An Art Buyer’s Guide: Buy Art Online Using These Tips
Congratulations on your decision to buy art online! You are about to join a new group of art buyers and collectors who are making an effort to work alongside artists to revolutionize the way art is bought and sold. Gone are the days when art sales and purchases were almost always brokered by brick and mortar art galleries, because thanks to the power of the internet and its ability to bring people together, selling art online and buying art online is just as easy and safe if you know what to look out for. When you buy your art online, there are some risks to consider. As with anything online, the anonymity of the internet attracts some shady characters, and so it is important when you wish to buy some art online, to do so only from a reputable established online gallery. Reputations are still powerful things, and you need to verify the identity of the artist / seller and the owner of the online art gallery website, and then you can rest assured that you are about to buy art online that is legitimate.Finding a reputable online gallery or marketplace is one of the most important things you can do when you decide to buy art online. There are many different styles of online galleries and marketplaces and then dozens of each different style, so how can you be sure you are working with a reputable website and staff? There are a few things that you can look for before you buy any art online from a website-based gallery or marketplace. First, look for contact information or a contact form for the website owner or operator; if there is no directly obvious information identifying the owner of the website you would like to buy art somewhere online, never fear! Many people safeguard their information by keeping it out of the public eye, but if you use the contact form and explain why you would like to know, you should get a response back that will enable you to go from there. Also use the contact form to send a question or comment to the site staff and see what quality of response you get back; is it a form letter or is it plain that a live person wrote a response to you? And last, look around the net at some of the major review websites and see what both buyers and sellers are saying about their experiences of buying art online from that website.When you buy art online, it is important to protect yourself and your money. There are plenty of unscrupulous sellers and dealers out there in the world who would be happy to take your money for a misrepresented product, leaving you the buyer holding the bag so to speak. One of the best tools in a buyer’s arsenal is a healthy dose of skepticism, which means that you should always be suspicious of the claims someone makes and be cautious enough to verify all information in an item’s description before you try to buy any kind of art online from anyone, whether it’s a gallery or direct from the artist. Most importantly, you need to find out and verify these three things before you buy art online: First, the seller’s identity and if they are not the original artist, the identity of the artist as well. Next is the condition of the art; request as many pictures as possible as well as an independent report of the item’s condition if this is practical. And lastly, determine if the seller has any sort of customer satisfaction / return policy or guarantee that you can use to send the art back and receive a refund if there is a problem with the art.As always it is important to remember the saying “Buyer Beware” when it comes to whether or not to buy art online; this does not mean that everyone is out to take your money for an inferior or misrepresented product, but rather that it can and does happen and a healthy dose of caution never hurts when looking to buy art online. Make sure to browse reputable online marketplaces and galleries and to always verify as much information as you can before you buy, and you will soon be on your way to building a full and satisfying collection of fine art.
Booking Discount Vacations and Hassle-Free Trips Through Travel Agents
Planning a trip for your small business can be tedious, not to mention time-consuming. Remember, time is money, and if you waste time aimlessly browsing through travel blogs and travel sites online, that is money lost. Save yourself from the mind-numbing ways of comparing rates from one hotel to by coursing your travel bookings through a travel agent. If you still need more assurance, here are four ways that enlisting the service of a travel agent is a foolproof way to help you arrive at the most productive and cost-efficient ways to book trips for your business.1. Do not overthink the fee. The principle here is simple-the cost it will incur to hire a professional is almost always less than how much it will cost if you’ll book your trips on your own. Travel agents can usually get you corporate discounts, no matter how many people are traveling for that particular trip. They are well informed about the discount vacation programs that different airlines, hotels, or even car-rental services offer.You must also remember that travel agents have already established relationships with these companies, and are most likely enjoying personal discounts that they can gladly extend to you to further reduce the cost of your travel.2. The web has everything to offer, but sometimes, that’s exactly the problem. Have you ever tried typing in “company trip to Thailand” and end up with sixteen million or so results? With the agenda of the trip itself already on your plate, the overwhelming task of weeding out useless and scam-like results is the last thing you need. You don’t have to go through all this when you have a travel agent in the picture.Whether you’re looking for the cheapest rates, or trips that will allow you to book at the eleventh hour, your travel agent can easily whip up options for you. You can even simply tell them your preferences, and it will be up to them to tailor-fit a travel plan that meets your specifications.3. Incentives, incentives, incentives. You’ll be surprised by the amount of incentives you can get by booking your trips through a travel agent. We’re not even talking about vacation discounts alone-we’ve covered that already with the first point. When we say incentives, this could be something small, like free dinner on your first night, or something as big as an upgrade in your flight from economy to business class on your next booking. It is somewhat similar to having access to a pile of coupons, thanks to your travel agent.Always remember that travel agencies want to build relationships with as much as they want to with suppliers, so they could keep you coming back. So whether this can be done by giving you upfront perks or incentives that you can only avail when you course your next trip through them, these are still items and services that you get on top of what you paid for. At the end of the day, it is still about business, and we all know that loyal patrons always translate to revenue.4. Travel emergencies can be solved in a jiffy. Inevitable things can happen during your trip-this includes bad weather, missing passports, vacations that are suddenly cut short, and what not. There is also that unimaginable nightmare of having one of your employees missing. These occasions can easily turn into a fiasco especially when you’re overseas, but that’s not always the case when you have a trusty travel agent to solve this for you.Travel agents are easily available when you need to rebook your flights in such short notice. Do-it-yourself online booking sites rarely offer this service, and you know full well what happens when you don’t rebook your flights on time. Yes, you shell out extra money.Booking your trips online can work for you if you’re the hands-on type, but it is always a good idea to consider the value that will be added by enlisting the help of a travel agent. This value is not just limited to tapping into discount vacations, but also finding a safe and hassle-free way to plan your travels.