Green Fundraising - A Healthy Alternative

With the resurgence of environmental awareness, 'green' fundraising options are being explored by schools, churches and other organizations seeking to raise money to support their cause. 'Reduce, reuse, recycle' is the popular mantra, and 'go green' fundraisers are rapidly gaining popularity.

Common, everyday products being replaced with environmentally friendly substitutes is a big part of what being green is all about. As the overpriced wrapping paper and cookie dough bucket routine becomes overdone and predictable, fundraisers that sell things people actually want are highly in demand. One of the most popular fundraising products is candles, and those made from soy offer the perfect way to 'go green' while conducting a wildly successful drive.

Soy candles are made from a renewable resource, and out-perform standard paraffin or animal by-product candles by a wide margin. They burn longer and cleaner than even beeswax candles, making them a healthier option as well as a better value. Triple scented versions retain their aroma right up to the last minutes of burn time, and the sheer variety of scents and colors ensure that every customer will find something to suit them. A wide selection of tapers, tea-lights, multi-wick candles and layered scents in every possible combination makes candle buying exciting and fun!

Response to candle fundraisers is extremely positive, as customers can tailor their order to their own specifications or budget and don't mind paying up front. Most candles sell for $10-$15 each, with packaged sets running as high as $25 or $30. Holiday bundles offer increased sales opportunities combined with even more savings for customers. Profits generally run from 50-60% of the sales price, and free shipping to each customer can generally be obtained once a certain amount has been sold.

Even a group of just 25 people selling ten to twenty candles apiece can make a large dent in any projected goal - it is possible to raise between $1200 and $3500 during each campaign. The larger the group, the higher the profits. With no need to pay out of pocket for product, risk is nearly non-existent and profits are guaranteed.

Candles are a popular sale item in all economic climates, and their appeal is nearly universal. Market research reveals that 4 out of 5 families buy candles on a regular basis, with spikes around holidays but a fairly steady sales pattern year-round. The ongoing appeal of candles enables organizations to maintain a health sales quotient without the boredom inspired by more traditional fundraisers.

Green fundraisers benefit everyone. The clean burning, renewable qualities of soy candles offer schools and other fundraising groups the opportunity to make excellent profits while promoting an earth friendly product!

Natalie Galyon is the owner of Mountain Mamas Kitchen Co. http://www.mountainmamaskitchen.com Offering Retro-Vintage inspired Soy Candles- "Hand Poured with lots of LOVE".

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Think Outside the Fundraising Box to Maximize Your Efforts

Are you planning an upcoming fundraiser for your group, team, or league? Many organizations, especially those that use volunteers or parents to raise funds, depend on the fundraising effort of those involved to meet their organizational budget. The fundraising efforts of these volunteers determine the course of action to take for the upcoming year or season.

So why do organizations fail to reach their goals? Or a better question, why do organizations set low goals when they have the potential to reach five to ten times that amount? Why raise $5,000 when you could be raising $25,000 or $50,000 with the same number of people utilizing the same time? One reason many fail to meet their goals (or settle for lower goals) is the lack of a fundraising plan. A good fundraising plan can help you stand out in the "fundraising crowd" to potential donors.

A fundraising plan outlines in written terms what you are trying to accomplish. The fundraising plan establishes your mission statement, your organizational chart, identifies types of goals, establishes and understanding of the fundraising dates, determines how funds will be handled once raised, and establishes how to communicate to everyone a clear picture of your fundraising needs. It will also collect input from a number of key people and help the group to think of creative strategies that might be outside the normal "fundraising box".

You know the old saying "People don't plan to fail, they fail to plan". Well, this is especially true with fundraising. It amazes me how many groups have little or no plans, only a fundraising product and amount needed. A little time and effort before starting could easily double their efforts. For example, spending $50-100 on a sharp professional sales page to use with your group is like gold. How many times have you been attracted to a sharp sales page? Curiosity will lead people to explore. Another strategies is to divide up into fundraising teams to build competition and camaraderie within the group. But most groups never use anything other than the same old fundraising techniques. It would be better to ask one person for a $1000 check than spend two weeks (or even two hours) with ten people trying to raise $1000. But that is exactly what many groups do with a pancake fundraiser, car wash, or discount card. These same fundraisers could raise five to ten times that amount with a little creative effort and planning. Believe me, we spent years doing that only to learn through experience over time a better way to accomplish our goals and to increase our revenue.

In the current economy would it not be better to plan ahead to insure your success? With more people trying to raise funds from a smaller resource pool its imperative to start thinking outside the "fundraising box". What are your fundraising goals? Can you exceed those goal? Start planning today for your fundraising success.

Mike Posey "CP"
Expert Baseball Tips
Tips from a championship coach's perspective and experience, offering creative insights into helping others.

Sign up for a FREE Five Part Fun-Raising eCourse to raise maximum funds in tough times (or any time).

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How to Expand a Business

How should I expand my business? If I were to answer this question in one word I would say 'carefully'. More often than not expansion is not about taking risks, rather it's all about building carefully upon the success you've already acquired. Yes it could still fail but it's much more of a calculated risk, an educated roll of the dice. A lot of businesses fail due to greed and having an overtly aggressive appetite for profit and expansion. In business you need a wise and measured mental approach in order to build sensibly upon what you have already done backed up by the proper research and preparation.

The easiest way to picture this process is to imagine you own a building with 12 rooms. If you try and fill all 12 rooms at once with the workings of your business you're risking going broke very quickly. Instead what we do is first fill one room and with that accomplished we build upon that success to fill the second. In each stage we are taking a measured step forward full of confidence because of what has already been done.

Some businesses take time to grow while others are quicker, this can often be out of your control and depend much more on the marketplace you are operating in. Try to expand in a manner which is realistic for your market, by playing smart and making solid growth over time you'll build a more robust business which you can depend upon and be proud of. Any risk you take should be calculated and researched to its fullest extent possible, remember that the last thing life rewards is ignorance through laziness in business.

The author has a popular online product review site. Be sure to check out his latest guides for mens leather gloves as well as lined leather gloves

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Social Habits - Improve & Grow Your Network

Are social habits really the key to success in business? I think the answer is yes, and I think this has always been true, but today offers us so many more opportunities to reach more people and have a bigger impact.

What is your focus when it comes to social habits? This is a question you need to continue asking yourself until you go past the surface of meeting more people to make more money to a deeper and more passionate statement. For example, to add value and inspire the people in my circle to go past what they thought was possible for themselves. You try it... keep asking and go deep until you have your 'why' for your social habits focus.

What are your goals with your social habits and how will you make space in your schedule to accommodate those goals? How much time and effort will you spend on a daily and weekly basis and with what particular tasks and activities?

What can you do to stand out and set yourself apart with your social habits so that people will remember you? Even better, what are your special skills and qualities and in what ways can you share those with your growing community?

Lastly, what value can you add to the lives of people that will greatly lend itself to you being a social habits thought leader. Value is given as a token of what is over and above that which people might expect. They receive free value or they pay for something from you, but walk away saying 'wow'! You give them a clear sense of what it means to over deliver. Think about it, what can you do - how will you do it?

Please enjoy the FREE bonus gifts that are available for you by visiting http://www.ActionHabits.com You'll receive a 20 minute reply of a webinar called "Keep moving forward", a free report of '200+ Action Habits of successful entrepreneurs' and also a '7 day simple start' action plan to take action now!
Helen Raptoplous has been called a Muse Mentor by her clients and the premier catalyst for business owners to grow and keep moving their business forward.

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Power of Networking - How to Build a Successful Business by Building Professional Relationships

We have all heard of the Power of Love, the Power of Positive Thinking, and of course the Power of Prayer. A recent conference that I attended compelled me to explore the Power of Networking.

Last summer, I had the privilege of attending the Eighth Annual National Power Networking Conference in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. I have known of the importance of networking and thought of myself as a decent networker in terms of obtaining a job for myself and helping others to obtain jobs. This event elevated networking to a whole new level in my eyes.

During this 3 day event, my artistic muse was stimulated with new thoughts and ideas on how to propel my business into an entity that would reach a broader clientele base, create generational wealth, employ others, and impact change in the lives of young people.

I first heard of the Power Networking Conference after accepting an invitation to attend a free seminar, "Writing a Winning Sales Proposal" presented by Andrew Morrison, President of the Small Business Camp.

Mr. Morrison's goal was to guide business people through the process of drafting a sales proposal that would lead them to create something of value in less than 16 weeks.

During this seminar, I played the role of the class guinea pig. I learned the components of an effective sales proposal. I also learned that I should transform my fun, interactive math workshops into musical, mathematical extravaganzas. Mr. Morrison's activation during this seminar convinced me to register for the Power Networking Conference.

My biggest concern was making the most of my time during this three day event. I had to attend those seminars and events that were most advantageous to my business such as the two minute elevator pitch competition.

There were hundreds of people, some strangers and some familiar, promoting their businesses and selling their wares. We became better acquainted by participating in workshops that taught us how to effectively grow our businesses; visiting vendor booths; and attending power luncheons, National Town Hall meetings, Power Plenary sessions, Power Panel discussions, and awards presentations. This conference made access to key contacts readily available through these events.

There were many influential people on the program such as Ed Gordon, formerly of BET News and NBC.

Sybil Wilkes and Jeff Johnson of the Tom Joyner Morning Show shared their wisdom with us. I had the pleasure of personally meeting Sybil Wilkes and famed motivational speaker Les Brown.

Les Brown, who is at the time of this writing 65 years old, has scaled back his speaking appearances and uses his time to train the next generation of speakers via his instructional workshops and teaching CD series. Mr. Brown stated that he now speaks 4 times per month instead of 4 times per week and that he "would rather have 25% of 100 people than 100% of himself". WOW! That is networking by using the mantra of duplicating yourself through others.

The Power Networking Conference is spearheaded by George Fraser. Mr. Fraser is the, author of three books on networking. Mr. Fraser also founded Frasernet, a social networking and training tool.

By using Frasernet, businesses can take networking to an exciting new level by implementing technology to market businesses thus promoting "generational wealth" instead of generational debt.

During the conference we were urged to put pride or egos aside to network with those around us. We were inspired to transform our "Work Ethic into a Wealth Ethic" and to move from "Good Today to Amazing Tomorrow".

The amazing two minute elevator pitch competition drew major attention. Conference attendees were invited to submit their proposals for participation. Each person would demonstrate how they would pitch their business idea and ask for funding from a stranger on an elevator in two minutes. After two minutes, the microphone would be silenced. The contestants were rated Olympic style by many very successful entrepreneurs who held signs ranging in scores from 1-10. After the two minute spiel, contestants were critiqued by the judges who offered valuable feedback.

I was one of ten contestants chosen. My elevator pitch described how my company would integrate music, mathematics, and celebrities to host an event that would help children embrace mathematics instead of fear it. This was the idea suggested in the free seminar "Writing a Winning Sales Proposal" presented by Andrew Morrison.

Unfortunately, I did not win the contest, but did win in other ways. The feedback from the captains of industry was extremely valuable. I was told first and foremost to lose the note cards. This is one of my goals in my Toastmasters speeches. The other way that I won was from many people complimenting me on my speech and purchasing my book "How to Help Parents and Kids Get Over the Fear of Math". Since then, I have received lots of correspondence from people whom I am sure will turn into potential clients or business partners.

Without Toastmasters, I would have never had the ability to connect so intimately with my audience. That day and the following day, people were stopping me, referring to me as "The Math Lady", and purchasing my book.

We also learned to make use of social networking technology to promote our businesses such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. As a result, I joined the TAG Team Marketing group and Facebook.

I am still coming to terms with how much personal information to expose on the web. That is a decision that we must all make for ourselves.

One of the most important outcomes of networking is to promote Win-Win situations. This is one of Steven Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people. It is just as important to listen to others as they share their businesses as it is to effectively share your business. It is important to have an attitude to assist someone before the business transaction is made. If there is a mutual feeling that both entities will win, the likelihood that repeat business will occur is greater.

In conclusion, it is extremely important to be open to new ideas and unfamiliar people. It is crucial to spend money to invest in yourself and to use your time wisely. Plan your plan and work your plan. Duplicate yourself in others as Les Brown does. Use Technology to your benefit and by all means create win-win situations.

With the Power of Networking we can reach more people as we promote the power of love, positive thinking, and praise in our interactions with others.

Copyright 2009, Math 1 On 1, LLC, Saundra Carter

Saundra Carter is the CEO of Math 1 On 1, LLC a mathematics tutoring company that offers tutoring services from Arithmetic to Calculus in a setting convenient to the client. Her company also presents fun, interactive math workshops that can be used as fund raisers for youth groups.

She is the author of "How to Help Parents and Kids Get Over the Fear of Math" and a soon to be released book entitled "Journey of a Modern Day Writer: Secrets of Successful Self-Publishing".

Math 1 On 1, LLC
http://www.math1on1.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saundra_Carter

Power of Networking - How to Build a Successful Business by Building Professional Relationships

We have all heard of the Power of Love, the Power of Positive Thinking, and of course the Power of Prayer. A recent conference that I attended compelled me to explore the Power of Networking.

Last summer, I had the privilege of attending the Eighth Annual National Power Networking Conference in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. I have known of the importance of networking and thought of myself as a decent networker in terms of obtaining a job for myself and helping others to obtain jobs. This event elevated networking to a whole new level in my eyes.

During this 3 day event, my artistic muse was stimulated with new thoughts and ideas on how to propel my business into an entity that would reach a broader clientele base, create generational wealth, employ others, and impact change in the lives of young people.

I first heard of the Power Networking Conference after accepting an invitation to attend a free seminar, "Writing a Winning Sales Proposal" presented by Andrew Morrison, President of the Small Business Camp.

Mr. Morrison's goal was to guide business people through the process of drafting a sales proposal that would lead them to create something of value in less than 16 weeks.

During this seminar, I played the role of the class guinea pig. I learned the components of an effective sales proposal. I also learned that I should transform my fun, interactive math workshops into musical, mathematical extravaganzas. Mr. Morrison's activation during this seminar convinced me to register for the Power Networking Conference.

My biggest concern was making the most of my time during this three day event. I had to attend those seminars and events that were most advantageous to my business such as the two minute elevator pitch competition.

There were hundreds of people, some strangers and some familiar, promoting their businesses and selling their wares. We became better acquainted by participating in workshops that taught us how to effectively grow our businesses; visiting vendor booths; and attending power luncheons, National Town Hall meetings, Power Plenary sessions, Power Panel discussions, and awards presentations. This conference made access to key contacts readily available through these events.

There were many influential people on the program such as Ed Gordon, formerly of BET News and NBC.

Sybil Wilkes and Jeff Johnson of the Tom Joyner Morning Show shared their wisdom with us. I had the pleasure of personally meeting Sybil Wilkes and famed motivational speaker Les Brown.

Les Brown, who is at the time of this writing 65 years old, has scaled back his speaking appearances and uses his time to train the next generation of speakers via his instructional workshops and teaching CD series. Mr. Brown stated that he now speaks 4 times per month instead of 4 times per week and that he "would rather have 25% of 100 people than 100% of himself". WOW! That is networking by using the mantra of duplicating yourself through others.

The Power Networking Conference is spearheaded by George Fraser. Mr. Fraser is the, author of three books on networking. Mr. Fraser also founded Frasernet, a social networking and training tool.

By using Frasernet, businesses can take networking to an exciting new level by implementing technology to market businesses thus promoting "generational wealth" instead of generational debt.

During the conference we were urged to put pride or egos aside to network with those around us. We were inspired to transform our "Work Ethic into a Wealth Ethic" and to move from "Good Today to Amazing Tomorrow".

The amazing two minute elevator pitch competition drew major attention. Conference attendees were invited to submit their proposals for participation. Each person would demonstrate how they would pitch their business idea and ask for funding from a stranger on an elevator in two minutes. After two minutes, the microphone would be silenced. The contestants were rated Olympic style by many very successful entrepreneurs who held signs ranging in scores from 1-10. After the two minute spiel, contestants were critiqued by the judges who offered valuable feedback.

I was one of ten contestants chosen. My elevator pitch described how my company would integrate music, mathematics, and celebrities to host an event that would help children embrace mathematics instead of fear it. This was the idea suggested in the free seminar "Writing a Winning Sales Proposal" presented by Andrew Morrison.

Unfortunately, I did not win the contest, but did win in other ways. The feedback from the captains of industry was extremely valuable. I was told first and foremost to lose the note cards. This is one of my goals in my Toastmasters speeches. The other way that I won was from many people complimenting me on my speech and purchasing my book "How to Help Parents and Kids Get Over the Fear of Math". Since then, I have received lots of correspondence from people whom I am sure will turn into potential clients or business partners.

Without Toastmasters, I would have never had the ability to connect so intimately with my audience. That day and the following day, people were stopping me, referring to me as "The Math Lady", and purchasing my book.

We also learned to make use of social networking technology to promote our businesses such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, etc. As a result, I joined the TAG Team Marketing group and Facebook.

I am still coming to terms with how much personal information to expose on the web. That is a decision that we must all make for ourselves.

One of the most important outcomes of networking is to promote Win-Win situations. This is one of Steven Covey's 7 habits of highly effective people. It is just as important to listen to others as they share their businesses as it is to effectively share your business. It is important to have an attitude to assist someone before the business transaction is made. If there is a mutual feeling that both entities will win, the likelihood that repeat business will occur is greater.

In conclusion, it is extremely important to be open to new ideas and unfamiliar people. It is crucial to spend money to invest in yourself and to use your time wisely. Plan your plan and work your plan. Duplicate yourself in others as Les Brown does. Use Technology to your benefit and by all means create win-win situations.

With the Power of Networking we can reach more people as we promote the power of love, positive thinking, and praise in our interactions with others.

Copyright 2009, Math 1 On 1, LLC, Saundra Carter

Saundra Carter is the CEO of Math 1 On 1, LLC a mathematics tutoring company that offers tutoring services from Arithmetic to Calculus in a setting convenient to the client. Her company also presents fun, interactive math workshops that can be used as fund raisers for youth groups.

She is the author of "How to Help Parents and Kids Get Over the Fear of Math" and a soon to be released book entitled "Journey of a Modern Day Writer: Secrets of Successful Self-Publishing".

Math 1 On 1, LLC
http://www.math1on1.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Saundra_Carter

Developing YourTarget Market

Building your business is all about leveraging your strengths within the context of your prospects' needs, then networking with as many of those people as you can. The most successful networkers have developed a thorough strategy planning process. This process includes: Identifying the major components of the broad, deep network you hope to establish; studying the different types of networking organizations and how they fit into your overall strategy; and identifying the types of business people that make up your target market.

However, there are some final pieces to the process. The first of these is you: how do you fit into your own strategy? Second, where will you find the people you want to interact with and make part of your network?

To start, let's identify some of the strengths and skill sets that you bring to the table as a business professional. I've discussed these before, but they bear repeating, because answering these questions truthfully and thoroughly will really help you discover important things about yourself.

· Are you a "people person"?

· Do you enjoy public speaking?

· What kind of professional background did you have before starting your business?

· How long have you lived in the area where you do business?

· What other natural skills do you have (such as time management, staying organized, keeping clients focused) that don't fall directly into your business expertise but are valued by people?

Once you've got that written down, ask yourself, "What group of people or target market is best suited for my services?"

As an example, if you're an extroverted consultant who worked for a big insurance company before starting your own business, then insurance companies, and maybe even their agents, would be a terrific target market for you. A group like this would value the expertise you bring to the table, and by leveraging your previous work experience, you'd be able to talk in a language they understood. You'd probably have great success closing the deal when engaging these prospects.

A great place for you to network would be any insurance trade association that met in your area. Health insurance, property and casualty insurance-you name it, there's an association for it. So, instead of spending your time in places where insurance professionals might or might not be, you could focus your networking energies on attending events where your target market shows up in force.

As another example, let's say you're a real people person who dabbles in public speaking. Your services lend themselves to small to medium-sized firms-fewer than ten employees-and you're looking for places to meet them. Because speaking is one of your strengths, part of your networking strategy could be delivering a presentation at your local chamber of commerce or business association. That's a great way to meet a lot of people at once, and it's something we recommend to our clients who want to interface with the small-business market.

Take it a step further. Look at the industry groups you've had the most success with in the small business market, and start networking at their monthly trade association events. Now you're speaking in front of your target market at the chamber, and you're meeting them individually at their industry-specific networking events. For saturating your target market, this would be hard to beat.

People have told me, "Well, that sounds great, but I don't want to limit my prospect base by talking to only one group of people." Fair enough. As business professionals ourselves, I know how hard it seems to get new business. So the last thing you want to do is feel that you're networking to just one group.

However, when you establish two or three target markets that leverage the inherent strengths of your company and focus your networking there, what you'll find is that your prospects will start calling you with their business. Why? Because you obviously know your stuff and are willing to spend some time to get to know them.

Building your business is all about leveraging your strengths within the context of your prospects' needs, then networking with as many of those people as you can. It might mean talking with some of your friends and family ("Hey, I'm rolling out a new program that has me talking to a lot of business equipment companies. Would you happen to know of a person who works for a business equipment firm here in town?").

It might also mean attending every industry specific association meeting within a 50-mile radius of your office. Or it could be both. But what it doesn't mean is running all over town "networking" with anyone who happens to be in the room. That's sure to be an exhausting way to acquire new business. A successful business creates a network that is an inch wide and a mile deep, not a mile wide an inch deep.

Start by identifying your strengths (what do you and your business bring to the table?) Then determine which group of people would be most receptive to your message; they are your target market. After that, figure out where those folks are most likely to hang out, then focus most of your networking time in those areas. It's as simple as that.

Called the "father of modern networking" by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. His latest book, Networking Like a Pro, can be viewed at http://www.IvanMisner.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company.

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