Author: Igor

  • 6 Best Sailing Destinations in the World

    In the present day, sailing is a sport everyone can enjoy. If you enjoy the feel of the wind blowing through your hair and salty sea vapor on your skin, then sailing is for you. If you’re an enthusiast, we have a list of great destinations for you to consider.

    Image source

    1. Saronic Gulf, Greece

    Sailing in Greece is a great way to enjoy the beautiful coastline and clear waters of this Mediterranean country. You can sail from one island to the next in just a few hours, or you can take your time and wander around on some of the smaller islands, such as Symi and Nisyros. The gulf surrounding Greece is also one of the most beautiful parts of the world. 

    The Saronic gulf is a great place to sail as it offers mild weather year-round. It has some of the best wind conditions in the world, making it perfect for beginners to sail. You can also partake in other adventurous gulf activities ranging from private fishing on Salamis Island to riding on horseback. 

    2. San Diego, California

    San Diego offers a perfect sailing experience, from enjoying adventures on open waters to seeing breathtaking sunsets. If you’re from around the area, you’d know that the place hosts a fair amount of sailors. If you want to stand apart from the crowd here, you can vamp up your boat by getting a flashy custom sail from companies like Far East Sails

    Along with sailing, you can also enjoy the thrill of fishing, as San Diego is known for its ideal climate year-round. San Diego also boasts an opportunity for visitors to see whales migrating along its coast. And if history fascinates you, consider visiting the Maritime Museum of San Diego.

    3. Canary Islands, Spain

    Canary island is another great place to fulfill your sailing dream. It is famous for its subtropical climate with hot summers and warm winters. During the day, the temperature stays within 30°C and rarely goes up. Sea temperature typically reaches 22°C; at night, it can go below 15°C. 

    While the Canary islands are famous for their impressive landscapes, it is primarily sailors’ top choice because of their ideal wind conditions. Trade winds are at their peak almost the whole year but recommended time to go sailing is in July and August. 

    4. Koh Samui, Thailand

    Koh Samui is located in the Gulf of Thailand and is a fantastic destination for sailing. The crystal clear waters and pristine coral reefs surrounding the island make for a spectacular sailing experience. The island boasts a variety of sailing options, from windsurfing to kitesurfing. Koh Samui also has ideal weather and wind conditions that sailors prefer. You can experience the unsurpassed pleasure of sailing in tropically warm temperatures and the stable sea state of Thailand. 

    5. Saint Martin, The Caribbean

    Saint Martin is one of the best sailing sites in the Caribbean. It is known for its turquoise water, white beaches, and festivity. It is the epitome of fun and adventure, with an ideal sea state for sailing. You can sail out of Saint Martin to travel to other nearby Caribbean islands, including Anguilla, Pinel, etc. 

    6. Zanzibar Island. Tanzania

    Zanzibar Island – an exotic island located in the Indian Ocean – is home to history, adventure, culture, and food. This family-friendly island is visited by constant trade winds, making it ideal for sailing adventures. Alongside sailing, you can explore ancient villages and markets or wander around the beaches. Tanzanian traveling agencies offer affordable packages that you can avail to experience the beauty of the azure-colored Indian ocean and culturally enriched people.

    Endnote

    Sailing is a sport for some people and leisure for others. While plenty of sailing destinations are available, you can always experience each place one by one. However, the above five sites should definitely be at the top of your bucket list. Spending time around nature is therapeutic, and it always leaves a permanent memory for you to cherish.

  • Dutch Design Week 2014

    Dutch Design Week 2014

    Taking place the last week of October in Eindhoven, Dutch Design Week is an annual event full of exhibitions, workshops and seminars bringing the best of design to several venues across the city. This year, our contributing photographer Cleo Goossens documented her favourite events for Future Positive and left us some notes about the different venues, which you might find useful if you’re planning on attending Dutch Design Week next year.

    www.ddw.nl

    Photos by Cleo Goossens 


    Strijp-S

    The area around Strijp-S used to be a Philips factory and nowadays its buildings are filled with lofts, creative companies, restaurants and shops. This is one of the most popular venues during Dutch Design Week.

    www.strijp-s.nl

    Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-5 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-4 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-3 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-1 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-2 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-6

    NRE

    NRE is another creative area in the city housing a number of different businesses including Stampiet, a little restaurant offering delicious Dutch food. Here you can also find Aterlierdorp, which means ‘Studio Village’ and it’s an area with studios owned by different types of artists.

    Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-8 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-9 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-7 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-10
    Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-19

    Sectie C

    Sectie C is a workspace comprising studios by 94 designers, artists, photographers, musicians, graphic designers and other creative companies.

    www.sectie-c.nl

    Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-13 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-11 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-14 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-15 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-12

    Piet Hein Eek

    Piet Hein Eek is a multidisciplinary design company that opens the doors of their shop/factory during the Dutch Design Week.

    www.pietheineek.nl

     Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-16 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-18 Future-Positive-Dutch-Design-Week-17

  • Stay Safe in Put-in-Bay during the COVID-19 Pandemic

    In 2019, Americans took over 800 million trips during the summer. This summer, the coronavirus pandemic travel and forced travelers to reconsider their travel destinations, how to get there, and all the necessary safety precautions they should take. Though globetrotting might not be in the cards in 2020, there are many ways you and your loved ones can enjoy a getaway while staying safe.

    Keep your trip simple

    Take a trip that’s direct and simple; avoid changing means of transfers or transportation. For instance, traveling by a golf cart in Put-in-Bay will likely be safest. Similarly, travel destinations within a driving distance are safer than those that require you to change planes and trains.

    If you must fly, a nonstop flight may be safer compared to one with layovers. This is because a nonstop flight is associated with fewer chances of getting exposed to the coronavirus. It is recommended to choose local activities that involve walking or bike riding rather than sharing a vehicle. 

    If you must fly…

    There are important things you must know. Airlines are adjusting to the reality of the coronavirus pandemic. If you are planning to fly, find out if your preferred airline has the right measures in place to enforce the use of face masks, social distancing, and offers ample access to handwashing or hand sanitizers. Disposable face masks are readily available wherever you go, so finding them shouldn’t be difficult.

    Keep in mind that the air on airplanes is clean due to regulations requiring HEPA filters and other industry standards. Thus, airborne transmission of coronavirus and other germs is limited. Unfortunately, the difficulty of maintaining social distance on an airplane raises the chances of Novel Coronavirus transmission through an infected patient’s respiratory droplets.

    So, it’s crucial to wear a face mask that fits perfectly, frequently sanitize or wash your hands, and limit how you touch objects and surfaces when traveling. Before you travel to Put-in-Bay, be sure to check Put-in-Bay COVID 19 updates.

    Where to stay

    Put-in-Bay offers different forms of accommodation for travelers. If you choose to lodge, pick a place that facilitates sufficient circulation of clean air through windows. A room with a balcony or terrace is a good idea. 

    Put-in-Bay hotels with proper air filtration and air condition systems are a great option too. Choose establishments with thoroughly cleaned rooms, natural airflow, and provides ample access to handwashing or hand sanitizing.

    As countries continue to reopen and travelers begin to plan vacation trips, it’s important to prioritize safety.

    What other tips do you have? Share them to help other travelers to stay safe.

  • Want to Start a Business? Check Out These Eye Catching Ideas

    If you are looking to start a business, it’s important that you first have a solid idea about the type of business that you want to run. Do you want to offer products and create a retail based business, or do you prefer to provide a server to your clients? Are you planning to work from a central location, or would you prefer to work remotely? Do you have a digital marketing plan or would you need to hire a marketing agency like Aqueous Digital? These are all very important questions, and you need to know the answers to them all before you can proceed.

    There are so many factors involved in how successful a business will be. One of the most important is the business model. What will make your business stand out against others who are offering the same thing? 

    If you’ve not yet worked out the type of business you want to run, you can read through the various suggestions in this article, which are businesses where there is always demand, with some that are very easy to break into the market.

    Image via Unsplash

    Drop Shipping

    This is a term that has been thrown about for the past few years, and is a concept that a lot of individuals have built successful businesses on. It’s a business that is very easy to get started, and one where you aren’t going to need to make huge investments or even keep stock of what you are selling. And if you need some advice, Uniway-sourcing have a great guide on importing/exporting.

    Drop Shipping is a business based on the fulfillment model, where you sell selected products to your clients, usually via a website or online advertising, where a third party will ship the orders directly to your customers. You don’t need to get involved in anything to do with the production of the product or the shipping. You simply generate the orders which the third party will produce and deliver.

    This concept can work for a huge range of products, from simply kids toys, through to summer furniture for the garden, or clothing. You’ll need to spend some time researching the market and seeing which products you think will be both marketable and successful in terms of sales. The good thing though is that you can do this without needing to purchase anything or keep stock.

    Promotion or advertising for small businesses

    Many small businesses will have a small budget when it comes to their marketing and any advertising that they want to run. One popular startup that many people around the world are following, is to become a marketing consultant for these independent businesses. If you are savvy with a computer and the internet, there are a range of services you can offer such as social media advertising on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Truth be told, there are an unlimited number of ways that your consulting firm could take shape, just be sure to start with a clear focus in mind and expand from there as your capabilities and infrastructure grow.

    You could even offer them new signage for their stores. There are a number of companies such as Neon Mama that offer a range of neon light products, which could be great for some small retails stores that are looking to attract the attention of potential customers in their location.

    Freelance copywriting

    One service that is in constant demand is that of copywriters. If you enjoy writing, and you can offer your writing services for things such as content for websites, press releases, blog posts or even social media content. There are lots of web design and SEO agencies that are always on the lookout for good writers.

    Working as a freelancer means that you can work the hours you wish, at a rate that you set. There are also a number of online platforms where you can promote your services, as well as around your local area. It’s a business with a lot of potential for earnings and growth. Who knows – if demand grows enough, you might even need to hire some additional writers to help keep up with your workload.

    Create an online course

    There is a lot of money to be made from education, and one way that a lot of people are getting involved in the industry is by creating their own online courses. If you are well versed in a specific topic or have a lot of experience in something such as illustration, marketing, playing the guitar or even baking, then you can use that knowledge to create a course for others.

    There are lots of very popular online platforms from which you can offer your courses, as well as the possibility of creating your own website and running it from there. Though that option will probably take a lot more work and time, it means that you won’t need to be paying any commissions to the platform promoting you. Check FreedomBoundBusiness.com to know how to create an online course. 

    Become an affiliate

    Affiliate marketing is a huge industry, and is something that people all over the world are involved in. The basic concept of affiliate marketing is that you are promoting a product or service, and each time you get a sale, you are paid a small commission.

    There are lots of websites that offer all types of affiliate programs, and most have no cost at all to join. You’ll most likely need to get a website created so that you can promote the products or services you want to earn from. It’s a good idea to pick a niche that you have some interest in, rather than something that you know nothing about.

    For example, if you enjoy travelling, and have experience of different countries and cultures, then you could start a travel blog, and through that, promote various hotels or tours offered by some of the most famous online systems such as Booking or Viator.

    Many large companies offer affiliate programs, as they all want to have their products or services promoted to the masses, and affiliate marketing is a great way for them to achieve that.

    Some final thoughts

    Starting a business is a huge step in anyone’s life. It requires a lot of time, hard work and commitment. You’ll want to be running a business that you enjoy, which is why it’s a good idea to come up with a business which revolves around something that you have an interest in.

    Whether it’s fashion and clothes, where you can run a retail store, or cooking and baking, where you can run a restaurant, food delivery service or wedding cake maker, it’s important that you have experience and knowledge of the industry, as well as interest and hunger to continuously learn more about it. 

    Industries are always evolving and changing, so it’s important that you are going to keep up with such changes, and stay up to date with everything that is happening in your market.

  • Bulletproof Coffee: Foolproof Way Of Getting More Things Done

    The latest hotshot that is trending in the wellness industry for increasing productivity while controlling dietary intake is Bulletproof Coffee. This magical concoction is the brainchild of Dave Asprey who is the founder of Bulletproof, a company that aims at providing exceptional nutritional products. While traveling in Tibet, he was presented with a coffee that was mixed with yak butter, after consuming it he felt revitalized and from then on he sought to recreate it on his own to yield the same outcome. Later on, he came up with his signature Bulletproof coffee which is enjoyed by many CEOs, parents, and athletes as it keeps them alert and on edge.

    In order to make bulletproof coffee, basically, three ingredients are required without which it will not be considered a bulletproof coffee. So, these three ingredients include: coffee made from high-quality coffee beans, unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee, and MCT oil powder. The bulletproof coffee is complementary to several diets such as keto diet, paleo diet, intermittent fasting, and one meal a day diet, as it contains zero carbs and healthy fats that leave you feeling full for an extended period of time, along with providing steady energy and better focus throughout the day so that you can get more things done.

    So now let us talk about how these three ingredients benefit your body. Starting with coffee, coffee is a great source of antioxidants, it boosts your metabolism and encourages the body to burn fat for energy gain while keeping you on alert with improved focus. Butter is a source of butyrate which is good for your gut health and may help in improving insulin sensitivity and obesity, it also contains omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin A, and adding butter imparts creaminess to the coffee. MCT oil in coffee is mainly added as a supplement as there are lots of health benefits that are imparted to the body by it. MCT is an abbreviation of medium-chain triglyceride. These are oils that provide a quick energy boost while being easily digestible.

    Benefits of MCT oil:

     

    • It aids in weight loss by releasing satiety hormones that make you feel full.
    • It wards off fatigue by providing a quick boost of energy, thus contributing to increased productivity.
    • It prompts the body to switch to ketosis, which is why it is considered as ketogenic diet-friendly. 

     

    Bulletproof Coffee Recipe
    Ingredients:

    1 cup brewed bulletproof coffee

    1 tsp of MCT oil powder (If you are using it for the first time then start with a low quantity although you can slowly increase it up to 2 tbsp)

    1 tbsp of unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee ( You can increase or decrease the amount depending upon your taste)

    Method:

    Add in the brewed coffee, the MCT oil powder, and the unsalted grass-fed butter in a blender. Blend all contents together until a smooth and creamy texture is attained. Pour it out in a mug and enjoy.