If you have recently had a baby, have children at home or simply in between jobs, you may have thought about starting a home based job. Even if you have a stable career in the workforce, many moms fantasise about the idea of being able to work from home.Reasons for wanting to start a home business for moms vary considerably, from wanting to be able to raise their own young children before they start school, to wanting to earn a passive income to help pay for some expenses or even because they just want to have flexible hours and be their own boss.All of the above reasons are common and very understandable. Where moms feel unsure about starting a home based business is finding an idea that agrees with them, their knowledge, market and resources available.Some moms feel that they are just an everyday mom that cannot come up with an idea that is achievable. This attitude must stop right here.I can tell you now, there is a home business idea very achievable for all people, even the most everyday mom! I believe that if you have some knowledge about something (or anything in particular) and own a computer with internet access, you can have a home business up and running within a matter of days.Put simply, billions of people search for information and content through search engines on the internet every single day. There are lots of different ways you can use information or knowledge you possess to create a income online. People will pay money online to acquire information you can provide.Creating a simple content rich website on a particular topic (niche) which also sells ebooks, has affiliate links and different advertising can create an ongoing, passive stream of income to your designated account, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.For example, if you are a great babysitter and obviously know a lot about children, you could create a website which provides customers and visitors with lots of interesting and fun activities for toddlers. Write an eBook to sell, or purchase one with resell rights and keep one hundred percent of the profits.Your babysitting website could target an audience of parents and fellow babysitters looking for child care ideas and tips.You simply need to think about your interests and skills (in any area at all, be it horse riding, craft, cooking, massaging or juggling) and share your expertise online.You may be surprised just how many people are looking for what you can offer.There are lots of online internet marketing strategies available to help you get a home business idea started online.If you are a mom who has an interest in the baby and child niche, visit the link below which provides lots of free information and resources to get your business online the easiest and most effective way.
How Important Is the Fundraising Auctioneer to the Success of Your Event?
I want you to think about the term “Fundraising Auction”.
A “Fundraising Auction” is an event where items of value are gathered, and then sold in a competitive bidding situation, either in a Silent Auction format, or in a Live Auction format by a Live Auctioneer. And since typically the best items are saved for the Live Auction, arguably it is the Live Auction that should generate a significant portion of the proceeds in any Fundraising Auction.
So why do so many non-profit groups consider the Fundraising Auctioneer to be the least valuable component in a Fundraising Auction?
The Hosting Facility gets paid.
The Printer gets paid.
The Caterer gets paid.
The Liquor Store gets paid.
The DJ gets paid.
The Florist gets paid.
But the Auctioneer … the individual who is expected to raise the lion’s share of the event’s proceeds… is expected to work for Free. And is usually under-appreciated for the professional services he/she provides.
I’m not trying to underscore the value of the invitations & programs, food, booze, music, and decorations. All are important in their own way. But each of these are “Expenses”. It is the Auctioneer who is going to bring “Revenue”… and thus, the “Profits”… into any event. Which is the ultimate objective of any Fundraising Auction.
Here is a real-life example of how under-appreciated the Auctioneer can be. In two comparable events we worked last year, during the dinner portion of the event one non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) at a table with the DJ, the Interns, the Volunteer Staff, and other event “Help”. The 2nd non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) directly next to the CEO of their organization, where we chatted about how important the pending revenue would be to their organization. Which group do you think valued the services of the Fundraising Auctioneer more?
Don’t ever under-estimate the value that a professional Fundraising Auctioneer can bring to your event. The Auctioneer adds value as a pre-event consultant. And the Auctioneer can change an event from a moderate to a huge success.
A Case Study Once I was scheduled to call an Auction for a major local non-profit group. They represented a very good cause and they had a strong and dedicated following. Their event was sold out, quality Live & Silent Auction items had been solicited, and the Special Pledge Appeal had been choreographed and was ready to go. The facility was first class, the appropriate caterer was booked, and the food was ready to cook.
But quite unexpectedly, some unseasonably inclement weather forced the event’s cancellation. Despite all of the committee’s hard work, cancelling the event was the proper decision considering the circumstances.
So the Event Committee scrambled to re-schedule the event for the following weekend.
They confirmed with the Hosting Facility.
They confirmed with the Caterer.
They confirmed with the Liquor Store.
They confirmed with the DJ.
They confirmed with the Florist.
Since they already had the Mailing List of those scheduled to attend, no new invitations had to be printed as all were contacted by email or telephone. So with everything in place, the group went ahead and re-scheduled the event for the following weekend.
But guess who they failed to confirm? You got it… the Professional Auctioneer. They thought so little of the Auctioneer’s contribution that they “assumed” that the Auctioneer would be available and at their beck and call.
But the Auctioneer already had another Fundraising Auction booked for that date with another non-profit group. It was only hour away from the re-scheduled event, and things could have been easily worked out. All Group #1 had to do was start their event one hour earlier, or one hour later, than the Group #2, and the Auctioneer could have helped both groups on the same day.
But because Group #1 failed to anticipate a possible Auctioneer conflict, because they failed to confirm with the Auctioneer before re-scheduling their event, their preferred Auctioneer had to bow out and they had to scramble to locate substitute “Volunteer” Auctioneer only days before their event.
And it cost them.
Learning Points
The Live Auction is usually where the profits are made at any Fundraising Auction.
A Professional Fundraising Auctioneer can be vital to the success of any Fundraising Auction.
The better Fundraising Auctioneers usually get booked quickly.
You need to recognize the important contributions that a good Auctioneer can make to your event.
Michael Ivankovich is a Bucks County Fundraising Auctioneer based in Doylestown PA, and serves the Great Philadelphia PA area. He has been a professionally licensed and bonded Auctioneer in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years, has been named Pennsylvania’s Auctioneer of the Year, and has considerable experience in conducting Fundraising Auctions. Michael loves helping groups raise needed funds for good causes and one of his specialties is the “Special Pledge Appeal” or “Fund-A-Cause Appeal” which usually enables clients to double their revenue in a single evening.
Home Based Business: Selecting The Right One
Which Home Based Business Are You Engaged In?If you are interested in venturing into the home based business world, then the first thing you probably need to do is take your time and look for the right business that matches your level of interest and expertise as well as your goals. If you are a novice to the internet industry, then you might want to choose a low-scale networking enterprise. This should be advantageous on your part since it allows you to know the required skills which will help you overcome various challenges that you might encounter down the road. The trick is to choose a company that has an excellent training program. This is your first goal to achieve, It is your responsibility to be familiarized with what the company offers and how it will help you to start up your internet networking business.With a home based business, you can be the president and CEO of your own company but it is essential that you realize that building an upstart business demands a collaborative effort for it to be successful. The difference with this type of business from other types of corporate industry is that you own your success. This is in contrast with the corporate world in which an enterprise’s success can jeopardize a status quo. What is good about networking as a home based business is that it has an equal market level for any average person in the playing field. Business experts say that the success in home businesses relies on the product so it is important to remember that you must sell something with a massive appeal to your potential customers.There are two things that you need to be equipped with in order to survive in this line of industry – good company and product education as well as emotional and mental toughness. A Home based business require more willpower and determination than usual businesses may demand. In a business perspective, if you have decided to run a business at home, choosing a product or service that you truly believe in is highly encouraged otherwise, you may find yourself scrambling or worse, losing huge profits. Learning the necessary skills is integral if you want your business to thrive.One notion associated with home based business is that you can make fast money in a very short period of time. Most advertisements support such notion through enticing testimonials. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. That’s not to say you cannot make fast money because that all depends on how you perform. To build a big networking business can be a slow and challenging process. The Majority of established home businesses had a rough start. The success of your chosen home based business can ultimately depend on hard work and perseverance.