Poor credit is no barrier to small business owners wishing to obtain business finance. When a small business owner plans to expand business and finds that he has already used up available sources of funding and getting additional finance through regular sources may be too time-consuming, then finance from “non-conventional” sources may be a better option.What would be the requirements for a business owner to obtain small business finance?A running businessStartups are precluded from obtaining this type of finance on soft terms. In order to be eligible, a business must be in operation for at least a year.A minimum amount of sales per monthSomeone who has started the business recently and is generating revenues of less than $ 10000 by way of credit card sales may not be eligible for small business funding unless the case is assessed and considered on other grounds such as a potential for growth that the owner can justify and support.Documentary proofsSmall businesses are usually proprietary types. A business owner, even one with poor credit, should not hesitate to obtain small business capital even if it means paying a higher interest amount because it can help him get back on track to fast growth. The documentation is minimal. He needs to submit proof of ownership. The other documents he must provide are bank statements for the previous six months, proof of identity and proof of residence.An applicant may wish to get small business finance within 3 to 5 days for which he should apply online and keep ready scanned copies of the above-mentioned documents. These may be uploaded along with the preliminary application. Should the application be approved he may be required to furnish printed copies.What is not required for the small business loan?• An applicant need not have a stellar credit history.
• He may not have to furnish collateral or mortgage property.
• He may not have to furnish a guarantor.It is fast. It is easy. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. An applicant must consider the factor rate applied. This is a fancy term for rate of interest though it is not specifically so mentioned. Repayment may range from 3 months to even as long as 36 months and it is tied to the credit card sales as a percentage of daily turnover or a fixed monthly amount. Should sales be high repayment is completed in a shorter time. In real terms, an applicant may end up paying processing charges plus interest that can be as high as 50% because the loan is unsecured. The best thing to do is to examine the offer and obtain such funds only from a lender who does not charge anything upfront, no processing charges and applies a moderate interest rate.It is easy to get this type of finance if one has a running business but repayment is the tough part. Small business owners would do well to keep in mind to plan to use funds to generate more revenues instead of paying off existing debts.
What You Will Need to Get Small Business Finance
Using Free Advertising Online
There is an old quote that says, “The best things in life are free”. While the original intention of the quote was probably a loftier one, it will appeal greatly to all those who want to advertise online.
The number of sites for online advertising is as vast as the internet itself but every advertiser wants the same thing for his ads; visibility. For this purpose the advertiser has to decide on the type of advertisement and also the website, which will be ultimately responsible for promotion his advertisement receives.
Online advertisements are of different types and the advertiser has to choose the one best suited for his product and the target.
The most commonly identifiable one is the Search Engine Results Page. The list of web pages displayed in response to a search query will have a link above the Organic list (pages appearing according to relevance of the search) which looks like the list except for font and background color for differentiation. Alternatively the advertisement may be placed to the right of the page like a classified one.
Another equally identifiable and more visually pleasing form is the Banner Advertisement. They are placed on webpages in the form of pictures, animation and videos with or without sound. Clicking on the banner takes one to the website advertised.
Interactive Media responds to user action and presents content in various forms. A common type is virtual reality.
Social Network Advertising is effective when a certain group is to be targeted. With the growing popularity of various social networking websites advertisements can be placed on them directly or based on your friends. Groups or Pages that users can join is another innovative method.
Interstitial Advertising Webpages are advertisements that appear before or after the content the user wants to access. The advertiser should be careful using such a medium as the user is more likely to get frustrated if the content he is looking for is delayed by such advertisements.
Email Marketing is a very direct form of advertising online. Most users check their emails regularly so advertisers can reach them to introduce new products to existing and new customers as well as maintaining customer relationship. While response to such advertisements can be tracked easily, such mails may be rejected or filtered and must not violate spam laws.
Choosing websites for putting the free advertisement will ultimately determine the success of your advertisement. While it is true that most free advertising websites are actually ineffective the advertiser must follow the dictum ‘less is more’. Rather than advertising on all the websites one can find, in the hope of hitting the mark, the advertiser should carefully choose from a few top-listed and popular websites. There are several sites that continuously update list of websites for free advertising. Forums and blogs, many times attached to such sites, give an ample feedback from other online advertisers which can help any advertiser not only to avoid certain sites but also to find the websites best suited for their own purpose.
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.