Have you ever stared at your computer and thought of it as a machine that might write you a paycheck as a home based business? There are billions of websites and somebody is making money, why can’t it be you? If you have ever wanted to work from home, now is the time to take action.Being an online business is the great equalizer. No one knows if you have a 40 million square foot warehouse or if you have 3 boxes hidden under your bed. Starting a brick and mortar business is extremely complicated and highly risky. A virtual business that you work at home gives you flexibility to succeed without a huge risk. In a very short time you can be up and running and have income.So what are some of the things that you need to succeed when you work from home?1. Find something that you enjoy and something that you will have fun learning more about. You are going to more than a burning desire for money to build a home based business. If you share something with others that you have a burning desire for you increase your odds of success.2. Start with the basics. You will need to have a bank account. Check for any zoning laws about home based businesses in your area. To suddenly start being successful and having an inspector to show up and red tag your work from home business can be expensive.3. Add separation from your personal life and your business life. Sometimes working at home you try multitasking the separate aspects of your life and both suffer.4. Self discipline is critical. Remember this is still a job. You are now working for your home based business. Set the hours you will work and follow your plan to success. The biggest cause of failure of any type of business owner is failing to show up to work.5. Socialize and network. Home based businesses grow because people know you are doing it. Big box stores can spend millions of dollars advertising each week. Your million dollar ad budget is word of mouth to get started. Be prepared to face rejection, but remember that if you can have 10 quality conversations a day and gain one new customer a day you will soon have a work from home empire.6. Find a strong online marketing training company and learn how to expand your business from the experience of others. Just because you work at home does not mean that you have to work alone.A home based business gives you the opportunity to replace your job with a successful work from home career. By working at home you will leverage those things that you honestly love to do. Let me be the first to wish you not great luck but to wish you great experience. Experience is what you control luck is just going to happen.For more insights in how to succeed with a home based business check out our resource box below.

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.

Plenty of people are in search of home based business opportunities on the internet, but are they looking for the right characteristics that will ensure success in their business? What should you do to ensure that you become successful online?The home based business recommendations I would give to you are, you should look for these key points when you are deciding on which opportunity to join. You should look for a company that has current results that are good. A company that has a system that provides leverage for your time and effort, and sorts, sells and teaches. You will want a home business that has a good community that is successful. Also ensure that the product you are promoting has a market to sell to.Another recommendation I would make regarding home based business is that you ensure that you have a good compensation plan, whether it be a residual income or a GPT (get paid today) system, you should make sure that your compensation plan rewards you well for your efforts in the company.The best home based business recommendations I can make to you are to ensure that you take consistent, focused action and make sure that you plan. Action is the most crucial thing you must do to become successful in home business because without it nothing will happen. You will need to ensure that you are planning as well, as to not waste time, and ensure you are not spinning your wheels trying to get something done for the day.If you do not take action or the time to plan out your business, you will most likely join the 97% of entrepreneurs that fail, only 3% of entrepreneurs become successful, and normally replace their full time income with a part time opportunity.