Work At Home Business Options

Posts Tagged ‘fundraisers’

I attended a home party a few weeks ago for a candle company X and it was a nice party and my friend (the hostess) did get a lot of orders and bookings at her home party. The consultant who represents candle company X did a really nice job but she missed the opportunity to market the company’s fundraising program to 26 guests who attended the party!

Wow…she really missed the boat on that! When it comes to pitching your direct sales fundraising opportunity program you need to also pitch your fundraising program to those who attend home parties! Many consultants ONLY pitch the fundraising program to schools, groups, athletic teams, charities, etc. and they don’t think about pitching it at a home party which is a big mistake!

Those who attend home parties also volunteer for various charitable groups, they have kid’s who play sports at school, kid’s who participate in scouting groups and so forth. It is important to get your company’s fundraising program in front of EVERYONE you meet that way if they know someone who is looking to raise funds they can recommend you and the company you represent.

You shouldn’t spend an entire hour pitching your fundraising program at a home party but you should spend 3-5 minutes talking about it to your home party guests so that way if they ever need a fundraiser for something that comes up in the future…they will think of you! (or) if they know someone who is looking for new fundraising opportunities they can refer you to them!

The next time you are presenting at a home party make sure you spend a couple of minutes talking about your company’s fundraising program so that you are getting the ‘word’ out about it. Let’s face it, you are in direct sales to make money so don’t miss the boat by not talking about your company’s fundraising program at your home parties.

Incorporating this type of important information into your home party presentation can really boost your fundraising bookings which in turns boosts your sales and income.

A lot of direct sales companies have fundraising programs which consultants can use to increase their income stream and business profits. However…when I talk to consultants with companies who have a fundraiser program many of them tell me they don’t really promote this which in my opinion, is pretty foolish.

A good fundraiser will have multiple thousands of dollars worth in sales versus a home party that might have a couple of hundred dollars in sales so which one do you think is more profitable for you? If you said “Fundraisers” you are correct! With that said, many consultants are not heavily promoting the fundraising opportunity that their companies provide! This is money you are missing out on earning! (and big money at that!)

The first thing you want to do is educate yourself on everything about your company’s fundraising program. If they offer catalogs, flyers and business materials on the fundraising program make sure you purchase them or print them out so that you can make duplicate copies. Once you feel you know everything you need to know about the company’s fundraising program you need to sit down with a phone book and make a list of every charitable group in your area along with athletic teams, schools, scouting groups, daycare centers, etc. etc. etc. as this list will be your “warm market” to target for fundraiser bookings.

Once you have your list compiled you need to print out introduction letters (about you, your company and the funraising program that your company has to offer) and stuff some manilla envelopes with flyers, business cards, 1 order form, 1 catalog, etc. You will then want to mail these out or drop them off at the businesses on your list.  Once you have done that, wait about 3-4 weeks and try to make contact with those businesses to set up an appointment or to follow up with them.

In addition, get a box of business cards printed up that have your contact info on them along with a few “blurbs” about the fundraising opportunity that your company offers and hand them out to everyone you meet or ask your family and friends to hand them out for you.

Companies and Groups can not book fundraisers with you if you are not actively going after them for those bookings!!! In other words, don’t wait for them to “magically find you” …. get out there and find them!!!

You can dramatically increase your Direct Sales income stream by making fundraisers a BIG part of your business so don’t sit back and ignore that opportunity because “most” people who make the big bucks in Direct Sales market the heck out of their company’s fundraising program and you should too!

What Really IS a Direct Sales Fundraiser? by Chris Carroll

If you are new to Direct Sales, you may hear a lot about Fundraising, but not find a lot of information as to what it really is. Well, I am here to clear up the mystique for you!

Fundraising is an event in which a charitable organization is identified to receive funds that are raised specifically for that charity, non profit group or select individual(s). In terms of Direct Sales, the donation to the charity usually comes out of the profit of the representative and the amount is identified ahead of time by way of either a percentage donation or a flat amount.

Many companies offer fundraising to help their reps but that does not mean the company kicks in money. Most of the time, the representative is the donor of his or her profit from the sale of goods through her business. There are some companies, however, that do have specific items to use for fundraising that are at a special price or they will have specific donation amounts.

If the group has a non profit status and a valid non profit number, most companies will withhold taxes from the fundraiser shipment so the customer does not have to pay State sales tax on the product. If your state does not have sales tax, this will not apply to you. Make sure to check with your company ahead of time on their procedures. They most likely will have special shipping procedures and instructions for fundraising sales so study them and ask questions!

So what is the Big Deal about fundraising anyway? Well for Direct Sellers, it is an awesome way to find and keep customers. Just think, you have the access to all of the customers that are being served by the fundraising group. If there are 20 kids selling your products, just think of how many people are they reaching for you! It is also a great way to find potential partners and team members as well as making a difference in your community. The amount of opportunities is very large in most communities so it would be very easy to have a thriving fundraising business in combination with your regular direct sales business.

If you do fundraising well and become well known for it, you can make a huge impact in your sales and your community. So give it a try! You never know what will come out of it!

Copyright Chris Carroll All Rights Reserved

Chris Carroll is a sales professional that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing with others. Blogger, article writer and ghostwriter round out her profession. Find her at http://www.DirectSalesTalk.com and http://www.TwoClassyGhostwritingChics.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Many Direct Sales Companies now offer some type of fundraising program that consultants can market along with their home party business.

Your first step to marketing the fundraising program is to sit down and make a list of groups that you can contact. One way of doing this is by printing out this checklist, and opening up your telephone book to gather the names and addresses. Once you have compiled your list, you will have to decide if you want to postal mail them a packet of information, hand deliver the packet of information or give them a call by telephone.

The following is a checklist of groups that might be interested in your fundraising program.

1. Cub Scouts
2. Girl Scouts
3. 4-H Clubs
4. Gymnastic Centers
5. Youth Ballet Dance Centers
6. Little League Baseball Teams
7. Peewee, Pony and Midgets Football Teams
8. Independent Cheerleading Centers and Clubs
9. Athletic Associations
10. Childcare Centers
11. In-Home Daycare Providers
12. Medical Organizations. example: Red Cross, United Way, Cystic Fibrosis Association
13. Oncology Doctor Offices
14. Art Associations
15. Craft Associations
16. High School Athletics Department
17. High School Senior Class Trip Advisors
18. High School Choir Advisor
19. Good Will and Salvation Army
20. Fire Houses
21. Ambulance Associations
22. Police Associations
23. Humane Society
24. Pet Rescue Organizations
25. Foster Care Associations
26. Churches and Places of Worship Groups
27. Other High School Clubs such as: Drama Club, Key Club, French and Spanish Club
28. Food Bank or Food Pantry Organization
29. Women Services Groups
30. Your Local Office of Aging
31. American Legion Clubs
32. Lions Club
33. Hospitals who do fundraising to raise money.
34. Long Term Care Facilities for the Elderly
35. Theaters and Comedy Clubs
36. Historic Societies
37. Tourist Attractions
38. Parks and Recreation Department
39. Local or Township Community Centers
40. Offer to throw a fundraiser for a local family who needs help in your community.

There are a lot of places to contact about the type of fundraising opportunities that you offer, this is just a partial list to give you a few ideas.

NOTE: This article is Exclusive to Work At Home Business Options and can not be reproduced without our permission.

Copyright © 2009 Work At Home Business Options and Shelly Hill

If you are pursuing the Fundraiser Business Opportunity, you should assemble a Group Fundraiser Introduction Opportunity Package. It’s important when assembling this packet to make it look professional.

Here is a list of some things that should be included in each introduction pack to entice a group to book a fundraiser with you.

1. Your professionally done business card. (I always include 3 business cards)

2. A business introduction letter. Explain who you are, what business you represent, your contact information, your business hours and website address/email address.

3. Fundraiser Program Introduction Letter. This letter should thoroughly explain what your fundraiser opportunity is all about. How much does the group earn, how orders are collected, how orders are sorted & delivered, etc.

4. Group Benefit Letter. I always include a letter on how the group can benefit from holding a fundraiser. On my group benefit letter I also add in a paragraph of how easy a fundraiser from my business is.

This is your chance to connect with the group on a more personal level. Tell them how this fundraiser program can benefit their group!

example: buy more school supplies, more athletic equiptment, field trips, banquets & parties, awards & trophies etc.

5. Include 1-2 copies of your current fundraiser catalog.

6. If you have a brochure about your companies fundraiser program include it.

7. Incentive Sheet. If you offer incentives for the groups highest sellers, then include a incentive sheet on what they would earn.

8. Include 1-3 copies of your fundraiser order form.

Optional

: Your company business opportunity flyer.

If you make up professional fundraiser opportunity information packs more groups will book fundraisers with you.

Article is copyright 2009 by Shelly Hill, All Rights Reserved.