Grupo Mayan Business Travel Tips

The Grupo Mayan resorts welcome thousands of business travelers each year to our all of our luxurious Mexican locations.  Many of our guests are self employed and operate their own businesses from home.  To help you decide if a home based business is for you the Grupo Mayan staff has the following advice for you to consider.

There are many reasons people start home based businesses.  They want to be their own boss, spend more time with their family, make more money, or have flexible work hours.  Whatever your reason for deciding to have a home based business; you must carefully consider all options before making a commitment.

The Grupo Mayan staff says that many people like to work alone.  These people are perfectly suited to a home based business because they will spend most of their time working alone or with a small staff.  If you are a people person and thrive in large groups, the home based business might not be the best choice for you.

The second thing to consider, say our Grupo Mayan business pros is what kind of home based business you are interested in.  Some businesses are more suited for running out of the home than others.   Many internet based businesses are perfect for the home based entrepreneur, but a large scale production company will do better if run from an office.

You may have decided that you wanted to open a home based business for monetary reasons.  If this is the case, say the Grupo Mayan business professionals, make sure the home based business you are considering is going to make the kind of money you need for an income.  Some home based businesses are more suited to supplement an income, not support a family.  This is an important consideration to make before you take the jump to opening your home based business.

Will the home based business you are considering require any start up cash?  The Grupo Mayan staff says that if your home based business will require a start up cash flow that you should plan on double the amount suggested.  This extra cash will allow you a buffer for any extra expenses.

You will need to decide early on if you will be the only employee for your home based business or if you will be hiring extra help.  This will not only be an important part of your business plan, it will also determine how much space and equipment you will need for a home office.

The last consideration, say our Grupo Mayan pros, is a big one.  Will you have the privacy you need to run your home based business? A noisy house with lots of kids and animals who need constant attention may not be conducive to running a business from home. If your house is very active you might want to move your office to a quieter area of the house or out to a garage.

No matter what your reasons for starting a home based business, a careful thought out planning stage will help both you and the business succeed.

Many of Grupo Mayanís business travelers are successful home based business entrepreneurs.  There has been a surge in the home based business market since the advent of the internet and many home based businesses are doing very well.  One area that all home based business owners struggle with is separating their home life and professional life.  The Grupo Mayan professional staff has developed some great ideas to help you as you strive to make your home based business a success.

It is very important for the home based business owner to have clear cut business hours.  You will want to organize your day around family life and business time.  It is a hard task, but you will want to make sure you dot cheat either area of time.

The Grupo Mayan staff urges you to set a work schedule, including days and hours you will work.  There will of course be exceptions when you will have to work ìovertimeî, but make sure these overtimes are the exception, not the rule.  Your business hours do not have to be traditional nine to five business hours.  If your home based business allows, you might find you are more productive late at night or in the afternoon.  It is your business and you set the hours. Remember, your non working hours are family time and this time is an important, if not more so, than your work time.

It is a good idea to post your work schedule.  By posting your work schedule, say the Grupo Mayan professionals, you will let the other members of your household know what you are doing.  You will be able to let them know you are not ignoring them, you are working.

Having an office is crucial for the home based business person.  An office, separate from the rest of the house, will give you the space you need to work.  Your important papers and work items will be safe from sticky fingers and you will have the privacy you need to work. A quite room on the house or an unused garage or FROG is the best locations for home offices.

Install a separate phone line for your home based business office.  A separate phone line will allow you to have a line dedicated to your business so that when calls come in they will not be answered by curious little ones.  Attach an answering machine or voice mail service to your office phone so that you will not miss important calls during your off hours.

The Grupo Mayan staff tells us that some people are more productive when they dress for success.  If you feel more professional in business attire, get dresses for work every morning.  Other people want a home based business for the fact that they do not have to get dressed up every day.   The idea of working from home in PJís or sweats is really appealing to some home based business owners.

As business travel around the world increases Mexico has become a popular destination for international business meetings.  The Grupo Mayan resorts are one of Mexicoís premier facilities for corporations planning meetings, seminars, and retreats.  Our resorts have hosted events for companies from across the globe and many of our guests return year after year to use our state of the art services and stay in our lavish accommodations.

As you prepare for your vacation you will want to keep several packing hints in mind.  Sometimes airlines will misplace baggage.  This is unfortunate but it does happen.  Pack an extra set of clothes in your carryon for this emergency.  Grupo Mayan staff will work with the airline to help recover your baggage.

Since you are traveling for business you may decide to pack an extra business outfit in your carryon bag.  This will allow you to have at least one outfit that you can wear to meetings until your luggage is found.  The Grupo Mayan resorts offer shops onsite with many emergency items you might need.

Pack only what you need.  You do not want to be burdened with copious amounts of luggage.  You will need business attire for meetings, casual attire for extracurricular activities, an outfit or two for dinner, and a bathing suit. Shoes can be limited to one business pair, an athletic pair, and sandals.  If you plan on playing golf or tennis while at any Grupo Mayan resort you will want to include the correct sports shoes. Paring down to the minimum will make travel much easier.

Many business travelers roll their clothes instead of folding them when packing.  Rolled clothes take up less space and are less wrinkled when you unpack.  If you find yourself in need of laundry services while with Grupo Mayan please call our housekeeping desk and the staff will be happy to help you.

Consider the weather when packing. Grupo Mayan resorts are located in tropical climates so lightweight clothes are recommended.  Natural fibers will allow your clothes to breathe and release sweat which is important in hot weather.

Sun protection is very important in tropical climates.  When you are not in meetings you may choose to spend time outdoors on our golden sandy beaches, on our lush golf courses, or playing tennis on one of our many tennis courts.  Hats and sunscreens are a must.  Hats will protect your head and face from sunburn as well properly applied sunscreen.  Sitting in a business meeting with painful sunburn will not make for a memorable trip!

Make sure to follow airline guidelines when packing toiletry items.  They should be packed in clear, resalable bags so they will not spill and customs agents will be able to check them easily.  You will be able to find toiletry items and other things you might need in the Grupo Mayan shops.

Following these hints when packing for your business trip will help alleviate stress and allow you to arrive prepared for your meetings and for some fun.  The staff at your Grupo Mayan resort looks forward to having you as our guest.

Many Grupo Mayan resort guests are self employed business men and women and work from home.   Our Grupo Mayan business professionals, along with the Grupo Mayan dÈcor team, would like to help you create the perfect home office space for your business.

The Grupo Mayan design professionals say that your home office should reflect your personality and offer you a comfortable work environment away from the hustle and bustle of family life.  When decorating your home office you will want to take into account what you will be doing in the office and what will be the most efficient way to accomplish your tasks.

The first step, say the Grupo Mayan decorators, in designing any space is to measure.  Draw a rough sketch of the room and make note in your drawing of the doors, windows, and any other permanent features in the room.  A great design tip is to print out templates of office furniture that you can move around on top of your sketch to determine furniture placement.

The Grupo Mayan design crew says you will want to decide where to put your desk first.  This will be your mail piece of furniture and anchor the room.  Make sure your desk is large enough for your needs. Many desks come with drop leafs that allow you to have extra work space when needed.  You should also invest in a comfortable chair.  You will be spending a lot of time here so try out several chairs before you decide on one for your office.

Other furnishings that you include will depend on your offices use.  If you will have others in your office you need to have nice furniture for them to sit.  If your work requires you to lay out large plans or research you will want a big card table or conference table.  Most offices need bookshelves for reference materials and side tables for odds and ends. A long buffet table is perfect for your fax machines and printers.

You will find, once you move into your office and begin to use the space that you may want to add other items to your work space.  A phone headset, a riser for your computer, power strips, and extra storage space can all be added later when you determine your needs.  The Grupo Mayan pros say it is a good idea to work in your space for a while before making any finishing touches.  This will let you see what you really need to make your space the perfect work environment for you.

A home office space is the perfect solution for many business people.  The Grupo Mayan staff does urge you to make sure you remember to keep your work life separate from your home life.  The number one problem most home business owners have is separating their personal time from their work hours.  Make sure to set definite work hours and do not let them interfere with family time.

The Grupo Mayan resorts of Mexico are aware that the rising airfare prices are a concern to our many guests.  Grupo Mayan guests are concerned about not just vacation travel, but business travel has also become extremely expensive.  The Grupo Mayan travel professionals have uncovered some tips to help you win in the rising airfare market.

The Grupo Mayan travel professionals advise you to travel on ìoffî days.  If you are planning a holiday trip, you can save hundreds of dollars by extending your vacation a few days.  For example, airline prices are much higher this holiday season than they were at this same time last year.  But if you rearrange your travel dates you will be able to shave money off of your ticket prices.  A great idea is to extend your stay until the Monday or Tuesday after the holiday.  By booking return travel on a normal business day you will be surprised at your savings.

Another tip to save money, from the Grupo Mayan staff is to fly from another airport.  If the airport close to you is a smaller airport, you can save money by driving to a larger airport and taking off from there.  Smaller airports have less daily flights and are therefore not able to offer as many discounted seats as larger airports.  A drive of one or two hours could save you hundreds of dollars. You can use this strategy to check your local airports and the airports at your destination, saving you even more money.

Check often for lower fares.  The Grupo Mayan travel professionals tell us that during the holiday season you will find that airfares are very unstable.  You may find price differences of over hundred dollars in one days time.  You can sign up for free internet services that will allow you to receive notice when a fare you are watching lowers in price.

The Grupo Mayan travel professionals also urge you to read the small print.  You may think you have found a great ravel deal but by the time you have paid all the extra fees you may be out more money than you planned.  Check to see if the airline you are booking with is going to charge you extra for baggage or any if they have slipped any other fees into your tickets final price.

The age old advice of booking your flights early is still the best advice around, say the Grupo Mayan travel professionals.  The earlier you book your travel plans, the better deals you will be able to find.  If you are planning to travel during the holidays you must be aware that thousands of other people are making the same plans you are.  The earlier you book, the more money you will save.

We at Grupo Mayan hope that the above advice will help as you make your holiday plans.  We love having you as our guests, and hope to see you again soon.

The resorts of Grupo Mayan offer first class facilities to business travelers from all over the world.  We have an onsite staff at each resort to help you plan your next business meeting at one of our luxurious resorts.

Each Grupo Mayan resort offers state of the art facilities and technology for unforgettable company meetings, seminars, or retreats.  Our meeting rooms can be set up to suit your needs allowing you to make the best presentations possible.  Chairs and tables can be arranged in many different formats to optimize your event.  The Grupo Mayan event staff will work with you to determine the best room plan based on your needs.

Separate banquet rooms are available for meetings.  Your attendees will be able to break from meetings for lunch or dinner and make their way to a banquet room that has been set up by our staff.  Once there they will enjoy lavish meals prepared by our award winning chefs.

Snack service can be arranged for meeting break times throughout the day.  At break times, your group members can step out of the meeting room to stretch and have a delicious snack.  They will then be revitalized and ready to return to the meeting.

The Grupo Mayan resorts offer current technology for your presentations.  Before you arrive you may arrange for the specific types of equipment you will need for presentations.  Our event staff will make sure the proper equipment is available,

When not in business meetings you, (and your family if they have traveled with you), will discover our many fun and relaxing extracurricular offerings.  Each Grupo Mayan resort offers spa services to help you unwind and relax after a long day of meetings.  You will want to book a massage, a facial, a sauna, or any of our special feel-good services.

Surrounded by water, some of Grupo Mayanís most popular activities are on our sandy beaches or in our refreshing pools.  Many water activities are offered throughout our resorts.  Water sports are always popular with our guests and are a great way to enjoy the water and the sun.

Golf is very popular with our business guests.  Our golf courses are world renowned and designed by some of the best design firms in golf.  Several Grupo Mayan resorts offer the Nicklaus Golf Academy where you can work to fine tune your game.

We are also famous for our first class tennis courts.  We have pros on site to help you with your game and our courts are illuminated for night play.

Dining with Grupo Mayan is a gourmet experience.  Our award winning chefs use only the freshest of ingredients to prepare your meals.  You will experience our wonderful food during your meetings.  You will also want to visit our many cafes and restaurants located at each resort.  From casual to fine dining, our restaurants offer something for everyone and a relaxing evening for business travelers.

Grupo Mayan welcomes you to Mexico for your business vacationÖand so much more.

Grupo Mayan resorts are honored to welcome you and your business associates to our tropical paradise.  While visiting with us you will find up to date meeting facilities, state of the art technology, and luxurious accommodations. Our business travelers have various special needs and our trained staff will help you with any of your needs while you are with us.

Business travel also includes paperwork that must be organized for reimbursements and taxes.  The Grupo Mayan staff offer the following advice for excellent record keeping while on your business trip. You will find that email is a useful way to not only communicate, but will help you keep track of your business trip receipts.  When you make reservations Grupo Mayan will sent you an email conformation.  Print two copies of this receipt.  You will need to bring one copy with your travel documents and can file the second copy in a file designated for business trip receipts.  Go through the same process with email receipts from the airline you are using for travel.  Keep a copy of your itinerary and receipt with your travel documents and put a second copy in your designated business trip expense folder.

While in Mexico at your Grupo Mayan resort you will also want to keep receipts from incurred expenses organized.   You will want to bring two manila envelopes with you on your trip.  One envelope will be for meal receipts and the other for all other expenses you have on your trip.  It is important to separate the two types of expenses because meals are only deductable at fifty percent.  Your other expenses related to your business trip will be deductable at one hundred percent.  Keeping the two types of expenses separate will avoid confusion later as you do your expense report.

There is a trick to maximizing your per diem meal expenses.  The IRS allocates a per diem for meals while on business trips.  This makes it possible to apply for a meal deduction without actually having the meal receipts.  There is a danger here that you will need to be aware of before you throw away your meal receipts.  The IRS gives you a choice of submitting your actual meal receipts or using the allocated per diem.  Grupo Mayan recommends that you keep all meal receipts in your designated envelope in case your meal expenses total more than the government per diem rate.  If your meal expenses are more than the per diem rate you will want to file for deductions using your receipts.  You will also need these receipts for reimbursement from your company when you return from your business trip.

This simple record keeping system blends the hi-tech with the old school methods of bookkeeping.  It is a simple process that allows you to stay organized and have everything you need in one place.  By keeping a file of all hotel and airline expenses you will have the documents you need to file for deductions.  The envelopes for your receipts will help you keep track of your expenses while in Mexico at your Grupo Mayan resort.  An added advantage will be no scrounging around for lost receipts when you return home.  They are all organized in your expense envelopes.

Grupo Mayan’s Mexican resorts are the premier travel destination of many world travelers.  Our guests not only vacation at our luxurious Grupo Mayan resorts, they travel for business and pleasure throughout the rest of the year.  The Grupo Mayan travel professionals have collected some unique travel tips for our expert travelers.

• Travel bags and cases can be heavy.  To keep these heavy bags from digging into your shoulders you can purchase as padded seat belt cover to place around your bags strap. This will keep your shoulder comfortable while waiting in long airport lines.
• Always carry mini bottles of shampoos and cleansers.  The Grupo Mayan hospitality staff says that the complimentary toiletry items we put in each guests room are the perfect size for travel.  In a pinch, you can use shampoo as a soap to get clean.
• Perfume bottles and other glass items have a tendency to break when packed in luggage.  An easy way to solve this problem, say the Grupo Mayan travel professionals, is to lightly spray your clothing with perfume before leaving home.  This way you can leave the glass bottles at home.
• A trick used by fashion designers to keep packed clothes from wrinkling is to place bubble wrap on the inside of your suitcase and between your clothes.  This is a great trick to keep wrinkles at bay and give you wrapping material for breakable souvenirs you purchase on your trip.
• Most hotels, say the Grupo Mayan hospitality staff, put shoe mitts in their complimentary travel kits. Donít throw these shoe mitts out.  You can use them to clean your glasses and sunglasses while on vacation and your computer screens when you return home.
• A unique trip our Grupo Mayan professionals found on the internet makes great use of modern technology.  If you travel to countries where you do not speak the language you can store photos of common items in your cell phone.  When you need a taxi or a bottle of water you can pull up the photo and show it to a local person.  What a great way to break the language barrier.
• Change your choice of luggage, say the Grupo Mayan travel professionals, and you can save pounds.  Soft sided luggage weighs less than the hard sided type and will allow you to pack more items without going over airline limits.
• For families traveling with travel documents it can sometimes be hard to keep straight what belongs to whom.  This is easy to solve by attaching a small mailing label to the outside of each passport or other document before leaving home.

The Grupo Mayan staff knows that our sophisticated travelers all well aware of many tips and tricks that make travel easier.  We hope that the tips collected by the Grupo Mayan travel professionals will add to your travel knowledge and help make your next trip easier.  And we hope to see you again soon at one of our Grupo Mayan resorts.

The Grupo Mayan resorts of Mexico are proud to welcome hundreds of business guests each year. Our conference facilities are state of the art and our amenities are the best of any resorts. To help our business travelers plan for their trip the Grupo Mayan business travel team has some great tips.

When traveling to Mexico, say the Grupo Mayan business pros, you may be crossing time zones. It is a great idea to make your travel plans so that you arrive a day early to your Grupo Mayan resort.  The extra day will help you get adjusted to the local time.

All business travelers carry numerous documents, especially if traveling overseas.  Keep a separate envelope just for your travel documents so they will be in one place and readily available, say the Grupo Mayan pros.  Include passports, credit cards numbers and other important papers in the envelope and you will breeze through customs and immigration.

If you are in charge of planning a conference at a Grupo Mayan resort you should work closely with a Grupo Mayan business planner to make sure all the equipment you need is arranged for. We will provide for all of your technology needs and will be able to have your conference rooms set up for your arrival.

Remember that all airlines have extra security measures these days.  Make sure to arrive at airports in time especially if traveling overseas because you will be required to go through extra security measures. Look at your airlines website and familiarize yourself with their regulations concerning luggage and what you can and cannot bring on the plane.

The Grupo Mayan resorts accept all major credit cards but local businesses and restaurants may not.  Plan to bring travelers checks that can be exchanged for local currency at your Grupo Mayan resort.

Grupo Mayan business travelers love all of the act ivies provided by the Grupo Mayan resorts. Pack accordingly.  The weather at the Grupo Mayan resorts is tropical and you will want to pack shorts and bathing suits for the times you are not in meetings.  If you are a golfer or play tennis you will find our facilities fabulous so pack accordingly.

Grupo Mayan resorts are great for the whole family.  If you are traveling for business and have the option of bringing your family they will really enjoy all the resort has to offer.  From fine dining to water sports, your family will keep busy while you are in your meetings and you will enjoy family together during your off time.

The Grupo Mayan resorts look forward to working with you during your next business meeting or conference.  Our facilities and staff will provide for all of your needs in a pleasant and professional atmosphere.

The Grupo Mayan businesses travels will work closely will you to plan every step of your business travel.  If you have questions at any time please feel free to contact one of the Grupo Mayan business planners.

The Grupo Mayan Mexican resorts welcome hundreds of guests each year.  To make your air travel to your Grupo Mayan destination less stressful, the Grupo Mayan staff has the following tips for speeding through airport security.

Airports themselves are working hard to speed up the security process. Technology is constantly being updated to reduce wait times in security checkpoint lines.  Even a new laptop bag is now available that is considered checkpoint friendly.

There are also several tricks the travel can use, say the Grupo staff, to speed up the security checkpoint process.  An internet check will tell you that the number one thing that slows down security checkpoint lines is the restriction on liquids.  All liquids that are carried on planes must be no larger than three ounces.  This can be very problematic to travelers who have not prepared, but by making sure that all of your liquids are in small containers will help you proceed through the security checkpoint line.  The Grupo Mayan hospitality staff says that the complimentary shampoos and beauty items from hotels are just the perfect size to use when carrying these items on a plane.

Travelers can also prepare to get through the security checkpoint line as they are waiting in line.  Remove your watch, keys, belts, and any other item that will set of the x-ray machines before getting to the head of the line.  By doing this you will be ready to proceed through the x-ray machine without any wait once your reach the head of the line.

The day of the week can also affect the time you spend in security checkpoint lines.  Weekday travelers are predominately business travelers who are experienced at getting through security checkpoint lines as quickly as possible.  The weekends see more pleasure travelers who are not as familiar with the procedures and slow down security checkpoint lines.  If possible, make plans to travel during the week and you can avoid the longer and slower lines.

The Grupo Mayan staff urges travelers to know the airport they will be traveling from.  Some airports require travelers to go through extra security procedures with checked baggage.  If this is a policy at your airport you will want to allow for even more time to complete this check in step.

There is even a way to avoid long checkpoint lines, say our Grupo Mayan professionals.  Several travel programs allow you to register with them to help you speed through the airports.  Once you register you will go through background and security checks and upon acceptance into the program you will be able to precede through the security checkpoint lines with ease.  There is a small fee for this service but for many travelers it is well worth it to avoid long wait times.

The Grupo Mayan staff looks forward to having you as our guests at our luxurious resorts.  We hope that you will find this security checkpoint advice helpful in your travels.