How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup and Property Preservation Company

A new article on June 3, 2009 from MSN Money writer Michael Brush indicates that there is a third wave of foreclosures still to come from prime borrowers (i.e. those previously "safe-borrowers" with sound credit and fixed-rate mortgages) as a result of job losses thanks to the worsening economy ("Coming: A 3rd Wave of Foreclosures").

The article states that "In the first quarter, the percentage of these borrowers who were behind on their mortgages or in foreclosure had doubled from a year earlier, to nearly 6%" and goes on to say that "Credit Suisseanalyst Rod Dubitsky predicted last week that 8.1 million mortgages, or 16% of all mortgages, will go into foreclosure over the next four years. A weak economy, continued declines in home prices and rising delinquencies among prime borrowers all but ensure that foreclosures "will march steadily higher," he says." Not such great news for the economy, but good news indeed for entrepreneurs interested in starting a foreclosure cleanup business to clean and repair foreclosed homes for the banks.

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To put this in perspective, this means that there will be over 2 million foreclosures a year and more than ,025,000,000 up for grabs in money that will be spent on cleaning up these foreclosed properties (since the average bill is 00+ to clean up one of these properties).

Let's take a look at how you can position yourself to capitalize on this coming foreclosure movement

Set Up Your Company Properly

If you want to be hired for cleanup or preservation work, you'll need to operate your business as a professional company. The good news is that you can set up a business quickly and inexpensively, and usually on your own. Many people decide to set up an LLC (Limited Liability Company) because of how quickly and easily it can be done but you'll want to check with your accountant or other business professional to select the type of business entity that's right for your personal situation.

If you do decide to start an LLC, you can usually find all of the documents you need online from your state's government website. Usually the branch you're looking for will be called the "Industrial Commission" or "Corporation Commission" or similar. Try typing in "start a business + ______ (your state)". Anything ending in ".gov" is usually a good place to start as it indicates a government site.

Once your business is set up, you'll need an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is like a SSN for your business. You can register for one online: type in "IRS" & "EIN" into a search engine to find the online registration link.

As soon as you have your EIN (which you can usually get immediately online), you can open up a business bank account for your company. This step is very, very important. In the excitement of things, many people get caught up in the day-to-day dealings of running a business and use their personal accounts to pay for business expenses. Not only does this present an accounting nightmare at the end of the year, but it could present problems for you with the IRS if you don't keep your personal and business finances separate.

Once you legally set up your business, you may be required to register your business with your county or city in order to get a business license to operate. You can start by calling City Hall or the Office of the County Clerk to inquire as to whether or not you need a city/county/state business license and if so, how to get one.

So to recap:

1. Legally set up your business
2. Get your EIN # and set up a business bank account
3. Apply for a business license
4. If you want to do preservation work, determine whether or not you need a contractors' license

Get Insurance

You absolutely must have a Commercial Liability Insurance policy and Workers' Compensation Insurance in order to run your business. Not only is insurance essential for protecting yourself from liability and protecting those that work for you in the event of a work-related injury, but many asset management companies will not do business with you if you do not meet their minimum insurance requirements.

Insurance will likely be one of your largest start-up costs, however, most insurance companies allow you to pay the premium on a monthly (rather than yearly) basis, which definitely makes this expense more affordable.

General Liability Insurance policies can cover the following: bodily injury, property damage, contractual liability, personal and advertising injury, professional liability (also known as Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance, this coverage protects you and your business from litigation caused by charges of professional neglect or failure to perform your professional duties), hired auto and non-auto liability and umbrella liability.

You'll want to speak directly with your insurance agent to get a better idea of the extent of the coverage provided by their particular policy and one that is best suited for your individual needs

Workers' Compensation Insurance is required in most states when you have W2 employees, and some states also require your insurance to cover your 1099 contractors also. Workers' Compensation ("Workers' Comp") covers your employees' medical and disability expenses related to work-related illness and on-the-job injuries.

In the states where you are not required to cover your 1099 contractors you would need them to provide proof that they carry their own Workers' Compensation insurance. Although tempting to shift the financial burden of maintaining a policy onto your 1099 contractors, in all reality, you are probably better off to take on the cost of all staff Workers' Compensation (all W2 employees and 1099 contractors). The reason is that it's difficult to find only independent contractors that have their own policy. In addition, this industry has such high turnover that if you put this restriction on your independent contractors, you'll waste valuable time and lost revenues trying to find replacements in a hurry.

Here's a great tip: sometimes you can get "pay-as-you-go" insurance where your workers' compensation insurance premiums are based on your actual payroll, rather than an estimated amount. This is great for companies that are just starting out or have a fluctuating workload. Type in "pay as you go workers comp" into a search engine for results in your area.

As a second tip, we've used Farmers Insurance for years and have always had excellent customer service and great rates. Just Google "Farmers Insurance" for an agent in your area.

Foreclosure Cleanup v.s. Property Preservation Services

As the name suggests as a Foreclosure Cleanup Company, you'll be cleaning out all of the junk in the house (also called a "trashout or a "junk out"), as well as cleaning the interior of the home. You may also be required to remove vehicles on the property. Usually foreclosure cleanup companies are also responsible for doing a basic landscape cleanup which includes hauling out any junk from the front/back yards, cutting the grass and trimming trees/bushes.

Cleaning up the property is the extent of services offered by a Foreclosure Cleanup Company, whereas a Property Preservation Company is also involved in the "securing" of the property and the "preserving" of the property.

Here are some of the services that a preservation company may offer (note that a Property Preservation Company will generally also offer cleanup services):

Securing the Property
o Initial vacant property inspection
o Lock changes
o Boarding of windows and doors
o Temporary roof repair
o Securing swimming pools

Preserving the Property
o Exterior Debris removal
o Abandoned vehicle removal (cars, boats, etc.)
o Interior Debris removal (junk-out)
o Hazardous waste removal
o Interior cleaning services including carpet cleaning
o Window washing/graffiti removal
o Window replacement
o Pool services (draining, acid washing, maintaining, etc.)
o Pest control services
o Yard maintenance/landscaping
o Snow removal
o Winterization
o Gutter cleaning
o Pressure washing
o Carpet removal & replacement
o Tile/Floor repairs
o Painting
o Sheetrock/drywall repairs
o Carpentry repairs
o Plumbing fixtures repairs & replacements
o Fire & mold remediation
o Fence repair

Here are a few things to consider when determining the extent of the services you want to offer:

A Contractors' License is generally not required for Foreclosure Cleanup Company but is likely required for preservation companies doing work over a certain dollar value (usually 0 - 00+). Sometimes this license can be obtained by attending a course and successfully passing a test whereas other states require previous, verifiable industry experience.

The insurance premiums tend to be higher on companies that offer preservation services as they are considered to be a "general contractor". However, the revenue potential is much higher as preservation services tend to run from a few thousand dollars upwards instead of 0 - 00 for each cleanout.

Usually what people do is start out initially offering just the foreclosure cleanup services and then when things pick up, they'll add preservation items to the list of services they offer. This let's them get their foot in the door without having to spend a whole lot of money upfront when setting up their company.

Source the Right Equipment & Tools

The great thing about starting a foreclosure cleanup company is that the initial expenses are quite low as much of the equipment and tools needed for cleaning foreclosures can likely be found in your own garage:

o Cleaning chemicals (i.e. all purpose cleaner, disinfectant, toilet bowl cleaner, window cleaner)
o Cleaning supplies (broom, mop, scrub pads)
o Vacuum cleaner
o Garbage bags and shovels
o Work gloves and disposable plastic gloves
o Lawn mowers & lawn tools
o Wheelbarrow

For the smaller items you don't have on hand, check your local dollar store. Their prices can't be beat and they usually have the same chemicals and cleaning supplies as the other retailers. Once you start doing some volume, consider shopping for your supplies at Sam's Club or Costco to keep your expenses low.

You can also find used equipment in great shape (such as vacuums) by going around to your local Saturday morning garage/yard sales. If you have a "Re-Use" center or a Salvation Army, you may consider checking there also as they often have vacuums and other small equipment or yard tools for sale.

For hauling junk, you'll need some sort of trailer and a vehicle large enough to pull it. If you don't have a truck and a trailer, you can always borrow a friend's truck and rent a trailer from U-Haul or just go ahead and rent a moving truck from U-Haul. (Remember though, that you'll be charged a daily rate plus a per-mile rate when you rent a moving truck whereas if you use your own truck and just rent the pull-trailer, you'll only incur the daily rental rate for the trailer.)

Sometimes you'll be required to clean a property that doesn't have electricity or water. In the event that there's no electricity, you'll need a generator to operate the vacuum cleaners and other electrical equipment. These can be rented at Lowe's or Home Depot and is a much better alternative to purchasing one outright unless you're going to use it on a regular basis (a new one will run you about 0+).
To save on expenses, it's best to rent equipment in the beginning.

Once you get up and going, it may be worth looking into purchasing equipment of your own. Check the online classifieds ads (such as Craigslist, Kijiji and Backpage) for used trailers, generators, etc. You should also check with U-Haul as they have been selling some of their excess trucks as of late.

Stay Safe on the Job

As a business owner, you're responsible for keeping your staff safe while working on the job. Working safely is paramount to the health of your staff and the reputation of your business (and also keeps your insurance premiums low). It's imperative that you review safety issues prior to allowing anyone to work on the job - you must provide both classroom and on-the-job safety training to all new hires.

Now, it doesn't have to be anything fancy; you can spend 20 - 30 minutes reviewing safety policies, safe working practices and answering any questions and then you'll be done! Make sure you have people sign in and out of the meeting and that you document that a safety meeting took place.

It's also very important that you become familiar with OSHA and Safety Standards as well as the health & safety hazards associated with this industry so that you can keep your staff safe, avoid accidents and costly fines. You can find the OSHA Pocket Guide to Construction Safety (it's a short and an easy read) at the main website (OSHA DOT gov) by searching for the report name.

Another way to protect your staff and your business is to make sure that you check references before you hire someone. Insist that they list non-related references (i.e. not mother, sister or best friend) and instead list references of previous employers or someone they know in a professional capacity. We also do drug testing and background checks - it might sound paranoid to some, but the safety of our staff, our customers' property and our company's reputation is far too important to risk not spending on a background check or drug test.

Price Your Services Right

In this industry, the lowest price always wins the bid (unless, of course, the lowest bidder has a terrible track record of not completing work and is utterly irresponsible and unprofessional, in which case the company has just committed "reputation-suicide" and will never be hired again). Lenders don't want to spend any more than they have to on these properties so you want to make sure you price your services comparable with the going market rates (but at the same time, priced so that you still make a great profit and don't leave any money on the table).

For cleaning out foreclosures, most banks expect to spend anywhere from 0 - 00 for a cleanout (trashout, interior clean and initial landscape cleanup), but it could be a bit more or a bit less, depending on your area. It's important to know that most lenders have prescribed "price caps" for the maximum amounts that they'll pay for services.

If you're also providing preservation services, a great site that we've used before to determine our prices for doing repairs is www.CostEstimator.com for getting the market rates for construction costs - you can get a free 30 day trial (no need to enter credit card - it really is free!). There are over 3,000 cost items adjusted for over 210 local, geographic regions to create your bid and you can add as many others as needed. If you want to sign up after the trial, it's only /month.

Market Your Services

It's true - "nothing happens until somebody sells something"... and you'll need to get out there and sell, sell, sell your business. Once you've done a few jobs, you'll find that word of mouth advertising and referrals will provide a large pool of new jobs for you, but in the meantime, you do need to do everything possible to let customers know you exist.

A large portion of work will come from the relationships that you build with Real Estate Agents ("Realtors") who list bank-owned homes (often referred to as REO listings). They are often given the task of bidding out the cleaning and repairs of new listings by the asset management company so you'll want to make sure the agents in your area know your company handles this type of work.

A great way to find out which Realtors in your area list REOs is to go online to the major bank's REO websites and "data mine" the contact information for the listing agents (name, email, phone numbers). It can be painstaking work, but definitely worth it.

Here's an example of a bank REO sites to get you started collecting Realtor information

WELLS FARGO (Properties managed by Premier Asset Services): pasreo.com/pasreo/images/pas_logo.jpg

NOTE: In order to access agent information, select the state and click search. Then, individually select each listing and click on "Print Property Report CVS". Each listing and corresponding information (such as agent name, phone # and email) will be created in an Excel spreadsheet. You can access the page

Remember to follow up with a phone call a few days later. Don't be shy about asking the Realtor if he/she has any jobs for you to bid, either - most of them are very accommodating and willing to give a new company the opportunity to provide estimates.

The other way jobs are bid out is through large Asset Management Companies (also referred to as Marketing & Management Companies, REO Field Service Companies and Property Management Companies). Essentially, the lender says, "ok - I have thousands of properties to get rid of. Here, national ABC Asset Management Company: clean, fix and sell these properties for us". And the national Asset Management Company will then subcontract out the work to local foreclosure cleanup and property preservation companies. In order to work for these companies, you usually need to sign up your company as a potential vendor. Many times this can be done online.

There are both positives and negatives associated with working for the larger companies. On the positive side, you will probably be given a few projects to work on at a time so you will be kept relatively busy. On the negative side, they usually want you to offer 'wholesale pricing' and don't pay until 30 - 60 days after you invoice them for the work. Working for one of these companies, however, will give you the experience you need to go after more work.

Other possible customers include wholesale property investors (groups of investors that purchase foreclosed homes at the auctions and then sell them to smaller investors at a wholesale price), investors, landlords, property management companies, Realtors and so on.

You should also consider attending your local networking events such as the Chamber of Commerce meetings and any local investor meetings in order to hand out your card and network with potential customers. The more you get out there, the better chance you'll have of securing some great, long-term customers!

This is definitely an exciting industry and a very profitable one for those of you who don't mind getting your hands a bit dirty! Good luck!

How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup and Property Preservation Company

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How To Plan A Banquet - A Guide To Planning Perfect Banquets For Company Or Private Parties

First time planners are often stricken with complete fear! Even those that plan events over and over again still fear that something will go wrong and they will be the subject of ridicule. Hopefully we can allay the fears and quell the butterflies in your stomach by helping you through the entire project.

There are a lot of questions you need to ask. First timers probably don't have the foggiest idea what questions to ask, so, the first thing we'd better do is outline these for you.

Grow Calendar 2011

Perhaps the easiest way to do that is to fill out a form. (I love forms!)
If you were to phone me and ask me to help you make arrangements for a special event, the first thing I would do is reach for a blank form, and over the phone we would fill it out. When I had all the information, I would be better prepared to help you.

Before you continue reading, you may want to print the banquet planning worksheet(PDF) from my website. That way you can follow along with the worksheet as I describe the planning process. I've also included a pre filled sample planning worksheet that you might help.

Let's begin with fact finding.

PURPOSE

The first question to ask is, "What is the purpose of the event?" This question should be really easy, but it's perhaps the most important. The purpose of your event will determine your event's agenda.

DATE

Break out your calendar to decide a date for your event. Look for possible conflicts. It might be tough to get people out to a Saturday night banquet if it's a three-day holiday. It would be unwise to put on a church social if your local school, where most of your congregation had children attending, were having an open house or play that night.

Pencil in a date and then try to think of possible conflicts. I know of one organization that booked a very popular and relatively expensive Jewish comic into the club house of a predominantly Jewish retirement community. Attempts to sell tickets failed miserably, because they had not realized they had scheduled his appearance on a Jewish holiday - a very expensive oversight!

BUDGET

There are many, many determining factors in establishing a budget. First of all, how many are expected to attend? You might have a pretty good idea for a company party, but in some cases you might just have to make a "guess-timate" until you can get more information. Make the best possible estimate based on what facts you have, and proceed.

TICKET PRICE

Another factor to determine before we select a location is how much your attendees are willing to pay. Sure, we can work the other way: we can pick a location, hire a band, select the menu, etc., and then add up how much it all costs and thus determine how much everyone needs to pay, but doing so will probably leave you hurting in the end.

If you expect 1,000 people, and you determine .00 a person is acceptable, then your entire budget for food, printing, entertainment, etc., is ,000. If you expect only 20 people and you know they won't come if it's over .00 a person, then you know you're far more limited.

LOCATION

Determine the geographical area where the event is to take place. If you live in the area where the event will take place, you may already know of various hotels, country clubs, restaurants or catering halls that can accommodate your group. If you don't live in the area, be sure to go look at the potential location before you book it. If the event is in a distant city and it's not possible for you to travel there, and the event is a significant one, I suggest you hire a professional meeting planner.

I once attended a banquet in a quaint "50's malt-shop-type restaurant. The party planner had not gone there to look at the room where the party was to be. She had just taken the word of a friend. True, it was a great restaurant, but their "room" had about 5 permanent booths on each wall. Guests were facing in all different directions. This made it almost impossible for the magician they had hired to perform. To further confuse the issue, it was not even a private room. Restaurant customers could not get to the restroom without disturbing the party, and the 50's music continued to blare through the ceiling speakers throughout the evening because it was piped throughout the whole restaurant and could not be isolated from one room. A visit beforehand could have prevented this nightmare.

Many, if not most, facilities do not charge a fee for the use of the room but instead absorb the rental fee into the price of the meal. For instance, in our example of 200 people, a banquet facility would be delighted to supply a private room in order to sell 200 dinners.

Usually they will have several dinners to choose from - perhaps a chicken dinner, complete with beverage, salad and dessert, for .00 per person; or prime rib at .00 each; or sirloin steaks at .00 per person. In our example we are charging .00 per person. Let's select the prime rib at .00.

Does that include tax and tip? Oh, Oh! Find out if it does, or you may get a surprise at the end of the night. Let's say it does not. 15% tip and 8% (or whatever) tax makes the dinner a total of .14 per person. Our sample budget calls for 200 people at .00 each for a total of ,000. If all 200 people attend, dinner will cost ,428. That leaves ,572 for all other costs.

By the way, the facility may ask you for a deposit and guarantee. If you guarantee 200 people, you will have to pay for 200 dinners even if only 175 show up. Generally, a facility is prepared to serve about 10% more people than you guarantee. So it makes sense to guarantee a lesser number than you expect. Even some of those who told you absolutely they would be there, maybe even gave you a deposit, don't show for one reason or another.

Just to be on the safe side, in our example of 200 people, I would guarantee the restaurant 185. If you're pre selling tickets, which I recommend, you can always adjust your estimate upwards with the restaurant a day or two ahead of time if needed. Ask the facility about their requirements in regard to a change in the guarantee.

AGENDA

The evening agenda is largely determined by the event's purpose. A typical event might go like this:

6:00 - 7:00 - Social or cocktail hour

7:00 - 8:00 - Dinner

8:00 - 8:15 - Meeting/Awards/Business

8:15 - 9:00 - Entertainment/Speaker

9:00 - 9:10 - Raffle/Door Prizes

9:10 - 1:00 - Dancing

Having an hour to "gather" is always good. You and the facility both will want everyone present when you actually sit down to eat. It's been my experience that almost everything starts late, so plan for it and don't be disappointed when it happens.

Will you be having a cocktail hour? A "Hosted" bar means that drinks are free to the party-goers. If you choose to host the cocktail hour, be prepared to spend about 00 for our sample group of 200 people. Most organization-sponsored events have a 'No-Host' bar, in which guests buy their own drinks. It's appropriate to announce 'Hosted', or 'No-Host' in the invitation.

Some form of entertainment during the cocktail hour is certainly a plus. The facility may have music piped in through its sound system, which is certainly the most economical; however, for around 0 you could have live music. Most banquet facilities have a piano, sometimes on wheels, and will let you either rent the piano or use it for free. Fee for the piano rental should be around to 0 and a piano player anywhere from 0 to 0.

Other cocktail hour entertainment could include a chamber group, a jazz or "society" trio, harpist, or a strolling accordionist. A strolling "close-up" magician, performing from group to group or table to table, is always fun. Other forms of entertainment for the cocktail hour could include celebrity look-alikes, mechanical or conventional mimes, a balloon animal sculptor, caricaturist, graphologist, palm reader, tarot card reader, stilt walker, or just about anything else you can think of! Again, your budget is your gauge.

DINNER

This is pretty easy. When the Maitre'd says dinner is ready, have your party sit down!

The vast majority of banquets have certain people assigned to sit at the head table while everyone else may sit where they wish. If you choose to have a head table, you should make small place markers for those assigned to sit at the head table, and don't forget to discuss table arrangements with the facility.

OPENING

Someone, perhaps you, should step to the microphone and announce that dinner is ready and ask everyone to take a seat. When this has been accomplished your President, or whoever is presiding, should welcome everyone.

It is appropriate at most banquets to have someone lead the flag salute, followed by a blessing on the food. People should not be called upon for these jobs extemporaneously, but should be asked in advance and their names and responsibilities should be listed on the printed program if there is one. Following the flag salute and prayer, your Master of Ceremonies (or who ever is conducting) should introduce the people sitting at the head table, introducing himself last.

THE PROGRAM

If business of any sort needs to be conducted, begin when dessert is finished, or at least served. Make sure that the facility knows that you do not want any bussing (clearing of tables) or coffee served after the program starts, as it can become an irritating distraction and take away from the enjoyment of the program.

ENTERTAINMENT

Following opening remarks, and/or other business, you could either introduce the main speaker, or present some form of entertainment.

This could be the highlight of the evening! There are many outstanding after-dinner performers and speakers. If you really want to have a successful event, hire a professional. At this writing 0 to ,000 can buy you some pretty top-notch entertainment.

How about a comedian-magician who uses a member or two of your group and does some hilarious bits of business and audience participation magic tricks - 30 or 40 minutes of non-stop laughs!

Or picture this...the dessert has just been served and in walks "Lt. Columbo," complete with overcoat and cigar..."Oh, excuse me," he says, "I was looking for somebody else." All eyes are riveted on this familiar figure as he turns and starts to walk out. "Oh, one more thing, is this the Walker party?' Then for the next 30 minutes or so he does a comedy routine in the style and delivery of Peter Falk as Lt. Columbo, using names of people in your group.

That will rock your people out of their seats with laughter. These are just a couple of suggestions. Everybody loves to laugh, and a good professional entertainer can make you a hero.

How do you find that kind of entertainment? Again, watch out for the well-meaning friend. Sometimes hiring a friend of a friend who tells jokes or plays the banjo can put a wet blanket on the evening if they don't live up to your expectations.

Probably the best way to secure talent is to work with a professional talent agent that specializes in special events. Ordinarily there is no fee for his services. He can make recommendations and suggestions based on what your needs are, and work within your budget limitations.

Some entertainers may have special requirements, like a stage, spotlight, two mics or something else, and these items need to be arranged with the facility. There may be a rental fee involved.

RAFFLE/DOOR PRIZES

Giving away door prizes or raffle prizes should not be held until after the entertainment or main speaker. Perhaps it's an inducement for your guests to stay until the end.

If you're selling raffle tickets, again you need to make out a budget. How many tickets do you expect to sell and for how much money? Do you want to make a profit? Let's say you expect to sell 100 tickets to those 200 people expected to come, and we sell them at the banquet for .00 each. That'll give you 0 to buy prizes with. You can put this in your general budget or assign someone to take care of the whole raffle, including purchasing the prizes and selling the tickets.

DANCING

Following the raffle, the formal portion of the program is really over. Your people can now go home. If you've elected to have a deejay or band, they may stay for dancing.

The facility might charge to set up a dance floor. Sometimes this is a portable dance floor they build right on top of the carpet. A band will cost anywhere from 0 per band member to 0 per band member for four hours. A small trio of keyboard, drum and guitar could be anywhere from 0 to ,500.

An ,800 to ,500 five-piece band, including a vocalist, is average. If you hire a band, you may be able to use one or more of those same musicians to provide cocktail hour and/or dinner music for a small additional fee. You normally need to make a deposit at the time you hire the band. Anything over four hours' playing time is considered overtime, and you should talk with the band or agent about the cost of overtime when you make the initial arrangements. Bands also need to take a 10-15 minute break each hour. Ask if the band will supply recorded music during their breaks.

MOBILE DEEJAY

Sometimes you might prefer a DeeJay playing recorded music instead of hiring a band. This gives you the advantage of hearing the original recording artist instead of a dance band's rendition.

Another advantage is that most mobile DeeJay units will set up before dinner and offer to play dinner music at no additional cost, and of course, a DeeJay does not take a break during the evening, so you have non stop music for your event.

Cost-wise, there is not a lot of difference between a 3-piece band and a DeeJay. Some DeeJays offer a full light-show that few bands do, and even with an additional charge, this could be a real plus. I think it's just a matter of taste. Some people insist on a live band and others are just as adamant about a DeeJay.

PHOTOGRAPHER OR VIDEOGRAPHER

Video taping an event, except for historical purposes, is unnecessary. Seldom will the video tape or DVD be watched more than once after the event. Yes, maybe a Bar or Bat Mitzvah will watch his or her recording years later when they grow older, and maybe even a bride and groom would watch a well-edited and condensed recording. A company or organization's banquet, however, will be seldom if ever watched.

I would recommend that you hire, budget permitting, a professional photographer rather than leaving it up to one of your guests or a friend of a friend who only takes photos twice a year. You can have the photographer deliver prints or a CD of digital photographs in which case you could print just the photos you want.

PROMOTION

Probably the most traumatic thing that could occur is that you planned the entire event and then no one came. If it's a company party and the food, entertainment, drinks and dancing are all free, I don't think you will have a problem, as long as you let everybody know when and where and that it's FREE!

But if that's not the situation, you may need to promote the event. Once you have all the facts (WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, WHO, and HOW MUCH), you can create a flyer - a piece of paper with all the facts on it, designed to motivate people to attend.

If you're an artist, great! You can create the flyer yourself. If not, maybe someone in your group is and they can help you. Otherwise, you need to "rough it out" the way you'd want it and take it to a graphic artist to do the "camera-ready copy" for you, then off to a printer to print however many you're going to need. How many you need will depend on how you're going to distribute them.

The layout, printing, envelopes and postage all need to go into your budget. There are, of course, additional ways you can promote the event - word of mouth, bulletin boards, phone committee, club or company newsletter, posters. If your event will be open to people outside your organization, you might try using the publicity channels of other related groups, companies, schools, etc., as well as your own. Have a "brainstorming session" with your committee, if you have one, to think of all the ways you can get the word out.

And remember that if you want people to come to your activity, you can't just tell them. You have to tell them and tell them and tell them! Use all the resources at your disposal, and don't hesitate to repeat yourself. The more times you tell them, the more will come!

TICKET SALES

There are as many ways to handle this as there are ways to promote the event. If you have to lay out funds ahead of time (which is usually the case), it is good to get as much money as you can up front. Pre selling your tickets will help you do that. Of course, your publicity must state your requirements and deadlines. This also will help you get a handle on how many are going to attend. Remember though, that there will still be some last minute cancellations and additions, so stay flexible.

TABLE ASSIGNMENTS

As mentioned earlier, most organizations assign only the head table, and the rest of the attendees are left to sit where they wish. Some groups insist on drawing pictures of the tables on a sheet of paper, numbering them, and then assigning people to specific tables.

I think it's far more work than necessary, but if you must, then have at it.
Some banquets, especially those honoring individuals or groups, offer entire tables "for sale." 10 people per table at each means that for 0 someone could reserve a whole table. Make sure you put a "reserved" sign on that table, showing the name of the host.

THE PRINTED PROGRAM

When all the facts are in, if the budget will permit, a nice printed program could be put at each place setting or handed out as people arrive. It should contain the agenda for the evening and credits given to all those who contributed to the event.

Many organizations have been successful in selling ads in the program to defray the cost of printing or even to raise some extra money. I've put 0 income under the income column of our example. Don't you think you could convince 10 people to give you their business card and pay to be advertised on the back page of the program? Of course, this idea could be a little tacky if the event is to celebrate little Bobbie's 10th birthday. Use your best judgment.

DECORATIONS

This could be a big item or not - strictly up to you. If you picked a beautiful location, and it's not a special seasonal event like a Christmas or Halloween party, why not just enjoy the facility's decor? If you feel you need decorations and you have a sufficient budget, call a party decorator who uses balloons. They go a long way towards dressing up a room without spending a lot of money.

Centerpieces on each table look nice. You can ask someone to donate these or have someone clever make something for each table. Many facilities make such a nice table layout that a centerpiece is not necessary. Don't spend money unnecessarily, but do remember that the nicer the ambience, the better the memories or the event will be in the minds of those who attend, which means that they will want to come to your next event, too!

One note of caution. If you're having entertainment, be careful that large
centerpieces, particularly balloons, don't block the view of the performing area or even the people sitting on the opposite side of the table who want to see and talk to each other.

YOU DID IT!

Yes, you will fret and worry until the whole thing is over, but every party planner does. Just relax, do your best and enjoy! (Here's a secret: If you enjoy what you're doing, the people you are doing it for will enjoy it, too!)

How To Plan A Banquet - A Guide To Planning Perfect Banquets For Company Or Private Parties

Grow Calendar 2011

Alternative Ideas For Company Christmas Cards - Send a Pop-Up Calendar Instead!

Choosing your corporate Christmas Card can be a tricky business. For one thing, there are so many people in your own organisation that will want a say in the matter. On top of that you have to be careful that the greeting satisfies today's version of being politically correct. After all that, it is important that your greeting stands out above all others and gives a positive message about your own company. And all of this is just for a Christmas Card!

What about an alternative to a Christmas card? Desk calendars are always a popular choice as a Christmas promotion and have the obvious benefit of being kept on your customer's desk for the next 12 months. But how many of your competitors will have gone down the same path? You need to think hard about how to make your Christmas promotional calendar stand out above the others. So how do you achieve that goal that without spending an absolute fortune on a super-duper de-luxe wall calendar from an expensive Christmas gift catalogue? Here's a suggestion. Why not take away all of the hassle and plump for a pop-up calendar with a distinctive shape?

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For example, how about a pop-up that has a shape that lends itself to producing pop up mailers looking like castles, towers, "ton weight", or it might even match a company logo. A pop up castle has four trapezium-shaped walls that give the product its castle shape. These walls offer a large area for promotional print which makes it a great candidate for use as a pop up mailer. The base and top are both square.

The shape and size of the pop up castle works to the benefit of the automatic pop up action and the product has a very strong "jump". It goes off with a quite noisy crack when the mailing envelope is opened and continues to have a strong action when used over and over. Many businesses are called "castle this" or "tower that" and many of them have a logo that fits this pop up shape. The pop up castle can easily be adapted to become a promotional desk-top pen holder for such a company by adding some holes to the top surface.

Of course, there are many other quite distinctive shapes on the market which can be made into quite unique pop-up desk calendars. A product called a Hexapop was launched earlier this year and so it is new to the Christmas market. Its overall shape is hexagonal but it is made up of twelve triangular faces - each of which can be custom printed with the dates for each of the 12 months. You might want to consider a heptagonal variation on this Christmas idea as that product has 14 panels - 7 on each side. That gives 6 panels for January to June plus one panel for your logo or Christmas marketing message. Turn over for July to December and another marketing message!

Other shapes lend themselves very easily to the double use of pen-holder-cum-calendar. A pop up in the shape of a house could make a very attractive Christmas greeting with graphics as Santa's grotto or as a snow-covered log cabin and, of course, pop-up cubes and box-shaped pop-ups will easily perform the dual function.

There is plenty of room on the side panels for promotional print and to create a promotional pop up calendar which makes it into an ideal Christmas promotion. Combine the calendar with the pen holder and you might just have the perfect solution to your corporate Christmas greeting problem - a desk top pen holder that is also a calendar for 2009!

Alternative Ideas For Company Christmas Cards - Send a Pop-Up Calendar Instead!

Grow Calendar 2011

Employee Ideas Will Help a Company Grow

If you always Do, What you have always done.
You will always be what you always were.

We must always keep 'sharpening the axe' or rekindle the spirit of learning. Managers or supervisors should know there is nothing more rewarding than to get people to recognize their potential, and become involved in the improvement process of their reportees.

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A positive vision of the future is important for everyone who wishes to make a difference to see their company succeed in this competitive world.

So where does this change start? It starts with every employee in a company giving suggestions to a program of continuous improvement. First, they should see how their own work could be made more efficient with little or no waste. Second, they should make improvements that will have a positive effect on the financial health of the company. This means instead of working harder, they must work smarter.

Everyone in the company should commit to a program of offering one suggestion in a specified time on how their own work or the company's operations could be improved. The following recommendations can be used for submitting ideas:

- Each suggestion should be small that can be applied quickly and give almost immediate results.

- Each person should commit to offer one suggestion per month.

- All ideas to be discussed with the supervisor before implementing them.

It would be wise to tap the knowledge that the workers have gained from years of experience of performing their duties so they understand the job better.

It is crucial that each worker's suggestion receives the courtesy of a reply from the respective supervisor and is credited to that worker, otherwise improvement suggestions will soon stop coming.

The Kaizen Challenge is to-

o Find better ways to do things more efficiently.

o Do not use yesterday's methods in today's manufacturing world.

o Come up with new and better ways of doing tasks.

Employee Ideas Will Help a Company Grow

Grow Calendar 2011