish a second corporation whereby each individual owner would be free to invest an additional sum of money for protection against negligable damages to the house not covered by the homeowners policy,  and then my second corporation would reimburse its insured investors by an amount of 100 times the premium.<br />
This is because the damaged individual will not be liable beyond 10,000 for destroying a home. This will create more comfort in the homeowners not being fearful to live in the homes they have invested in.<br />
Also of course any investor who deliberately damages any home he/she owns as a percentage, will be subject to $10,000 liability towards other shareholders PLUS forego his/her investment and be permanently banned from any further participation in the corporation.<br />
Edit: about the majority agreeing to a sale. We can allow for a secondary market of outsiders to buy one of the investors out of his/her share as well. Now you can can sell earlier. One of the risks of this market will be you can&#8217;t sell after the team sells, because the buyer of a group sale will almost always be an individual buyer</p>
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