Are you tired of having to count pennies and tally up dollars to be able to say YES to the things you want? Are you ready to play a bigger game this year, attract more clients and make more money? If so then you're in the right place. Check out these 3 simple ideas for getting your message out there in a bigger way.

1- Be Visible

Get out from hiding behind the computer and go places, networking events and other events where your ideal target audience is hanging out and be willing to be visible this year. It's all about being visible and you know what they say - showing up is half the battle.

When I first started out speaking I started giving workshops to Meet up groups. Great website to check out - you'll find tons of groups gathering for different topics ranging from entrepreneurs to women's empowerment to singles groups, energy therapists you name it you can find it on meet up. And if you can't find one why not create one and build your own community? The fastest path to attracting more clients this year is to reach out to someone who has a community of your ideal clients and offer to speak, or give a workshop even if it's for a nominal $20 each or free!

Have an offer at the end of your workshop, a chance for your audience to work with you further on a paid basis. Let it be a "low risk- low barrier to entry" meaning a small fee to work with you. You never want to offer some kind of high-end package of say $500 or $1000 right off the get go out of a free 1 hour talk.

Offer your audience a compelling offer, of say $57 - $97 something they can easily say yes to on the spot. Maybe it's a chance to speak with you live on the phone, some kind of consulting mixed with a free report, book, audio interview package. Make up a compelling offer and let the offer be available for only today - once you leave the room the offer is over. Like this you can build your business, share your message and grow your coaching, consulting, serviced based business.

2 - Give Yourself Permission to Make Mistakes & Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

I was working with a client this week sussing out her marketing materials and designing her offer for her workshop when she objected by telling me "I just can't picture myself in front of the room - I'm waaayyy more comfortable being the student - even through I've been wanting to inspire and teach people secretly for years".

One of the objections I hear most often come out of my clients mouths when I mention hosting a local workshop or speaking to get more visibility is "I don't feel like I have it all figured out yet - how can I teach I'm not ready yet" and this one comes from self-judgment right. You compare yourself to others, and when you do, you always fall short. It's the nature of the EGO, to protect you with fear.

A good friend of mine this weekend was sharing that she's had a radical shift in thinking she said to me "Vanessa, being in the fear is the safest place to be."... Hmmm spoken like a true evangelist. That's what you are as an entrepreneur you've got to breakthrough all of the mindset pieces, irrational fears and self doubt that wants to keep you playing small and just get your work out there in the world. Kind of like being an evangelist for your message your truth. When you step into the fear versus run from it you realize it doesn't exist - it's all just an illusion and then you can move past it and get into action.

I told my client who was afraid to start speaking what I tell all my clients who get stuck and paralyzed with fear - that you don't need to teach, coach, train Obama or Tony Robbins here. Remember to every 3rd grader, a 4th grader is like a God. Be OK with being the 4th grader - and decide to serve the kindergarteners, and 1st graders, 2nd graders and 3rd graders - they need what you've got! And there are plenty of them to serve! You don't have to have a PHD or doctorate degree to help someone. If you compare yourself to others you'll never get out of the starting gate.

In case you've been waiting for someone to tell you - I'll tell you now - you're good enough! Now get out there! The world needs you.

Does this mean you won't make some mistakes along the way? Hell no - you're going to make them and that's called LEARNING. You have to give yourself permission to make a few mistakes along the way to getting it right. So often the fear of self-judgment and the fear or rejection stops us dead in our tracks. I can tell you from experience, I went bankrupt - I didn't die, I've bombed more shows and live product demonstrations to live audiences and publicly humiliated myself more times than I care to remember (I'm talking hundreds here) and I didn't die, I've heard more nos and not yets and rejection than a Jehovah witness knocking door to door - and I didn't die. You won't either - promise. On the contrary you're going to get closer to getting it right you're going to LEARN how not to do better the next time but you've got to give yourself permission to start. No one else will do that for you and guess what? It's just a decision.

3- Invest in Yourself

Any time you have an idea or inkling or a desire it's because your spirit is knocking and saying "ehmmmm it's time! This is the next move here - let's go!" And what we do is stuff it aside, push it away, try and reason with ourselves that it's not the right time, we don't know how it will get done, it's too big for us, and the pressure builds and builds and builds until we can't take it anymore. Don't wait - just say yes to yourself this year. Say yes to the next opportunity that comes your way to help you build your vision. If it's a coaching program to get your book finally written, a website dude to update your site, hiring that virtual assistant to help you free up more time so you can go to the gym and take care of yourself - say YES! There's no point in resisting any of it because you're creating it all anyways.

Don't wait until you have the money, have the time, or are ready - you'll never be. You commit - you say yes and move forward and everything follows suit. Everything gets taken care of when you honor that inner knocking - that's spirit saying "ehemm... it's time". Listen to it - I guarantee you it will move you to serving more people this year and attracting more clients and making more money... and YES it will be a bit scary. So get help, invest in yourself, in a mentor a coach a program to help you. If you were meant to do it all by yourself there wouldn't be 6 billion people in the world.


By Vanessa Simpkins 
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7466881

Funds are the lifeblood of any non-profit organization. Without funds, no non-profit can achieve its goal however noble its objective may be. So, it's crucial to have a solid non-profit fundraising plan in place, especially in this time of economic turmoil. Organizing a charity event is one of the most popular ways to raise funds. But, arranging events alone would not give the expected results, unless you spend some dedicated time in promoting the event. Non-profits around the world are looking for cheaper, faster, and easier ways to create buzz around their events, and email marketing or direct mail marketing tops the event marketing technique list.

Managing email lists, paperworks, content is not really an easy task, and requires continued supervision to get the desired outcome. Here are the top 5 email marketing tips for maximum ROI that would help your organization to propel its objective further.

1. Creating a specific landing page- Many a time, non-profits send out emails giving a link back to their main website or the website home page. That might create confusion amongst readers, as they are looking for specific piece of information. It is therefore suggested that a concise landing page with crisp message that should have a 'form' and 'donate now' button to capture leads instantly and process payments should be created.If the email message is about 'new year fundraising', the targeted landing page should explain that cause further.

2. Segmentation- You should stop blasting mails to all in the contact list. Segmentation is required to send relevant messages to targeted leads, and to comply with 'permission based marketing'. You need to zero down the final list, and then create specific messages accordingly to persuade them to donate. Blasting mails to everyone might lead to unsubscription and blockage.

3. Consistency- Consistency is the key to get the best out of an email marketing campaign. Non-profits are strapped for time and resource, but consistent communication with donors will open the door for more funds. You can create an 'email calendar' to create campaigns, at least once a month. Planning in advance helps to select the target audience, develop relevant messages, effective content, and track results accordingly. Do not only send emails related to 'fundraising' as that might do more harm than good. A monthly newsletter is a great idea which would inspire and motivate your readers to know more about your cause and donate towards it. Consistently sending emails to your constituents would help to build relationships that may possibly lead to a significant increase in donations, advocacy and support.

4. Social media integration- It's a good idea to create social media platforms for your non-profit, especially on Facebook and Twitter. It would help to connect with your supporters and engage them in meaningful conversions. Your motto should always be to increase the supporter base on your Facebook and Twitter pages, and a great way to do that is to make your social identities visible on email campaigns. Every person receiving the email might like your social accounts, thus, strengthen your social presence and effectiveness.

5. Online email platform- Gone are the days of manual spreadsheets and list building. Organizers around the world are using non-profit event management software that has facilitated sending of bulk emails in just a few clicks.

Spearhead your non-profit fundraising objectives this holiday season with more funds and support than ever.

By Jonathan Reynold
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7420055

1.  Do What You LOVE: If you've chosen your business because you read that this niche was the next hot one, or because your favorite uncle (or your best friend) thinks you'd be well-suited for this business, you may as well pack up now and save yourself some time and money. If you don't love what you do, it will show...potential customers will know it and will go elsewhere. Is it possible to be successful anyway? Sure -- but it won't be easy and it won't be fun...and isn't that why you want to be in business for yourself anyway?

Instead, choose what you love. You'll know what that is when you find yourself being incredibly productive, forgetting the time passing by, and not being able to wait to get up in the morning to do more! At Solo-E we call that being juiced...but whether you call it being in the flow, or the zone, or whatever, FIND IT!

2.  WRITE DOWN Your Business Plan: As a small or solo business owner, you still need a business plan. Even if you aren't getting a loan! Would you invest thousands of dollars of your own money buying stock in a company that didn't have a written prospectus? (I hope not!) Then why would you spend thousands of dollars AND hours of your precious time on a business that doesn't have a written plan?

Write your plan, get it critiqued by professionals, and most important, BE READY TO CHANGE IT. This may seem counterintuitive...why bother writing it down if it's just going to change? Because writing it down makes it more clear...and helps you get to the next stage of learning and planning and revising. It's critical--67% of businesses that failed had no written business plan. Want to play the odds?

3.  Multiply Your Expected Startup Costs by Two--or Maybe Three: When I started my business, an honors MBA grad with 15 years of solid business experience behind me, I figured I was smart enough to estimate my startup costs accurately. I knew all the things I needed and made conservative estimates and I was still WRONG! That's right, I was still off by a factor of almost three. Don't make this mistake! One of the biggest reasons small businesses fail is because of lack of capital. Give yourself the best possible start by saving or acquiring sufficient startup funds NOW. Before you start!

4.  Make Your Market Niche as Small as Possible: Again, this is counterintuitive--shouldn't you try to appeal to as many people as possible? The paradox is that the more you try to appeal to EVERYONE, the less you will appeal to ANYONE. Let's say you are selling your house...would you rather list it with the agent who operates in 14 counties, sells both commercial and residential real estate, and sells everything from cottages to estates? Or would you pick the agent who specializes in your community, selling only houses in a well-defined price range that she knows extremely well? Ruthlessly define your niche, make it as small as possible, and stay true to it. You'll thank me later!

5.  Do Marketing Your Way: The temptation is to choose all the marketing methods that the competition uses. To stay with tried-and-true marketing channels. To place advertisements that you know nothing about creating, or make cold calls that give you heartburn. Why? Because (all together now) "that's how it's always been done."

It's difficult to stand out among your competitors when you are doing the same kind of marketing! So instead, look to your strengths. What do you like to do? What are you good at? Then choose three marketing methods that play to those strengths.

6.  Remember the Most Important Ingredient in Your Business--YOU: Business-owner: know thyself. Spend some time learning about who you are and how you are unique. Then let that uniqueness shine through in your marketing, in how you run your business, in everything you do. Don't hide your quirks--celebrate them!

Customers go to small and solo businesses primarily because they are looking for a personalized experience. They want a relationship with you as the owner of your business. If you try to come off as who you think they want, they'll smell right through that and not come back. Be who you are, and trust that who YOU are is going to be attractive to the right people.

7.  Build Your Business by Building Relationships: Being a small or solo business owner isn't about sitting in the corner alone. Actually it can be--and that isolation is what drives many out of business and back into a "job". Build relationships to survive! Start with your colleagues--others you know who are at the same stage of business as you, or are farther along and willing to mentor you. 

Next, build relationships with potential customers. Ask them what they want! Then create products and services based on their input and come back and show them what you have done. Get feedback, tweak, and maybe make your first sale. Stay in touch with your customers even after they leave you.

Last but not least, build relationships with your competitors. You might be able to do this right at the beginning, simply by asking them for their advice. Surprisingly, many ARE willing to share their secrets if you just ask. Later on, build cross-referral relationships, co-marketing alliances, and other relationships that are win-win for you, your competitors, and your customers.

8.  Don't Accept a Customer Just For the Money: This is probably the hardest advice for new business owners to apply. Especially when there is a job, a project, a potential client, just outside your niche, that could keep your business solvent for the next six months. Don't do it! Taking on a client outside your niche inevitably results in frustration for you, dissatisfaction on the part of the client, and in the end, usually costs you more than you make. Ask any successful business owner and they'll tell you this is true!

9.  Don't Do Everything Yourself: It's so tempting to fall into the self-deception that "it's cheaper for me to do it myself." IT"S NOT! If you aren't good at something, for instance bookkeeping, it will probably take you 2-3 times as long--time you could be spending doing things that are essential for you to be doing personally, like writing your business plan or deciding your marketing strategy. Put sufficient capital into your business upfront so you CAN hire help right from the start. Your business will get off to a quicker start because you aren't distracted by time-consuming tasks that drain your energy.

10.  Assemble Your Support Team: Start with the people who will help you do the things you aren't good at. Some examples: bookkeeper, marketing writer, web designer. Then add the people who give you professional business advice: a lawyer, an accountant, a business coach. Finally, include the people who support you personally: your family, friends, and colleagues.

Don't forget to be part of other's support teams, too. Share your expertise at Solo-E, start a networking group where business owners support each other, share a referral with a colleague. Solo Entrepreneurs supporting other Solo Entrepreneurs is what will make us all successful!

Using social media marketing to grow your business requires ongoing learning and refining of best practices. In honor of 12/12/12, we’ve put together 12 social media quick tips. Enjoy!

1.  Facebook – Are you a page admin? While the insights reports can be confusing and the weekly page update emails can make you see red, a metric to explore is “reach.” Per Facebook, “Reach measures the number of people who received impressions of a page post.”


2.  Twitter – stumped on what to tweet but want to be sure your business is interacting on twitter? Get some “R&R!” Retweet and be sure to reply to people’s tweets.

3.  Pinterest – No product? No problem! Service based businesses can also leverage Pinterest with some out-of-the-box thinking. Push your creativity when naming pinboards, think about how you can tell a story visually and remember, it shouldn’t only be about your business.

4.  YouTube – A vlog (video blog) for your small business can be as easy to create as writing a blog post. Grab your handheld video camera or iPhone and say “action!”


5.  LinkedIn – your company page is as important as your personal profile. Update your followers with helpful information by sharing content for your business on this professional social network. 

6.  Google+ – Since this network is by…well, Google, it certainly plays a role in search engine optimization. Be sure all elements of your page are leveraged to help your search. Quick tip: the “About” page allows you to embed hyperlinks back to your company website.


7.  Yelp – Does your business have a brick and mortar location? Have you claimed your page? Be sure to…this is the first step towards learning when reviews are posted.


8.  Instagram – don’t think a social media campaign stops with Facebook posts and tweets. Engage your audience via fun filtered photos! PS Don’t fret if your instagram photos no longer appear in actual tweets; you must now click the instagram photo link to view (as of 12/10/12).


9..  Email Marketing – Let’s face it, we all experience inbox overload. Limit your Mailchimp/GetResponse/Constant Contact emails and make them worthwhile!


10.  Blog – Think of your business’ blog as a powerful platform to share your expertise. You can give away really valuable info without compromising your potential to gain paying clients…we promise!


11.  Website – simplify and declutter! Make your site easy on the eyes and quick to navigate to the info people need.

12. Myspace – keep an eye out for this one…they are revamping their image!
What other social media quick tips do you have on 12/12/12?

Social media can be used in many different ways to benefit your business. Want to learn more about how it can grow yours? We’d love to help!

Contributed by www.haytheresocialmedia.com

Networking is one of those activities we all know and for some of us, love to hate.

So, What should you do to leverage your best contacts, and how can you learn?



Here are a few networking tips to get you going:
1. Get in touch:

Networking is not only about meeting people at networking events; it's also about the contacts you already know. People you've worked with at your previous 9 - 5 gigs as well as your personal contacts.
Have you actually gotten back in touch with these people? Have you kept them updated on what you're currently up to in your business? What's the point of going out to get new contacts when you're not talking to the ones you already have?

Do this now:
Craft your warm letter to everyone in your address book - this includes those face book friends. (now's the time for them to earn that label of friend). Tell them about what you've been up to these past months, tell them who your ideal clients really are, ask if they know of anyone that may require what you currently offer. - Do NOT pitch to these people.

Your warm letter is not about getting your contacts to buy but about getting them to connect you to their contact, so please don't piss them off by trying to flog your services to them. (Unless they specifically ask for it)

2. Offer Value:

People are more receptive when you're offering value to them. With any contacts you make at your networking events, ask yourself how you can offer value to them first.
What can you contribute to help improve their situation? Ask them: What do you currently need help with? I don't know if I can currently be of help to you or not on a vendor level but I’d like to help.
Networking is relationship building and nothing builds relationships by looking for ways to be of help to each other. You don't have to offer your services for free, but you can give a few pointers to get them started - if that's the sort of help they require.

Do this:

Always go into conversations with a view on asking questions that can help and offer value rather than trying to pitch or flog your services.

3. Follow Up:

It's crazy how a lot of people collect business cards but never get round to following up.
Some people actually do follow up but fail to recognize that it takes more than one phone conversation to build a relationship that keeps you in the mind of potential referral partners. There are so many ways of following up and these include:

1. Recommendations

2. Catching up

3. Referrals

4. Personal notes

5. Thank you

Why do you need to do all of these?

We’re all busy people. We only remember those that are at the forefront of our minds. So, for you to leverage this, you have to constantly keep in touch. It's not as difficult as you think.

LinkedIn is a great place to quickly offer recommendations and testimonials. A quick email to "check- in" to make sure they're okay as well as links you think they'll find useful doesn't take hours. Catching up can be done via Skype nowadays, so you don't have to go out if time is tight.

Do this:

Focus on your current list of contacts. When was the last time you actually checked in to have a quick catch up, Can you provide recommendations for them, Did they do something which you still haven't gotten round to saying "thank you" for?

Go and get it done.

Conclusion:

Networking is not about collecting contacts - it's about making business happen. Business only happens if there is a connection and shared sense of values.

It's not about knowing a lot of people; it's about knowing the right sort of people with access to a wide pool of your potential customers or a connection that could lead to an introduction. Focus on making everyone you come in contact with feel important.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7340074    

Creating value for your clients is important for a small business owner. Once you have a customer in your fold, you want to keep them where they are, buying from you, for as long as possible. Often times, it's easier to retain an existing client that it is to gain a new one. Offering value through resources and tools will help to keep them engaged with your business. 


Here are seven ways you can up your offerings among your current client base:

1. Host an event

Creating a big splash around an annual event, like a conference, can be a big draw for your business. Organize a one or two-day event that will bring your tribe together, under one roof for learning, best practices and networking. Bring in a keynote speaker, hold some breakout sessions and allow ample time to network over meals and breaks.

2. Develop an awards program

As a component of your annual conference, you can host an awards program. Come up with six to 12 areas of accomplishments in which you can recognize various clients. It's a great way to generate excitement and build camaraderie among your clients. The awards can be as simple as a nicely designed certificate that you have matted and framed, or work with an incentive company to create a special plaque or trophy that can be put on display in the client's workplace. Then employ media relations to promote the awards that were handed out at your annual event. You want to be sure to send them along with photos to your local papers, your clients' local papers and key trade publications.

3. Provide continuing education

Offer continuing education around best practices or standards your industry. As your clients successfully complete each course, give them recognition for their achievements. It can be a certificate of completion, a media announcement sent to their local daily or business paper and a shout out in your company newsletter.

4. Create a certification program

Use a series of your continuing education courses to build a certification program. This will allow your clients to become proficient in your area of expertise. Make achieving the certification flexible. Offer your courses through self-study, teleconference calls and/or webinars and in-person workshops.

You can generate news around your certification program by sending media announcements to key trade publications, business press and local newspapers when your students "graduate" from your program.

5. Hold a competition

Think about ways you create a friendly contest among your clients that will generate excitement and increase engagement with your company.

6. Build a forum

Offer clients private access to other clients who do business with you via a secured forum on a secured website or Facebook. This will allow them to interact with each other, share ideas and troubleshoot issues. It's also a great way for you to keep tabs on what your clients are talking about and develop new services for their businesses.

7. Toot their horns

Did a new client ink recently ink a new deal with you, re-sign a big contract, participate at one of your events or received an honor or reach a special achievement? These are just a few reasons to send a press release on behalf of your company and your client's business.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7387176

Grant funding at your organization - is it a case of just stumbling across a suitable grant, rushing around putting a submission together just in the nick of time and then crossing your fingers and hoping for the best? With everything else you've got on your plate, how can you possibly be on top of the latest funding news and opportunities? With a few regular activities, you can make a big difference to how your organization approaches it's grant funding.


With that in mind here are my suggestions for improving your grant funding processes:

1. 'Visit' your grant sources regularly 
identify your grant sources and check in on them regularly. To make things easier, pay for a subscription or get a consultant to help you with this one if you need to. Don't let grants and programs 'jump' up on you at the last minute.

2. Organize your grant review 
Set up 2 templates; First, one for listing possible grants that you identify in your searches, noting details and application closing dates. The second is a template for summarizing each particular grant or program you think might be the right fit for your organization. These will make you look like an organized pro when it comes to presenting to decision makers and/or members of your board.

3. Standardize your project planning 
Each potential project should be planned in exactly the same way. Again, set up a project-planning template that your team completes before any project goes ahead. (Look for my next article on project panning). Most, if not all, grants will require some level of project planning. With standardized template ALL your projects are already 'grant ready'.

4. Measurement. Do it regularly 
How will you know if your project is working? Make sure you have measurable outcomes. You will then know if a project is actually working and you can also demonstrate its success to your donors and grant makers. Not many can get the forecasted figures spot on but they should be compared with actual numbers. Capture your actual as soon as they are available so that it isn't overwhelming.

5. Communication 
Grant funding applications are a joint effort by all members of the organization. Bring all team members on board with regular, consistent communication on your grants, their status and progress. Make it interesting and creative!

So now you have a regular list of grants, a summary of donors and programs, all your projects are planned, measurable and your team is on board and energized (or at least know what's happening). Impressive.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7316366

With seed capital for startups getting difficult to find by the day, many Entrepreneurs are looking at crowd-funding platforms to rise funding for their startups.

What is Crowd-funding? It describes the collective effort of individuals who network and pool their resources, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations. Crowd funding is used in support of a wide variety of activities, including disaster relief, citizen journalism, and support of artists by fans, political campaigns, startup company funding, movie or free software development, and scientific research.

Fred Wilson, who is the founder of the venture capital firm Union Square Ventures (which has invested in Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare, and Zynga), predicts that once the crowd-funding scenario gets up and running, the equity crowd-funding market will reach $300 billion and will be largely driven by families and individuals investing a small percentage of their assets via crowd-funding. As a point of comparison, a study from Crowdsourcing.org reports that about $1.5 billion was raised from 452 crowd-funding platforms in 2011.

Here is a list of the best crowd-funding platforms to look to if you are a startup entrepreneur.

Kickstarter: Kickstarter is probably the oldest and the strongest crowd-funding platform. With over 74k Projects launched on it's website, and 383M $ raised through the website for projects, Kickstarter has a success rate of 44%. It can help fund everything from films, games, and music to art, design, and technology. Kickstarter is full of ambitious, innovative, and imaginative projects that are brought to life through the direct support of others.

WeFunder: Wefunder is a crowd-investing platform for startups. They help seed investors purchase stock for as little as $100 in the most promising new businesses around the country. They also help founders raise funds from their most passionate users who provide product feedback, marketing evangelism, and business connections. The company was founded in January 2010 by an MIT Sloan School of Management. Right now it boasts of a huge number of investments, as written on their website: 9,287 funders pledge to invest $25,989,550 in startups

Indigogo: Indiegogo is one of the world's largest and earliest crowdfunding websites. They have helped to raise millions of dollars for over 30,000 campaigns, across 194 countries. Danae, Eric and Slava each tried to raise money for something they were passionate about, but they came up short. They had great ideas, the passion to work hard, and good networks, yet access to funding through traditional channels proved limited. The trio was determined to find a solution to the problem. Indiegogo was born; the crowd-funding solution that empowers ideas and enables people to donate funds easily.

CrowdFunder: Based in Los Angeles, crowd-funder is a social network for entrepreneurs and investors to connect, crowd-fund and grow. The company puts tools, connections and advice in the hands of business owners and investors at all stages in the life cycle of a business. Startups and small businesses can raise funds through equity, debt and contribution-based instruments. Crowd-funder is also holding a series of contests in cities around the US where local businesses compete, and get a chance to win funding upto US $500,000. This website however mainly concentrates on the US market.

RocketHub: RocketHub is a crowd-funding platform for creative professionals. There are project topics tagged with various tagwords from beautiful to weird on this site. Rockethub is gaining a lot of popularity in recent times due to it's continuous media exposure.

SeedInvest: Concentrating on American startups, this website was started by a group of MBA professionals from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, SeedInvest seamlessly brings together entrepreneurs and investors through an equity-based crowd-funding platform in a way that has never been done before. SeedInvest empowers entrepreneurs with a platform to pitch to millions of investors throughout the US in order to raise seed capital

Quirky: Quirky is a Crowd-funding Website for Inventors. According to the website, it has developed 241 products, has 188 retail partners and has a community of over 283,000 people. For centuries, becoming an "inventor" has been a hard gig to crack. Complexities relating to financing, engineering, distribution, and legalities have stood in the way of brilliant people executing on their great ideas. Since launching in 2009, Quirky has rapidly changed the way the world thinks about product development

Startsomegood: Startsomegood is a Crowd-funding Website for Social Entrepreneurs. Start Some Good is a new crowd-funding website for social initiatives to raise funds through a community of supporters. You can even see a project from India on this website.

Fundable: Founded by serial entrepreneur Wil Schroter, Fundable investors have the opportunity to invest in small business for equity. The website is currently running a rewards-based funding platform.

Believers Fund: This website is for mobile apps. This innovative crowd-Funding platform has partnered with companies like Microsoft Bizspark, and has oflate, become the talk of the crowd-funding niche.

There are other crowd-funding websites like EarlyShares, GetFunded, RelayFund, CrowdCube, New Jelly, CoFolio, Peerbackers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7348896

After more than a decade of attending networking events, putting on events and participating in events.  I have seen a lot great things that work and I wanted to share them with you.




Tip #1
Smile!

Tip #2
Wear comfortable shoes, since standing in front of your table always works better than sitting behind your table.

Tip #3
When preparing for you table, go ahead and set up the display at your office.    You may even want to take a picture and take with you to event.

Then pack the way you set it up, therefore when you get to the event you can set up without stressing.  Remember when packing up, pack the same way, so you have things ready for you next event.

Tip #4
If you have physical products bring less.  Only Display your most popular products and showcase them as they do in your catalogs.  For example, if you sell monogrammed bags that are useful.  Then make them shine by displaying them as can be used.  If you can use them in your car to keep it tidy, then display that. 

You can certainly bring items to sell, however, put yourself in the people’s shoes that are attending the show.  They are walking by lots of businesses and sometimes can become a blur, so make your business stand out.

Don’t be afraid to use color.  Be sure to have height and great signage.

Tip #5
Just as on your website when you create an irresistible offer for people to join your mailing list, you must do the same here.  Think outside the box and think what would make you want to enter yet another drawing at an event.

Tip #6
Consider having food and/or water at your table. Nothing is better for making people comfortable than having tasty stuff to snack on, particularly if you’re doing it after work.  You can use custom-labeled candy and snacks.

Tip #7
Be rememberable. “Out of sight, out of mind” is just human nature, so it’s important to have some kind of takeaway for your participants, otherwise all the time and hard work you’ve put into the even may be for nothing.  Make sure it something useful and unique.

Tip #8
Follow-up, Follow-up, Follow-up!!!

Make your follow-up authentic and standout from the others.  Send a handwritten thank you note and mail it.  Then send them a personal email with a surprise gift, that would be helpful them, such as a ebook on how to be effective in Social Media or something along those lines. 

© 2012 Renee Morales Belbeck, National Association of W.O.M.E.N.

Renee Morales Belbeck, CEO & Founder, National Association of W.O.M.E.N., offers a free membership, support and resources to business owners.

This article may be reprinted when the copyright and author bio are included.