A Web Tool for Play, Not Work

I love to discover awesome Web tools for small business owners just like you to help you get things done better, faster and, of course, cheaper. But I don’t care how invested you are in running your business; you can’t be in entrepreneur mode 365 days a year. Eventually you’ll burn out, and that’s not good for anyone’s bottom line.

So, from time-to-time I toss in a Web tool to help guide you toward relaxation. Of course, I still love a good deal, and I love to save time — even when I’m in vacation mode. I just came across a site that meets that criterion, and I thought I’d pass it on.

It’s called HomeAway, and on the home page they list specials that they’ve found — for example, $29 flights. Who doesn’t love that deal? I looked around to get the details on that offer, and there were several other deals — $49 round- trip flights — that popped up.

Here’s how you really get this thing working. You can select the state of your choice on the homepage’s map. Or you can choose any place in the world — Europe, the Caribbean, Hawaii. Using the Caribbean as an example, I decided to explore the rental options available on the Cayman Islands.

According to HomeAway, there are 189 rentals. Very nice. Digging a little deeper I explored rental options on Cayman Brac — the middle sized island there — and found that they list 11. I found a great possibility. It’s a brand new, private ocean view home — this is not a condo, this is not an apartment in a big building. It’s a two-bedroom home — waterfront, air conditioning, everything — for $1,400 a week. Imagine two couples sharing that. It’s cheaper than you’d pay for a hotel room for one person. You need to go have a look at this, it really is amazing.

I decided to explore an area I’ve always wanted to see in the States — South Carolina. Sure enough, I found loads of beautiful places to stay in Hilton Head, Charleston, Kiawah, lots of these famous places. South Carolina’s famous for its lakes and black water rivers. That beautiful black water comes from the Cypress Swamps in the area. I found another great deal over on Fripp Island. You can rent a 2,000 square foot house – it sleeps 11 people – for $1,900 a week.

I could easily get lost exploring this site and dreaming about sandy beaches. And it will certainly spark your desire to get away from it all. And they really do offer some fabulous rates. You absolutely owe it to yourself to check out the vacations at HomeAway.com.

Andrew Lock is a self-described maverick marketer and the creator and host of Help! My Business Sucks, a free, weekly Web TV show full of practical small business marketing tips, advice and resources to help small businesses “get more done and have more fun.”

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