Your best life now comes in the form of a home based business. Working for someone else is alright, however it does not compare to leading your own home based business.Every since 9/11 people have been using their home as a sanctuary and or retreat. Given these tough economic times, homes have become fertile ground for generating revenue. Justifiably so, if given a choice of commuting to work every day, walking down the hall and or in your basement to work, which one will you choose?As for me, I chose to start a home based business because it gave me the comfort and control I always wanted. For example, with technology today I can start a new business, market and promote it on the internet and take the online business and transition it to a offline business to conduct live training, deliver speeches, write books, participate in tele-seminars and or panel discussions in the business community.It looks as though I am pretty excited about my home based business. Why not? I encourage you to consider starting a business, perhaps it can be information products, live talk radio show on the internet, host your own YouTube channel, podcast or a virtual business.Incorporate your business with the internet and the possibilities are unlimited. People are making a ton of money from their home. Some people ask, “Where do you meet clients?” I respond by telling them to meet with prospective clients at their office, at a hotel lobby and or there are a number of free office spaces one can reserve to conduct meetings, many come with administrative staff and diverse office oriented facilities.In my opinion, being able to manage your day is one of the greatest advantages of a home based business. You get to call your own shots, begin and end your day whenever you want to and depending upon how you structure your business, you will encounter very few interruptions.It is easy to see why I am so happy, I get to live my life on my own terms. Granted I still work hard and I have to find new customers, the bottom line is, I would not have it any other way. A home based business is about choices, decide if this is for you by writing down your goals and going after them.Here is to your home based business success, embrace the opportunity and forge ahead no matter what. If I can do it, so can you.
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.
What Makes Good Advertising – Easy Tips for Beginners
In the journey of marketing your products or services, what makes good advertising could really be the most important chapter you ever take the time to learn about.
Advertising is the unspoken means of communicating to potential customers and is a vital component of major companies. It’s really essential for smaller business owners too and if you can understand how it works, then it can also give you the edge over your competition.
Owing to it’s acquired popularity and demand, advertising services is an industry in itself. Nowadays the smart people expect a lot from their advertising promotions because a lot of their market awareness and income comes as a result of this.
Numerous small scale and large Industries are dependent on the advertising industry for laying their ground work and promotion. But contrary to popular belief, most advertisements are not successful. In fact, the majority of them may not connect with the potential customer at all, which is a shame because it is lost money,
In other words, there are certain rules that one needs to abide by, for creating a good advertisement that is helpful as well as resourceful. What makes good advertising is a skill that has to be learned and is a joy when you get it right. Now, here are a few things for you to consider:
Tip #1 – Know who your customers are
The most important rule for advertising is selecting the right target audience. This is mandatory as, the wavelengths and sensibilities of different classes of people are different all over the globe. Be sure to consider who would benefit from what you have to offer and target them. For example, don’t try to sell your cooking product in a knitting magazine just because it is read by housewives.
Tip #2 – Understand their needs
An essential part of what makes good advertising is in knowing how your product or service can benefit your customer. For example, your advertisement should always talk to the customer about: A) how they will profit from their investment, or B) why they will look better from taking your supplement, or C) how they will feel healthier from receiving your therapy, or D) why they can be safer and more secure from installing your product etc. This is how to connect with your target audience.
Tip #3 – Add credibility
Gain confidence from your audience. Support your advertisements with facts, testimonials, statistical graphs, charts and references to make them visually more appealing and believable.
For example, suppose you are promoting a weight gain supplement by the company “XYZ”, you need to support your product in a reassuring tone with pictures or proof of previous users who have achieved desirable results from using that particular product.
Tip #4 – Grab their attention
Who says cheesy lines can only be used by roadside Romeos? They can also be put to use effectively in adverts in order to make them catchy. You should give those minute details in an advertisement some thought to make it stand out in a crowd of dull, boring adverts that all look the same.
Gone are the days of monotonous sing song advertisements. Nowadays, people like them to be creative & cool and this is one of those tricks that you should consider using if you want to know what makes good advertising.
Tip #5 – Call a spade a spade
Do not use confusing languages or hidden meanings in your promotion as the prospective customer may not understand it. The first lesson of learning what makes good advertising is that you put it in a simple manner, in a language that people can understand without trying to be too clever.
Provide hard hitting facts and list the important benefits first rather than the features, which will enable people to choose your product at a single glance.
Tip #6 – Be creative
Prepare a resourceful advertisement, but with a twist. Surprise the audience and keep the interest alive with special discounts or other incentives.
One must remember that this is also an art form and can only be perfected with the help of correct knowledge. There are some individuals and companies that understand this and advertise on a regular basis and keep their company running at a profit. They know exactly what makes good advertising – and so can you with just a little bit of effort.