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How Important Is the Fundraising Auctioneer to the Success of Your Event?

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.

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Education-The Foundation You Should Build Your Company’s Future Upon

You would not build a home without a foundation and you should not try to build a business venture without a successful foundation as well. As children we are sent school to get an education – to build a foundation so that we can survive and succeed in our daily lives. Without this education we would struggle to get by and face many unnecessary challenges in life. This same principle should be applied as we build our businesses because the more solid our foundation the stronger our company’s chances for survival and success are. Education is not a one-time proposition, either. The need for education continues throughout our lives, every time we turn a new corner or run across a new opportunity.

Education should be shared and encouraged at all levels of a company. The more knowledge that employees possess the stronger the company is. Many folks fail at business ventures because they lack knowledge about how exactly to run a business and how to respond to the problems that business owners always encounter. Too often we hear of stories of a person who was really great at his or her job but failed as a business owner. The excuse offered most often is “under-funded” but isn’t that just another way of saying that the owner just didn’t understand what was needed to be successful?

The odds are against new operations. Most new venture fail within two years. This happens because no matter how good individuals are at specific talents it takes knowledge of the “whole picture” to be successful.

Businesses require expertise well beyond understanding any particular advertised service. Things like human resource issues, marketing, payroll, scheduling, banking, accounts payable and receivables, estimating and proposals, etc. can be the stuff of nightmares. It doesn’t matter if you are the best electrician, plumber, lawyer, or whatever – you need to have knowledge of all these aspects to succeed.

The first item to recognize is that there are very few people who are really proficient at all the tasks we’ve listed. Business owners often need business “partners” to help them succeed. A Partner can be anyone who knows more than we do in any specific area who will share that information with them. Utilizing Partners can help make the difference. Finding out what you don’t know is the first step in making sure that all of the important tasks are handled by knowledgeable people. The goal is to have no weak links – a strong company.

The best way to address these issues is by education and information. There are many ways to get the education and information you need as a business owner. One is take courses and attend educational seminars to address areas we are weak in. Another is to send or encourage our employees to continue education to make them stronger assets of the company. We can also go outside the company and recruit new faces that have already received a higher education (either through first-hand experience or in the classroom). Yet another way is to seek Partners (for example, knowledgeable vendors or service providers) to fill some of these weak areas – so that we may better concentrate on running our business. Hiring a payroll company, for example, is often a wise choice so that you are not spending time working on payroll weekly. Payroll companies often provide human resource services like employee handbooks and such. Accountants and lawyers are also good Partners to have as a business owner. These folks have an education and knowledge back round that EVERY company needs to succeed.

Education and knowledge truly are the best foundation for building our business. Without a solid foundation we can not build the “walls” of our company. Education teaches us how to keep records of sales and expenses. Education teaches us how handle customer complaints and customer interaction. Education can teach us how to be good plumbers, carpenters, electricians, contract cleaners and so on but there is certainly more education needed to run a successful business than being able to turn a wrench, use a saw, wire a house, or run a pressure washer. Invest in your company’s success by continuing education as well as encouraging others to gain knowledge. This will only help to build that solid foundation that will stand up to all obstacles your business may face as it grows and succeeds.

When we think about this foundation we are building it is important to apply this to our specific service task as well. A pipe wrench does not make someone a plumber. Seeking out education and seminars will help keep us motivated and keep us ahead of competitors that do not continue to learn and seek education. Many studies have proven that the more educated one becomes the more earning potential is accumulated and we all want to make more money. There are many sources for trade education. Local colleges and high schools offer many programs, for example. Check with local Chambers of Commerce for seminar offerings, Attend conventions where courses and seminars are offered. Find companies that specialize in contractor and business course offerings. You can also read books and manuals, surf internet sources and take advantage of things like on-line courses and testing, SBA counseling, and more. The key is to make the effort to seek this education so that your business will survive and thrive for years to come. In other words, “Learn More To Earn More”.

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Buying Customers and Not Leads, and Other Home-Based Business Tips That Are Guaranteed To Work

What do most people lack, becoming the number one reason many home-based businesses fail? Customers.

My rule number one? Never buy leads, and only buy customers.

This is only one of five topics discussed here so that your home-based business can achieve optimal success.

First, I would like to list the top five reasons most home-based businesses fail:

1. Lack of a business plan.

Just because it is a home-based business does not mean you do not need a business plan. You should be taking your home-based business just as seriously as if you were heading into any other type of business, so you need to make sure that the business plan you have is sound and that it has already worked for someone else who has used it.

2. Lack of motivation.

It is easy to become distracted. A home business should be run in the same manner as an office-based business. You need to motivate yourself to go to work in the morning and maintain that motivation during the course of the day in order to succeed. Discipline is a must. I have witnessed many smart people who are totally capable of being successful in their own home-based business, but failed because they didn’t have the discipline and motivation to answer to themselves. Some personalities require direction and management from others in order to be successful, so it is important to know if you properly motivated before starting your own home-based business.

3. Lack of space or proper environment.

If you are fortunate and your home-based business is successful, you may need to expand, so it is important while setting up a home business environment to anticipate growth. Not all businesses can realistically succeed in a home-based location because they need room for equipment, work space, storage, inventory, and employees, so it is important to determine if it is simply too difficult to run your business from your home. Many people learn the hard way by not being realistic upfront.

4. Ignoring a budget.

Too many home-based business owners justify spending money on all sorts of equipment, advertising, leads, and promotional tools because they are not paying overhead. This can result in dangerous overspending which will strip your business of capital needed to succeed and thrive. It is important to spend money wisely on only what is necessary to see growth and success, and not get caught up in unnecessary spending.

5. Lack of customers.

This is quite obvious, of course. Without customers purchasing your products or services, you have no home business. This is the number one reason many home businesses fail because this is what most people lack when starting a business. Of course, there are companies that offer leads or you can go to a third-party source to purchase them, but if you talk to people who have used leads, they are usually a far cry from a constant stream of actual buying customers who could be supplying your home-based business with what it takes to thrive, grow, and become successful: sales.

So, what is a home-based business owner to do to avoid these pitfalls?

1. First, align yourself with a company that will provide you with a steady stream of buying customers to whom you have permanent rights, instead of mere leads.

With customers who are already purchasing being continually generated by the company itself, success will be attained and will continually grow and thrive because you will have all the customers you will ever need. With this, the front-end work of your business is already achieved. However, I know of only one company that does this.

2. Next, make sure this company is debt-free, reputable, and has a proven business model.

This company should have no start-up costs, no hidden fees, and be free to join. You want to avoid a business that starts strong and disappoints later, and instead opt for one that provides ongoing residual income for life. Talk to someone who is already working this business and see how it has worked for him or her.

3. Then, make sure you have the proper environment to work your business from home.

Align yourself with a company that will simply require an internet connection and a phone, and will allow you to be mobile, so you can take your home-based business anywhere you want to go. This company should do all of the back-end work for you as well by supplying you with your own free website and an easy to use back office on your laptop. They should be shipping the product to each customer, and supplying them with catalogs, e-mail alerts, monthly magazines and catalogs, and toll-free telephone customer support, all at no cost to you or the customer. Align yourself with a company that is willing to do all of this heavy lifting for you at no charge that normally weighs others down in their home-based businesses.

4. Next, stick to a budget by duplicating what someone else has already done to become successful in this business.

Resist temptation to reinvent the wheel which could result in needless spending. A great company has affiliates who have already figured out how to bring your business to the next level without spending needlessly, so just follow their lead.

5. Finally, make sure you are motivated to be in business for yourself in a home-based business.

Expect guidance from others, and duplicate what they have already done to be successful, but realize that the bottom line is YOU. If you treat a home-based business like a hobby, it will pay you like a hobby; and if you treat it like a business, it will pay you like a business. Treat it with the commitment and dedication it deserves and it will pay you back many times over.

How do I know this works? I have proven to myself that it does.

The successful interior design business I owned and operated for eleven years took a hard hit when our economy started to fail a few years ago because people no longer had the disposable income they once had. Let’s face it, custom design is neither inexpensive nor a necessity, so I have seen a lot of interior design studios go out of business during this tough economy. I had the choice of either reinventing myself in a home-based business, or go to work for someone else. Being my own boss has rather spoiled me, so I did not want to change that by working for someone else. Why make someone else successful when I could build something for myself?

So, almost three years ago, I aligned myself with a company to start another stream of income. This business is exactly what I described in the five detailed points above as what you should look for in a home-based business. I duplicated what someone else was already doing with the company, so naturally, it worked for me as well. I want to reach out to others to help them to build a successful home-based business of their own, by avoiding the common mistakes people often make. People who are already aligned with this company include individuals with corporate jobs, business owners, parents raising children at home, wellness professionals and students, retired persons, and individuals who simply desire an extra stream of income. There is no better time than in today’s tough economy to start your own proven home-based business by acquiring buying customers, and do it in a way where you will find optimal success.

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