A small business start up marks the beginning of the business which is categorized in small business. A small business can be corporation, partnership or a proprietor owned with a small amount of manpower and funding. In America, a small business start up comprises of less than 100 employees, whereas in UK it has less than 50 workers. In countries like Australia, a small business start up begins with 1-19 employees. A small business start up is identified by its small investment, small turnover and profit and less manpower.

The smallest business start up can begin at home which are termed by the World Bank as Micro-businesses. They usually have manpower of less than 10 employees. Higher versions of small businesses can be general stores, lawyer practice, clinics, private agents, restaurants, free-lance writers and small-scale manufacturing industries.

Advantage of a small business is that it requires less investment. The working hours of such a venture is also less and requires smaller work area. They have a closer relationship with their customers and clients. They are highly independent and flexible to the changing market. Disadvantage of such a small business start up is the high risk of bankruptcy. In absence of strong financial back-up, the business may go into heavy losses, resulting in legal action against the proprietor in case of loan taken.

A small business start up should follow the below mentioned methods for grater success:

Formulating a business plan:

For any small business start up, a well defined plan is a must. The final objective of the business should be precise and clear. The requirements should be formulated and the money to be invested should be prudently calculated. Almost equal amount of money invested should be available for back up in case of heavy losses incurred. The amount of man power required and their required qualification and skills should be decided.

Implementation of the Plan:

The business plans made initially should be implemented and all objectives set should be achieved. Financially, loans should be taken if self financing is not possible. Most of the banks provide loans for businesses. It is easier to obtain loans for partnership ventures. After the principle amount is obtained, the hiring of man power is done. This is followed by purchasing of all commodities needed for the business to start. The small business start up can now function fully.

Getting customers and Marketing:

Getting the right customers is the key to success for all small business start ups. Doing a small research on the market trends and customer needs helps in changing the business strategy for higher profits. Marketing the product of business to the target customers is optional, depending on the type of product. Marketing for a small business start up can be restricted to pamphlets, news papers, and small hoardings.

Expansion of business:

Upon attainment of the set objectives, the small business can increase its investments, manpower and productivity. This can be achieved if the small businesses start up earned considerable profit. This can expand the boundaries of the business and reach to a larger group of customers to increase the profit margin.

So you want to start your own home based business, but don’t know how! Well you have just discovered the article that provides a 1, 2, 3 Formula that every home based business opportunity seeker can master and apply with ease. This formula works all the time and for everyone who learns it and applies it. It is so simple most people would say, no way it can’t be that easy! But once you finish reading this article you will be well equipped to put the 1, 2, 3 formula into practice. Pay close attention so you don’t miss it, here it goes;1. Find a need
2. Fill the need
3. Charge a FeeThere it goes, did you get it? No way! It can’t be that easy many of you home based business opportunity seekers may be saying. Read on and learn why each step is important and learn how to apply each of the three steps, to guarantee your success.Many people start a business based on what they think people will buy. They introduce a product or service and try to convince people they can’t live without it. What most home based business opportunity seekers and many other business people do not understand is it’s harder to try to convince someone to buy something then it is to supply what people are already buying! Whoa! Did you get that? Most people who start businesses are trying to get people to buy something because they want it. This works sometimes and in good economic times, but the truth is people will always find a way to buy the things they need; water, shelter, food, clothing, transportation, child care, home repairs, etc.So how do, a home based business opportunity seeker get consumers to buy these products and services? Provide these needs faster, cheaper, better, and with greater ease to the buyer. This will make your service or product stand heads and shoulders above the rest. There’s nothing worse than needing a product or service then not knowing how to find someone who supply the product or service. That’s why you must let buyers know where you are and that you have what they need! Advertise or market so people know what you offer and how to find you.Many home based business opportunity seekers start businesses by turning hobbies into businesses. The component that transitions a hobby into a business is making money. How do you decide how much you should charge for the service or product? Determine how much you need to earn, and then determine how much you need to make from each transaction. If those figure means you must charge more than someone already offering the service, see how you can make your product or service bigger, faster, or better than your competitors. You can drive your overhead cost down by buying in bulk and by having at least three vendors. Business owners can also increase income by leveraging the number of clients they service at a time. A virtual assistant charged each client $4 per hour but found she could easily serve 5 clients in an hour that means she was earning $20 per hour. Because of her affordable rates and her superb services she was able to turn a hobby of organizing people into an $800 per week business.So there you have it, the 1, 2, 3 Formula every home based business opportunity seeker can master with ease!If you would like to know how to effortlessly start a business for under $200 make sure you click the link in the resource box and get our guide “Business Success 1, 2, 3!”

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.