How to get Traffic to an Online Charity Auction Site

So you are hosting your shiny new auction website, but how do you get quality traffic?

The million dollar question on the tip of any Newbie's tongue is always about traffic. You can have the best online business in the world, but if people don't visit your site it is all a waste of time and money. And it is not just about getting anyone, you want people who are truly interested in your product. This is why getting your SEO right and getting found organically in searches is by far the best way to make sure you have interested visitors. If you can get to number 1 on a competitive keyword in Google, you will have more interested traffic than you can handle. By the way, they will only be interested if you are interesting! So, the first thing to do is write.

Writing, Writing and more Writing

If you want people to buy your product, you must make sure you are an online authority on your subject. This can be achieved by writing an ebook, or posting quality content. Make sure you are in every conceivable corner of the internet with quality work that is not simply a rehash of something that someone else has already written.

You can write and submit: hubs, articles, press releases, blog entries, forums entries (quality ones), directory listings, product or book reviews. Make sure you include a link back to your site wherever you can (including your email signature) and make it easy for people to find you. Encouraging people to subscribe to your RSS feed is good practice too. If you do start a blog, keep it up and be consistent with your posting. If you have images, brilliant, they attract attention and people might find you on Google Images, or you could tag photos on facebook or Flickr. Get your keywords in the title, tags and the body of the text, and in your domain name if you can.

Take part in respected niche forums, but stay well clear of the spammy, scammy ones full of negative people who moan. Make sure that you add quality posts as opposed to lots of rubbish. No one wants to know what you had for breakfast!

Think carefully and edit your work. Spelling mistakes and typos can be a real turn off to people.


Be a Social Network Butterfly

A lot of internet marketers become hermit crabs when they should be more like butterflies! You will do well if you learn to pull traffic towards by being the kind of person who people want to e-hang with. Be helpful, answer questions on Yahoo and network like you would offline, be valuable. You can point people to good sources of work, give them free e-books or tips and tools. Anything FREE is always attractive! Find out if they found your freebies useful. Get them involved and make communication two way. You can do this by inviting comments, offering surveys, fun contests, or participating in conversations on social networks. When you are posting in social networks avoid spamming people on first introduction with a URL. You should aim to provide 4 pieces of useful content to every time you post a link to something you are selling. Add photos (with links) and keep it light and fun. Post topical and newsworthy things and keep up to date. Every now and again, post something controversial, just get the conversation going and make people remember you.

Develop a daily routine and discipline with social networks. Be consistent but don't waste all of your time on the sites. I find Twitter and Facebook the best, but consider del.icio.us, digg, myspace, yahoo and the others and do add a badge to your sites and blogs so people can link back and forth as they build up a picture of who you are.

Appeal to people's emotions. You could sponsor a charity for instance, someone asked me today to sponsor a dog (l love dogs). so that is another point. Be real. Authenticity is great for business, but also I really believe that if you are being true to yourself and writing from your heart people will be attracted. Stay positive and think positive things. This is sometimes called The Law of Attraction and it works!

If you have an option to allow translation, choose it especially Chinese. I have done this on my Third Sector Finance Blog with Blogspot.

Brand Yourself Beautiful

Remember to include a photo, link, logo and maybe a slogan wherever you go online. My lovely friend Al Diaz has coined the phrase Ilumine Ao which has become a trademark of his very strong branding. Clever man. It is important to do something or be something unique to people. My friend and colleague Paul and I share a blog that we like to think of as a drop in centre, a kind of coffee shop where we offer help to struggling internet marketers. Our brand is all based on being real, being available and lots of integrity.


Submit

A really obvious one that people forget. Make sure you submit your sites to DMOZ: http://dmoz.org/ and to the various search engines. Don't just stop at Google verification. Try to get included in newsletters.



Offline Work

This is critical. It takes a long time and a lot of work to really brand yourself well online so while that is happening engage with real people. Do good work with them and don't forget to ask for a link and a testimonial. I do a lot of offline work in my community because I get a massive kick out of seeing people get found online. I teach them how to build their own websites and then introduce them to everything in this article. I love seeing them soar to the top of Google. I also go to Chamber of Commerce and frequently speak at various business meetings. I have a deal with the local Further Education College and they pay me to hire graduates who I employ to do some of my time consuming work. At the same time I train them in the art and science of internet marketing so it is a win win situation. I have a particular interest in helping charities and third sector organisations raise money online and I do this at a reduced rate.

Products

We have looked at the process of getting traffic, but you also need to have a great product. Sell things that you know lots of people are looking for, but there is scarce. You can check this out by looking at the number of searches for a keyword compared to the number of providers. Google Keyword Tools is useful and you can also look at Clickbank to see if there are any products that you could be an affiliate of.

Nurture your list

Don't spam and bombard them! Send free things and also make offers that compliment what they have already bought. Traffic Geyser is really good at that. They offer really good quality video training and then offer a complimentary product that helps you to use the really useful information that they have just given you. Give excellent customer service every time. Answer emails and deliver your promises.


Buy traffic

If you are going to be really successful you will have to buy traffic in one way or another. Direct mail is becoming popular again because it is different to email. It makes a change. Offline ads in local papers or supermarkets. I know one marketer who slipped his business cards in books at supermarkets! Be creative! Promote yourself with PPC ads or get yourself on a traffic exchange or two. You can do those on a budget if necessary. Some people buy lists, but I am skeptical about that and don't want to encourage spamming in anyway.


Market research

Do your market research well and hunt for niches that will pay you well. High ticket items are great, and then I recommend making a blog post, an article, a podcast and a video and feeding all that through Traffic Geyser who hurl it all out to the world, saving you loads of time. Keep testing your work to find out what is working and what is not. This is a crucial step and if you are to become very successful you need to do it. Be curious and don't get too attached to what you think should work.



Joint Venture Partnerships

Teaming up with other businesses or individuals is fun and smart. Mashable media do that one really well. I loved their #beatcancer campaign. Cross marketing will save you time and money and can lead to quality friendships.


One last thing...keep checking your sites for broken links and fix them. There is nothing worse than a 404 error!

Well thanks for reading this far and I hope you have found it useful. I would love your comments! Kay

Low Cost Online Charity Auction & Silent Auction Software!

I have just found the most quirky and funky fundraising idea! Online Charity Auction Software! This is a really exciting opportunity for fundraisers to easily host online charity events, silent auctions or public auctions online. It is a great way to make money online for non profits, charities and third sector organisations. It can also be used by any fundraiser or in business. With low start up costs and full customer support, there is no risk involved and should be a lot of fun.

It is The Only Low Cost Online Charity Auction Site called I Dontate to Charity

This means that it is affordable for Non-profits To Raise Money Online. They Provide All Affiliate Marketing Material You Need To Generate Traffic.

You get: Hosted Online Charity Auctions Unique Store Front URL Donation Pages and you can Sell Event Tickets & more

GET STARTED

IDonateToCharity.org is the home of one of the most cost effective Charity Auctions and Silent Auction Software available on the internet. Your next charity event or fundraiser auction will be a raving success with their top rated charity auction software.

It only costs $24.95 the first year and then only $19.95 every year after, and you will be able to raise money without filling in funding applications or hosting a live event. You keep 100% of the profits!


Their goal has always been to provide low cost online fundraising software to small and medium sized non-profits. They have very little overhead, so they can help third sector organisations raise even more money. Once you sign up for the 14 day trial you will be given immediate access by email to their top rated Silent Auction Software for only $4.95. If you like their charity auction service after 14 days, will they charge your credit card only $19.95 annually. If you feel the service is not a good fit for your needs, you can cancel your account anytime in the next 14 day.

You also get 200 fundraising tips & 60 Donation Letter Templates.

Online Charity Auction Software –

You get unique profit pulling auction software with store front hosted by IDTC. Each store is given a dedicated URL for easy access from any website or email. Run unlimited auctions throughout the year. Emails and donor information is provided in your admin area. You collect all donations through Paypal or offline and NO percentage is taken by IDTC from gross sales.



Donation Pages –

Set up an unlimited amount of donation pages throughout the year. Easily collect donations from anyone in the world. Each page is given a dedicated URL for placement on Websites or in emails. You collect all donations through Paypal and NO percentage is taken by IDTC from gross sales.



Online Raffles –

Set up and run an unlimited amount of raffles throughout the year. The system generates and draws raffle e-tickets with one click. You collect all donations through Paypal and NO percentage is taken by IDTC from gross sales.



Event Tickets –

Sell tickets to live charity events directly from your store font. The system will handle everything from start to finish. You set up the event and the E-ticketing system will sell the ticket for you. Before the live event, print out a list of tickets sold for easy check in at the door. You collect all donations through Paypal and NO percentage is taken by IDTC from gross sales.



Sponsor Ads –

Sell sponsor ads in your store and on your auction item listings. Increase your revenues by adding sponsor ads from local companies. Each ad can be linked to any website. (Additional fee is required)



Connect To Facebook –

Set up your store to run on facebook for greater exposure. The facebook app will allow you to show your store from your facebook page. Also let your visitors share your auction items with their friends with a push of the button.



Collect Donation Directly –

Let your visitors donate cash directly without placing a bid. 50% of visitors will not bid on items. Now give them an easy way to donate money without having to place a bid. Increase donations by 25% with this unique feature. You collect all donations through Paypal and NO percentage is taken by IDTC from gross sales.



Bidder Newsletter System –

Keep your bidders up to date on event changes or newly listed items. With one click, you can email all your bidders letting them know of any changes you made to your auction.

This really is an amazing multi-functional piece of low cost software that is so full of opportunity. Check it out here!

Plug and Play HQ, promoting JVPs

Creative Solutions through Partnering
Plug and Play strategic Partnerships- the New Paradigm

Cumbria, or the Lake District, has a reputation for being really beautiful but also for attracting artists, writers and architects. Examples include: Wainwright, Beatrix Potter, John Ruskin, Arthur Ransome, William Wordsworth and William Butterfield. We still attract creative types and nowadays, they are likely to be using some kind of digital media as well as more traditional art forms. The landscape inspires and draws people to want to live and create here, but finding a job may be tricky, especially in the creative industries. A lot of our talented young people end up leaving the area even though they love it here.
Entrepreneurship is the obvious answer if the county is to recover from the recent flooding and the effects of the recession. There is a need to focus on fostering web based entrepreneurship rather than job creation. The number of homeworkers is definitely on the rise and it would be great to see much more targeted support for this growing trend. Our market leaders will be those who focus on online businesses and remote working. No longer can we rely on natural resources like coal, slate, steel, and oil to lead the economy. Information is this year's coal. People, knowledge and skills are the resources of the future and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg so far.

It is now possible to start a business online easily and you can do it for next to nothing if you are smart. If you have a good idea and apply yourself to learning about internet marketing, you could go a long way. I am not suggesting that you will get rich overnight, but with a positive attitude, creativity and planning you can get start making money online with a shoestring budget. Obviously, if you have got some capital, you can opt for a high ticket business more easily and use your money to drive traffic to whatever it is you are selling. For instance, a great Viral marketing campaign could get your information products into the global marketplace literally overnight. Frank Kearn and Ryan Higgans are fantastic examples of that. There are so many tools out there now to help you get your products to thousands of sites on the web. And with a bit of training and information, you can distribute the same piece of information as an article, podcast, blog, video or email using automated software.

It is no longer enough to just have a great product or service now, you also need to know how to market it effectively. This levels the playing field for people who live in rural areas like Cumbria and who want to work from their home or a shed. However, there are lots of skills involved in internet marketing, like graphic design, web server technology, programming, using social media, multi-lingual translations, international accounting, SEO, legal issues and the psychology of marketing. It would be pretty impossible for one person to have all those skills, but the good news is that joint venture partnerships offer really exciting win win solutions. With a dynamic combination of strategic partners it is possible to create a winning home based business from anywhere. You just need to link up with the right partners.

Traditionally, such alliances were formed at networking groups like the Chamber of Commerce and business breakfast clubs. Now online forums and social media make it possible for people to connect with strategic partners, meaning that you are more likely to meet just the right partner. For instance, Glen Richardson and 5 others managed to launch SendSocial for peanuts with only one real life meeting. The rest was done virtually and because each person contributed with sweat equity, it was possible to create a revolutionary product inexpensively and quickly. Glen thinks that one of the reasons that they have been such a huge success together is because they share a similar approach to business and their values are aligned.

Strategic alliances are the way forward and offer endless opportunities. When competitors or customers become colleagues, the sky is the limit. We are seeing so many unconventional alliances now, I am particularly fascinated by the partnering of third sector organisations with marketing companies, global organisations and mainstream businesses. It is now possible for a small charity to create an international appeal whilst simultaneously benefiting a mainstream business. Examples include The Railway Children partnering with Yahoo, the #beat cancer campaign and Amanda Rose's Twestival to raise funds for clean water.

We are witnessing a massive paradigm shift in the way that we approach work and business. I share an office in a gorgeous old house in the South Lakes, situated in a lovely park. Entrepreneurs and geeks drop in and work there and we like to think of it as a Giant Plug and Play Coffee Shop, a place where we can show up, plug in and get started. People wander in and out and it gives home-workers, or as Emma Jones puts it the 5-9 crowd a change of scenery. We all plug into each other and the inspirational atmosphere means that it becomes a giant think tank. We share ideas, bounce off each other and inspire one another. We share equipment, knowledge, best practice ideas, skills and a great cup of coffee! We remind each other that it is lunch time! Strategic partnerships automatically form and new supply chains can be established within hours. Sometimes people will be on teleconference calls and speaking to multiple partners from around the world. Sometimes we just work in silence too, but it is great knowing there are friends around. This means that Cumbrian start-ups have the same opportunities to hit global markets as a business based in London or New York. It's all about choosing the right partners and the right business ideas, but having an inspirational work environment is a big fat bonus. Of course this is great news for the environment too.

You have to remember that if your business is online, no matter whether you work from home or an office, your visitors are global and there is no reason that your partners can't be too. Geography does not have to be an issue for online work now, and if you are smart, you can keep the costs down too. If you want to get started learning about internet marketing and making money online I would suggest the FREE 4 Step Internet Marketing Course. It will teach you what you need to know and give you some products to get started with. Or you can use it to market your own ideas, products or services. Give me a shout if you want to know more about getting started with that one, or just download it here. We also offer internet marketing courses for dummies in real life and we invite you to bring your laptop and show you how to you set up your first website or blog. A series of more advanced seminars are coming up in the New Year and will be delivered by successful Cumbrian internet entrepreneurs. We will of course be recording these and they will be available as webinars. These will be announced at an up and coming Tweet Up so you can plug and play with us too! Contact me on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter if you are interested in attending any of these events.

Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation
I have just read an uber useful report by a brilliant woman I know called Emma Jones. I got to know Emma when she was doing some work here in Cumbria a few years ago and we ended up at quite a few entrepreneurial master classes together. I was really fortunate to get to work with her on a project that she was heading up. We were encouraging entrepreneurship in our area of Cumbria and addressing the brain drain of young talented people. She is one smart woman, beautiful inside and out and one of the things I really like about her is that she always makes you feel good when she talks to you. She is a serial entrepreneur with the Midas Touch and everything she does is first class and top quality. She runs a business called Enterprise Nation which is a free one stop shop resource centre for those of us working from home. She also wrote a book a couple of years ago called Spare Room Start Up and I had the pleasure of attending the launch when she took it on a national tour. It is an excellent book, a best seller on Amazon and I always recommend it to delegates when I do trainings on start-up. My signed copy is one of my favorite books because it keeps reminding me of the crucial fundamentals of business.

So Emma sent me this report today, in response to an e-mail that I sent to her asking if she had any research about stats about entrepreneurs and their needs. I was chuffed to bits to get The Home Business Report 2009 which was launched last week. It is based on real-time grassroots information. Any reliable and valid information is rare in the home business sector and the report has answered a lot of my questions. I will be able to use this as part of my evidence base to present to funders for a local project that I am setting up to train young creative entrepreneurs. This is a unique document as there is very little information out there about the growing trend of home working.

For instance, did you know that the number of people starting and growing a business from home has risen to 2.8 million and the combined contribution to the annual UK economy is 284 billion? Enterprise Nation coined the phrase ‘Working 5 to 9’ which refers to those holding down a day job and building a business at nights and weekends. This is something that is often not admitted online by the crowd who claim that they make money in their sleep with little to no work. Any decent business takes blood, sweat and tears in the early days. You have to put the hours in. She advised that this is the best way to start as it gives you a chance to build confidence and cashflow, before making a full-time move into self-employment.

She said that one of the factors that has influenced the increase in home business start-ups is affordable technology. This is really important to me and my fellow entrepreneurs in Cumbria, it makes it possible to work remotely. In her extensive Home Business 2009 Survey she discovered:

"81% of respondents asserted that ‘technology is critical to the success of my business’ and the majority of home business owners choose websites and blogs as their first port of call for business advice." I think that this is a massively significant phenomenon. Some people think that the 'Freeconomics Era' is damaging the economy, but I think it will eventually separate the credible experts from the spammers and scammers. This will mean that anyone can prove their competency regardless of their educational background and to a certain extent their financial position.

Respondents of the home Business Survey also referred to the freedom and flexibility that they enjoy and an improved work/life balance. What was brilliant to hear was that a stunning 89% are expecting their turnover to grow during the next year. The great thing is that they are growing their businesses without taking on staff. Technology is allowing them to outsource and sub-contract and Emma calls on the Government to ensure that business support projects and policies are aligned with this modern approach to building a business. I echo this as I have seen a number of grants that are available in support of job creation or employing the unemployed, but there is little support for the development of entrepreneurs. Flying Start is good, but only available to graduates and does not always ensure the ongoing support and mentorship that is required. There is next to nothing available for start up enterprises which is crazy because entrepreneurship is what is required to lead us out of the recession. In times of hardship and recession, leverage is essential for recovery.

Emma Jones went on to describe the leverage that is possible through technology: "this re-defines our attitude towards growth which has historically been based on number of people on the payroll." This is a hugely exciting wave that we are riding the crest of and it will be fascinating to see where it goes and all of the implications it will have on economy, culture and social trends. Think about it: Not so long ago, women were fighting to get out to work and now men are working hard to find ways to work in slippers and have some quality time with their families. Some socioeconomical themes emerged in the report.


The 5 themes covered in the report are:

Growing the business without outgrowing the home

How home businesses are starting out

Bringing families together

Trading across borders

Having a positive impact on the local conomy and community.


Each theme is illustrated through stories about successful Uk home based businesses and they are really inspiring. It was very interesting to read about the top 100 home business hotspots in the UK and a summary of how business support is responding to the needs of home business owners. Is your area one of the top 100? Emma is no stranger to making herself heard in political forums and I really love that she is conducting such quality research that truly represents what is happening at the grassroots level. The home business world now has a voice and this will inform decisions made at central government level. She has a great way of communicating with policy-makers and I think she will make a difference to future policies no matter which political party win the general election.

Emma, who founded Enterprise Nation, spoke of the great strides that have been made in the past 12 months, including the UK's first ever Home Enterprise Day and Business Link's national home business guide (which I find brilliant) and the Central Government encouraging live/work developments. She goes on to say that more needs to be done to encourage home working to fully flourish and she calls on various bodies to take action within the report.

If you are an entrepreneur working from home in the UK, you would be really missing out if you don't read this report, and sign up to Enterprise Nation. It is a quality site populated with useful information and lively interactive forums that help to reduce the isolation experienced by many work at home entrepreneurs. It is the UK's largest community of successful home business owners and it is full jam packed with the kind of stuff that will give you the edge in your home business.

To find out more, visit Enterprise Nation and say hi to Emma, you will love her!

This is HOT off the PRESS SOCIAL MEDIA

This is the hottest new thing in social media and could be excellent news for charities and social enterprises.

How it works

SendSocial makes sending things to your friends and relatives easy – you don't even need to know where they live.

You can send an item knowing only your recipient's Twitter ID or email address. We'll send your request to the individual, and – if they choose to accept – will take their address details from them.

You'll then receive a notification that they're happy to hear from you, and will be asked to confirm the collection address and pay by credit or debit card. Once this is complete, we'll provide you with an address-less label to stick to your package, which will be collected by myHermes, our delivery partners, and delivered in 3-5 working days.

The barcode contains all the important delivery information. myHermes have upgraded their systems to be able to read these: this means that items can travel safely from A to B quickly and easily, whilst giving you the peace of mind that your privacy is guaranteed.

This means that with a bit of a brainstorm, you could come up with a really hot fundraising campaign before Christmas....think of joint partnerships here. Do you have any corporations supporting your cause who might be able to benefit from PR injection? Secret Santa? Competitions?

They have kept their pricing structure simple, charging one of three rates depending on the weight of your package. They don't have any hidden charges, either - what you see is what you pay. The prices for optional extras, such as a signature on delivery, are explained below.
Parcel weight Price
0-2kg £3.99
2-5kg £6.99
5-10kg £7.99
Additional services Price
Signature on delivery £0.99
Remote area surcharge* £1.91
Up to £25 compensation cover free

Send social is set to be the biggest thing in social media next year, and the bandwagon has not left the station yet!

3 Ways to Approach Internet Marketing

3 Ways to Approach Internet Marketing

There are 3 different internet marketing strategies that you could use to start a home based business, mostly based around the level of investment that you want to or can make when you start out. Obviously, any new business requires some kind of investment, both in terms of time and money and you can choose how you want to balance it. If you are thinking of starting an online business, then you will need to work out how to get people to visit your website in order to make money. You could have the best web design in the world, but if you don't use some kind of advertising strategy, then you will not be a successful internet marketer. However, with the right internet marketing tools, you can advertise your new business for free.

Free or low cost Internet Marketing Business Opportunities

This web marketing strategy involves putting a lot of time into making sure that you get found online. There are no two ways around it, success online does not happen by chance, and there are a number of marketing tools that you need to become familiar with and you need a clear plan of action. Otherwise, you will be making a lot of noise that no one will hear above the rest. I think it is best to have someone show you an exact step by step system that is proven to work so that you get the foundations under your belt. If you want to learn how to do something well, you should learn from a consultant who is honest and knows what they are talking about. Affiliate marketing is a great way to get started, but you do need a plan. This is the way that many of the great internet marketing giants started out, like Chris Gardner for instance, but equally people can lose a lot of money if they don't have a clear strategy. For my money, I would recommend The Turn-Key Marketing 4 Step system. This proven system will walk you through, Step-By-Step EXACTLY how to set up your income stream quickly. In fact, some people have reached a 5 Figure monthly income in around 3 months. It is one dollar to take a 2 week trial, and for that you get 4 training videos, and action manual and 10 free digital products to resell and keep 100% of the profits. After this you can take the manual and run, or continue in the coaching club for a minimal monthly investment. The coaching club gives you access to webinars, an online community of experts and access to stepping your business up to the next level.

Mid Range Investment to an Internet Marketing Business Opportunities

This option suits someone who is able to invest some money into a business that has higher profit levels and therefore has a bigger earning potential for the same amount of time needed to advertise it. You can sell mid range products and still use free advertising strategies but then get a higher return. Using this approach, the serious entrepreneur will then re-invest some of the money in either a high ticket internet business, or some really slick advertising for the mid-range one. The trick is working out how much of the business can be automated. If the answer is a lot, then keep ploughing money back into it. There is a new opportunity about to be launched that is going to be an absolute winner. It is called Primo Vacations and it offers top quality holiday destinations at next to nothing about 80% off!!!. It is like having your own travel business that you can use or sell. A brilliant product to launch in this economic climate where people have cut back on fancy holidays but are in desperate need of a good break. The compensation plan is unrivalled, and it is an easy business to get into. There is some investment required of course, but you would soon be on holiday yourself and probably find yourself in the company of all the top internet marketers who are taking advantage of a great deal! Pack up your laptop and work by the beach!!


High Ticket Internet Marketing Business Opportunities

These businesses are for people who are online to make serious money. These are not hobbies or experiments, they are for single-minded determined entrepreneurs who are set to make 6 or 7 figures and come hell or high water will do it. Some people come to this after working their way up through the other two options, and some jump in feet first. If you have worked your way up to high ticket sales, you probably have some money to employ others to do some of the work and can then leverage some of your time and exponentially increase your earnings. This is when it gets really exciting. The the premier online package is Your Net Biz. They aim to aim to partner with serious entrepreneurs and give them a direct line to success. They provide unmatched value with our product suite, distinct and innovative marketing solutions, and cutting edge, real time, marketing training, which will give you all the internet marketing tools you need to go straight to the top. This is not for everyone, you do need to have the right mindset to make it work. However, if you are interested in getting the free 4 step training manual and videos, this would be a great place to explore whether it is right for you. It will give you a clear idea about what is involved. To your success!

Cumbria Underwater, Please Donate

Hi, it is Monday the 23rd November 2009 and all is not well in Cumbria. Since Thurs, we have been experiencing relentless rain and flooding and some parts of the county are in a state of emergency. Thousands of people in Cumbria have been warned today that they could be cut off for months because some of our bridges have either collapsed or are now too dangerous to use.

As a county, Cumbria is mostly rural and perhaps best known for The Lake District National Park. It is one of the most gorgeous parts of the UK. Tiny roads run cross country between towns that are miles apart. It is a big county, and with mountains, forests, lakes and a coastline. People love visiting because of the natural beauty and because of the wide open spaces and places to get away from it all. We rely heavily on tourism and many industries are seasonal.

The flooding at the moment is devastating. People have been evacuated from their homes in Workington, Carlisle and Cockermouth. Many of our old bridges, that were designed for horse and cart traffic have either collapsed or are in danger of doing so. As I write it is still raining. Workington is in danger of being cut off for months. The Calva bridge that links the north and the south of the town is no longer safe, so the town is completely divided. The whole town was cut off from the rest of the county when the Northside Bridge collapsed on Friday. PC Bill Barker was killed when he was swept away stopping a bus from crossing just as the bridge collapsed. Chief Constable Craig Mackey has created a Face Book page to pay tribute and already there have been an overwhelming 10,000 + people pledging their support to his family and colleagues. I hope this support continues beyond the hype of the news. So many families will be emotionally and financially suffering for months to come. The area was already hard hit by the recession and they will need massive help to recover from this.

Currently, engineers and military experts continue to monitor the county's 1,800 bridges which are in danger of collapse. Gordon Brown has pledged a million pounds to help with the clear up, I'm not so sure how much difference that will make to the 50-100 million pounds of damage. About twenty boats on Lake Windermere have sunk due to the floods and holiday homes near the lake have been evacuated. A recovery company is meant to be coming today to raise the boats, but it is still raining.

Thirteen primary schools and five secondary schools will be closed today, with the majority hoping to reopen on Tuesday. Our local high school, Ulverston Victoria has been used as a refuge centre for people with no where to stay. About 60 people were still sheltering in the two main reception centres. Local people are offering temporary accommodation to those affected by the floods. If you would like to be added to this list - please send your name and contact details including phone numbers - and a brief summary of what you can offer, to Julian at Visit Cumbria: julian@visitcumbria.com Tel 07747 146816. Local tradespeople offering help with flood damage clearance and repairs are also invited to send contact details and a brief summary of what they can offer and can have a free listing on Visit Cumbria.

Another downpour is expected in the coming days, with strong winds tomorrow night. The Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund, set up by the Cumbria Community Foundation reached £145,000 so far, but so much more is needed. If you would like to help, you can donate through the Cumbria Foundation. http://www.cumbriafoundation.org who have a Give Now button on their site.

eFundraising Offers You Help with an Experienced Fundraising Consultant

eFundraising offer a variety of fundraising kits for you to choose from to raise money for your non-profit organisation. They are a Canadian company who have created a variety of solutions for third sectors to raise money.

They offer personal consultation and up to 90% of the profit and give you a choice of proven fundraising programmes. Their online store has a variety of products at competitive prices, including chocolates, scratch cards, magazines, cookie dough and lots more. Once you have requested a free information kit, you are given an opportunity to discuss this with an experienced fundraising consultant. They like to help you make sure that you are choosing the right programme for your charity, school, support group or other not for profit organisation. This is based on your financial needs, your group type, your past fundraising experience, the expected participation rate and the motivation level of your group, as well as your geographic location.

If you are interested, just browse through the site and check out the selection of programmes, select a kit and then you can call them if you like to discuss. Once you have run your campaign, which should last about 2 weeks, you can place your order online or on the phone.

Obviously the more successful you are, the more successful they are so it is in your interest for them to help you.

Dutch Mill Bulbs are another company who might interest you. They offer a wide variety of spring bulbs, an ideal gift for keen gardeners. This would lend itself well to a heritage or development trust.

There are lots of companies out there offering this kind of service. Try and pick one that you think offers the best range of products for your organisation. Have fun and good luck!

Joint Venture Partnerships

Joint venture partnerships are becoming more and more popular and are offering both businesses and charities a bail out solution. Many main stream businesses are approaching charities to work together. It gives the charities a financial solution and a way to raise money with little effort and it gives the company a unique selling point. It also means that the charity will be endorsing the company to its members.
The consumer wins too, because he or she gets to support a charity and buy something at the same time as opposed to making a straight donation.

Businesses are jumping on this bandwagon too, and recognising that if they are seen to be supporting a charity, they will get corporate social responsibility points. A company that is advertising the fact that it is supporting a charity is advertising itself as a caring company: Subtext, buy from us we care about such and such and we are doing well enough to give to charity.

So Printing Direct offer a collection of Corporate Charity Christmas Cards. You can choose from over forty UK based domestic and international charities to support when ordering your cards. Printing Direct then have the advantage over other printing companies who don't team up with a charity, the business advertises itself and the charity wins as well. This isn't news, but what is new is how easy it is to do this online. You can have them personalised, personalised inside with your company details. The logo and description of your selected charity will also appear on the facing page inside your card.

Charities could take the initiative themselves, they could a potential joint venture partner and have cards made up and then ask their members to place an order with a company.

Combined Charities Christmas Shops 1971 - 2008 is an amazing company if you are thinking of doing this.

Combined Charities began in 1971, with 12 participating charities. It has now grown to 5 times that. The internet venture seemed a logical extension of what they were already doing and allowed them to provide the service to charities with no local volunteer effort to support a position in the shops.

But get this:

1] Charities, whether in their shops or on their web-site, get 100% of their sales.

2] No-one working for Combined Charities is paid.

Get in touch if you are looking to produce cards, check out the site knowing that charities get 100% returned to them.

How lovely to know that such people still exist.

Use the X Factor to Propel your donations

X Factor Charity Single for Great Ormond Street: Watch Sunday

This is a superb bit of fundraising that will inspire people to give to such a worthy cause. Online, immediate and easy. See how it is done?

Ok, so you don't have access to X Factor, but you could partner with others? This is the way forward. If you are doing something worthwhile, people will back you and you don't have to fit in to funders' criteria, you can take it to the public vote...dead lock, go for it! The following text is taken from the below address where you can make donations.

http://www.inentertainment.co.uk/20091112/x-factor-charity-single-for-great-ormond-street-watch-sunday/

As you all know, it’s the “X Factor” live results show on Sunday nights and every week, the finalists perform a group song to open the show. And this Sunday, is going to be a very special performance for the “X Factor” finalists.

According to itv.com, all of this year’s finalists will be reunited this Sunday, for an exclusive first performance of their Great Ormond Street Hospital charity single, which this year is Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone.”

Over the past few weeks, all twelve finalists have been busy working together to record the new single, which will be available to download on the Sunday, and available to buy in the shops from the Monday 16th November.

The moment has almost arrived now, for the 12 finalists to unveil their new charity single and it appears that they couldn’t be more excited. Jamie Archer said that they all feel honoured, to be part of such a great cause.

Rachel Adedeji said that they hope it gets to number one. And we hope that it goes to No.1 as well, as a percentage of the proceeds from every single downloaded and every CD purchased, goes to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

And if you want to know more information about Great Ormond Street Hospital and the amazing work that it does, then you can by visiting www.gosh.org/x-factor/.

6 Weeks to Christmas Have you Got a Campaign?

Ok, so we are on the run up to Christmas and I thought I would feature different charities and third sector organisations who are running interesting, creative and successful fundraising strategies online. It will give you some ideas and also make you think about what else you could be doing all year round.

Today's featured charity is Childline who have teamed with Ichameleon. The following text is from their website:

Last year's ChildLine appeal website, designed and built by Ichameleon, exceeded all expectations in raising over 10 times the expected fundraising target. This allowed ChildLine to answer an additional 157,000 calls from children in need. This year ChildLine has again asked Ichameleon to spearhead the Christmas fundraising campaign with a site designed to appeal to the child in everyone.

Packed with fun features, activities and stunning images, this year's site is a one-stop-shop for anyone wanting to find ways to support the charity. The site cleverly integrates with payment gateways and third party applications to make the whole process of giving and supporting easy.

Highlights include:

Order a personalised letter from Santa
Buy cards and gifts online
Choose which Reindeer heads Santa's sleigh
Track Santa from space via satellite

Ichameleon is delighted to be partnering with ChildLine again on this exciting project and we are confident that this year's site will capture supporters' imagination and deliver a fantastic return to help even more children this Christmas!


I think this is brilliant and I am going to be looking out for this one. The genius of it is that it is giving people something exciting but without it having to be manned. That's the idea, automate as much as you can.

Think Before You Tweet!

Tweet Quiz: What kind of poster are you?

What started out as social media is in danger of becoming very anti-social I think. I have met some really great people who have become proper friends, lots of people who have inspired or taught me and others who I delete from my profile pretty quickly. I have been really fascinated by the ways that some people communicate on social media platforms. I wonder if they behave like that in real life or if they just forget that they are making contact with a real person? Well, even that's debatable some people's tweets are so automated that they just have conversations with other autoresponders!


I have noticed 7 different types of social network posters:

Autoposters

These are the ones who use a completely autogenerated system of following, unfollowing and responding. They can grow thier twitter accounts without ever going near twitter and even send out tweets. Not very social, and it is fairly obvious to the tweetee. It will be interesting to see whether the long term success of having artificially inflated numbers of followers does in fact have any impact on the long-term success of businesses or in fact Twitter. Surely if this trend continues Twitter will lose its value once it reaches a critical mass.


Funnyposters

I love these! If they are really funny. I have a strange sense of humour, so what I think is funny may not appeal to anyone else, but I do love it when someone makes me laugh outloud. One that I read recently was "I hate peeing on electric fences." It was a welcome reprieve from the many aggressive posts that I was bombarded with that day.

Aggressiveposters

These are the really loud and irritating ones who scream at you as soon as you friend them up or follow them. They scream buy my product, you are crazy not to, one time only...blah blah blah. They know nothing about you and they keep bombarding you with hard sales, mostly for snake oil calibre products. MLM, matrix, health products, weight loss solutions and get rich quick scams. It is a kind of spam and I don't like it. Delete. Unfollow, get out of my face.


Helpfulposters

These guys are cool. They give you information, ideas and links to articles that teach us something useful. They have knowledge or insights to a subject and they share the information. They save you time and introduce you to new concepts. They are there for the good of the online community and are confident enough about themselves not to have to scream at you the second you meet. They generally have a good clean online presence and conduct their business with respect, kindness and a helpful spirit. I like dealing with them and would be more likely to build a relationship with them and eventually buy from them.

Holyposters

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and it is great to share them....when you have permission or invitation to do so.
Helps us learn. . .however, don't knock me over the head with your beliefs. I have my own thank you very much. Some people use social network platforms like a podium to inflict the world with their (often rigid and dogmatic) doctrine. Case in point is the story about Carrie Prejean who is dominating Twitter conversations because she has upset so many people with her religious fanatacism.


Friendlyposters

These are people who are personable and warm and give something of themselves. Done skillfully these guys are the ones who really make social contact with others and are likely to become friends. However, done clumsily or in an over familiar way, they can be a real turn off. It is always great to get behind the scenes and find out people's stories, and feel as though we are getting to know them a bit. When we get insights into their lifestyle, habbits, likes and dislikes we begin to get a sense of the person behind the business. We are social creatures, we make decisions based on what we think of someone we might enter into a transaction with.


Inspiringposters

These guys are wonderful. I love clicking on some profiles of people who really walk their talk and this wonderful warm feeling oozes from between thier wise words. I think it is really obvious when you visit their sites that they are the genuine article. They add value to the day, make the world a better place and talk about things that really matter and hold meaning. They remind us to be better people.

What kind of posts do you leave and what does this say about you as a person? let's not fill the internet up with such rubbish and be mindful of our words, they are your shop window.

Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur!

I have been single parenting now for about 10 years and I want to share some of the highs and lows with you.  My family are the most important thing in my life, and I am a real home bird.  I would also consider myself very ambitious and a career woman, so for many years I have been pulled in lots of directions trying to get the best of both worlds.  My career has centered around empowering others and I have given it my everything, and sometimes there was not much of me left at the end of the day.  I have had jobs, but I have also run my own businesses, basically I did what it took to live a middle class life style and make sure the kids could do all their lessons, and opportunities.  In short I was exhausted. 


The lone parenting bit has been good, I feel complete and happy with myself and my children.  I have learned how to be strong, resilient and independent. I am resourceful and spirited and I think my kids have become stronger for it too.  I enjoy really close and quality relationships with all my children who I think are also independent, fun, free-thinking individuals.  I am really proud of all of them.  I have mostly managed to be there after school and in school holidays, although it has meant some serious juggling acts over the years.  I tried different home businesses to earn extra income but it took me a while to find the right one that would give me career satisfaction, time at home with the kids and substantially more than just extra income. No more juggling acts!


The answer for me has involved some retraining and learning all about internet marketing.  It is a big complex industry with many facets and opportunities.  I trained with a company who offer a comprehensive program, personal coaching and a ready made network.  This means that I work for myself (hooray) but never by myself and I have much more time with my children. It has given me unlimited earning potential and as many choices as I give myself.  The best thing is the leverage it offers, freeing up time and energy.


Internet marketing is a really great option for parents who want to work from home or people like airforce Moms who move around a lot and would otherwise have discontinuity in their careers.  I really like the offline side of it too, I have met some really wonderful people online who have now become offline friends and colleagues.  My dream is to help lots and lots of single parents end their financial and energy drain struggles and create the kind of income that will allow them to enjoy their family growing up. I know how exhausting single parenting can be, and if you are looking for a way of changing your financial situation, I would be very happy to chat with you about internet marketing as an option. I am not promising that it will make you a millionaire, although it is certainly possible, but many people replace their yearly income monthly.   It's not for everyone, but it could just be the answer you are looking for. 

A Warning to Anyone Thinking Of Joining Your Net Biz

A Warning to Anyone Thinking Of Joining Your Net Biz

Third Sector Rant

Unite Trade Union has warned against the growing trend for social enterprises to deliver health care that has up until now been delivered by NHS. The Trade Union has launched a campaign against the proposal of a newly launched social enterprise in Kent and has also called for a ballot of staff in a Hull NHS primary care trust about an SE called City Health Care Partnership. Unite believes that the creation of social enterprises could break up the health service and increase existing costs.

My question is why are these enterprises being set up in the first place? I believe that the creation of more social enterprises means the creation of many more choices that are not available on the NHS. I also think that they will be able to provide a better and more cost effective service in many cases. Lastly, they will be able to deliver a very personal and individualised care package. I know that this does happen in some areas of NHS care, but it is not always possible. My neighbour is a nurse, and I know how stretched she is, often she is expected to be doing much more than she has time for. I used to work as a nurse and I felt frustrated by the way that money was spent and not spent. For instance, nutrition should be of primary concern for people who are going through a healing process, but the budget meals remain a false economy in many hospitals. In contrast, there were many uneccesary medicines distributed to patients as a matter of routine, which then created side effects that eventually cost more money.

Enough ranting about that, the point is that I believe that if the proper processes are in place, that third sector organisations are well placed to deliver the kind of quality that we expect in the private sector but with the accessibility of the public sector. They will be able to deliver care based on sound research and common sense and be able to make choices based on what is needed locally. Win Win. Unite are worried that the inevitable collapse of social enterprises will mean that our health care will then be farmed out to the private sector.

Well, (rant continues), then support the social enterprises financially and give them good business guidance to help them become sustainable. Too much money gets wasted arguing about how the money will be distributed by the fundholders on big fat salaries. By the time it dribbles down to the charities and social enterprises it is hardly surprising that they have to work so hard to be sustainable.

Unite also argue that this move towards social enterprises will lead to defragmentation of the services. I argue that in this information age, it is so easily remedied and in fact stacking websites could mean a much easier access to all of the services available and more unity in the health care sector.

These days, social enterprises are highly accountable and will only get funding if the correct policies and procedures are in place and are adhered to. I suspect they come under even more scrutiny than the public sector at times but the difference is that they have more scope to be able to deliver context specific services.

Under Department of Health policy, all primary care trusts are becoming commissioners rather than providers of services and have the choice of becoming foundations, trusts or social enterprises. change is happening whether we like it or not. I would prefer to see the third sector take a leading role in our health care service and create a system of health promotion rather than illness fixing.

Rant over, this is a subject close to my heart and I really believe that the rise of the social enterprise could have a massive effect on the health and well being and our economy of our country, if it is supported and funded properly.

Spirituality and Social Conscience

I have been networking on Facebook for a little while now and have acquired many new American Friends who are not afraid of talking about their spirtual beliefs in the same breath as their business promotion. This is much less likely to happen on this side of the pond, but something is changing. No longer is cash king and I often hear people refering to the 'tripple bottom line' (people, planet and profit) and in this country, we an influx of third sector organisations. I am interested in looking beyond the ppp model and exploring the s- spirituality in charities and social enterprises, and specifically in entrepreneurship.


What is spirituality? Well, there is no academic or theological consensus about what spirituality is, but what I am referring to is personal values and qualities like honesty, compassion, trust, integrity, responsibility, personal awareness, awareness of something higher beyond the self, and social awareness. There is some kind of communication with the higher power like prayer or meditation and this informs behaviour with self, others and the environment. To me it is generic and inclusive and nothing to do with a specific religion.

What does spirituality have to do with entrepreneurship? I guess for me, entrepreneurs are the movers and shakers, the shapers and the trend setters. They have direct and indirect effects on the global economy, buying patterns and even thinking patterns, especially in this instant information age.

We see this happen in big business, where people are inspired by entrepreneurial giants to make millions by following their spiritual success formula. Take The Secret for instance. This was a group of highly successful entrepreneurs who got together to tell the world about how their spiritual beliefs were directly responsible for their success. This created an exponential growth of mastermind groups, internet marketing of Secret products, Law of Attraction paraphanalia, coaching courses, new books, ebooks and it changed the way that lots of people approached business.

Then we see people like Jim Rohn, who is a popular American motivational and business coach who has been giving seminars to large companies and indivuals for more than 40 years. He is a many times published author of books about spirituality, success, leadership, business skills, self development, dealing with customers, and motivation. He works with people to help them improve self-confidence, determination to succeed, mental attitude and ambition. Louise Hay has also been connecting spirituality with business and success for many years and has never changed her bottom line, she teaches that if we love ourselves and give to others, everything else will fall into place. Her own success was built on these principles and she grew in wealth and popularity when she began her work with AIDS victims in the 80s, teaching them to love and accept themselves.

For the past few years, I have been actively seeking out creative and social entrepreneurs and have been meeting with them to find out exactly how they do success and what drives them to be successful. I have noticed that some entrepreneurs have made millions lost and regained, some come into it in later life and some people start at about age 5 or 6 and never stop. I am deeply curious about the links between spirituality, mindset and success and continue on my journey of exploration. I am watching the effects of the internet, corporate downsizing, the move towards working from home and the emergence of like-minded individuals forming remote companies. It is an extremely interesting time for business and it could be said that the recession was needed to break down the old structures and create a big enough discomfort zone for new structures to emerge.

I wonder if there are increasing numbers of people who are identifying as spiritual-social entrepreneurs and this is a growing movement or whether the internet is just allowing us to find each other? Maybe we are all just getting a little braver about talking about it, or maybe the effects of people like Jim Rohn and Louise Hay and Deepak Chopra have reached a critical mass? Are we getting wiser to the unethical entrepreneurs who would prey on vulnerable individuals and can we prevent the human race re-creating the old model of world economics? Are there enough 'conscious' entrepreneurs to make fundamental changes to the way that we think about wealth creation and distribution?

Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, was one of my personal heroes for lots of reasons. She built a company based on strong ethical principles and she made a moral decision to employ the unemployable and put 25 per cent of the net profits back into charitable work. She was determined to keep the soul of the company alive. In today's economic climate people are having to dig deep, seriously reflect on and consider their current direction and values and assess whether their game plan is really working for them. It is a time of challenge and opportunity. In the words of Kahil Gibran, The Prophet, “Work is love made visible.”

How do you approach success?

The Importance of U in Fundraising

We all know that the competition is getting fiercer out there. I was looking at one funding body yesterday and they warned that less than 5% of the applicants are successful. How many man hours are spent in this country writing unsuccessful funding applications? This also means that there is a huge amount of stress put on the poor funding bodies who have to go through hundreds of grant applications to choose the winners.

I know people are starting to get more creative with funding bids and are submitting DVDs and other forms of multi media to stand out from the crowd on first look. This is crucial in today's world. I also think in this age of uber information success in the third sector depends on your ability to convince people that you are real and working with real people. How can you do that?

You and your organisation need to shine through as much as the people who you are helping do. The reality is, no matter what you do or how well you you are doing it, if you can't engage your funder or sponsor, you will not get a second chance in a pile of bids. Your goal is to keep ‘em reading, whether that is on a website or an application. If your funder likes your “voice” and your “music”, then you’re on your way to getting through to the critical next stage in the process.

People are more likely to donate to people. Include something on your website that tells your personal story and the story of your organisation so that your supporters can relate to you when they visit your website for the first time. Even if you don't feel competent in your writing skills, don't worry, people relate to REAL people. Anyway, once you get those creative juices flowing you might just surprise yourself.
People will trust and relate to you more if you share your background and what you
were looking for when you got started, as well as WHY you are so passionate about your charity or social enterprise.

Tell them a little about you. Most people are involved in charity work because they have been personally affected in some way themselves. I am so passionate about this because I have been there myself and I feel passionate about finding ways for the amazing and caring people to free themselves from financial worry and just get on with doing their charitable work. I also want them to have some kind of life outside of that work. So let your supporter find some common ground and relate to you on many different levels. You never know exactly where someone might find a connection with you, so include as much detailed info as you can, as long as it’s on topic.

You’ll be more likely to attract like-minded funders and supporters that way too, which will make your life so much easier when you are delivering what you have agreed to deliver. Remember, YOU are the one thing that sets you apart from everyone
else in the field. And your story is the one thing that no one can duplicate.
Writing your story out will require a bit of thought, but it will be well worth it.

When you are finished, let a few people read it and get some feedback. Do remember to ask people who will be honest rather than say what they think you want to hear!

Have fun with it! Make it interesting, add photos that people will relate to, but keep it professional too.

I would love to see any examples and would be happy to post them on here. Mine about me page is www.whoiskayhebbourn.com. Happy to have feedback from you!

Remember to ask me how Yahoo! is willing to give your charity or SE a free guaranteed funding stream.

Time, Money and Freedom. Gold Fever?

Time, Money and Freedom. Gold Fever?

Time, money and freedom (especially financial) are the top 3 reasons that people join in the contemporary 'goldrush' that we see now as people from every demographic search the net to find the holy grail. It used to be 6 figures, but more recently I notice that there are more and more ads suggesting that 7 figures are possible with the latest biz op. I unerstand that only 1-2% of internet marketers are successful, although just how those statsitics can be measured I don't know.

What I do know is that there are some striking similarities between the goldrush at Klondyke and the clamber to the top of Google. During the goldrush, educated men like doctors, lawyers, teachers and writers took to the cruel Canadian terrain and risked everything in order to gain in most cases nothing. They left families behind to cope without them and many of them never returned. The analogy here is obvious, Joe Bloggs turned internet marketer has an acute case of Gold Fever. Last seen in a pair of pyjammas, he was disappearing into the screen of his laptop having maxed out every credit card going. Meanwhile, he becomes more and more desperate as the need to generate huge amounts of money drives him in a relentless persuit of finding the pot of gold. In the same way that the goldrush brought out man's inhumanity to man, so does the internet. He uses ruthless scams, spam, schemes, fraud, complex trickery, hacking and lies and perpetuates the cycle.

On the other hand, we see some people digging deep and thinking laterally. Have you ever noticed that creative inspiration is often concieved in the darkest places inside ourselves? Jack London, whose books include White Fang, The Call of the Wild, and To Build a Fire, a collection of short stories, based his work on his time in The Yukon. My suspicion is that writing is one of the keys to making it online too. Whether it is convincing sales copy, quality content, hilariously funny blogs or how to articles, writing is key. I know that many very wealthy people have been bankrupt, on the streets or have had to figure out how to get out of the gutter. Many writers have discovered themselves by accident, or out of necessity.

So what is it that makes the difference between success and failure? I think it is about a shift in approach, mindset and flexibility. It is about thinking positively, noticing opportunities, taking risks, becoming ok with failure and plodding along with focus. It may also be about having the right mentor, and by that I mean someone who is a good teacher but also encourages individuality in his students. The other attributes of successful people are self esteem, resourcefulness and self respect. If these things are part of daily life we stand much more of a chance to collect the coins along the way and actually enjoy the journey at the same time. If you are chasing pots of gold, please think carefully about what it is costing you and whether a bit of lateral thinking might help you get there faster.

Raise Unlimited Funds with YAHOO Now!

Raise Unlimited Funds with Yahoo!

Yahoo! have partnered with Whitebox to offer any charity or social enterprise a no-brain solution to fundraising. This is a fantastic opportunity for organisations to raise money. It takes very little effort and is completely FREE. What's the catch? There isn't one.
It is a win win situation for everyone. This is how it works.

Whitebox will provide you with a dedicated search box that is linked to your website. If you don't have a website they will build a website for you, completely free of charge, with a revenue generating searchbox on it. This searchbox is customised to be in line with the branding of your charity. If you already have a website, you can choose to have a search box added to your own browser and this will also generate revenue. You can add this to as many sites as you want on the internet or even intranet. Yahoo! then pays the charity money for a percentage of searches through this box. You can keep track of what you are raising on a daily basis.


The idea is that you give the link to as many supporters,friends and family as you can and then they fundraise for you, just by doing their ordinary searches online. Whitebox collect the money from Yahoo and pay you what you have raised straight into your bank account. The opportunity is not available to individuals or private businesses of course.

Who wins? Yahoo! win because they increase the number of searches to their site thereby generating money from their paid advertisers. The advertisers win because they get found. Whitebox win because they take a percentage of the Yahoo! donations to continue to build their team, build websites, provide links and manage the financial accounts. you win because you have the capacity to raise lots of money without filling in a single form.

How can this be true? It is! Whitebox have got their tick from Charity Fundraising Standards and have partnered with NCGO,WCVO and SCVO. Their policy is to be as transparent as possible and they are very happy to chat with you, they are real people. Whitebox is a family run organisation with Tony and Fiona Lloyd running the show and their two boys Alisdair and Peter hot on their heels.

They are as happy to work with tiny charities as they are with large multi-nationals and they even take on non-constituted groups so long as they are meeting community needs. One of the most successful charities is The Railway Children, a charity who support children living on the streets. They have installed the search boxes on the London Underground Intranet and have raised more than £63,000 for the children!

If you would like more informationa about how your organisation could benefit, please give me a shout and I'll help you get going or mail info@whitebox.com

Reporter-Cub: Scam: Cambridge Who's Who Among Executives and Professionals

Reporter-Cub: Scam: Cambridge Who's Who Among Executives and Professionals

Cloud Sourcing? It's all Geek to Me

Cloud Sourcing? It's all Geek to me.

What is all this talk about cloud sourcing? It's all Geek to me... I am waiting for the for dummies version to come out! What I do know is that it is going to level the playing field of opportunities around the world. I think it is so hard to grasp because it is requiring me to think aobut something in another dimension. Now I need to think vertically as well as laterally.

What is a Cloud?

A global marketplace in cyberland. A place where smart people from all round the planet meet. Cool people like techies and geeks, artists and designers, movers and shakers, entrepreneurs and gurus, scientists, politicians and other suit wearing people. Another step towards leveling the playing field.

Cloud sourcing enables someone with unique needs to connect with someone who can deliver them. One person could be in Siberia and the other in tim buc two as long as they can both access the cloud. No longer does the sole trader have to stretch himself to the point of exhaustion trying to be expert in every aspect of his business in order to remain solvent. No one has to be a jack of all trades and organisations can get on with doing what they do best.

Great news for the third sector. Fundraising sharks can be outsourced by remote organisations freeing them up to do the fantastic things that they do best. Think of the impact on the environment. Think of what it will do for budding musicians trying to get found...Cloud Factor here we come!

Cloud sourcing will allow important global challenges to be discussed by in real time, and for new platforms to be established by the smartest thinkers around the world. Using clouds to outsource aspects of a project to experts in other locations will mean quicker completion and reduced expenditure for budding companies with big potential. Joint partnerships will develop from the most unlikely places and new products will find their way to market in record time.

There will be more collaboration and less competition and the world will come to know about new innovations as soon as they hit the streets. And best of all it's free. Bring it on!

Coaching, Training and Mentoring

The words coaching, training and mentoring get shoved into a phrase and knocked about too easily these days. I feel that that this sidelines and undermines the true value in each of these processes. They have become like one phrase that has lost all meaning or value, especially in the internet marketing industry.
 
What is Internet Marketing?
 
Internet Marketing is a system of marketing on the internet!  Now there's a surprise!  It usually involves setting up a website, affiliate marketing, banner ads, branding, selling products and services or training, raising awareness, writing blogs and articles, social networking, video and other multi media marketing.  This is not a complete list, there are so many aspects to IM limited only by your imagination.  So whilst thre are huge opportunities for success, there is massive scope for failure and scamming.

Why? It is heavily branded as a get rich quick arena and this is of course very appealing to people who are in dire straits. It has the potential for unethical sales people to use all of their snake oil tricks on a very targeted and vulnerable market in direct ways. Secondly, it can be a very overwhelming and confusing field to work in as there is so much to learn. If you don't have someone reminding you to just take one step at a time, it would be easy to go under because of the overwhelm. So to supposedly combat the element of confusion, many internet marketing companies sell their business opportunities by promising a coaching component. However, this is often not delivered in the proper sense of the word.
 
What is a Coach?

A coach believes in you and helps you believe in yourself
A coach is a leader who helps you take control of your destiny
A coach has special tools to help you reach your goals
A coach is specially trained and has skills to eek out the rubbish and replace it with shiny new patterns
A coach has undergone training, supevised practice and has been coached themselves

As a qualified and experienced success coach and NLP practitioner, I feel that the word coach is used too freely on the internet.  Coaching is much more than advice, a paint by number system or a series of videos.  Coaching is individual and related directly to changing individual thought patterning.  Coaching is about a real person engaging in a real process with you. If you are buying a package because of the coaching element, make sure that it really is coaching that is being offered, not just another ebook or video.
 
What is Training?
 
Training is a process of teaching and learning of information, skills and creates time to reflect on personal effectiveness. Effective trainings make you think about things differently and then make improvements.  The goal of training is to create new skills that extend way beyond the time of the training. 

Video training lends itself well to internet marketing because you can stop and start the video and pull up a second screen and complete tasks one at a time.  This reinforces the learning and breaks complicated tasks into simple steps. It also allows you to watch it over and over again if you need to (I did)!
Live training of course allows for interaction and for the trainer to provide feedback and guidance.
What is a Mentor?

A mentor is a guide who can help you find the right direction. Mentors draw on their own similar experiences to give you an opportunity to succeed.  A mentor should ask questions and challenge, while providing guidance and encouragement.  A good mentor helps you become more self aware and helps you take more responsibility for your life and points you in the right direction.

Choosing the right business mentor is really important.  Can you remember anyone who really inspired you and motivated you to learn?  We all need that kind of person when we are starting out.  This is the kind of person you need to look for if you are serious about finding funding streams online.

If you are completely new to IM and you are really serious about making a lot of money you will need all three. You need to find somene who will work with you to set your goals, be able to train you and give you new skills, and will be able to guide you with your business strategy. It is worth doing your research, it will save you in the long run.

How Article Writing Will Benefit Your Charity or Social Enterprise

Four Reasons That Your Charity Will Benefit From Article Writing


Article writing is of huge benefit to charities and social enterprises for four reasons: they help you get in front of the right people, in the right way, drives the right traffic back to your site and increases your Google rankings. Oh and they won't cost you anything!

Articles are informative pieces of writing of about 500-700 words that you can submit to article directories, other websites, blogs, other related charity publications, CVS bulletins or anywhere that you think your supporters are likely to visit. You provide informative content and you get a link back to your site. This has two benefits, it increases your Google rankings and it makes it possible for people to find you even if your site is not doing too well. Great news for third sector organisations that have not got a big budget. It would obviously make sense to write about what you know best, your charity or social enterprise and your subject area. You don't have to be a brilliant writer to get all the benfits, you just have to give information that is useful. In addition do write to appeal to people's emotions. Photographs can really help with this.

Choose a title that tells the reader what to expect. Use keywords that you think that your supporters are likely to use in their searches for you.

There is also a good chance that your articles will be picked up by online publishers and published somewhere else credited to you and linked to your site. It is possible to submit the same article to many different distributors. Of course, the more links you have, the more traffic you get and the more likely you will be to get donations. The most important thing is to make it a regular practice, keep your articles current, fresh and interesting. Soon you will be seen as a trusted expert in your field. This also supports any funding bids that you do too.

Submit articles to places you think good supporters my be lurking. For instance if your social enterprise addresses environmental issues in Zog you might want to submit something to a high society online magazine like 'Zog Life' where influential land owners might share your concerns. Be creative.

The best thing is it's Free!

So make it a habit, put it in your diary and do it! If you would like to put something on here with a link back to your site that would be great.

Happy Writing!

Kay

The Secret Reverse Robinhood Principle

The Secret
I have been working in the personal development field for a long time now, with myself, private clients and students. I have traveled the Artist's Way, learned from Deepak Chopra and learned NLP, CBT and EFT. I have been coached, theraped and mentored and have offered these services to others. I have successfully managed to be a single WAHP (Work at Home Parent) whilst working in this field and have got the t-shirt!

I learned and taught that our thoughts create our reality. That we need to take responsibility for what is happening to us and that no one can make us feel anything, and we create our own feeling state.

I watched The Secret when it first came out and loved it. I read Louise Hay, Napoleon Hill and have seen many trends come and go. But there is one trend that has never changed.

The reality is that most people who watch The Secret or something similar, are inspired and and believe that this new insight will change their lives but when this doesn't happen, they soon revert to old styles of thinking. They then buy the next product that offers the secret.

Why is this?

Well, lots of people have a huge dissonance between their desired world beliefs and their actual personal beliefs about themselves and this results in confusion. This means that the actions they take and the efforts to attract different things in life are not in line with either their desired world beliefs or their personal beliefs. They become victims to anyone who claims to be able to sell them the next hyped up solution. When these fail, they end up feeling worse than ever, like a complete failure. This just reinforces the negative self beliefs and makes them search for something out there that will help them.

The internet marketing and MLM industries are case in point. They become entwined with personal development and spirituality. The personal development is sold alongside the moneymaking package making people believe that the products are ethical and credible and people buy them thinking that it will solve their problems. However, for faulty thought patterning to change, people need to work at a very deep level and often need intensive one to one support of one kind or another over a period of time. This level of support is not given to the consumers of the money making products and so the cycle continues. The hungry and needy and desperate continue to line the pockets of the very wealthy.

More recently, I have seen a new generation of gurus who are claiming to be giving back and wanting to teach people how to overcome this problem. It will be interesting to see if this is the case. I am fascinated by what makes people tick, what drives their decision-making and what makes some of them eventually really take stock and decide to address their underlying problems. The Secret has created a big platform for people to sell 'I can show you how to make it work' products to victims of low self esteem, there are probably ads on the side of this page that illustrate this beautifully. This happens in money making arenas and in the personal development industry. I think this is a part of the western economic crisis as people have gone into debt to try and grasp the holy grail. The problem is they are grasping at something external.

The sad thing is mindset and finances are interlinked. You just need to really understand how they are really related and which one comes first. Others can teach you how to make money, but you need to make the inner changes yourself. No one can give you a paint by number formula. You can create the future you want but you need to understand what needs fixing. The old methods of cold calling and hard selling are over. We need to learn to give in order to receive.

Not much of a secret really.

Niche, Brand or Partner?

Yesterday I spoke a bit about the importance of finding the right people to help you with the areas of your work that you know you are a bit weak in. I would like to look at that in more detail today and especially look at why this is important online. Think of the last three purchases you made online. Who did you buy from (or donate to) and why? The chances are you did some research, looked at the price, the product and the terms and conditions and felt that you could trust the organisation. We buy from people we know. like and trust. Sometimes we trust a company because we are very familiar with the brand like Amazon. Sometimes we trust a company because they demonstrate expertise in a niche market. So they might not have an international appeal and recognition, but within a niche community they are respected.

So what does this mean for you? It means that it would be foolish to think that you could start raising a lot of money by trying to sell commonly searched for and widely available products if you are not a recognised online brand. Online branding is quite a different process to offline and it is much more than just your website. If you were thinking of buying something from someone online, you would probably Google their name to find out more about them. You would want to know that they are who they say they are. This means you would look at the things that they have published to the web like press releases, blogs, articles, their website and adverts. You will want to also know what others are saying about them too in postings and in the social networking arena. That is assuming of course that you can find them online in the first place. If you are a small charity or social enterprise who is hoping to attract donations online you will be competing against much bigger organisations who have already got a very strong online brand.

One way around this is joint venturing, after all two or more heads are always better than one. Strategic alliances account for a massive percentage of online trading. I can give you a few examples. WAHPs are Work at Home Parents who have found strength in numbers, so individuals gathering as one unity create a big presence. Whitebox on the other hand is one organisation who partner with many charities and social enterprises. They find a simple way for organisations to generate fundraising revenue. It is free to join and is a revenue sharing scheme. More on that one tomorrow after I have spoken with one of the Whitebox team later on. Another form of joint venture is merging. The internet training company that I trained with is an alliance of the two biggest training companies who were previously competitors. As a result the training resources are infinite and they are streets ahead of any of their competition and they are enjoying the benefits of collaboration.

If you want to think beyond joint venturing, you could think about developing a powerful online presence in a niche market. A niche market will attract fewer searches but it is more reachable to establish yourself as a big fish in a smaller pond. However, please don't set yourself up as an expert online unless you really are one, it is crucial to be transparent. It is surprising how much misinformation is on the web and if you can deliver some comprehensive information or quality specialist product or service that is currently not widely available you will do well if you are smart about your branding.

So, more food for thought and I will be back tomorrow to let you know about Whitebox and how they might be able to help you.

An enterprise that is social, or a socially motivated enterprise?

Well the business planning course was fantastic, it was lovely to see everyone and to be in a room full of people who are doing such inspiring work. Our local CVS is very active, offers lots of personal support and really cares about individual charities and social enterprises. It is important to network with others working in the sector and keep each other motivated.

One of the ongoing conversations that kept cropping up (apart from the obvious lack of funding and grants available) was about the challenges of having to wear so many hats and develop so many skills in order to do the charitable work. It would seem that some social enterprises are conceived by people who are driven by a desire to create social change and therefore develop enterprise to support it. I think this is a difficult route and the CVS people said that a number of local social enterprises are converting to charities because they being pulled in too many directions. There are also more grants and funding opportunities available for charities.

Then there are people who are naturally motivated by entrepreneurial activity, have good business skills but also have a desire to create social change. They are successful in business and want make a positive social impact.

We discussed the importance of having a vibrant business plan, especially if you are not naturally business minded. The trainer used a metaphor about going on a train journey and pointed out that any journey requires planning and part of that is knowing where you want to go and also having some contingencies in place. He quoted Dr. Lawrence "If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else."

This led on to discussions about financial planning and cash flows and projections and how difficult it is for third sector organisations to plan their cash flow over the required 3 years in a business plan. We all have to pull figures out of the air to a certain extent because we cannot be certain of success in our funding bids or securing grants. It is easier to predict if we have supporters who give regular donations on a monthly or yearly basis, but generally speaking we have to learn to live with uncertainty.

Developing a strategic plan to raise money online could add an element of certainty to your planning. This involves having a system in place to generate multiple streams of income. You can experiment with different methods and explore the new avenues. Take a logical approach and if you don't feel experienced enough get support from a reliable source.

Getting the right help with any aspect of business is crucial to success. If your SWOT analysis identifies a serious threat to your business you need to search for a solution. There are many bid writers who can help you and write themselves into the bid, business plan experts are happy to look at your plan and work with you to develop a plan that is persuasive to funders. Internet marketing is the same. There are countless opportunities and possibilities and with the right support, you could be on the road to sustainability!

until tomorrow

Kay

Third Sector up North

Well, yesterday I spent some time looking at various funding sources and also training days for third sector organisations in the UK. We have been developing a funding map and looking at the trails of funding from Europe or central government through to local fundholders. Well some of it is a trail and some of it is a web!

Location makes a big difference to funding eligibility. I noticed 4 trends.

We live between two highly funded areas, one because it is a national park and attracts visitors and tourists and the other because it is one of the worst areas of deprivation in the country. Both of these areas are likely to attract funding for different reasons. I noticed that many of the arts or cultural pots of funding are much more likely to be available to those living in or around big cities. Thirdly, I noticed that the closer to London you live, the more likely it is that you are to find decent training and support courses specifically on internet marketing to help you either get funding or sharpen your business skills. Lastly, I noticed that there is a definite movement towards helping charities and social enterprises exploit the use of the internet to raise or make money online in the south, but much less so here in the north.

So, I have decided to do something about this. I contacted my Business Links advisor and told him that I would be running some courses teaching third sector organisations how to carry out effective internet marketing campaigns. He was very supportive and immediately gave me some links and suggestions and a call to action!

I can't release the exact date yet because I haven't confirmed it with the training rooms, but I am very excited about putting it together. I will be inviting 15 people to bring their laptops to a one day training and workshop about internet marketing. Each person will create up a free blog or a website and we will explore 5 ways that it can make money. We will look at the search engine optimisation, how to make money from writing and various ways of selling things online. It will be a fun interactive action day as opposed to a talking shop and the delegates will go home with new ideas and skills that are ready to go straight into practice.

I am very excited about this and looking forward to teaching and empowering others to get up and running. I had a great one to one session with someone yesterday who is just starting a business. I so love working with people to help them to identify where they want to go and how to get there. Today I'm off to do some learning on a course run by the CVS about business planning. The guy that is teaching is said to be a crash hot business planner so I am really looking forward to working with him. Teaching and learning are so important in this day and age where everything changes so fast and keeping up to date is crucial. We all have something to teach and lots to learn and learning environments are fantastic places to meet new people and network. Until tomorrow!

Kay

No Direct Mail at Christmas? Strike while the iron is hot...

Many charities and social enterprises rely heavily on donations that result from direct mail appeals at Christmas time. With the threat of the Royal Mail strike/collapse, they will need to consider online methods of fundraising and start preparing now for a campaign. There are many ways to make money from writing online such as getting paid to write articles, writing and selling e-books, money generated by advertisers on your blog, compelling stories that inspire people to donate and direct e-mail to your supporters.

Articles are needed for websites all the time. People want fresh and current content on whatever they are researching or looking to buy and they want to know that the content is reliable. They also want to be able to understand it, so your writing should be clear, concise and understandable to an average 14 year old. It's a bit like writing a funding application, you have to assume that the funder does not have any understanding about your subject area and you must avoid using jargon.

To get started, you could write about 5 samples of your work (about 500 words) and you can then submit them to sites that are interested in your field. You can also network with internet marketers and webmasters. Many of the big websites outsource their writing projects and are looking for interesting content.

You can be as creative as you like and set up fundraising appeals. For instance, there is an appeal running on Facebook right now called Causes. This costs nothing to set up and already they have raised thousands for various charities. Last Friday, a Twitter campaign was launched. Every time someone mentioned '#BeatCancer' money was donated to cancer charities. A new Guinness World Record was set for the most social mentions in 24 hours, which by Saturday had already topped 200,000 on Twitter, Facebook and blog posts. Don't underestimate the power of free social networking.

You can create newsletters and reports that you send out to your sponsors to encourage them to keep sponsoring you. If they know that you are continuing to make a difference, they will want to keep supporting. If you can develop a story telling style, all the better. Case studies can be an extremely effective method of convincing the public to donate. It goes without saying that you need to be careful about confidentiality especially on the web.

Press releases are a very powerful and effective way of encouraging people to visit your website. If you are doing something that is newsworthy, let people know about it. You can submit it to Google news and of course let your supporters know about it in an email. If you don't have anything particularly big happening, you can always interview some of your service users and create a testimonial report.

E Books are very popular now and very easy to create. There are plenty of software packages available that make it really easy for you to convert your information into an ebook. You could write one that has international appeal or one that is aimed at your local community. Once you have created it, you can upload it to ebay, let people know about it and where to find it and they can buy it through paypal.

Blogging is very useful. Blog sites climb to the top of the search engine quickly because they have so much content. Make sure you keep using your key words and remember to link to your website. This will help to improve the rankings of your site as well. Allowing advertisers to place ads on your blog is another way of generating some income, as you will get paid a little every time someone clicks on one of the ads. Google is good at matching appropriate adverts to your blog through Adsense. More on that later!

If you really want to get stuck in and make some money from writing, the Directory of Social Change are hosting a fabulous workshop:

CHARITY WRITING AND PUBLICATIONS TRAINING DAY
Monday 2 November
Directory of Social Change,
24 Stephenson Way, London NW1 2DP
http://www.dsc.org.uk

Maybe I'll see you there!

Happy Writing,

Kay