Starting Your Home Based BusinessIn Today’s modern world more and more people are now starting a home based business to supplement their income, some even go on to quit the day job and work full time, but the sad truth is that most are doomed for failure and lose more money than they actually make, but why?The truth is that when people start searching for a home based business on the internet, they come across so many websites offering an online business stating make money within hours of signing up, most of the time this is just not true.One of the most important things that most people tend to miss out on is training or mentoring, you need to know how to run a home based business. To be successful with your business you need to find a good sponsor or mentor who can show you the ropes, the do’s and the don’ts so to speak.To be successful with your business the most important task you need to learn is how to market or sell your products, whatever they may be, without customers you have no business. A very good example of this is, say you put up a website offering 10 Bars of gold totally free to the very first person to respond to your to website, if no one knows that your website exists then no one would take you up on such a fantastic offer. This is where a good mentor can put you right.So how do you find such a person? This is what I Did.I went to Google did a search for the business or niche that I was interested in, I spent many hours going over many websites trying to get as much information as possible, information such as what was on offer, what would you get if you decided to join up. I then picked out five sites that I thought were right for me.They were all offering full training on how to get your new home based business off the ground, not one of them were claiming you would make money straight away but with some basic training you should start making money.I then went back to Google and did a search on the person who was promoting the business opportunity, I wanted to find out who they really were, how long they had been involved in the business, what were people saying about them and so on.I then narrowed my search down to two people, and the reason was they had a contact number that I could call and talk to them about the business.Once I made contact, I asked question such as, if I join up to your business how will you help me get started, what sort of training do I need to do, how long will it be before I start to make money, also If I get stuck will you be there to help and advise me.These are just some of the questions you should ask, my advise is write everything down so you don’t forget, ask as many question as you can, and if they are willing to answer all your questions then you know you should be OK.You can normally tell just by speaking to someone what they are like, if they are just using a sales pitch, then I personally would back out. If they are not pushy and invite you to think about the opportunity and give them another call when you are ready then I would consider this business. I would then try to find other people who are working with this person, just to get an idea of how they are doing working with this person.So if you are thinking of starting a home based business don’t just jump into the first opportunity that you find that claims you will be making money within hours of joining, because the sad truth is you probably won’t.Do your research, don’t rush, take your time and I am sure you will have success with you new home based business.
Small Business Financing Options
4 types of viable small business financing Many small businesses face the prospect of going under if they are not able to secure good financing. The need for quick cash injections to keep a small business running can continue even after the first few loans are acquired. However, with each loan taken it becomes increasingly difficult to get a new loan approved. Also, the number of banks and financial intuitions who are willing to lend money to small businesses are rapidly shrinking.A regular small business loan from the bank Before you go anywhere else the first place you should go to is your bank. Banks offer some of the best small business loans which can be used as startup capital or to further expand your business. However, your proposal needs to appeal to the bank in a way that helps them feel that giving you a loan is a worthwhile investment. If you’re just starting out your business plan should go into detail about your business and your experience. This will help the bank understand your industry and how effective you can be. Banks will also require the following details from you:• Cash flow projections which tells them how they will get paid back and when. These should be honest figures.
• Make sure to add personal financial statements.
• If possible add past business tax returns. This will show how exactly your business has been doing.
• You need to have good credit rating to be trusted. Even though this is a small business loan but you are getting the money. Make sure to add your credit report to the file you send as part of your loan request.Try finding micro-loans If you are not able to acquire a regular small business loan you may try to get a micro-loan. Micro-loans allow you to borrow up to $35,000 and they are easier to get. Micro-loans work great as small term capital and for equipment purchases. Because micro-loans may require collateral the best use for it is equipment purchases since then the equipment can be put up as collateral.Short term supplier credit This type of loan clearly does not work for every business. So, if you’re not a retailer or a manufacturer then you’ll have little use for it. You’ll usually need to pay back this type of loan within 30 to 60 days. However, you should be aware of the fact that the interest rate on short term supplier credit is very high.Instant small business loans Also known as quick cash loans and quick cash advance loans these work great for businesses that are not able to find a loan anywhere else. It is also great for businesses that do not have the required assurances to secure a regular small business loan. These types of lenders will usually process your request within a few days and deposit the amount into your account. In most cases you can apply for the loan directly from the lender’s website. However, because the lender is taking a higher risk of lending you money without due diligence the interest rate is slightly higher than what banks offer.
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.