The Number One Piece of Marketing Content required for your business.

 

How many business articles do you read per day?

If you are within an industry, you read an average of 5 - 10 articles a day from what I have realized from my immediate society.

The only form of marketing very effective would have content written about your product or company to gain awareness; have a minimum of 4 articles written per year.

Examples of what could be published :

• About your founders
• What kind of business do you do?
• An Interview with your company and someone using your product how it has changed their lives.
• Products you own
• Company culture
• Achievements or Awards.

Why is this important this is how we gain new customers, engage with old ones, educate others we have these products someone who never knew this was a possibility could engage, and use this to showcase company culture to anyone willing to join.

How to pick which press to reach out to? Find someone with an online presence, if you are in a business example in Sri Lanka like Daily FT, Arteculate, or Pulse. If writing about the founders, still the earlier mentioned publications, and you could add LMD, and for showcasing at an office party or event use Hi Magazine or Pulse.

Now I have given you a handbook you can follow.

Happy Engaging!

LISWITH

Has COVID truly changed how we view our world and what we do in it?

 

So these are few interesting stories I am going to tell you about how my immediate society has changed:

One night we receive a picture on our family WhatsApp group of our grandma watching something. 

Grandma was attending a zoom meeting organized by Sanasa bank which made all of us think about how COVID had changed even her immediate patterns and culture of living.

Life continued and when it was time for the second dose of the vaccine in the area where she lives, she was telling my aunt and uncle how did you not know they were conducting it the Gramasevaka has a Whatsapp group where they update this information why are you not a part of it? This was a random conversation that occurred over lunch, where she had obtained vital information about her society.

Last but not least Grandma is a teacher by profession and member who is still very active in her society a person people go for guidance and advice.

Her thirst for learning has never ended. Now she has a new form of learning recently when electricity shortage happened, I was around and told her "ah crap electricity is gone" to which she replied "I have my phone and youtube, I can watch and learn on this" " I have agriculture, Buddhism, cooking, and stitching which I can learn all day via this"

She is from a generation where a PC was a miracle, now she uses WhatsApp to be updated, Zoom to attend meetings, and Youtube to learn.

This is the last story I promise and this one is rather cute Buddhika Aiya's son has always been loved by us, and he is a joy in our lives; he is three years old but a very intuitive child. 

It was his birthday he was chilling, eating cake, and playing around. Dad asked him what do you want to be when you grow up now that you are older, just like any child he gave the top-of-the-head answer " I want to be a Policeman" to which dad asked, "Then what are you doing to do?"

Our wall has pictures of the family, he looked, pointed, and said "I am going to arrest everyone without masks"

It is his new normal from his understanding age and what he has seen in this world, people wear masks it is illegal not to wear it he was doing a lawful thing arresting them.

These stories are from people with different ages of life and culture and how they view this world and do things changed with COVID, can you imagine the impact created by the pandemic of each of our lives.

Think about work from home, balancing the dynamic of having kids at home, being on calls with meetings, and attending to house chores altogether.

What life has become since this pandemic, if you take lightly the impact on life think again. COVID has changed us humans on how we think, behave, learn, tolerate or even dress.

This change we are going through is real and a shift in human history on how we view our world.

Cheers!

LISWITH

In Sri Lanka obtaining a Housing Loan

 

• Ensure you have at least 25 – 30% of the total value of the house you are trying to buy.

• To get a loan different parts of Sri Lanka to have a different minimum requirement in land size to be qualified for a loan. E.g.: Kaduwela Biyagama a land should be over 6 perch to qualify for a loan.

• Make sure from your salary you do not take salary advances for 6 months before applying for the loan, as they check up to 3 months if the exact total amount to the digit is deposited.

• Make sure your company does bank-to-bank transactions and not cash deposits; very important.

• EPF and ETF should be shown and paid for to qualify for ANY loan in Sri Lanka.

• They check your salary with your HR, not only giving salary slips is not enough.

• Interest rates there is TWO, fixed means a fixed amount is a charge, or a variance means it can go high but can down too as per bank, economy and other situations of the country.

• If under a mortgage, they have a valuation process done, they have government officials to check on the deeds, House insurance charges, legal charges, stamp duty, and many others they slowly charge too, so have a buffer of money too.

• When the loan is approved and the house is bought, they do not hand over your deed. The deed is handed over once the loan amount is paid in full. You can request a copy certified by the bank for your use e.g.: visas and land tax to be changed to your name so on so forth.

This is my personal experience of things :)

Hope this helps!

Youtube has advice for loan and outright purchases : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoAbCtz9ID0

Cheers!

Liswith

Improving the Visa and Booking Process Post Covid for Sri Lanka

 

Due to ever-changing rules, and approval confusion where there is no reference to the forms submitted by Travel agents in Sri Lanka. Most travel agents I speak to are very discouraged to sell or promote Tourism now in Sri Lanka.

Excepts for big players who already have taken a big stronghold in specific markets.

My suggestion for improvements, remove all the Form A and Form B and using Google Forms. We are tech-savvy than that as a nation.

I shall guide step by step how it can be improved, using ONLY the immigration site :

• Use existing immigration visa site

• Client applies for Visa, gets a reference.

• Using the Visa reference, agents have a backend portal where they fill in client details confirming this is their client.

• Using the Visa reference, Tourist Board (assign people specific market-wise) approves agent details.

• Using the Visa reference, the immigration officer confirms the visa once the tourist board official approves the workflow chain.

• Once Visa is approved, travel agent fills in a detailed summary of places visited, driver details so on using the same Visa reference number.

• Before clients arrive using the same Visa reference number, they fill in an online declaration to reconfirm their arrival and details, this is to be done 24 hours before arrival.

That Singular Visa Reference number can be used to track each step by client, travel agent, tourist board, and immigration.

You want it to can one extra step when PCRs are taken of tourists use the same Visa reference as identification.

The entire process can be handed over to a company in Sri Lanka that can develop this overnight.

My process might be flawed, but it will improve workflow structure, there shall be one reference to identify the entire process and tracking of a booking.

This is how you improve tourism in Sri Lanka.

More references on my vision for Sri Lanka Tourism : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whom-may-concern-my-vision-sri-lankas-tourism-liswith-obinamuni

Cheers!

LISWITH

Should we have "Local Private Universities" in Sri Lanka?

 

So there is a big argument going on about Free Education in Sri Lanka.

When it comes to Higher Education, there should be free education as it currently applies like Colombo, J'pura, and other universities.

This does not mean Local Universities should not be given the chance to open up for things like Medicine, Engineering so on "Local Private Universities" this should be an option to chose too.

Why is this important:

• Amount of students traveling to countries like Bangladesh, Russia, and China will reduce as this would be locally available.
• With riots, rag, and the rallies make years spent longer, one who wishes can go for an option where they skip that and finish their given degrees and the promised time frame. 
• Why is this important: this gives opportunities for new batches to continuously join in than current students wasting many more years in university.
• This opens a whole new revenue scheme for Sri Lanka as a country, where we can attract students globally from other countries "Sri Lanka an educational hub" within South Asia.
• They will rent housing, support our economy in USD paying to universities, and living costs too which get injected into our economy.

This does not limit us as a country but helps us expand as a country, fewer students spend money in our countries for education, Sri Lanka gets accredited as an educational hub for higher education in South Asia, we get influx and support the local economy opening doors to the rest of the world too to study and live within our borders. Long term, as a community we get to be inspired by other cultures and people, these universities do not need to be based within Colombo either. Our lectures are teaching in other countries, our Deans and heading administration in other countries time we attract our fellow citizens to earn better and serve our home.

This is my two cents on what could be done to expand who we are as a country.

Do think about it.

Post Covid Number One Destination

 

POST-COVID, visiting the Maldives is very simple.

Make sure your passport has more than 06-month validity for travel.

Return Air Ticket.

A good camera, or a phone with a good camera as the Maldives is the MOST Instagrammable destination.

Beach Wear, Swimwear packed.

Negative result PCR test for COVID 19, the test should be conducted within a maximum of 96 hours before departure to THE MALDIVES.

PCR test document containing the test result should state your name as in passport, Passport Number, Name and Address of the testing laboratory, type of test stated as a PCR test, Date of Sampling, and Result.

In accordance with the health requirements when you are traveling to the Maldives you are required to submit an ONLINE SELF-DECLARATIVE HEALTH DECLARATION via https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ within 24 hours before their departure TO and FROM the Maldives.

For your return, you can obtain your PCR test at whichever resort you are staying at, ensure to inform the resort once you have checked in.

One last thing, I cannot stress this enough take tonnes of pictures, make sure you snorkel or dive underwater in the Maldives is whole different beauty which I cannot describe in words.

Ok enough of me boring you, make sure at least once in your lifetime you visit the Maldives.

Cheers!

LISWITH

The Maldives – Why is it different and exotic?

 Ever wondered that the Maldives is a 100% on arrival visa country and visa-free country to the entire globe. 

If the visa is free and easily accessible, why is it not sold by every travel agent?

Because it is unlike other destinations, operationally and luxury-wise. 

Most travel agents compare the Maldives to Dubai, Thailand, and many other destinations which is a wrong comparison, because those destinations and the Maldives are poles apart.

• The Maldives has every global brand from Asia, Middle East, Europe, or the Americas under one roof.
• Operationally in Dubai, or any other destination, you arrive and get into your car or coach and you leave immediately. In the Maldives, there is a wait time for your transfer.
• In other countries, transfers may occur according to a timetable prescheduled; when it comes to speedboats or seaplanes there is no prescheduled transfer pick-up drop-off time that can be shared months in advance.
• The Maldives cannot be compared even in the budget to most destinations, when told "oh in this country a 5 star is only this amount", compared to most countries the Maldives sells an exclusive form of luxury so the price is set as such too.
• The way you sell or market most destinations is not how you market the Maldives, so please stop comparing.
• If you have not noticed a larger number of Travel Agents or DMCs that sell the Maldives, only sell the Maldives not a mix of lots of destinations unless you are in the airlines business too.
• The Maldives is not a shopping fiesta destination, where go to the city for a quick bite, shop a little, and come back.

• The Maldives is a Robison Crusoe experience.
• The Maldives is the only destination that embodies the true meaning of a holiday; you are disconnected, you are not in a rush or timetable. You are relaxed, you travel on most holidays if not to wake up earlier than you usually do and be tired than you normally are.
• Maldives one resort is one island mostly.
• The Maldives is not the casino, gambling, and clubbing destination.
• The Maldives wonders and pampers you like no other, from the view you wake up to, to the hospitality they provide, the meals they prepare you, to the luxury and wonders they own they are a magical destination on their own.
• Other countries vs Maldives transfers: cars, vans, coaches, limos, and the Maldives is a speedboat, domestic flight, and seaplane (transfers never have been that scenic ever)
• The Maldives is about strolls, reconnecting, family time, romantic time, dinner under the stars, lying on the beach checking the most crystal-clear water and that is the Maldives!
• One thing most do not realize every resort island is a tiny high-end fully functional city, they house their team, have telecommunications, sewage disposal, water purification, medical facilities, and resort offices. This all exists along with luxurious villas, restaurants, kids clubs, spas, and gyms; that my friend is the Maldives.

I ask again; If the visa is free and easily accessible, why is it not sold by every travel agent?

The Maldives is not just another destination, but also an art where the destination has been marketed and positioned uniquely, how amazingly beautiful and unique it is, the unique luxuries it owns like underwater villa, underwater restaurants, and many more.

 The Maldives is like no other destination you have ever sold! Trust me once you start marketing, promoting, and selling this destination it has an addictive allure on its own.

I am not only a person who sells the Maldives, to date I am in love with this destination, I am not promoting it as a job but as a passion.

If you are ever planning to sell the magical destination this might help you: https://spark.adobe.com/page/bBje0VWUGCSNO/

 Much Love,

Liswith Obinamuni

Things to know when selling Quarantine Packages on a budget to the Maldives

 

The Maldives does not have rooms counts like 400 rooms per resort, or room type.

The Maldives local guest house or resorts gets sold out very fast as it is globally sold.

Most budgeted properties are sold out till third week of August already (today being 31st July 2021)

Stop comparing other destination prices with the Maldives, as this is destination that standard very unique to themselves.

Cheers!

LISWITH

Pink Drives is seeking Crowd Funding

 

What is Pink Drives Pvt Ltd.?

Pink Drives specializes in offering a premium taxi service driven by ladies exclusively for the ladies and kids in Sri Lanka.

What are we solving?

The objective is to provide a dedicated taxi service for safe transportation for women while also empowering female drivers.

The idea behind it is that the male-dominated transportation industry presents a threat to the safety of women in many parts of the country and the world as well.

Women contributing to the household economy is uncommon and frowned upon, we are planning on changing that giving ladies and their respective families a chance to take part and revolutionize the thinking pattern in Sri Lanka's economical circles.

We are educating husbands and families of Sri Lanka on the importance of this change in society while their loved ones are safe being a part of Pink Drives.

The Lady drivers are not just a driver taking a taxi ride, but Ladies who are empowering and guaranteeing the safety of other Ladies and Children within their society.

Pink Drives is a solution that provides a safe environment for Ladies and children traveling.

What are we seeking in Crowd Funding?

Are we seeking a monetary value? No, we are not.

We are seeking the help of our society to break the societal norm.

Most Ladies who are willing to join, have last-minute fears about how society might judge them, their loved ones may not like this endeavour.

We are seeking your help in encouraging one lady to be empowered and join us in this cause of safe transportation for women and children in Sri Lanka.

Thank you!

LISWITH

Growing old : Part One

 

So this story is about growing old.

I a 32 yr old man, have watched a lot of my legends grow old.

This story is two-fold, this conversation will have part one.

So the older I have got I have watched my mentors and legends get old too.

With their age and their life experience they bring so much to the table that a 32-year-old man cannot see.

I could be the most intelligent human and still be lacking the life experience they own, with kids, family, businesses, and managing relationships.

With age, a certain amount of assurance of what you are doing is right comes to one; this is the right investment, this is the right move, I can run things even alone, I have watched the market, this is how it is in business we do lose money. These are all statements I have heard.

As a young adult and an adult, I have seen some wrong moves been made; I have spoken out loud and tried to voice my opinion saying please do be careful.

With my age and almost half their experience, I have zero reasons to tell any of my mentors what to do.

I have seen greats fall because they knew in their heart and soul, this was the right move. Call it age, call it growing old, call it confidence, or call it when you reach the top you feel unbreakable.

One wrong move can sometimes make all the dominos fall.

I would like to tell everyone who is my age; your mentors, parents, and grandparents need your support too.

I understand the mentality you thinking Woah, it is their life, their hard-earned money; what gives me the right to advise them hence I would not. This might be TRUE, but do voice it so they are slightly compelled to think in a different scope. You cannot change people, but can always inspire new thoughts in them

As a kid, I was always told you never lose, until you give up. Practice that!

Always do voice it, they might need your help even if they did not know.

I have failed at it once in my life personally, and I told myself never again. Your elders guided you, took care of you in life, it is your turn to try and help them too.

Do give this a thought.

Cheers!

LISWITH