Individual Fundraising

When you are doing individual fundraising for a personal cause such as breast cancer research, multiple sclerosis, AIDS charity, or even personal medical expenses, you need proven fundraising ideas. Here are six ideas for individual fundraisers.

Dinner Party
An easy way to raise funds is to throw a dinner party. You can make it a gala event, a potluck supper, or even a spaghetti dinner for hundreds of people. Use your creativity and design one that you feel comfortable doing.

Line up a suitable location and publicize it well ahead of time. Selling tickets in advance at a discounted price is a great way to ensure a sellout. Include raffles, door prizes, and auctions for extra funds.

Car Wash & Bake Sale
Why not do a one-two punch of two successful fundraisers in one? Car washes can easily $600 to $1,000 in a single Saturday and you can boost that by offering lots of home-baked goodies.

Keep drawing new customers by avoiding the appearance of a long wait. To speed things up, wash cars in multiple lines. Offer the baked goods to all your customers. An easy way to do it is to have everything out on tables where drivers wait while their cars are washed. Sell small boxes for $10 that they can fill up with their selections.

Holiday Home Tour
Ever want to see inside some of the latest new homes or tour the best houses of the local historic district? So do lots of other people and it's surprisingly easy to make a great fundraiser out of a themed tour.

For instance, new homes displaying the latest interior design fashions can be set up for fundraising. Sell tickets that allow access during a select time window such as week or ten-day timeframe. Builders then sell the designer houses either furnished or just decorated with great colors, draperies, etc.

Or, you can arrange a 'candlelight' tour of the Historic District to benefit your cause. Work with the neighborhood association to find homeowners willing to open their homes for a single night. Do guided walking tours in small groups and point out significant sites along the way.

'No Talent' Show
A twist on the standard talent show is doing one where everyone can demonstrate their lack of talent. Karaoke routines are popular as are wild dance moves and magic tricks. It's all in good fun and you can award prizes based on audience response, best costume, worst performance, etc.

Charge performers a small entry fee and attendees an admission fee. For extra profits, sell food and drinks, offer silent auction items, and don't forget to have a donations jar at the ticket table.

Themed Dance
Dances can be great fun and great fundraisers. All you need is a theme, a place, and some music. Possible themes include Roaring Twenties, Sixties, Disco, New Wave, Pop Tarts, Dancing With The Stars, Dancing Under The Stars, etc.

Whatever time period or fashion disasters you choose, live music will draw a bigger crowd than having a DJ will. Book a band that can cover the hits of that particular era and add promote heavily.

Add extra fundraising with silent auctions, wine tastings, whiskey tasting, catered dinner, slave auctions, and anything else that fits.

Fashion Show
These make a great mother/daughter event, but you can also take the fun route and include the Almost Queen For A Day men's beauty pageant for laughs during intermission.

Work with area stores and designers to line up an appropriate selection of fashions that will appeal to large audience. Include a catered lunch and silent auctions of donated goods and services. You could also work with your business partners to put together a live auction of some donated designer clothing.

Individual Fundraisers Summary
There are lots of individual fundraisers that you can put together fairly easily and still raise significant amounts of money. All it takes is a little event creativity and you're in business.

Add as many additional fundraising activities to your event as possible. Raffles, auctions, donations, sponsorships, sales, and discounts are among the most popular methods.

Draw a big crowd by publicizing your event with a press release, email campaign, newsletter, and by having everyone involved work their contacts. Most of all, make it a fun individual fundraising event that captures attention and supports a great cause.

by:Kimberly Reynolds

Turning Your Hobby Into a Business

Look around. You will probably see people working all day long, almost every second. But, there may be something else that you failed to notice. That is the fact that everybody in this world does something that they enjoy during their leisure time. In other words, most everybody in this world has a hobby. It can range from writing to stamp/coin collecting to singing to crocheting. Do you have a hobby? What is it?

Whatever it is, did you ever think that you could make money from your hobby? Turn it into a business? Well you can. Many people earn a living from their hobbies each year and it is one of the most under-used income opportunities around. Many people understand that the imaginations and skills they have developed through their hobbies are priceless to those who appreciate and seek unique and original works.

But how can you make your hobby a business; one that can earn you a living? Well, the answer is simple. Many people nowadays are too busy with their work and hence have a difficulty in finding the much needed time and energy to learn these skills or make these projects themselves. These people (therefore) are willing to pay for such items and services from those who do possess the skills and knowledge of the craft. So this is the point where you find your niche’ and make your money. (Remember that major companies like ebay started as outlets for hobbyists, but now are “cash-cows” earning millions.)

Then comes the problems of how are you going to start this venture, where would you find places to sell/perform, when to sell and how things work (from the point of ordering to delivery). It is not hard to find answers and solutions for these problems. Starting with how you are going to start this project, all you have to do is believe in what you are going to do, and display professionalism in what you are doing.

Once you have decided on what to do, the problems of when, where, and how to sell your product-outputs emerge. Some (hobbies) products have a seasonal appeal; therefore the timing should be right. Where to sell is by far the most important issue. You could sell to your family and friends from the comfort of your home, have a small outlet in a local store or craft show, or go online (ebay.com) if you want to reach a much bigger market. Then the arrangements as to how customers could place an order (by phone, mail, or online), how they could pay (by cash, credit cards, or Paypal), and how they want it delivered (mailed or hand delivered) has to be decided.

Once all these things are in place, you are set to go. You will be able to earn an additional income doing what you like, while feeling less stressed and worried. With the increased instability in the economy and loss of jobs, using your hobby as a source of extra income can help you in various other ways. You could use these earnings to pay for college tuition, for your retirement account or splurge on that longed for vacation of your dreams.

by:susan hutson

Create a Budget For Your Home Based Business

Reading message boards, one of the things I see regularly is “I don’t have any money to invest” or “I have very little money to invest”.

I believe you need to create a budget before you ever begin a business. Without a budget, you are setting yourself up for failure.

I know you can find ads that say “no money required” or “free to join”. However, money can only be made if something somewhere is bought and sold. In order for you to buy and sell whatever it is you are now in business with will require money to invest.

To begin with, whatever you are selling, you need to try yourself. While it might be free to “join a program”, there will be a fee to try the service or product.

Now consider the actual business aspect of your venture. There are fees to purchase a domain and fees to host your domain. “But the program gives me a free website” you might be thinking. There’s not a lot you can do with an affiliate site URL. If you want to advertise, write articles etc, you’re going to need your own domain. Free websites give you what you pay for. They are loaded with ads and try to find 10 people, just 10 people who have made purchases from a free web site.

To put up a website will also take an investment. You’ll either need to purchase a site building program or you’ll need to hire someone to build the site for you. Either way, this too is a financial investment.

What about marketing? How are you going to market whatever it is you are selling? Again, you might be thinking “but I know you can advertise for free”. Yes, there are forms of advertising that are free, such as article marketing, plug boards and message boards. However, these methods of marketing need to be combined with paid advertising. You’ll need to place classified ads, place banner ads and put ads into ezines. This all costs money.

Are there any supplies you’ll need? Often folks will buy a software program to help keep track of inventory, or help them keep track of customers. Sometimes folks will buy an accounting program to help them keep track of money in and money out. What about your work space? Do you have everything you need at home for your work space?

Often in business, you’ll need a long distance service for your phone. I use a combination of the free long distance on my cell phone and a phone card that I pay only a couple of cents per minute on.

I believe one of the first things you’ll need when considering a home business is a realistic budget of how much this business will cost to get off the ground. There really is no such thing as a “free business”.

by:Audrey Okaneko

Five Ways to Earn Money at Home With Your Computer

Today, more than ever before, parents want to stay home with their young children. Many of these same families invest money in a personal computer and now want that computer to produce an income for them.

You can use your computer to produce an income, however the computer is only a business tool, much like a pen or pencil are each a business tool.

This article will explore five ways with which you can use your computer to aid you in producing an income from home.

Affiliate Marketing – Ten years ago, no one had heard this term. Today, it’s the rage. So what exactly is affiliate marketing? Well, let’s break down the two words. Affiliate means to be “attached” or “associated” with. Marketing means to sell. So, let’s say you are an affiliate for Walmart. You would be “attached” or “associated” with them. In other words you form a relationship with them, where you sell their products and they pay you a commission. Walmart is just one of the thousands of companies that allow you to join as an affiliate. When someone clicks the Walmart link on your page and makes a purchase you earn. As of this writing, the commission structure for this one company is between 5% and 12%. Not bad for having someone click through and buy. Keep in mind, you’ll need visitors to your site in order to find folks who want to click your ad. But this is what affiliate marketing is all about.

Virtual Assistant – This is yet another phrase that 10 years ago, no one had heard of. A virtual assistant is similar to an administrative assistant, the difference being the work is done at home, not in office. Here is just a partial list of what virtual assistants are hired to do:

Word Processing
Data Entry
Article Submission
Proof Reading
Ad Placing
Data Entry
Document Production
Business Card Design
Flyer Design
Letter Writing

These are all services you can offer via your computer and can complete using your computer. Many women I know have gone into virtual assisting as it’s very flexible for those with children.

Writer – More and more folks today are becoming freelance writers. People are writing poetry, short stories, magazine articles and ebooks. I own at least a dozen ebooks. Some were given to me as gifts, some were free and some were purchased. I actually have an ebook I’m working on right now. There are now article sites online that pay you for your articles.

Medical Billing and Bookkeeping – Many women today have bookkeeping and billing services they run right out of their home. Keep in mind that bookkeeping and billing are the lifeline to any business, so business owners will not place this job into the hands of someone without experience. If you have experience in billing or bookkeeping consider purchasing the latest software and marketing your services to small businesses. Check help wanted ads for part time bookkeeper jobs in your local area. Market your services. Offer to come in once a week, while doing the remainder of your work at home.

Sell on ebay- This is one avenue that many sellers have chosen because of the name brand. Ebay is known world wide. You can sell literally anything on ebay. I have purchased crochet patterns which were nothing more than pages ripped out of a magazine. However I wanted the pattern and so I was willing to pay the price. I’ve purchased scrapbook supplies. I’ve purchased multi line phones for work. My daughter has sold products on ebay. She has visited garage sales and then resold those wares. She has purchased items on sale with coupons in stores and then sold those items. There are no limits on the items you can sell on ebay.

These are just 5 ways you can put your computer to work for you and make money at home with the use of your computer. The sky’s the limit when it comes to what you can do to earn an income.

The Pitfalls of the Work From Home Craze

More than 4 million people currently have the good fortune of working from home. From major corporations letting their key people set up a home office to the many inspiring home based business owners. Having the ability to set your own hours is the key benefit in choosing to work from home.

Home based businesses are continuing to grow at an incredible rate. The Internet has opened a window of opportunity for business ventures that were once impossible to build in a home office environment. The Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy claims over 50 percent of all small businesses are home based and will continue to grow.

Working from home is not always a bed of roses. It is common for most that work from home to become workaholics. Having your work or business accessible 24 hours a day makes it hard to know when to quit for the day.

The fact is that working from home is enjoyable and you can get sucked into becoming a slave to your home business. You need to know when to step back and smell the roses. Setting up specific work hours for each day is key to not falling into a workaholic bottomless pit.

When it is quitting time - turn off the computer and turn the volume on the phone or answering machine down low. Take charge of your home business – do not let it take charge of you.

Most choose to work from home to gain a better quality of life, spending more time with family and the freedom a home business offers is a big draw. If you do not set some basic standards you will lose focus on your intentions – working even more hours than the 9 to 5 job you left.

Some key points to being productive and not overworking yourself.

Set up a work schedule – based on the demands of your life style and stick to it.

Prioritize your work – set a daily, weekly and monthly to do list.

Interruptions and Distractions – even though you are at home you are still at work. Make sure family and friends know your work schedule. If your home office is near a TV – turn it off during work hours.

Procrastinating – Don’t put off projects or tasked that need to be completed – they will only start to pile up adding stress to your work from home environment.

Take time for lunch – be sure to squeeze in time for a small break or lunch. Breaking up the day will keep you focused, energetic and will reduce any stress that may be building up throughout the day.

Working from home is a dream for many and can be a nightmare for others. Staying focused and not overworking is hard, but the benefits of a work from home business should give you the freedom and financial life style that you are in search of. This can only be archived if YOU are in control of your home business.

By:Hanit Piplani

Quitting Your Day Job?

In making the decision to quit your day job and start a home business or embark on one of the internet work at home opportunities, it is important that you understand fully the magnitude of the decision and weight the pros and cons properly before you take the plunge.

You see people often wish to get a new place whilst taking the same route everyday, which is why i have asked those questions. If you are vexed to the drab of a day job and would like a change then you must be willing to try a different road. The concept of working from home is a concept that i took a long time ago and can say for sure that it is worth every ounce of strength you put into it.

First before you quit your job and head home it might be a good idea to perhaps see if there is a way you could possibly do your job from home. Some companies actually have systems that allow their employees to work from home and this is on the increase as a result of advances in technology. If you are a provider of a particular service, you can actually do this from home as a freelancer or as a consultant.

However if you completely hate your job or find it boring and would like to quit completely and set yourself up at home doing something, then you might want to consider working online in any field that you might be interested in. You could start off with those things you are already knowledgeable in or if you are ready to go round the learning curve you will find that there are so many ways you can work at home online. Start looking into different businesses or companies that strike your interest. You could even start it part time before quitting your job to see if it is really something you want to do.

Below are a few working at home tips.

1. Go get your portfolio and your resume online. In doing this it might be a good idea to build a website for your business where potential recruiters can view your resume and previous works. This works because it makes presents you as being very professional.

2. working from home has it downsides and one of the biggest of such downsides is that you begin to treat it with a lot of complacency. So set a work schedule and treat it like a job and work at it diligently. If you are easily distracted or not good with following a plan, working from home will be a daily struggle to actually do the work you want.

3. It is important to identify the kind of work you will be willing to take and the ones you will reject (remember you got tired of the other job because it just was not your piece of cake). By doing this you out rightly save yourself and the potential employer a lot of time

However it is worthy to note that you stand a better chance of success if you enjoy the work you do at home and can actually relax to it. There is no point leaving a day job you hate to do a work at home that you will hate, because you will only be moving in circles and work done in the area of self improvement would be zero.

Alternatively, you could look at how you can actually make a job of your hobby. For instance if you are the kind of person that enjoys chatting on the internet, you could actually make a living from blogging as it allows you to interact with your users on a chat related platform. I will discuss how you can do this in a future publication.

By:Karen Fairham

Easy Online Data Entry

One of the booming online occupations today is the data entry work that you can do from your home. For this type of work you don't need to have too much technical knowledge. Higher education is not a prerequisite here. You can be at school, and still be eligible to start. What you need is a PC at home, a net connection, and some spare time.

Why should you look for this kind of business opportunity? Would'nt it be good if you could supplement your existing income? This is applicable to those on the look out for odd jobs, trying to get maximum output from a minimum input. So what is your best available option? Online home jobs can make you a lot of money if you give quality time for your work.

Homebased data entry gives you the opportunity of working at your own sweet time in the luxury of your home. Besides working when you are bored, you can chat, play games or send e-mails to your friends. There are a number of sites that would provide you with more work than you can ever do even on a regular basis.

In case you are thinking there must be a catch somewhere with these opportunities put your thinking caps. If you are the owner of a company, you need to open up a department to accommodate your data entry workers. The department needs a setup charge and a maintenance cost. The employees need to be paid for regular work as well as for overtime. However, if you outsource the same work you can save thousands effectively.

The question now arises what would the company want to done? The need is obvious. There would be huge amount of data to be stored in a databases, which would need updating and uploading from time to time.

You can do online form filling, taking and mailing surveys, retyping the sentences from a book or scanned page, input email addresses and phone numbers. Put in a nutshell you have to feed numbers and texts. A setup with "X" number of employees would have cost the company a fortune, instead outsourcing the same is much more affordable.

Now we come to the all important payment aspect for your much-coveted work. You are promised a hefty figure, which you cannot access till you cross a certain figure. For example every form you fill out; you can be paid between 0.5 cents to $50. Therefore, if you fill 100 forms a month you can get a maximum of $5000. At the end of the year, you can make $60,000. It can certainly pay well if you follow some basic guidelines of the job.

You do need to show 100% accuracy in your work. If your work has an accuracy rate of 94% to 99%, you would lose some money as penalty. So, show that little amount of devotion to your craft and laugh your way to bank.

By:Jayden Harris