A Guide To Hiring Close Protection Security In The UK.

If you feel you need a bodyguard or other close protection services and live in the UK, you may be worried that it’s quite difficult to arrange and that it may disrupt your life too much. The great news is that it’s less difficult than you might think, it can all be set up with a minimal amount of effort and once in operation will not disrupt to your regular life too much. It might be that you need close protection for a single day or on the other hand you might need it every day. Here is a brief guide to help you when hiring close protection services in the UK.

What Type Of Services Can I Get?

Whether you are traveling or you need ongoing protection, there are a number of services you can buy in the UK. These include security for your residence, plus it can include counter-surveillance, and of course, it can include protective services. It may be that you need a driver who has the skills and experience to drive under the most difficult times as well as the ability to protect you as needed.

Then there are times where the need for gathering intelligence on other parties may be needed, but luckily you can be sure to find the right service even here. They’re even clients that need their own personal medical officer and this is another service that can be provided. A commonly needed service within this industry is the ability to do counter-surveillance.

Can The Close Protection Security Service Supply Vehicles?

Depending on the level of security you want, the client may not have an appropriate vehicle and this type of service can also be provided. If the client is in need of a vehicle that is armored, then they will certainly need a driver capable of defensive driving under stressful situations.

Is Protection Against Paparazzi Included?

Protecting clients from the press is one of the most common tasks given to security specialists. Regardless of whether it’s while traveling and arriving or leaving from ports, or other situations where the client might encounter paparazzi, the professional close protection services will be able to take care of the client and keep the press and other unwanted persons away.

Does The Bodyguard Have Soft Skills?

It is common to expect that a personal bodyguard or protection specialist would have the hard skills to protect the client against an immediate threat but for everyday purposes, many clients need protection specialists who are capable of exhibiting the soft skills as well. This means that they will need to be able, when needed, to work with children as well as having the ability to exhibit great interpersonal skills. For most clients, it will also be necessary when in public, that the bodyguard has good etiquette and that they are able to demonstrate charisma.

Getting the protection that you need is not especially difficult. It’s simply a matter of taking the time to meet with the service provider you’re considering. Be sure to check out and to make sure that the security specialist that you will be working with is one that is personable, and that has the ability to work with you in a way that you are comfortable with. When you have a highly skilled and capable personal bodyguard that is also able to communicate and get along with you well, you are sure to be truly in safe hands.

Please use this article (see this -) as a start, but do be sure to carry out some other research

Keeping You In-Store and Outdoor Signage Attractive

Outdoor and in-store signage is important factors in getting customers inside your retail store. But have you stopped to look at your signage lately? Just like your merchandise, your signage should change regularly to keep customers coming back. Here are some tips to ensure that your different signage is in top shape and doing its best to communicate with customers and potential clients.

Maintenance is Key

Your permanent outdoor sign won’t change very often, but it’s important to make sure it looks fresh and up-to-date at all times. Burned out bulbs, flickering neon or peeling paint convey a bad impression. Make sure your sign is in tune and secured with the feel and the look of the area where your store is located.

Window signage, on the other hand, should change frequently, with new merchandise or seasons.

Useful In-store Signs

Inside the store, signage can serve the purpose of directing or explaining, like signs that tell customers where the dressing rooms are for instance, or signs announcing sales or hyping products can persuade them to look and buy. Purposeful signs need to be clear and easily understood. Persuasive signs can be more fun. Both types should be consistent with your brand in terms of fonts, colors, and design.

Blend it Up

Point of purchase signs, A-frame signs, standing signs, display signs and wall signs are all formats you can use throughout your store. You can even get creative with decals on the floor highlighting key sections of the shop. Something as simple as a doormat with a creative message or your business logo secured on it will attract attention while also serving a purpose.

Be Positive

Don’t use signs in your store bearing negative messages such as “Absolutely NO checks accepted” or “Cash only” and “All sales FINAL”. This will suggest that you have had some awful experiences with customers. Phrase your sign content positively, like “We cannot accept out-of-state checks. Thank you for understanding.”

Recognitions and Awards

They aren’t exactly signs, but framed articles about your business or awards you have won are another way to communicate with customers. They show that your store has a history, is part of the community and is respectable and trustworthy.

Grab Attention

Signs that make people stop and think, such as puns, plays on words or humor, are a great way to get shoppers to slow down. When someone pauses to read a sign and chuckle or share it with a friend, you’ve got a better chance of making the sale.

Strike a Balance

It’s important to find the right balance between too little and too much signage both inside and outside your store. Too much, and your store looks cluttered and overwhelming, customers won’t know where to look. Too little, and the store looks unwelcoming, as customers struggle with things like where to find items.

Portable signage, such as A-frame or chalkboard signs, is a great way to attract passersby to your store. Get creative with your sign. An eclectic clothing boutique can use a chalkboard with pastel, hand-drawn lettering. A children’s bookstore or toy shop can use a magnetic board spelling out words in colorful alphabet magnets, or a felt board with stick-on felt lettering.

Restaurant Copycat Recipes – Make Your Favorite Dish at Home

Let me ask you how many times you have been in a restaurant, had a delicious meal and wanted to know how exactly the dish was cooked? I know I have and have often looked for restaurant copycat recipes in bookstores and on line.

One of my favorite restaurants is The Olive Garden. I just enjoy everything there, the never ending bread sticks, the bottomless salad bowl, and every pasta dish. Everything is so appealing right down to the Italian atmosphere. The last time I was there I tried a new appetizer; it was called Smoked Mozzarella Fonduta. It was Oven-baked smoked mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Romano cheese. Served with Tuscan bread and it instantly became my new favorite.

Now I live right on the Canadian border and in a place where I have to drive three hours to get to the nearest Olive Garden, so finding the recipes for my favorites is extra important to me.

What prompted me to look for these so called ‘secret recipes’ is the fact that once I found the one for my favorite famous dish, I could enjoy it anytime I wanted right at home. Another reason I wanted to find some restaurant copycat recipes is because you can save a lot of money cooking these dishes yourself. No transportation cost, no tipping, and you can enjoy the meal without getting all dressed up. Plus getting to decide on my portion size is nice. I can honestly say that I would have eaten the whole Fonduta myself if I had a chance.

Finding the right set of recipes with easy to follow directions is a must. I am certainly no professional cook and I don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Once I found these recipes, my family decided that they had their own favorite food from all different restaurants. So what started out as a small curiosity soon became sort of a hobby.

Creating restaurant favorite foods at home using restaurant copycat recipes is becoming more popular. People are trying to save their money, but still want to be able to enjoy certain luxuries. Enjoying your favorite dish at home, whenever you want is most certainly a little luxury. I plan to make my next family get together more enjoyable by creating a special meal with my new recipes. It will be the best ‘spaghetti and meatballs’ they have ever tasted!

Travel to Cities Only After You Know the Parking Restrictions

City traffic is habitually heavy, while the parking on-street is highly impossible to find. Likewise, the parking lots are pricey and results in frustrating delays owing to congestion, especially during the snarls of rush-hour. In fact, drivers unfamiliar with city roads and rules many become impatient. While, the network of rapid-transit rail and buses in cities are extensive, besides you can find easily taxis and limousines. In case, you wish to rent a car, there are options from luxury to big chains featuring modern amenities. However, it is not same as owning and driving your own car. The rental cars rates are high on weekends than weekdays, besides taxes and surcharge apart from the fuel for the vehicle. City parking tickets are not really simple to receive owing to confusing signage. In general, a lack of street parking is apparent, and there are heavy seasonal parking restrictions. Anyone visiting huge cities in their car or is new, may understand the importance of these factors and to bear it in mind:

  • Permit parking areas
  • Prohibited parking zones
  • Parking signage that includes street cleaning, time limits, etc
  • Snow regulations

City parking enforcers follow and adhere meticulously to the parking rules. In case you are parking on a street and if your car appears to have parked a bit in front of a yellow zone, you are assured to be ticketed. Owing to the ever-changing strict rules from street to street, it is mandatory to be on the lookout for any parking situations that are incriminating. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid situations leading potentially to the parking tickets. There is always a way to escape the rules and for that you need to be an informed parker who is fully aware of the parking tickets so that even if you are charged one, you should fight regarding the parking tickets if it appears unfair.

Tips to Avoid Parking Tickets

  • Make it a point to look out always for signage about the restrictions for parking, while you plan to park on the street. The restrictions are typically to do with time limits, weather and street cleaning.
  • In winters look for parking signs indicating if it is legal to park on streets based on the snow visible on the ground. In case you notice snow fallen for couple of inches, it is best to consider parking in a garage, so that your car is safe, besides the street needs clearing from snow.
  • In summers, street parking permission may not be available mainly for two reasons such as construction and street cleanings. There may be specific hours and days that parking is restricted and this is based on the schedule of street cleanings. Thus, stay alert and look for restricted signage.
  • Know exactly when not to park on the street. It is always helpful to know about off-street parking so that it save a lot of frustration and pain. However, as you travel in a dense are or during major events, the easier option is to consider the off-street parking as this is also an affordable choice.

Cape Town – The 3rd Best City in the World

Vibrant, diverse, colourful and captivating are just some of the adjectives that describe this beautiful city. Set at the edge of the cold Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Cape Floral Kingdom (a World Heritage Site) and adorned with a world-renowned landmark, Table Mountain, Cape Town offers visitors and locals a multifaceted experience. Its not surprising then that Cape Town has been awarded so many accolades: · 3rd Best City In The World – US Travel And Leisure July 2008 · Best City In Africa & Middle East – US Travel And Leisure July 2008 · 4th Top City In The World – Conde Nast Readers’ Choice October 2008 · Best City In Africa & Middle East – Conde Nast Readers’ Choice October 2008 · 3rd Best City In The Top 10 World Food Cities – Lonely Planet Blue List 2008 · Best Destination, Africa – World Travel Awards May 2008 · Best City To Live In, Africa & Middle East – Mercer Quality Of Living Survey 2008 · One Of The “Places Of A Lifetime” – National Geographic Traveler, July 2008 · One Of The World’s Most Sustainable Cities – Ethisphere Institute, Sept 2008 · Boulder’s Beach: World’s Best Family Beach – UK Telegraph March 2007 · Cleanest City In SA – DEAT Annual Cleanest Metro Awards March 2007 · #1 Uk Long Haul Destination – UK Trends And Spends Survey 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 · One Of The World’s 5 Bluest Sky Destinations – Expedia.co.uk July 2006 · Favourite Foreign City – UK Telegraph 2004, 2005 · Ideal Travel Destination – Markinor-Sunday Times Top Brands Survey 2005 · Africa’s Leading Destination – World Travel Awards 2008 · Best Tourism Investor City of the Year – AI Tourism Investor Awards 2009 Cape Town offers a diverse menu for everyone: from extreme outdoor adventure activities to the quiet indoors, from budget backpacker accommodation to ultimate 6 star luxury, from cultural to theatrical entertainment and vast gastronomic experiences accompanied by some of the best wines in the world. Cape Town is a destination that for a traveller requires an absolute minimum of 3 nights stay to be able to grasp its diversity. Cape Town is a popular venue for many international sports events such as the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Race (109km road race), Two Oceans Marathon (56km), the start of the ABSA Cape Epic Mountain Bike Challenge (800km over 8 days with approx 16 000m of climbing!) and the start of the biannual Cape to Rio Yacht Race. Cape Town hosted the 2005 Rugby World Cup and 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. Cape Town is also host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place from 11 June to 11 July 2010. South Africans in general are great sport enthusiasts and Capetonians certainly play their part in this role. Generally Capetonians are known by the locals of other South African cities to be very laid back and easy going. Compared to the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg for instance where life is upbeat, fast and social, things happen in order and on time. Well, mostly, we need to keep in mind that this is Africa after all! All in all, South Africans are known to be very friendly and welcome travellers from all over the world. Cape Town is an excellent gateway to the rest of southern Africa and a visit here can be combined with world-renowned wildlife safari destinations such as Sabi Sands Game Reserve west of the Kruger National Park, the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the malaria free Eastern Cape game reserves. Amongst other travel options to combine with your visit to Cape Town is a desert wilderness experience in Namibia or a luxury tropical beach experience in Mozambique.

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