Last couple of issues I talked about how either moving too fast or too slow can sabotage your success. (You can read part 1 and 2 here: http://www.michelepw.com/blog ) Today I'm going to talk about a place where entrepreneurs typically move too fast -- launching their product.I know. You just finished your product or program and you can't wait to start selling it. In fact, if you could, you'd start selling it yesterday!And it's agonizing waiting...more
Getting ideas for fundraising, that pay off, is usually one of the most challenging decisions you accomplish in this process. There are thousands of options. You need to move toward this decision like a small business. However, you need to keep it fun! Fun is part of fundraising; you dont intend to make it all drudgery for your volunteers. One feature to consider is a major 'anchor' fundraiser, such as a online store set up to take sales year...more
Sometimes challenging to outline, especially in these tough economic times the fund raising idea needs to be of usefulness both to your possible customer, as well as to the bottom line of the organzation you're working for. Sometimes it feels like you're called upon to execute miracles with little or no time and even less to invest in the project. The bottom line is that fund raising is a small business and needs to be treated as such. The fund raising idea needs to be well planned out for any sized project big or small. During it's design, you need to ask yourself.In addition to providing funds designed for my organization, how am I contributing to the lives of individuals who help us? That possibly will seem like an strange question when all you need are funds for a church retreat, or school band uniforms, but in these tough fiscal times you need to add value to something that you offer to your customer. Remember that customer is most often not going to be at the retreat, and will not benefit in the way individuals privileged to have been sponsored will benefit. What also are you giving him or her?What's their value?Sometimes it's adequate that it's a tax write...more
Let there be no doubt about it, wholesale products are both essential to - and a management headache for - any retail business model. Almost anyone who has been involved in retail can tell horror stories about a time when their company purchased the wrong stock, or ended up with too much (or too little) of the right stock, or the myriad of other...more
When I was struggling as a child, my mom would always tell me" Patience and persistence." I think of my mom's saying every time I attend a different networking event. Be in it for the long haul. All of us would love to instantly find that person who is eager to hear about our product, idea, or concept and immediately be sold on it. Well, that is...more
School fundraiser ideas run from the wild 'Arrest a school mate" and a "No women allowed beauty contest", which both sound like they would cause alot of laughs, to the more familiar like Raffle tickets and Candy sales. Each has their strenths and weaknesses. A School fair might seem like fun and a fine way to create some dough, but the time and effort put into doing it up correctly, make it a daunting task for even a seasoned fundraiser. Finding the balance of decent money and simple to implement school fundraising ideas is one of the toughest parts of a profitable fundraiser. We aim it to be fun for all, while still bringing in the cash, while also not exhausting our volunteers, nor bringing fundraising fatigue upon our communities, so we need keep value to our customers in mind. Things like Raffle tickets are common since they work, as do candy sales. Who can tell that cute little child at your door that you dont like chocolate? But then, having kids going door to door presents a entire collection of safety issues, that I have a hard time endorsing, even with parental and volunteer help. Just for fun, and since it costs basically nothing to pull off having an 'Arrest a "teacher,...more
If you are a resident of Planet Earth, you are well aware that we have been in a recession. Many economists say that the recession is still alive and well. Others report that they believe it is over or very nearly over. There is definately no area of...more
Tip (1) Find our as much as you can about the company before you get there. The internet is a massively useful resource. Company accounts, news items, company newsletters, reports, etc. can be a very useful talking point. Take spare copies of...more
Business plan consultants can offer you the help you need to create a winning business plan. A winning business plan, in this sense, means a plan that creates no barriers to you getting funded and also gives you a valuable management tool for the...more
An email has different parts: the subject, salutation, signature and of course, the body. All of these parts are important but you may need to spend more time preparing the body of your email.In order for you to receive a positive response, the...more
A sample construction business plan or a template for such a business plan can be an incredible timesaver as you set out to write. However, there are a number of areas which must be specifically customized for your purposes. Industry AnalysisThe...more
If you are a businessperson thinking of selling your company, the business broker you decide to work with is an important decision to make. Your relationship with this professional may last several months so it is important that you choose wisely. ...more