In big business it isn’t entirely difficult to create a computer atmosphere that is robust, serves its users well, and is not broken down more often than not. The trick is to hire the right people to build and maintain the network and deal with IT projects as they come up. OK, maybe it’s not quite THAT simple but it doesn’t need to be a nightmare, provided the right resources are in place.In the small business world, things often become entirely different. Many small businesses simply don’t have the resources to build – let alone maintain – a network that will adequately take care of business needs. Many small businesses wind up with a mismatch of different parts put together piece by piece by whichever technician was available at any given time and was offering the right price. Nobody’s really sure how the pieces fit together and why this was done or that was configured differently. Just finding a password for a router can be a gargantuan challenge in its own right.I doubt I’ve ever met a small business owner who wouldn’t do whatever it would take to make their network stable and more importantly, useful and to manageable, were the resources to do so in place. From a software vendor’s point of view, it’s great to charge lots for your product and have a niche base of large businesses who can afford it. We all know that small business is in many ways driving the economy. Is it really wise to target only those large businesses and leave a wealth of opportunity on the table?Sure, there are plenty of free and open source products out there that can take the edge off of ferocious software prices, and in fact I’ve bestowed their virtues here oh so many times. I am indeed a firm believer in the value of open source in business. My view of those benefits begin to fall apart however when we consider running an entire business on open source software when resources are limited.Open source products are typically more difficult to manage than their commercial counterparts and support can at times be hard to find. Even the best technician needs technical support from time to time and when it’s not available – especially when a critical system is down- things can get hairy.To me, it makes more sense for a small business to run critical servers etc. on mainstream software and leave open and source to the likes of non-critical desktop computers, web servers, and even some email servers. A small business can survive a day or two without email but is dead in the water without point of sale or accounting software.Windows servers can form the foundation of a Windows network and let’s face it; Windows is the most dominant operating system out there. Windows servers can also serve Mac, Linux, and UNIX computers as well, so all told they’re not a bad choice for a network foundation. The problem is, they are usually not all that inexpensive.Microsoft saw an opportunity to address the needs of small businesses, provide some higher end products that would help drive those businesses, and of course increase their own ‘[revenues. Small Business Server is a bundle of a number of products and is priced a great deal below what one would pay for the individual packages if they were bought separately. Small Business Server was first released in 1997and frankly the first couple of versions were – well, let’s just say “not so great”.It really wasn’t until Small Business Server 2003, released in (you guessed it!) 2003 that Small Business Server came into its own right. Small Business Server 2003 includes the standard Windows Server plus Microsoft Exchange Server, Windows SharePoint Server, and a plethora of “wizards” that make managing the server relatively easy for a small business owner. The Premium edition also includes Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft ISA Server It doesn’t much matter at this point what these things are except that they are excellent business tools.Taken together, these products provide a solid foundation for a network that includes shared calendar, contacts, and tasks. Also included is a team web site (also known as an Intranet) and with the Premium edition, a database server and a network firewall.If you consider the standard edition weighed against the individual software packages for 5 users, Small Business Server 2003 comes in at about $575 while the individual packages are priced at about $2100. That becomes roughly $1150 compared to about $2700 when you license 10 users. The savings go and on as users are added.So, what’s the catch? Small Business Server 2003 can handle a maximum of 75 users, domain trust relationships are not available, and only the Small Business Server 2003 can be a domain controller. It doesn’t matter a hoot what those things mean except that very few small businesses would ever know the difference.Microsoft is due to release Business Server 2008 in November 2008. If you own a small business and are in the market for a new server, Small Business Server 2008 will be one of those products you’d be remiss to overlook. If you need a server today you can buy the 2003 version with software assurance and get the upgrade for free. Just beware though, Small Business Server 2008 will be 64 bit only so be careful to buy the right hardware!
Windows Small Business Server 2008
How Important Is the Fundraising Auctioneer to the Success of Your Event?
I want you to think about the term “Fundraising Auction”.
A “Fundraising Auction” is an event where items of value are gathered, and then sold in a competitive bidding situation, either in a Silent Auction format, or in a Live Auction format by a Live Auctioneer. And since typically the best items are saved for the Live Auction, arguably it is the Live Auction that should generate a significant portion of the proceeds in any Fundraising Auction.
So why do so many non-profit groups consider the Fundraising Auctioneer to be the least valuable component in a Fundraising Auction?
The Hosting Facility gets paid.
The Printer gets paid.
The Caterer gets paid.
The Liquor Store gets paid.
The DJ gets paid.
The Florist gets paid.
But the Auctioneer … the individual who is expected to raise the lion’s share of the event’s proceeds… is expected to work for Free. And is usually under-appreciated for the professional services he/she provides.
I’m not trying to underscore the value of the invitations & programs, food, booze, music, and decorations. All are important in their own way. But each of these are “Expenses”. It is the Auctioneer who is going to bring “Revenue”… and thus, the “Profits”… into any event. Which is the ultimate objective of any Fundraising Auction.
Here is a real-life example of how under-appreciated the Auctioneer can be. In two comparable events we worked last year, during the dinner portion of the event one non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) at a table with the DJ, the Interns, the Volunteer Staff, and other event “Help”. The 2nd non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) directly next to the CEO of their organization, where we chatted about how important the pending revenue would be to their organization. Which group do you think valued the services of the Fundraising Auctioneer more?
Don’t ever under-estimate the value that a professional Fundraising Auctioneer can bring to your event. The Auctioneer adds value as a pre-event consultant. And the Auctioneer can change an event from a moderate to a huge success.
A Case Study Once I was scheduled to call an Auction for a major local non-profit group. They represented a very good cause and they had a strong and dedicated following. Their event was sold out, quality Live & Silent Auction items had been solicited, and the Special Pledge Appeal had been choreographed and was ready to go. The facility was first class, the appropriate caterer was booked, and the food was ready to cook.
But quite unexpectedly, some unseasonably inclement weather forced the event’s cancellation. Despite all of the committee’s hard work, cancelling the event was the proper decision considering the circumstances.
So the Event Committee scrambled to re-schedule the event for the following weekend.
They confirmed with the Hosting Facility.
They confirmed with the Caterer.
They confirmed with the Liquor Store.
They confirmed with the DJ.
They confirmed with the Florist.
Since they already had the Mailing List of those scheduled to attend, no new invitations had to be printed as all were contacted by email or telephone. So with everything in place, the group went ahead and re-scheduled the event for the following weekend.
But guess who they failed to confirm? You got it… the Professional Auctioneer. They thought so little of the Auctioneer’s contribution that they “assumed” that the Auctioneer would be available and at their beck and call.
But the Auctioneer already had another Fundraising Auction booked for that date with another non-profit group. It was only hour away from the re-scheduled event, and things could have been easily worked out. All Group #1 had to do was start their event one hour earlier, or one hour later, than the Group #2, and the Auctioneer could have helped both groups on the same day.
But because Group #1 failed to anticipate a possible Auctioneer conflict, because they failed to confirm with the Auctioneer before re-scheduling their event, their preferred Auctioneer had to bow out and they had to scramble to locate substitute “Volunteer” Auctioneer only days before their event.
And it cost them.
Learning Points
The Live Auction is usually where the profits are made at any Fundraising Auction.
A Professional Fundraising Auctioneer can be vital to the success of any Fundraising Auction.
The better Fundraising Auctioneers usually get booked quickly.
You need to recognize the important contributions that a good Auctioneer can make to your event.
Michael Ivankovich is a Bucks County Fundraising Auctioneer based in Doylestown PA, and serves the Great Philadelphia PA area. He has been a professionally licensed and bonded Auctioneer in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years, has been named Pennsylvania’s Auctioneer of the Year, and has considerable experience in conducting Fundraising Auctions. Michael loves helping groups raise needed funds for good causes and one of his specialties is the “Special Pledge Appeal” or “Fund-A-Cause Appeal” which usually enables clients to double their revenue in a single evening.
Choosing the Best Educational Toys
Educational toys enable children to learn as they play. Educational toys help a child acquire new skills and improve their current ones all the while having fun. Educational toys are great at this – in encouraging learning in a fun environment. Educational toys are not only fun but practical. Of course, there are important factors that a parent needs to consider in getting the best educational toys for their children:
1. Consider the child’s age when choosing educational toys. There are educational toys in the market available for all age groups. Check the labels of toys for age appropriateness. Electronic toys, breakable toys, and those with minute parts are definitely not for infants. Consider safety fore mostly. The best for smaller kids are ones that activate the senses and are good for motor skills – toys producing, sounds, turning buttons, push and pull, filling and emptying, bobbing bath toys, squishy toys, clay or shapes. A one year old would probably only throw number or letter blocks without recognizing the idea of numbers. So not too complicated; neither should you underestimate a preschooler with toys meant only for younger kids. Maybe you should challenge them with more books (picture books and pop-ups are so much fun) or chalk boards, flash cards, toy clocks and globes, and puzzles.
2. Also consider a child’s interest. A child could be interested more in sports than in music or art for example. Observe if he likes to bang things more than scribble. Try to get an idea of your child’s “field” before buying educational toys.
3. Let your child’s imagination work. Children’s play is often centered on their little worlds, and getting their minds working creatively greatly stimulates and develops their minds. The more the toy encourages creative thinking and make-believe, the better. Toys that are good at this are building blocks, arts and crafts, coloring books, stuffed animals, doll set, action figures, cars, and science and discovery toys like binoculars, archeology tools, veterinarian kits, habitats, and the likes.
4. Watch-and-learn toys are magnificent. Toys that are imitative of adults’ activities always get a child’s attention. The average cooking play set goes a long way in a child’s learning. So does sports toys like ping pong play or dad’s favorite shooting hoops basketball and profession toys like doctor’s kit.
5. Educational toys should be fun. The best way for a child to learn is probably by having fun. Whatever that interests your child stimulates his brain to get ready for learning. Educational toys serve this purpose. It is important for educational toys to be entertaining to foster brain activity stimulation. It has been scientifically proven that this brain stimulation through activating interest in a child help develop thought and reflex patterns and a good hand-eye coordination. Plus, fun is an important factor in choosing an educational toy since the child won’t even notice that lessons are being taught while he is playing. And lastly, fun is great way to get a child’s attention and focus in the first place. Thus, educational toys should be fun in the best way they could be.
Exposure to educational toys in the early formative years of learning, during times of perception with awe and surprise, when a child’s brain acts like a quick sponge absorbing great new experiences playing a huge part in a child’s capacity for learning in the later stages of his life. It is then responsibility of every parent to provide educational toys for their child to get them a head start in early development helping them explore the world around them. Grab some of these tips and watch your child maximize his abilities.