Travel is an adventure, even when the purpose is business and not pleasure. According to the Research and Innovation Technology Administration’s 2011-2012 National Household Travel Survey, Americans total more than 405 million long-distance business trips per year.

Some hate traveling for business while others merely tolerate this necessary evil. Others, like me, actually enjoy it. How, you ask? I make the most of my business induced opportunities to travel by following some basic edicts that make being away from home smooth sailing for me, and conducive to taking care of business.

Plan Ahead

Booking your travel necessities like flights and hotel accommodations at the last minute will only cause stress and increase your expenses with high rates. Try to book your flights and hotel at least one month in advance to get the prime rate. You can use tools like Bing’s Price Predictor to monitor trends in flight prices and gain advice on when to book for the best rate. If you’re attending a special event, like a conference, and wish to take advantage of a group rate in the hotel, book as soon as possible. Remember that, should your plans change, you can always cancel the hotel at a later date. Having clear and precise travel plans will reduce any stress associated with travelling and will allow you to focus on the business you have to do, whether that’s attending a conference, setting up meetings, or preparing an important presentation.

Keep Comfortable

Sometimes the cheapest option is not always the best option. Invest in travel methods, hotels, and accessories that won’t leave you ragged at the end of a long day. Multiple connections on a flight might cost less, but will extend your travel time and leave you exhausted upon arrival. A simple motel might save a few dollars, but a hard bed and bad night’s sleep can cause you to be unfocused on the tasks at hand the next day. Limit connections and book comfortable hotels to reduce your travel-induced stress. Invest in a comfortable pair of dress shoes, a fluffy travel pillow, and whatever else you need to keep calm and carry on. The more at home you make yourself while travelling, the more you can focus on the work you’re there to do and not the problems with your accommodations or amenities.

Be Prepared

There are some basic items that any traveler should not be without. One should be prepared for unexpected scenarios, especially when traveling somewhere you’re unfamiliar with. Remember to pack things like lip balm, throat lozenges, preferred remedies for headaches or body aches, a small sewing kit, a small first aid kit, gum for the plane, and maybe even some snacks if you’re going somewhere more remote. If you have a preferred water bottle you like carrying around, you should also bring that, though disposable bottled water might be more practical when traveling. Remember these tips, and traveling for business will be less stressful than a meeting with the boss!

Trisha Lyn Fawver is the Client Services Manager at For Me To Coupon.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 18 here – http://issuu.com/affiliatesummit/docs/feedfront-18

FeedFront issue 18 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2012/4

I hear a lot of affiliates ask this question, wondering why their applications get declined by various merchants or advertisers. As a former affiliate manager, there are a lot of reasons why I might reject an application.

There are many managers out there that are, shall we say, less than stellar in the communications department. Therefore, in an effort to bridge this gap, here are some things affiliates should consider when their applications are declined.

Are my website URLs correct?
I’ve seen instances where affiliates have misspelled their domain names accidentally, added an extra http://, left off the extension (.com? .net?). Many affiliate managers are savvy enough to omit the extra http:// or try adding the .com to see if a website loads, but I know some are not so diligent, so it’s best that you make checking your websites as easy as possible for the affiliate manager.

Have I been declined a lot?
There may be a bigger issue at hand, like problems with your hosting company. If you’re experiencing a lot of declined applications, you should check to ensure that all your sites are up and running properly. Try viewing your website in different browsers (Firefox, IE, Chrome, etc.) to see if something isn’t loading correctly. Some merchants are very sensitive to the content and layout of a site where their advertisements will potentially be seen.

Do I have any unprofessional or questionable content on my website?
Some brands are more sensitive when it comes to the content on a website where their ad will appear. For example, the Apple Store has very strict guidelines relating to website content and where you’re allowed to place banner advertisements. Larger brands tend to have stricter guidelines, and may choose to decline you if your websites do not convey a similar professional image that is on par with the brand. You can consider changing your website to meet their standards or finding another merchant with more lenient standards to promote.

Are all my websites listed in my profile?
Some networks require you to apply to programs for each of your websites, but most simply ask that you to list all of your affiliate sites. It is an affiliate manager’s job to check out the affiliate’s websites to find that good, niche fit. If you’re applying for a software affiliate program and only have your knitting website listed, the affiliate manager may not see a good fit and choose to decline you. Having all your websites listed shows the affiliate manager that you work in different verticals and they can see more potential for appropriate promotions.

There are hundreds of other reasons why you might be declined. It ultimately depends on the merchant and what kinds of affiliates they want to work with.

Always attempt to reach out to the affiliate manager if you’ve been declined for a program you really want to promote. It never hurts to ask for an explanation or a second chance.

Trisha Lyn Fawver is a client support specialist at ForMeToCoupon.com and blogs at TrishaLyn.com.

Download the entire FeedFront issue 11 here – http://www.scribd.com/doc/29057000/FeedFront-Magazine-Issue-11
FeedFront issue 11 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2010/07

It’s been said over and over that the key to success as an affiliate manager is maintaining good relationships with your affiliates.

The foundation of any good relationship is communication, enforcing the need to be available across multiple channels for your affiliates to get in touch with you.

Making yourself available for your affiliates will increase your effectiveness as an affiliate manager, assist you in preventing fraud, and help to create a lasting bond with your affiliates.

People are all different, and so are their preferences in communications. Broad availability is your best bet. Make yourself available across more than one medium. In your communications to your affiliates, make sure they have multiple ways to contact you at their fingertips.

Your e-mail address, phone number, and physical address should append all messages and correspondence you send to the affiliate so they know immediately how to reach you.

When calling and leaving a message, remember to always leave your phone number – never assume they already have it. If affiliates know how to contact you easily, they will be more likely to get a hold of you before making any wrong moves.

This will help you to keep your affiliates on the straight and narrow with immediate feedback on their promotions ideas.

Communication is dynamic, and in this day and age the number of communication venues is increasing exponentially. Try to stay on that trendy wave and add new ways for affiliates to connect with you as the tide changes.

Create accounts across the popular Instant Messenger channels (AIM, Yahoo, MSN) and across the various microblogging ventures like Twitter, Plurk, and Pownce.

This quick way to get someone’s attention is incredibly easy to monitor with the right desktop applications, and provides affiliates with a way to instantly ping you if they need help. That kind of instant access to you will win over their business.

Social Networks are also a great way to connect with people and interact on a level that’s more human than corporate.

Networks like Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn allow you to connect with your affiliates and share your interests and other ideas. A secure personal relationship with your affiliates will benefit both parties.

As the affiliate manager, your insight into the affiliates’ hobbies will help you to understand how they run their business, and might just give you some unique ideas that you can pass on to them to help you both grow their promotions of your program.

Their insight into your interests will also allow them to make a personal connection and extend some trust to you when you do make those hair-brained suggestions after learning they collect 1970′s McDonalds Happy Meal toys.

Keeping channels open for your myriad of affiliates to contact you will make you an affiliate manager to be trusted, and reckoned with!

Trisha Lyn Fawver is the Marketing Manager for PsPrint.com.

Download issue 2 of FeedFront at http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue2.pdf
Articles from issue 2 of FeedFront will also be posted at http://feedfront.com/archives/category/issue-2/