What Makes A Great Affiliate Marketing Program?

There are many things to consider in a reputable internet marketing program and it can largely depend on your own priorities, but I consider there to be 5 main concepts to follow. Understand the importance of the first step when starting out as an affiliate marketer: The affiliate commission.

The affiliate commission is important for the internet marketer. Obviously, no affiliate commission|commission} means no profit and that is bad to say the least! If the commission is too low, or the service provider doesn’t pay you on time, you could be in deep trouble.

The second point to consider is quality. If you want to promote a great affiliate marketing program, then the product you sell must be of good quality. This also ties in with the merchants reputation as well, which is mentioned later in this article.

Consider selling a product or service that gets you fired up and that you believe in. Nothing sells like passion and believing in a product is a good thing too.

The reputation of the product or services owner is of utmost importance. Do they provide a great after sales service? Do they care about their clients once the money has been collected? Those are very good points and must be seriously looked at before you take on a service to sell.

A 100% money back guarantee is also critical. If the product or service isn’t backed up with a 100% money back guarantee, then what sort of confidence does the product owner really have in this product?

The criteria to follow is simply: commission, quality, passion, reputation & money back guarantee. If all 5 criteria are checked off and valid in your eyes, then the product is worthwhile to sell. Put together this 5 step criteria when selecting a product or service to sell and you will be on track for your internet marketing program on track and will be set to take off for success.

Boys Pants

Lately I have been researching about credit cards. I have found that there are all types of rates and they all very greatly. Obviously everyone wants the best rate that they can find. I have set out to make sure that I can find the best rates available, but of course there are a few exceptions to the rule and every rule.

When you search for Boys Pants you will find different things like zero interest for them the introductory months, balance transfers, balanced rates, and sometimes yearly fees and other things.

First of all people need to search for what kind of thing interests them the most. For me I like a good Boys Pants website. There are a lot of sites where you can find an honest Boys Pants policies on the market today, and I seem to prefer the ones that give airline miles. So I tried to spend a lot of things on my airline miles reward cards credit card.

First of all see what kind of rewards card or other type of benefit you want in a credit card, then search the different companies and see which one has what you like the best. I think everyone has a preference when it comes to searching for a credit card company. Some prefer American Express, some Visa, some Mastercard, and of course there are others to choose from if you’d like. A simple search on the internet will give you a whole list. See what you can find and feel free to comment. Thank you.

Three Ways to Avoid Flood Damaged Sports Cars

The recent natural disasters along the U.S. gulf coast reminds us of an important factor in purchasing sports cars-the need to avoid purchasing a flood-damaged vehicle.

A sports car that has been flooded is likely to experience numerous difficulties that will shorten its lifespan.

Among the risks is the greater likelihood of significant rust problems. A previously soaked interior lends itself to rusting out floorboards and other often hidden spots.

More importantly, however, are the very real mechanical problems that can come about due to the flooding of a sports car. If water levels reached a high enough point, it is possible that grit, grime and water entered the engine and exhaust system. The residue can significantly impair performance and can shorten the car’s effective life considerably.

Flooded sports cars also frequently suffer from electrical problems. A soaked electrical system lends itself to corrosion and an increased risk of short circuits. Repairs will be necessary, and electrical work can bring with it considerable expense.

Fortunately, it is possible to avoid purchasing a sports car that has been flooded. There are a few things you can easily due to mitigate the risk of acquiring a previously flooded car.

First, perform an automobile history check through a service such as CarFax. Although not foolproof, this kind of check can tell you if any flood-related insurance claims were made with respect to the vehicle and may provide you with other information hinting at water-related problems.

Secondly, beware of too much new car smell. A soggy car is likely to start producing interior mold and an unscrupulous seller may attempt to hide this telltale sign of flood damage by utilizing strong deodorants. An unaware buyer may purchase the car and not smell the hint of flood damage until some time after the purchase is made. If a car smells “too good” or seems to be over-deodorized, make sure to take extra time to investigate possible flooding.

Finally, advise your mechanic to look for signs of water damage. Any time you buy a sports car, particularly a used model, you should have your mechanic evaluate the vehicle. If you have reason to be concerned about potential flood history, remind your mechanic to be on the lookout for any water damage indicators.

The great devastation wrought by floods has been known to bring out the best in people willing to help those adversely affected. Unfortunately, history also indicates there will be people willing to profit on sports cars impacted by storms without offering full disclosure of past water damage. Do not allow yourself to be victimized by the seller of a once-flooded car, take steps to protect yourself from these unscrupulous sellers.

About the Author:  Josh Hayes is the webmaster of several websites.  His newest site is called kickyoursmokinghabit.com.  It talks about issues that deal with health and smoking.  Just a couple of are issues such as cancer from smoking and smoking and pregnancy.

Mortgage Protection Insurance: The Best Decision You’ve Ever Made!

Everybody knows that purchasing a house is likely going to be the biggest investment of their lifetime. The saying is “You Buy A House, You Make It A Home.” You should feel safer in your homed than you do anywhere else in the world. There’s nothing quite so comforting as know that you have an adequate amount of mortgage protection insurance in the event of your untimely death.

When you buy a house it means that you’ve decided to make a long-term financial commitment. Unfortunately, you never know what the future holds. One thing’s for sure though. If you’ll go one step further and purchase mortgage insurance this will help alleviate the stress often caused by a weak financial plan. To say it plainly, if you don’t have some type of mortgage life insurance and you die unexpectedly there’s a good chance that your spouse and children will be forced to sell the house and move into an apartment.

Believe me, I know it’s tempting to skip the insurance in an attempt to save money. However, perhaps it’s time to do a bit of research. With the economy in the shape it’s in nowadays there’s a very good chance that you can get a better deal on mortgage life insurance that you might have imagined.

Think about it. You’re committed to taking care of your family while you’re alive, but what happens if something happens to you? Wouldn’t you feel more at ease with a mortgage protection insurance policy as part of your overall financial portfolio?

Honestly, finding the right mortgage life insurance policy is not difficult. If you do your research on the internet it’s really not even all that time-consuming. Trust me, the peace of mind you’ll get from it simply cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Actually, it will probably turn out to be the best decision you’ve ever made in your life.

Website Traffic

Top Doggers The Vouch!

Just recently I was trawling through my own personal myspace page, which incidentally I don’t use that often. I noticed that I had a few new friend requests. On inspection there where the few obvious spammers and a few actual people, but, there was one particular bands music profile which stuck out! That band where called The Vouch. I thought at first, what a cool name, so I accepted the add. Apparantly they are the best band in the world? The Vouch… A few weeks passed and I began using myspace page a little more, to stay in touch with friends. I then began noticing I was getting harassed with messages, constant bulletins and quite frankly it was bothering me. I made the decision that I was going to block them from my friends list.

So I proceeded to click on there profile for the first time, a moment I wont, forget may I add. A huge sound passed through my small pc speakers and monitor. A soft broken melodic voice and piercing lead guitar followed. With nothing short of breath taking drumming! I couldn’t believe I had ignored this for so long! I was robbing myself of a brilliant experience! The tracks on the page where comparative to those of a certain Mr Lennon and McCartney and a Mr Davies.

Very raw very British and very catchy. Now I must say that I have removed myself from the current music scene, as quite frankly it is tripe! I spend my time listening to the Beatles, the Kinks, the Stones and any bands which have really stood the test of time! So I was quite taken a back by the ability of a small town unsigned band! So I did a little more digging, compared them to other local unsigned acts, nothing came close! This is why I urge you to listen to The Vouch. They are a 5 piece from extremely humble beginnings. They originate from Cannock which believe me is a place best wiped off the map, voted 5th worst place to live in the country!

Its a former mining town, and with no intention of offending people there, it has become a breeding ground for zombies born and breed to work underground. There music is often dreamy mixing facts with fiction to create a real experience, when listening! After really getting into the bands recordings I decided to make the journey to one of there live shows. They appear regularly at the Rock Cafe Cannock but this was not really a venue I wanted to visit. So on closer inspection of their gig guide I found a gig at the dirty south club London, the band had arranged coach travel. So I decided to get in touch and get down there. They where due to support a dj set from former oasis guitarist ‘Bonehead’, so I thought it would be a good night. The Day Of The Gig The coach arrived at 4 o’clock on a Saturday to pick us up from the dreaded ‘Cannock bus station’. I hoped on to find it full of drunken teenagers and thought what am I doing. I sat at the front alone for around an hour, before a chubby young lad introduced himself to me. He walked to the front of the coach, carling cans in hand one of which he passed to me, and said “Ort, I’m Beaver.” The trip on the coach took around 4 hours and was extremely wild, not for the faint hearted.

I felt really sorry for the coach driver!  I wanted to see if they really were the best band in the world, i think they certainly were the best band in cannock! We arrived in London at around 8.30pm local time and went into the venue. I was very surprised to see the band just instantly mingle with there friends and fans and drinks where exchanged immediately. Time slid by as I spent most of the time with my new acquaintances ,’Beaver’ , watching the other support acts. Several pints of Guiness later and toilet breaks, the band arrived on stage. With the front man and bass player tuning in to the dirty pretty things anthem ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’. They immediately threw there instruments to the floor and jumped into the growing crowd to dance and……. well……… go metal really. Was this a ploy to create mayhem I’m unsure, but it did work! They took to the stage in a venue, that you wouldn’t imagine would have much of an atmosphere……. but they seemed to create there own. Track after track of exhilarating music, the crowd loving it, with some minor stage invasions. All in all I sum up that The Vouch are a must see! Josh Smithyman

Obtain Freedom Through Mobility Aids

Introduction

Mobility – it is only really possible to appreciate what mobility means if your ability to move around freely is compromised, then it takes on a whole new meaning.

Living with someone who is partially disabled gives me an insight into the kind of issues that people with disabilities have to deal with. When you are able and sure footed there is no real understanding of the disadvantage of not having full mobility of your person. Besides which nobody is particularly interested unless it concerns them directly. We all take it completely for granted when everything works as it should and we get on with living our lives concentrating on making money, raising a family, having a good time and other such normal everyday activities. In fact quite often we don’t even like to see people who are disabled and struggling because it makes us aware of our own vulnerability which reminds us of our mortality. Next time you see someone who is in a wheel chair, notice your own reaction to that person, and be aware of how you avoid eye contact and carefully get out of the way. People who use wheelchairs often say how people they meet will talk to the carer and ignore them as if they are stupid as well deaf.

Early Disability Aids

The first type of disability aid that most people will be familiar with is the walking stick. For some, it will be something to make them feel more stable on their feet when they suffer some impairment in walking. If a person has a broken leg or hip then crutches for a period of time will be needed and later a stick until full mobility returns. When I broke my hip I found the most frustrating thing was that I could not carry a cup of tea from one place to another so I improvised with a trolley on wheels which I could push along. When you have to use two arm crutches as I did to get about, there are no arms left to carry anything. For non spilling things you can use a bag to carry your things in which can be attached to your crutches, but not cups of liquid. Recently when visiting my husband in hospital I watched while the nurses unpacked a Zimmer frame on which they attached a plastic box with a tray for a lid. It was fixed like a basket on a bike. The patient had to practice pushing it along, and I realised it was because he lived on his own and needed to be able to transport things but couldn’t manage without two handed support. These types of early aids are common for people as they get older and lose their youthful mobility because of age related challenges. They are also required for those who have suffered accidents and injuries so that temporary mobility is affected.

Independence

One of the major frustrations for people becoming disabled is their loss of independence and freedom to be able to do what they want, when they want. If a person becomes disabled after years of normal living and independence there will be a great deal of anger and a need to make adjustments to the new situation. However, whatever the disability experienced there are a vast range of aids to help people live as independent a life as possible. Mobility scooters are a very convenient way of getting about if walking is not an option.

In the Home

When suffering loss of mobility or normal functioning whatever the reason, the first task is to create safety and functionality in the home where the level of disability determines the type of support needed.

One of the first things to consider is the quality| degree| level of comfort while resting. Correct support in bed and while sitting in a chair will allow the muscles to relax properly so that the body will function as well as possible. There are a range of Orthopaedic beds which allow for many different positions from lying to sitting and the best examples are the hospital beds where you will find electronic buttons to change the position of a patient with ease. Chairs can also be found that will allow for different positions and even a vibrating and massaging function incorporated into the frame. A friend of mine had a chair specially made which reclines, vibrates and massages in three different places and also tips forward when you want to get out for ease of standing up. When we visit we all want to have a go in it because it is such good fun.

The next trial when disabled, is the function of toilet, bathing and dressing. There are a huge range of aids to chose from such as commodes and other toilet necessities, grab rails for showers and baths. My mother is severely arthritic and cannot get into the bath anymore, so she has a seat which lowers and raises her in and out of the bath. There are also walk in baths and then specially adapted showers with stools and slip mats to aid the sufferer. Also because my mother is partially sighted she cannot read the numbers anymore, so she has a set of talking weighing scales.

Having managed the getting up, washing and dressing as well as maybe a good rest in the special chair, moving around the residence will be next on the agenda. Depending of the level of incapacity it might be that a simple walking stick or Zimmer frame will support mobility. As well as grab handles in the bathroom, handles can be mounted alongside entrance doors and steps to help with negotiating different levels. Just because people suffer some sort of disability it doesn’t mean that they want to leave their homes, but when they live in a house and have stairs to negotiate then the use of a stair lift is a wonderful invention. Severely handicapped people may need a wheelchair in the home which requires a lot of space and maybe wider doorways to accommodate it.

The next activity for independent living is food preparation and dining. Standing can be a problem so a high stool to perch on might be helpful. Otherwise do as much preparation as possible sitting at the kitchen/dining table. If a person has a problem with holding cutlery and kitchen utensils, there are specially adapted items with larger handles for ease of use. With arthritis in the wrists, lifting items such as kettles and saucepans can be a problem, but there are available cleverly designed kettle and teapot tippers for ease of pouring. Using a food processer and electric gadgets will save a great deal of time and effort when preparing meals. Another simple aid which my mother found very useful is a grabbing stick or ‘Reacher’ that picks up items to save bending down.

There is a vast range of disability equipment available to improve the lives of people with limited mobility.

Maintaining the home is sometimes difficult for a disabled person. Obviously there are washing machines, dryers and dishwasher to aid with tasks in the home but you can also get remote control vacuum cleaners that are radio controlled with a joystick or key pad such as for toy boats and aeroplanes. Long handled brushes and dusters help with hard to reach corners particularly the microfiber dusters that attract dirt and dust to them.

Other items available for people who experience some level of limitation may be lever type handles for taps to make them easier to use. If a person has lost their grip there are special items to open cans, bottles and jars. Because my mother is partially sighted she has large buttons on her telephone and speed dialling so she can stay in touch with her family who are spread far and wide. She can order goods by phone which means with such aids she is able to retain her independence and stay in her own home. It seems that whatever the disability there is some clever invention to help overcome the problem.

Outside the Home

To enable a person who is disabled to live as normal a life as possible then aids outside the home are just as important as those inside. Wearing an alarm cord around the neck is a wise precaution so that if a person does get into difficulties while outside they can call for help. To be able to move around easily outside may only require a walking stick or a Zimmer frame for support but where mobility is more restricted, wheelchairs or electric scooters may be necessary. My mother used to love to garden but now the arthritis and osteoporosis has taken hold and her eyesight is impaired, she is severely limited in any activity outside. On a good day however she does have a garden stool which enables her to do some weeding and tidying of the flower beds. There are even wheeled seats for moving along the edge of flower beds when weeding. Long handled garden implements can be used to avoid bending or kneeling and raised beds will allow even wheel chair users to tackle the garden plot. Ramps may be installed to allow a wheelchair to move from one level to another, and sit-on lawn mowers are a possibility if you have a big enough lawn.

There is a relatively new product on the market called Flexiloc which is a modular system of tough polyurethane tiles that interlocks to form ramps of any size. It has the advantage of being able to run straight, turn corners, be used indoors or outdoors and has a good grip surface that is more comfortable than conventional surfaces. It can be used as a temporary solution where a permanent ramp is unsuitable and is easily dismantled to be reused again and again.

If a disabled person relies on a wheelchair then automatic gates and garage doors which open remotely is a big help. Cars or vans used for transporting electric scooters are usually specially adapted vehicles with ramps or lifts to allow the mobility scooter to be loaded up. Sometime cars may have to be adapted to allow for the lack of functioning of particular limbs. My husband cannot manage the foot pedal movement required for gear changing so we have switched to an automatic car to enable him to still drive.

Whatever your disability there are mobility aids to cover nearly every eventuality.

There is a huge range of mobility scooters available both new and second hand. The mobility scooter is mostly a four wheeled vehicle which travels between four and eight miles an hour. However for the electric scooter there seems to be more three wheeled versions which travel at a maximum of six miles per hour. The speed is determined on the weather, the terrain and riders weight. A three wheeled scooter is inherently less stable and unless greater manoeuvrability is required it is better to get the four wheeled variety. Some scooters can be completely folded up to go into the boot of a car. The scooter usually has a chair with arms mounted over the battery enclosure with handlebars like a bike for turning and controls in reach of the hands. They are very easy to operate and comfortable to ride. The chairs vary with the amount of padding and enclosed back, usually the more expensive the more padding there is.

As well as the open versions of mobility scooters there are enclosed ones to protect the passenger from rain and wind. These come with lights, windscreen wipers, full suspension, mirrors and lockable doors as with a car and can cover larger distances. I have noticed them in my local area travelling along the road rather than on the pavement.

Home Remote Controls

Where an individual is physically unable to get about inside or outside the home the use of remote controls is a valuable aid. Being able to manage and operate your entertainment centre remotely is only one of the possibilities. The availability of remote controls for opening and closing of blinds and curtains, switches for electrical equipment such as ovens, lights, cooking appliance and washing machines, is a boon. For people who cannot easily answer the door there is a keyless door entry system designed to fit most latch locks which enable the elderly, the disabled and partially sighted who have difficulty using keys, to manage their security remotely.

One story I read in the paper a few weeks ago was of a young man who was so obese, in the region of forty stone, that he could not move out of his bed. He had an entertainment centre in his room remotely controlled and he ordered food online to be delivered to his house. There were three healthcare workers in attendance at all times to turn him in bed and see to his bodily needs; as well as people to cook for him the food he had ordered. He was waiting for a stomach operation to staple his stomach together to reduce his intake of food. And all this was paid for by the tax payer. My feeling was that if there was no one to take such good care of him he would soon lose weight because he would not be able to get about and eat all that food.

Having read that story I question the value of having remote controls so easily available, because the forced activity of getting up and out of your chair to change channels is at least exercise to keep your circulation going. However for people who cannot move around easily then remote controls are a boon I am sure.

Conclusion

For the babies who were born with a physical disability, may never know what it is like to be fully mobile and they may always yearn to live a normal life. For those who were once completely functional, when they become disabled they have to come to terms with their loss and face up to their own mortality. If the time comes when you are no longer able to do all the things you used to do, then be sure there are many creative aids to help you maintain as much independence as possible.

Corporate security

Commercial security services that span from gatehouse to society safety teams, we have the knowledge experience and keenness to support and protect your business. We also bring, to the table, quality of service and value for money. Feel free to ask us about our advanced web based patrol system keeping you in touch at all times no matter what your location or time of day.
Most of our customers have there own unique foot print… we have a diverse range of skilled and experienced staff within our security division and so we can supply all levels of security personnel. Our officers are regularly reviewed (via ongoing communication with the client and officer) and receive the suitable training, support and coaching to enable them to carry services at the correct level

Corporate security services for clients that see the benefits of professionalism, quality and best practice. Clearly customer service key for most establishment, it is one of our primary strengths and is underpinned by the professionalism and quality of our officers.
Our strict approach and methods for recruiting assures:
that we match the right people/staff to the personnel they will be working with;
that we match the right people/staff to the environment they are working in;
that the service delivered is maximised;
your expectations are clear at the outset and hence our successfulness can be easily measured.
Our officers are trained and continually coached on best practices when approaching and dealing with your visitors. So your VIPs will be safe in our hands.

Mobile Security Patrols can have a dramatic result on many types of crime. We can give you continual or scheduled site security for one or many locations/campuses/regions. Keeping your organisation secure during your absence can be problematic, we employee the right personnel to do this for you. Our highly visible patrol vehicles are a deterrent to vandals or trespassers. We can also offer you remote monitoring via CCTV enabling us to react at times when patrols are not happening and to unearth focused video evidence of any event/activity. Whether its a simple case of a routine visit or a detailed patrol of your premises inside or out our mobile patrol officers are well equipped and supported.

If you need high quality properly trained security people that will work overtly or covertly in your work environment – use us, you are assured of high standards as our personnel work to an established SLA and are closely monitored.
For the most part, we used as an overt deterrence our officers will safeguard your employees and your business/environment allowing your customers to enjoy the shopping experience that you have set-out for them. We understand that our officers are, to an extent, representing your organization. Our officers will work as part of your team by looking and acting in a professional manner when they are customer facing. For your and our benefit each of our officers and management support team are continuously monitored on their performance and quality of service delivery. All out retail officers receive teaching in line with loss prevention best practices (from excellent customer service to incident event reporting). Our people underpin the quality of our services, working in partnership with our customers, we employ innovative management practices to promote staff involvement. We endeavour to recruit and retain personnel of the highest calibre.

Protect Life can provide several services: Corporate security; commercial security; retail security; CCTV remote monitoring; mobile patrols; event security; loss prevention and covert operations; traffic management and parking enforcement. Our security Officers are fully screened and vetted and receive full site-specific training. Our officers are undergo training to the security industry authority accepted standards.

Forex Income Engine 2.0 by Bill Poulos to be released again soon!

Last Fall, during a late-night Forex trading research session, one of the Forex industry’s most respected trading educators, Bill Poulos, made a revolutionarydiscovery around day trading Forex that he shared with a small group of traders. He then released this as a full multimedia course the Forex Income Engine 2.0 which was completely sold out within just 5 days.

The Forex Income Engine 2.0 is now about to be released again in very limited numbers. Only another 500 copies of the highly regarded day trading forex course will be available on a strictly “first come, first served” basis and are sure to be snapped up quickly again.

This is your chance to learn forex trading from an educator with 34 years of hands on currency trading experience: Bill Poulos. This is not just another forex system, it’s a total forex trading education. This is also NOT another forex robot with the often heard promises of instant wealth and huge profits.

If you’re seriouslyinterested in learning Forex, or have been a little scared by what’s been going on in the stock markets over the last year, then this may be just what you are looking for. Why? Because it finally brings flexibility and customization to Forex day trading so that ANYONE can have an advantage, whether you only have 20 minutes to trade, or if you have the whole day. Your choice…

Read real traders reviews on Forex Income Engine 2.0 here where you can also download over 100 forex trading related eBooks free of charge!

This is your last chance to get a total forex trading course in 2009. Register today to receive further priority notification by email.

Bill Poulos usually gives away at least two copies of his courses at Christmas. If you would like to try your hand and win a copy of the Forex Income Engine 2.0, check out the Forex Income Engine contest guide!

Algiers – a Wonderous Mix

Algiers is located on series of terraces that clamber up the hillsides from the sea, towered over by the ramparts of the medieval Casbah, the Old City. Full of flowers, beautiful villas and luxuriously green gardens, the geography of this Mediterranean city is best understood as a huge triangle.

The seaside European quarter is its wide base, which narrows as it ascends the close winding lanes to the Moorish quarter, eventually coming to a point at the city’s old fortress high above.

Island of the Gull.
The first settlers on the coast of Algiers, aside from the native Berber tribes, arrived around 400 BCE. These were Carthaginian merchants in search of a convenient harbour in the western Mediterranean. During the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, this settlement, known as Ikosim (”Island of the Gulls”) fell to the Roman Empire.

The most significant moment in the city’s history came with the conquest of the Late Roman Numidian Kingdom by the Muslim Arabs around 700 CE. The official founding of the city did not take place until 935 CE, when the Berber tribes (by then converted to Islam) named their harbour Al-Jazir (”White Island”). The city extended no further than what is today the Old City of Algiers, the Casbah.

A bastion for pirates.

After the Moors were driven out of Spain in the fifteenth century, Algiers was the launching point for numerous military expeditions to the Iberian Peninsula, but the Moors were never able to regain control of Spain. In fact, the Catholic Spaniards conquered Algiers instead, taking control of the city in 1509. The city suffered under Christian oppression for ten years before Ottoman Khaireddin Barbarossa recaptured Algiers in 1519 in a daring naval assault. The city and country would henceforth be part of the Ottoman Empire.

In the following years, Khaireddin Barbarossa built Algiers into one of the most powerful bastions on the Mediterranean. Up until his death 1546, he used it as the base for countless raids along the Mediterranean coast, besieging Spanish as well as Moorish cities, and bringing all of Algeria under his control. In Europe, the name Algiers became synonymous with a pirate’s den. In France, however, this was not the case. The French had long been in league with Khaireddin.

From allies to conquerors.

Although European nations tried again and again to recapture the city, all attempts failed miserably. Then, in the 19th century, the French gave it another try. Their conquest of Algeria began with the landing in 1830 at Sidi Fredj near Algiers. The final subjugation tool over fifty years.

After Algiers became a French colony in 1882, a huge influx of French companies and workers arrived and the city grew exponentially. The European residential areas built at that time still shape the cityscape of contemporary Algiers particularly at the base of the “triangle” along the 2-km-long boulevard along the harbour.

In the Casbah. The interplay between Berber pride, Ottoman organization and French sophistication lends Algiers a special charm. Visitors climbing from the French-influenced harbour district up to the Old City of the Casbah experience the city’s different cultures as well as its history.

Built around 1500 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, the Casbah is the old citadel of the Ottoman governors of Algiers. The higher one climbs, the more narrow and twisting the lanes become. The houses are crammed so close together that they nearly touch, and balconies are connected to one another above street level. Several important mosques are located in the midst of this confusion, including the Grand Mosque, the New Mosque and the Ketchaoua Mosque. All are renowned for their antiquity and architectural diversity.

Interested in cheap flights and holiday deals from Escape Travel? We offer thousands of Australian and International Travel deals, accommodation, cruises, family holidays, honeymoons, tours and more. For Fiji holidays and great holiday packages, talk to Escape Travel.

The Fall of The British Car Manufacturing Industry

It is difficult not to notice how few of our contract hire and lease cars are British. Where did it all go wrong and what happened to the 1,000,000 workers that were once employed in the UK car manufacturing industry?

It would perhaps be too simplistic to just say that the car industry was destroyed by the unions, although they certainly played a very major role in its collapse, which is ironic really when you consider the number of jobs and families that depended on the car industry for their livelihood. Poor management also played its part as did the governments of the day.

Whilst foreign car makers were getting their act together in terms of build quality, reliability and service, the British car manufacturing industry was slowly imploding. In the 1970’s the industry was effectively in the control of the unions. To avoid industrial action cars were allowed to go out to dealerships in a faulty condition, as finding fault with too many cars coming off the production line resulted in further walkouts.

1974 was probably a low point for the car industry, indeed for the country, with an extraordinary 2,922 industrial disputes across the country. The government had to enter into discussion with the union leaders on a whole variety of subjects, if they took action without consultation with the unions; they did so at their peril. The unions were becoming more powerful than the government. There was however a shock waiting for them, in the form of Margaret Thatcher.

It seems strange now looking back, that no one amongst the union leadership appeared ask themselves the following question; why will the public continue to buy British cars, when the quality is poor, the residual values are terrible, delivery is unreliable, the service is indifferent and maintenance is costly? Well the answer was they won’t and they didn’t; foreign manufacturers started to get the upper hand, some would say it was handed to them on a plate. British vehicles abroad, particularly in the US, went from being seen as prestige cars, to being a serious liability which were to be avoided.

Although there is nothing new about car leasing in the UK it was previously very difficult for lease car companies to achieve what is basically the crux of contract hire; to offer a client fully budgeted costs over a two or three year term. How could they achieve that when British cars had just a one year warranty and were constantly going wrong?

Things are very different today British cars once again have a good reputation but how has that been achieved? Essentially through foreign ownership; imagine telling someone in the 1940’s that Rolls Royce would one day be owned by Germany’s BMW or that Bentley would be in the hands of Volkswagen, what would they have thought? Lotus was very British but it is now part of Malaysia’s Proton and Aston Martin that was even more British and supplier of cars to Royalty is controlled by an Islamic group, Investment Dar. Even Land Rover and Jaguar are owned by the Indian group Tata.

There is the Bristol, a company hardly anyone has heard that is a thoroughly British car manufacturer and they have been manufacturing cars since 1946. They produce the Fighter a true Super Car by any measure and a league apart from the more run of the mill Ferrari or Lamborghini. Interestingly their cars can only be bought from their one showroom in Kensington West London, they do not advertise and will not allow motoring journalists to test their cars and yet they have survived.

Some observers say it was inevitable that many of these British manufacturers would be taken over in today’s global business market but far fewer few of the manufacturers in other European countries have been taken over in the same way.

A very positive result of these takeovers is that British jobs have been preserved, not only jobs with the manufacturers but also with the many suppliers to the motor industry and realistically there was no other way these companies were going to survive.

What is the future for the British car industry? Will it regain its market share and become a dominant player once again, with more of our car leasing clients opting for British contract hire cars? Realistically that is very unlikely, they lost market share to manufacturers like Nissan; BMW and Audi, which are very powerful competitors and they will do whatever is necessary to retain their share of the car leasing market.

Should you have any queries or questions with regard to Commercial Fleet Management, or vehicle Hire Purchase, please do not hesitate to contact us. Bowater Price plc 01494 536 536. www.bowaterprice.com.