Thursday, November 28, 2013

Organic Herb Gardening

Organic herb gardening is a wonderful way to add beauty to your landscape or to your kitchen and sun room. You can plant herbs directly into your vegetable garden or flower garden, or you can grow them in containers that you can place anywhere you wish. If you do not have the space for a full-size garden, growing your organic herbs in containers is a great way to go. Just keep in mind that most herbs will require full sun and good drainage if they are to flourish.Organic herbs have long been used for cooking but they are also widely used for other things such as promoting health, for their calming affects, for sleeping aids, and for healing purposes. Some herbs will add a pleasant aroma to your garden or home such as basil and rosemary while others aid in deterring pests such as garlic, lavenders, mints, and rosemary.Whether you grow perennial or annual organic herbs, you will find that most are easily cared for if you provide them with enough light and a healthy soil mixture. Annual herbs include basil, chervil, cilantro, dill, and parsley. Perennial herbs include chives, garlic, oregano, thyme, and fennel, to name just a few.Organic herb gardening can be the perfect compliment to your organic vegetable garden. If you are growing organic vegetables, including tomatoes and cucumbers, you will also want some herbs to use when you begin harvesting your garden and using your vegetables for cooking. For your tomatoes you might want some basil, parsley and oregano to use in canning and for making sauces. For your cucumbers you might want some dill for pickling.Use well-nourished soil for your organic herbs. You can make your own compost or purchase organic compost at your local nursery store. Place the herb containers where they will receive a minimum of 6 hours in the full sun and keep them moist, but not dripping wet. Though most herbs have few problems with pests, basil is sometimes affected by chewing insects. Rather than spraying your organic basil with insecticides, grow them in larger quantities so you will have enough unaffected plants to harvest. It is best not to use insecticides, of any type, with organic herb gardening.When cooking with herbs, be sure to test the strength of their flavor by using small amounts at a time so you do not overwhelm the flavor of your meal with too much of one herb. You can also use the herbs for tea and other drinks. I like to add peppermint leaves to my water for a nice, but subtle flavor. Before cooking with herbs and making tea or flavoring any drinks, be sure the herb is one that can be ingested. Not all herbs are eatable and some can make you ill if ingested. Culinary herbs are those primarily used for cooking such as chives, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, basil, bay leaves and many others. Herbs often used for tea include chamomile, elderberry, lemon balm, lemon thyme, and mint.



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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Become Rich Selling Your Products and Services in the 1.8 Trillion Dollar Tourism Industry

I've met so many interesting entrepreneurs recently offering wonderful gifts and services through their small businesses. I'm not involved in the gift market but I work in Tourism a market often misunderstood and over looked in the US. It is an industry which includes gifts, swag, decor, floras, services, events and opportunities for unique, upscale and personalized gifts and services.Normally I'm an International Tour Director and Trainer. My students are leading international, domestic and local tours and programs. I can't cover it all here but I will give you an over view and basic understanding of the needs of the companies involved in tours, programs and events. If you're looking for a new market, hopefully you'll be able to meet their needs in building your success.I think everyone knows Travel Agents. They make reservations for travel, tours and cruises. Most like giving something special gifts to their clients. Some still do flowers but maybe you have something to offer that may be more specialized and appreciated that will remind them of their trip and the agent. Travel related gifts with the name of the agent? Travel bags? Personalized money pouches? Or?I work for Tour Operators the companies with the beautiful brochures offering tours when you enter the travel agency. The tour operators also offer gifts to the travelers. When I started it was the old style flight bag with the company logo. It then went to fanny bags, document cases and etc. Their challenge is with repeat tour members and trying to come up with something unique. The tours may be domestic and or international. Do you have something unique to travel, the destination and or US?I also give out gifts on my tours and cruises for repeat passengers, birthdays and anniversaries. The gifts have included pictures frames with the company name engraved, Kona Coffee, photo albums, make up bags with a Kangaroo logo, books and etc. Do you have something unique and easy for the Tour Director and passenger to pack?The biggest market I see for gifts is the domestic market, especially the incentive market. Incentives are gifts offered to increase sales and production. It may be a special gift and or trip individually or as a group. Fortune 500 companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their VIP's, meetings, incentives and team building events. Many meeting spend over $600,000 on just their hotel bill.I recently assisted with coordinating a couple incentive events. The trip was a reward to the highest achieving sales persons. They stay at 4 and 5 Starr resorts. When they arrive they normally receive personalized bags and gifts. (As a person in and out of my car like a sales rep, I know something like the key finder we received at the LA Spark and Hustle would be appreciated.) They were awarded an iPad, watch and or diamond ring. The events are like staging a wedding each night with lighting, floras, plants, decorative curtains, luminaries, custom linens, entertainment, gifts and etc. Events may include an artist offering the guests a special gift to be sent to their home. These are all outside vendors. Think of producing a very upscale wedding with a theme. Each company producing the event tries to make it unique and very upscale. Do you have a gift and or service they may want to use?Here's where it can be a bit confusing. The Fortune 500 Company hires the Incentive House. The Incentive House works with the Fortune 500 Company to develop the program, keep track of the incentives, make the reservations and send staff to travel with the group. The Incentive House hires a local Destination Management Company in the location of the program. The DMC organizes and conducts the local activities, including arrivals, transportation, tours, events, team building and etc. (I train the staff that travels with the group and DMC tour directors and guides.)I also want to mention services. Many of the smaller incentive companies, DMC's, meeting planners, event planners and tour operators are owned by women. Do you have a service for them? Payroll? IT? Printing? Running an evening of games and or team building? Run a car rally? Bicycle day trips? Hikes? Special tours? Some type of fun and or team building activity?Tourism is the largest and fastest growing industry in the world and the opportunities are endless. Fortunately, our industry is rebounding and especially the incentive and meeting market.I hope this gives you ideas of new markets and helps in your success.



Cherie Anderson is the owner of Professional Tour Management Training. She has been training professional Tour Directors and Guides since 1993. Her training is offered online through over 2100 colleges worldwide. For comments and inquiries email Cherie@tourtraining.com.For an interview or more information, please contact Cherie Anderson by phone at (949) 830-8603 or by email: tourtraining@aol.com

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