Are you one of the many looking for a small home based business opportunity but not sure what to do? Don’t fret! There are ways to do this.Some people get side tracked when they go online and look for a business opportunity. They start out looking for a small home based opportunity but get taken in by the flashing lights and the promises of earning tons of money. What happens next? They realize they have gotten caught up in a scam and write off the hope of finding a legitimate home based business.Owning your own small business can be very rewarding. It not only allows you to do something you love, but also offers flexibility and freedom in the hours you work. And being your own boss is great!A small business can either be locally based or internet based. The advantage of the second option is that you can take your business with you if you move. So, you can live wherever you want and still be earning money while you’re moving and getting settled in.A few ideas for starting a home based business:Offer a Service – this could be something like dog walking or doing some editing work or transcription online.Sell a Product – this can be your own product or you can sell other people’s products through affiliate marketing. It can all be done online if you choose. You can also sell through buying wholesale and reselling at retail.eBay – sell on the worldwide marketplace of eBay. There is a huge group of people searching to buy things!Start a membership site – find a niche topic where people are searching for information and resources (and willing to pay for them) and then offer it to them for a monthly fee. This is a nice way to build up a steady monthly income.Starting a small home based business can add purpose to your life. It is especially good to do as you are nearing the retirement years where you normally have extra time on your hands and also are in need of some supplemental income.There are many ways to start a business but always do your research before entering into a business opportunity. Make sure there is a market out there who is looking for what you want to offer and is willing to spend money on it. Avoid markets that attract those seeking everything for free.Check out the business opportunity you are considering with the Better Business Bureau and also do a Google search and read multiple reviews on the opportunity. What is the general consensus?The right small home based business opportunity is just waiting for you! Take the step and start a whole new venture.

With the recent slowdown in the economy, millions of people across the globe have lost their jobs. It has become difficult for these individuals to support the daily expenditure of their families. They have started looking for alternative means of income, which is stable and does not get affected by the unstable economy that has already caused them considerable damage.With the advent of the internet and technology, the world has shrunk. Internet has emerged as a powerful tool in many ways. Not only information sharing has become easier with this technology but also it has led to the development of a new form of trade known as E-commerce. Billions of dollars worth of trade is being done on the internet every year. In its short span of existence, the statistics say that a large portion of the world’s economy comes from the businesses that are done on the internet. The internet has the ability to instantly connect people located at remote places on the earth separated by thousands of miles. Thus, the growing communication between people across the globe is leading to business, which is eventually proving beneficial for everyone.There are various types and kinds of businesses that are being done on the internet. Some of these are huge and are worth billions of dollars while others are small home based businesses. In this fluctuating economy, a home based business that is run through the internet has become very popular among masses. There are various factors that account to this growing success of a small business that people are running from their homes.The first and foremost thing among several reasons for people picking up to do business from their homes is its unlimited income potential. People can earn as much as they desires as opposed to their 9am to 6pm jobs, where they were paid a fixed salary every month. Moreover, you are under no obligation to work on a set schedule daily, you can adjust your work timings every day to suit to other activities. There is no boss on your head. You are your own boss, who keeps all the profit that the business generates.Staring up a new business with the help of the internet has become a lot easier these days. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Business ideas can vary from selling products and services to providing consultation to those who are in need of your opinion. A website can immensely help your business grow in a short time. Once you own a piece of the ever-expanding space on the World Wide Web, you can sell services and products on your website to potential customers. Billions of people search the internet looking for products and services they need. This number is increasing day by day as it is much convenient to purchase an item or service on the internet than to visit the brick and mortar store, which kills time. This is why the world is fast adopting the internet, which is growing exponentially. The increasing number of visitors every day means more business and enormous earning potential for everyone with something to sell and offer.The other reason why so many people are choosing to do a home based business from the internet is that there is no investment that needs to be done upfront, unlike the other startups where people risk thousands of dollars. The growth potential of an internet business is far more than that of any other kind of business because of its ability to spread at a staggering rate.Those people who have started their home based business have realized their goals of making substantial money to support their families and enjoy their life to the fullest. However, there are certain qualities like entrepreneurship, hardworking capabilities and positive attitude. Setting up a home office to run your business online can be of great help. When you sit in a dedicated space on dedicated equipments, you get a professional feel that enhances your performance and thinking capabilities. As you will be working from your home, you would have to be more disciplined to accomplish long-term goals because there are so many distractions, otherwise. Home based businesses have greatly contributed to the growing economy as people are earning and spending this money, which in turn leads to more commerce. In short, this is the perfect time to adapt to the most rewarding and enriching way of doing business, harnessing the unlimited potential of the internet.

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.