The world of business is changing and the most significant cause of that change has come from the internet. Before the internet, if you were starting a small business, you would have to find physical premises, find staff, buy stock and invest in inventory to make your business work. You would also stay open as long as you possibly could for as many days as you possibly could in the effort to service your customers. But sooner or later you would have to go home, to see your family, have something to eat and sleep.But starting a small business on the internet has changed all this. You do not need a building to work from, as log as you have a computer and access to the internet you can start straight away. You do not have to buy stock or worry about how to supply it to your customers. Also, your online business can work for you whilst you are sleeping!This is possible with online affiliate marketing, where you sell products on behalf of a vendor and they pay you a commission when you sell the product or service to somebody. The vendor takes care of all of the product fulfilment and customer service and you can create automated systems that do all the selling work for you.So, you can look at starting a small business from home with affiliate marketing. The next step is to find a product or service that interests you. There are thousands of products available to sell online, the difficulty is often trying to decide which ones to pick!Staring a small business on the internet is very rewarding but basic business principals still apply:What is Your Reason For Starting a Small Business?Do not start a business because you don’t know what else to do. If you really want to do your own thing and you’re ready to go for it, then small business ownership can be the most frustrating and the most liberating business decision you’ll ever make. But make sure your reason for starting a small business is genuine or else when the going gets tough, you’ll will lose interest and give up.What Is Your Small Business Going To Do?If you are starting a small business, the internet has thousands of products that you can sell. The most important thing is to decide what type of product your business is going to sell. If your product range is too varied then it will be very difficult to get potential customers to trust your advice if, for example,one week you are selling lawn mowers and the next week it is foreign exchange advice.Create a Simple Business PlanThis does not have to be a huge thousand page document. It just needs to cover the simple facts that detail what you offer, who you’re targeting, how much you’ll charge and how you will make it happen.Who Is Your Customer?The more you can know your targeted client, the more focused your marketing efforts will be to reach them. You cannot please all the people all the time. Decide who is your ideal customer and then go and find them.How Much Will You Charge?The best way to work this is to ‘reverse engineer’ what you need to earn to make a reasonable living when starting a small business. How do these numbers break down monthly and weekly? How many products must you sell or how many clients will you need to bring in to meet those numbers?Get CustomersIf you don’t have customers you don’t have a business. The majority of your time and effort must focus on sales. Having a smart marketing plan to attract potential customers is your number one priority when starting a small business.Get EducatedWhether you are doing business online or offline, it is important to be continually educated on what is working now and what is not. For example, what are customers are looking for and how can you provide it to them? How can you get more customers and how can you get your existing customers to buy more from you? Providing yourself with the correct business training will speed up your success when starting a small business.
Is A Home Based Business What You’re Looking For?
Introduction
Home based businesses are the fastest growing segment of business in the United States. They are popping up every day and numerous others will start a home based business within the next year. Home based businesses are becoming the norm with unlimited income opportunities. They are cheaper than founding a huge corporation, but often there is a small capital investment involved. Home based businesses are the fastest growing business segment today.
The Internet
Internet home based businesses have become very popular all over the world. Internet Home Business Disadvantages; the main disadvantage of running an internet home business is disciplining yourself to get work done, you must not procrastinate. Everyday there are more and more people all over the globe gaining access to the Internet. With the internet constantly growing at a rapid pace, any business owner can find their place and generate a substantial cash flow in the global consumer market.
A lot of people have already made their fortunes by simply realizing the huge demand for informational online products and e-books. This is a great way for the average person to cut their overhead cost by offering digital information that can be instantly downloaded. Many of these e-books cover specific topics on how to do something more effectively in a home based internet business.
The Services
Self employment, including home-based business opportunities, offer flexibility and adaptability to the rural economy and adds diversity not only to employment choices but to the mix of services and products available.
A home business is a great way for individuals to take part in a business that sells both goods and services to consumers. There are a variety of needs that home business marketing services can meet. There are many different goods and services that can be used with a home business.
Marketing
Marketing and advertising are essential to the success of any home based business. Marketing is most often cited as the area home-based business people need information about. For the ones that do make and live a Millionaires lifestyle, one of their secrets is being part of a great online opportunity.
Opportunities
In addition, the change from an industrial based economy to an information and service based economy, and new communication technologies have dramatically increased work-at-home opportunities. Home based businesses can provide many great opportunities for individuals who are interested in becoming their own boss & working from home. With so many Internet business opportunities available you want to be sure you choose a legitimate home based online business opportunity.
There is a wide range of business opportunities to consider, including Internet based businesses, retail sales, import/export, eBay stores, freelancing, affiliate programs, paid surveys, selling your own products, etc.
My Conclusion
The standards for home based businesses are intended to seek a balance between supporting a quiet, safe, and aesthetic residential environment while supporting the aspirations of home based entrepreneurs.
Now small and home based businesses are entering the marketplace. No wonder internet home based businesses are becoming so prevalent. Internet home based businesses are extremely popular job ventures this day in time. The best home based businesses are those that are well-planned right from the start & will allow you the flexibility of a lifestyle without the normal stress of a big business.
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.