Use Secure Online Payments for Quick Business Transactions

Majority of firms worldwide are using the online payments system for money transactions due to several reasons. This procedure does not involve the use of paper and hence, is environment friendly. Besides, it also helps to do away with the problems of creating reports and maintaining accounts every day.

Internet shoppers find the online payments system highly beneficial. They can purchase different kinds of goods online to facilitate their needs and desires. Secure payments over the computer enable people to shop 24 hours. Besides, the online stores also remain open for doing business, 365 days a year.

The online payment management solution enables:

Anytime Access of the Payment Portal

The payments portal can be accessed anytime, 24x7 from any part of the world. Besides, the fund transfer can also be done immediately.

Speedy Credit Card Processing

All major credit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover, can be easily processed using this web-based solution, thus making payment easy and fast.

Payment Security

Security breach is rampant worldwide. For this reason, it is of vital importance to protect your bank account details. The web-based payments services take good care of your bank details so that it does not fall into wrong hands. The PCI-compliant fund transferring solution helps you meet all your business requirements in the safest possible manner.

Easy Recurring Payment Management

The Cloud-based payment managing system supports recurring orders for memberships, subscriptions, and more, regardless of the gateway used. You can receive and manage recurring payments of all types, monthly and annually, through credit cards, PayPal, and other standard payment gateways.

Hassle-free Refund

Organizers can submit refunds, amend orders, process credits, and complete transfers through this online payment management service. It displays organizer's own payment instructions and refund policy and also assists with the processing of refund and chargeback requests.

Email Notifications

Event planners will get notifications through emails as and when any financial transaction takes place. In case of a trade show, the organizers will get emails whenever someone registers and buys tickets.

Check Processing

The Cloud-based payment management solution enables you to use your checking account to make payments online. Paying checks over the internet reduces your billing cost. E-check check processing also lets you deposit funds faster than its paper-based counterpart.

Thus, the online payment transactions can be used over the traditional mode of pen and paper work to reduce considerable time and cost. Indeed, the Cloud-based fund management solution will help you manage your accounts and funds in more professional and cost-effective way.

Joomla Web Development: A New Trend in Open Source Content Management System

Today Joomla is one of the most popular open source Content management system used by users worldwide. Joomla was established on August 17, 2005 by the development team of Miro International Private Ltd. It's multiple language option has made it popular among users from different continents. Joomla enables user to create website and applications with ease. It has a friendly URL it allows image resizing and has server page language, template language and WYSIWYG Editor. It is freely available for everyone.

Joomla is a user-friendly web development which is easy to install and create website with minimum downloadable time and allows the user to manage the website themselves. If a user wants to extend the basic functions of a Joomla site then it is possible as it is highly extensible freely available under the General Public License (GPL). There are over 8600 free and commercial extensions available from Joomla directory and other sources. Now if you want to customize your website with extra extensions, then it is freely available.

Joomla allows user to publish content on worldwide web and intranet, its web application framework can be used independently. Joomla is based on PHP and stores data in MySQL database thereby allowing you to build a powerful application which can be shared by anyone.

Joomla has some basic module given below:-

1. Inventory control system


2. Data reporting tools


3. Application bridges


4. Custom product catalogs


5. Integrated e-commerce systems


6. Complex business directories


7. Reservation systems


8. Communication tools


9. Image and multimedia galleries


10. Forums and chat software

Joomla has some basic features like page catching, RSS feed, printable version of pages, new flashes blogs, polls, search and support language internationalization.

Apart from these features Joomla has some built-in applications which are listed below:-

1. Blog


2. Chat (free add-on)


3. Search Engine


4. Contact Management


5. Database reports


6. Document management


7. Event management


8. Web services front end


9. Link management project tracking


10. Project tracking

The first official version of Joomla was released on September 16, 2005 i.e. 1.0. Next version was 1.5 which was released on January 22, 2008, Joomla 1.6 was released on January 10, 2011 and Joomla 1.7 was released on July 19, 2011. The latest stable version available in the market is 2.5.2 released on March 6, 2012. Joomla web development services are hired for corporate website portals, Real Estate websites, Government applications, online commerce, corporate intranets, personal or family homepages, magazines/newspapers and many others.

Joomla is an award-winning free open source CMS which tried and tested and known for its usability, functionality and robustness. It provides user full control over content management of the websites. Its website design supports multiple users which mean different users can work at the same time. Joomla's content management system meets all SEO requirements and its HTML layout is well-formed and easy to read.

The Right Event Planner For You

Are you planning for an important corporate event but can't seem to get anywhere? Well, all you need are a few event management tips and a good event planner. The first one, event management tips, can be found anywhere-online or offline. The second, a good occasion planner, takes a bit of effort to find. Obviously, a corporate event is a very significant occasion, and sometimes no amount of occasion management tips can guarantee success. That's why you're going to need all the help you can get.

An event planner is a professional who provides services in planning and implementing all the essential aspects of an event or occasion. As such, an occasion planner is in charge of handling the operational matters of a planned event as well as the necessary logistical preparations. Event planners actually go beyond simply planning for an affair or simply giving out event management tips. They are, in fact, closely involved in carrying out the actual event.

In the business world, corporate events and functions are key concerns especially for marketing and administrative purposes. For example, product launchings are important items in many marketing strategies. Another corporate event, the shareholders' conference, is essential for overall structuring of the company itself. There are many other corporate events that help the business grow and reach new levels.

With the above things in mind, it becomes clear why you need to leave the managing of an event to a professional. You have to find and hire the services of an occasion planner that best suits for your particular situation. You might want to consider the following qualities before deciding.

Among the first things you need to look for in an occasion planner are his/her experience and specialty. An important qualification that a good event planner holds is the level of experience. Needless to say you're not planning to leave the outcome of your corporate event in the hands of an amateur. Moreover, you have to make sure that a particular event planner's specialty matches your needs and situation. Hiring someone who has successfully handled a similar function to your event is advisable.

Another factor to consider is the planner's style and approach to event management. Event planners use a variety of tools and techniques to plan and execute an event. What you're looking for is a professional who truly understands your strategies and reasons for holding the event. You have to choose someone who provides a systematic and dynamic method of working towards your goal, rather than someone who simply gives you static occasion management tips and tools.

Overall, event management is both an art and a science. The professional you choose to help you out in your upcoming event should have both the creative and technical know-how that you need. Remember, the success of your event depends on the choices you make on event management tips and event planners.

How to Plan a Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party for Adults

If you have never participated in one, you may wonder how to plan a scavenger hunt birthday party for adult guests? The age of the guests allows the planner to create an event that is not limited to one location. Planning a memorable birthday party requires three simple steps:

1. Choose a location

2. Determine the type of scavenger hunt

3. Create the list

Complete these steps and the rest of the party will almost plan itself.

Choose a Location

Scavenger hunts are a great activity because they can be done almost anywhere. If the party is being held at home the participants can work the neighborhood or nearby areas. If there are enough drivers attending a larger area such as a 5 mile radius can be included in the allowable search area. If the event is being held at a restaurant or other location use the surrounding area as an acceptable search location. Often there is an area where many restaurants, clubs or entertainment venues are within walking distance. This is an excellent place to have a scavenger hunt for adults. They can wander around to find the items on the list and return to a designated location within the time limit set to claim their prize.

Determine the Type of Scavenger Hunt

Not all scavenger hunts are the same. Some require individuals to gather specific items, others may require photos of items or a signature of a person who meets a specific criteria. When choosing the style of scavenger hunt consider the location. Some places, such as an art museum, may not allow photos to be taken while. Other places, such as a mall, don't want people grabbing things without paying for them. Be creative and require participants to gather signatures of people who meet a specific criteria.

Create the List of Items

The list of items should be between 7 and 12 things. This will take participants about 45 minutes to an hour to locate all of the items. When possible use a theme for the list and the party for example here is a list of 10 items for a 50th birthday party theme:

1. A Happy Birthday sign

2. A 50 mph speed limit sign

3. 50 balloons (this works if there is a party store nearby)

4. A birthday cake ( can be found at a bakery, grocery store or party store)

5. A 50th birthday card

6. 50 different kinds of pop (the pop aisle at a grocery store)

7. 5 gold rings

8. Size 0 shoes

9. McDonalds sign 50 billion served

10. Number 50 displayed on a computer screen or media device

This list works for an area that has a department store, grocery store, and party store close together.

It is important to be creative when making a list. Brainstorm around the theme first and then narrow the choices down by what is easy to find in the chosen location.

Follow these three simple steps to plan a scavenger hunt birthday party for adults and the party will be long remembered as a fun event. Hosting a scavenger hunt has the added benefit of providing common ground for conversation at a party where not everyone knows each other.

Event Planning Template: Steps to a Successful Event

If you are organizing a business event, working with an event planning template proves to be very useful. A basic event planning checklist will make sure you don't miss anything important, and will help you use your energy most efficiently by focusing on the things that really matter.

Simply take the below event planning template, type the answers right behind the questions, and you stay on top of business event.

What, Where, When - The name of your event, date, time and location.

Desired Audience - Who do you want to reach? Want kind of reaction would you like from them? How will you keep their interest?

Your Message - What message do you want to bring across through your event? What should be on the mind of the participants after they've gone home?

Your Goals - How many people would you like to attend the event? How much funds would you like to raise?

Assessing the Risks - What are dangers and weaknesses related to your event? How would people be held off from participating or donating money? What is your answer to that?

The Budget - How much does the whole thing cost and how are you going to finance it?

Invitations - Will you send out invitations directly to your target audience, and which ones? Think of your newsletter, direct mail, etc.

Advertising - Which means of advertising will you use to let your target audience know about your event? Think of free publicity (press releases), radio, newsletters published by others, social media, and other means of communication.

Registration - Should people register for this event or not? Is entrance free, and if not, how will they pay? Will attendees wear name tags?

Catering - What foods or drinks will be available for the attendees? How and when will you present them? Have you arranged the logistics (tables and chairs etc.)?
Program - Who will be the speakers or other special guests at your event? How is the event structured? Do you need any audio or visual equipment?

Freebies for Guests - Will attendees receive gifts when attending the event? Think of a special offer which is valid only on this event, discounts, free samples, etc. You can even run a contest with prizes, if only you make sure the winner is decided on the basis of his skills, or you may have a (possibly illegal) lottery.

Keep It Safe - What is the security situation around your event? How will you ensure everything is in good order?

Staff - Do you need to hire extra staff for this event? Who will meet and greet guests?

Take-Down - When and how will the event be dismantled?

Feedback - If the event went well, you will have made the right impression on your target audience. How will you check if this was the case? Think of a way to take comments from the attendees, and consider sending them a thank you note for the participation.

When you follow the above event planning template, you will effectively determine the purpose and outcome of your business event and you will have solidified your connections with your target audience.

Event Planning - a Strategic Overview

Good planning and preparation is the key to any successful event. However, ensuring that you have attended to every detail can be exhausting and it is very easy to overlook something which may adversely affect your event outcome. Planning an event can be stressful at the best of times if you are not organised, but when we are talking about large scale events, like a wedding or business conference, it can become overwhelming. It is therefore essential that you, as the event organiser, have planned all the steps needed before embarking upon action. If unforeseen events occur, then the plan can be modified to take account of this. The point is, that you have thought about each step needed in the event planning process.

It is possible to hire professional services to plan events such as weddings and parties. If you are an extremely busy person and can afford it, than employing a professional may be the way to go. However, if the budget won't stretch or you would just like the challenge and satisfaction that comes with planning a successful event yourself, then there are some simple pieces of advice that you can follow to help you succeed.

Start by listing al the things that will need to be done to bring your event to fruition. It is a good idea to show the list to others to see if they can think of anything that you may have missed. It is vital that everything is written down. Any lists, plans, schedules, etc. should not remain in your head. The pressures of day to day life make this unreliable. They must be written down. Put the tasks on your list into a step by step plan. Schedule a date/time and deadline for each task and ensure that your overall timescale is realistic and will allow you time to seek alternative courses of action if needed. This is very important, as many people try to carry out their event plan in too short a timescale, leaving them no room to manoeuvre if things go wrong.

Keep tabs on your list and as each step is completed, check it off so you always know what has been done and what remains to be done. If the course of events dictate new or alternative actions, then add them to the list and your step by step plan. Always stay current with your master list/plan. This way you will remain in strategic control of your event planning. If you delegate a task, make sure that the person responsible is clear about what outcome is expected and has a deadline to work to. Ask them to inform you immediately if problems occur. It is probably a good idea also to check politely on progress from time to time, offering help if needed. Make sure that invitations are sent out in plenty of time for people to make their arrangements to attend. These days life is very busy and no event can be a success without guests.

Think carefully of the needs of your guests and how you will gather this information. Examples of needs you will need to consider are dietary needs and access facilities. Taking care of these at the planning stage will help your event to be an successful and enjoyable one.

Lastly, remember to build time into your event to allow you to socialise with your guests and enjoy the occasion. After all the hard work of event planning you will certainly deserve it! Planning an event can be demanding, but with careful planning and organisation it can be extremely satisfying. Knowing that a successful and enjoyable event is down to your efforts will make all the work that went on beforehand time well spent.

Hire A Catering Service For Any Event

Hiring a catering service can help you offer your guests excellent food without you being bothered about it. When you organize a party, the biggest dilemma that a person faces is regarding food. This type of service helps you remain worry free as they take care of every aspect organizing and serving the food.

There are several companies you can find in your city offering catering services. There are also cocktail party caterers who can add taste to your cocktail party. These companies offer services for any type of events like birthday parties, wedding, anniversary celebration or corporate parties.

These people are specialized in the field and can take care of food as per your need and requirement. There are some caterers who specialize in a particular type of cuisine while others can offer you customize services and can offer you any type of cuisine you want for your event. If you know what type of food you want for your party, it can help you pick a company that specializes in that particular type of food. Hiring a niche company offers several advantages.

Some catering companies can also offer you some other services apart from food. If a company has liquor license, it can also act as a bartender. If you will enquire, you will find that some of the local caterers can also help you with other type of services like DJ and photographer. These people remain in contact with other such service providers. This way you can also get discounted rates from them.

There are several types of catering services available that can range in price from cheap to expensive. You should plan and fix a budget prior to searching a company. It is also important to book a company well in advance to save money.

The best place to look for a catering company is online. You can make a list of the companies that interest you and then inquire them about the type of services and the cost they charge. Looking at their website, you can get an idea about the type of company it is and don't forget to read the testimonials left by the people who have used their services earlier.

A catering company is a very good option when you think of planning an event. They will take all the responsibility to offer your guests excellent food to make the event memorable.

Corporate and Private Event Planning

For large corporate parties and charity events it can be very easy to assume a professional event planner will make it all happen. However before hiring professional help we recommend that you clarify in your own head the answers to five important questions namely the Who, What, Where, When and Why of the event. For smaller social events you will not need to get tied up in formal planning but you will certainly need to have a clear focus on how the party will run. In the remainder of this article we will look at the 5 W's in more detail.

The Guests and Who They Are: Understanding your guests is very important when planning an event. For informal occasions with friends and families it is not so important but for larger parties you will need to be very aware of the composition of the guest list. For example your choice of entertainment will be heavily influenced by the age of those attending. If there is a wide spectrum you will need entertainment for children as well as adults.

Event Type: You may have hosted events in the past but be very careful about applying a "one size fits all" template. Not all events are the same and to help clarify the type of event you are planning you should classify it as one of the following, corporate entertainment, charity event or social event. Organising a family reunion is completely different to hosting a company away day. Yes, there may be common elements but assuming that you can simply copy arrangements from one to the other will lead to problems.

Timings and Dates: When deciding on the timings for your event you need to consider it on two levels. The first been the general season / month. Some events are more suited to a particular time of year, for example an Hawaiian party works much better during the Summer. Once the date is confirmed you can then get down to the "nitty gritty" of the event schedule.

Event Location: When selecting a location for your event there are a number of factors to consider including accessibility and the availability of accommodation but top of the "decision tree" should be the weather. Outdoor activities / options always add to an event so choosing Nebraska in the middle of Winter may not be the best choice.

Reasons for Hosting The Event: There are three main reasons for hosting an event, corporate entertainment, fund raising and social occasions. Hopefully as host you will know what category your event falls into. It may seem like a basic question but it is important to define the main purpose of the party before embarking on arranging the details.

Hopefully after reading this article you will understand the importance of taking time to consider what exactly you want your party or event to achieve. For smaller private occasions there is no need. The top priority should simply be the enjoyment of your guests but for those involved in corporate entertainment the stakes are a little higher. Treating staff and customers in an appropriate manner will pay dividends in the long run.

Organising a big event can seem like a daunting task. It can be very easy to make excuses not to host an event. If that is the case don't rule out the option of hiring professional help. It will save money in the long run.

Catering - Myths That Should Be Dispelled

If you're planning an event where you need to provide food for your guests, hiring catering services can be one of the wisest decisions you ever make. Certainly, the job of providing dinner for more than a few people can be a job overwhelming for one person in the kitchen. To try is to make planning this event an affair you dread, rather than look forward to. Unfortunately, there are quite a few myths surrounding caterers and hiring them for an event of this nature. If you believe in these myths, they could prevent you from making the best decision. Here are some that should be dispelled.

Food makes up the overwhelming majority of the bill.
Don't forget that there are a lot of components that go into catering that have little to nothing to do with food. If you're looking at a small plate of food and wondering why the bill was so pricey, you're probably missing the point. Some companies will provide the customer with an itemized bill, but others will leave it to a guessing game. It isn't much of a mystery, though. Labor is going to be a large part of the bill; you have to pay quite a few people to prepare, transport, serve, and clean up. If the company is providing you with alcohol and bartending service, that's going to add quite a bit to the bill as well.

The chicken is to be avoided.
Perhaps because of some bad catering companies, people get the idea that you can't expect great chicken at an event that has been catered. This is far from the case; there are companies out there that have built their entire reputation based almost solely on the quality of their served chicken. Look for companies that take pride on preparing fresh ingredients and you won't run into this problem. Obviously, any company that is cooking from frozen is going to run the risk of serving rubbery chicken. Their other dishes may not be much better. But if you find a company that has a reputation for succulent food, there's little reason their chicken should be an exception.

Preparation should be finished within an hour.
It's only natural to get a little impatient when planning an event. You have everything ready to go, so why is the catering company taking so long to get things set up? Well, it takes time to prepare a hall for a lot of dinner guests. You need to exercise patience in this instance. If the venue hasn't been set up, it will fall on the company to make sure it gets done. There is also the matter of setting out plates and silverware. Look for a company that will do a thorough job, rather than one that promises fast food service.

Tips on Hosting Successful Wine Tasting Events

You can organize a small and intimate wine tasting event to meet up with your old friends. Wineries from all around the world also keep on holding many such events to showcase their wine varieties. In these festivals, people get to enjoy liquors of various kinds, such as red wine, white wine, and so on. As an organizer, you can always make your liquor testing occasion all the more memorable and enjoyable an experience by keeping in mind some very simple, yet effective tips.

The most important task you need to do before organizing a wine tasting party is to determine the guest list. Send invitations or emails to all your guests stating them the time and venue of the party or event.

Designing a tasting card to invite your guests can leave a long-lasting impression on your friends. A card, beautifully designed and filled up with touchy words, is bound to make the guests happy. You can specify the wine names that they are going to taste as well as add a distinct aroma and flavor tinge to the cards.

Make your liquor tasting ceremony all the more exciting by arranging a game of "blind tasting". It means your attendees are going to be allowed to savor the drinks without knowing the names of the drinks. They will have to identify each type of wine in the glasses. On identifying each correct glass of wine, they will get points. Finally, the person with the highest number of points is going to get some prize. It can be a bottle of vintage wine or perhaps a book on the different varieties of wine found across the world.

Another tip of holding a successful wine tasting event is to decorate the venue with colorful flowers and ribbons. The wine glasses and bottles should be arranged neatly on the table. The tasting room should have an artistic by decorating the walls with old world paintings.

The event organizers should try to keep the ambiance casual. You can invite an orchestra to play some light music in the evening. It is a great way to engage your visitors and yet, make them feel relaxed at the end of the day.

One of the greatest ways to attract your target audience toward the wine tasting ceremony is to use the online communications tools, such as emails, reminders, and RSVPs. These tools, integrated within the online event management solutions, can be used to upload and manage unlimited number of your own custom email lists for marketing and invitations purpose.

Healthy Business: When Making Time For Employee Wellness Is No Longer Optional

In America, we have some serious time struggles. Everyone we know is busy. Everyone we know is running just to keep up with the day to day routine. No matter who you are or what you are doing in life, you are very busy.

Business is no different. Being busy is the key to a successful business. You've heard the phrase; "busy is good." You've heard the boss say to "get busy". It's all part of our culture and we have perfected the art of being busy. We are busy at home and we are busy at work.

That makes health difficult for most employees. With time being a stress in itself, it is a challenge to get exercise in or take time to make good food choices. That is what most employees struggle with at the core. That is also why the health of our workforce in our country is on the decline.

The workforce is just a mirror of our overall population. When you hear a statistic about obesity, it also applies to the workforce. When you hear a statistic about disease, it also applies to the workforce. Anything health-related that can be said about the American public, can also be said about the workforce in businesses around the country.

As a business, you are hiring people from the general population, so naturally, you can expect the issues to be similar. More accurately, you can expect attitudes to be the same in your workforce as they are in the general population. That is one of the biggest issues when it comes to time. Time is something that we have decided is optional.

When it comes to health, time is not optional. If you don't have time for health, you don't have health. When your company decides to change the culture and make health a part of it, time is part of the equation. If your company has time for health, you can help employees realize that they have time for it too. If your company doesn't have time for health, your company won't have health. Instead, you will simply have a workforce that don't have time for health and a company that actually supports that attitude.

That is the first step in creating a healthy company culture. When you are thinking about resources to devote to wellness, time is the first one that you have to make part of the equation. In order to create a plan, you have to take the time to discuss your company goals. If you want to create a particular result of any kind, you have to take the time to determine your actions that will lead to those results.

Your company is no stranger to this. Every company realizes that time is important to any area of business. That is why you make time for training. It is also why businesses make time for sales. Time is at the core of all areas of a successful business. The parts of the business that need to be supported are given the time. Likewise, the parts of the business that are given time are supported.

This support leads to success. When something is given time in your business, it becomes a growing area that is eventually a strength. When something is pushed aside and not given time, there is no way that this growth can take place. That is why so many companies struggle with wellness. When you devote time to wellness, there is growth. When your company doesn't have time for wellness, there is only the same results that you are already getting.

When you make wellness optional, your company will only invest as much time as you can spare. When you make wellness optional for employees, they will do the same. That is why health is going in the direction that it is going today. Health is something that none of us have time for. When your company supports that, you are promoting it and encouraging employees to continue down the same path, leading to the same results.

This raises a few questions:
How much time is your company devoting to wellness now?
That is a question that I would like to pose to all businesses across the country. The question that would follow directly would be: What results is your company getting now? What does your employee health look like now? What is the trend that you are seeing over the past 5 years, 10 years or 15 years? These questions are not difficult to answer. Every company knows exactly how much time they have spent on their wellness programs. Every company knows how much time they have invested in their employees in all areas. Health is no different. Every company knows how much time has been invested in employee health.

The questions posed are not pointed. They are not meant to insult any business or shame them for time they have spent or not spent on any particular area. When it comes to health, the fact remains, employees are not investing enough time in themselves. When it comes to employee health, many companies are still not investing time in their employees.

If your business wants to get control of healthcare costs and improve health, wellness is not optional. Time is finite, so there is only so much time in everyone's schedule. That is not a mystery. What is a mystery is how people can spend no time on something until there is an emergency and they are forced to spend the time. Medical emergencies are a clear example for both employees and companies. When someone hits the ultimate wall, there is no choice but to take the time to fix the problem.

Avoiding the problem is actually going to take less time and by far less painful. For employees and companies, health and wellness is nothing more than avoiding the problem by taking a little time now and saving a lot of time later. More importantly, we are able to save a lot of money by investing a little money. In business, saving money and saving time are not optional. If you don't strive to do these things, you will not be successful. If you are able to focus investment, you will get results.

Health is simple. Employee health is the same thing as health for the general population. If your company can devote time to wellness, you can avoid what is happening in the general population. How can you do this? You can create your own culture and with it, your own trends. One of those trends has to be health and more importantly that time for health is not optional.

Making time for health is not easy, but if it isn't done, we know what will happen. The fact is, we need to invest our time in ourselves and in our employees in order to improve health and in order to improve business. The state of affairs now has us dealing with rising costs. These costs are due to the choice to ignore health and to make improving it optional. The key to improving health and getting cost in line is time. When health is the goal, time is a necessity. When health is the goal time for health is not optional.

Planning Effective Exit Strategies For Business Owners

Today, many business owners are finding it increasingly difficult to retire due to a lack of an effective exit strategy and planning. Contracting cash flow in a tough economy, declines in net income and the credit crunch have all conspired to force many business owners into a fight-or-flight mindset.

Several companies have successfully compensated by trying to expand sales and cutting costs. Many small to mid-sized companies, however, have experienced a drop in value, with no end in sight.

Owners are also entering the chapter in their life when exiting their business in one way or another is becoming more probable. Unfortunately, the business may not be currently worth what they need it to be to successfully exit.

Or what very often happens, is the business owner wakes up one morning, so to speak, and decides that they don't want to run the business anymore and often decides the fate of the business without any careful planning.

The reality is that selling or exiting a business, is probably the single most important decision an owner will make. Instead of blindly hoping to sell their business one day, an alternative is for the business owners formulate a thoroughly planned exit strategy in order to sell or transfer their business for maximum value or compensation in the most tax-efficient method.

Creating an exit strategy, a process which takes three to five years, is the most significant step a business owner can make. All businesses are different and all business owners are different, therefore the exit strategy must be integrated with the owner's objectives and requirements.

Is it a lifestyle business that produces revenue which does not need to be sold? Can the business be transferred over to a family member or key employee, or will it be sold to a third party? If a business owner is entering the stage in life when they need to be planning their exit, here is what they should be attentive to:

Define Objectives

Before you formulate your exit strategy, you must know when you want to leave your business, to whom you want to leave it to and how much money you hope to get from the transaction. Formal retirement planning and the creation of a life goal statement should be the first steps in this process.

Ascertain Value and Cash Flow

Regardless of who you are selling your business to, if your payout will come from future cash flow, then future cash flow is more important than current value. You can use many reliable valuation methods to estimate your business' value. A formal valuation can come later.

Build Value

This step decreases the risk linked to owning your own business and helps improve the outlook for future growth. Setting your business up to operate without you, through improving the dedication of key employees, systematizing your business to run on autopilot, expanding market share, diversifying revenue sources, and growing corporate leadership, can significantly increase your businesses value.

Establish a Successor

The process of transferring your business takes time the sale will continue even after the deal is confirmed because future payouts are usually necessary. The transaction is completed once the agreed price is fully paid. Careful planning is required to successfully manage a sale to insiders who frequently are short of the necessary capital for a total cash buyout.

Conserve Wealth

Selling your business will create income for you, your family and the Internal Revenue Service. Cautious planning must be employed to diminish taxes, and preserve the accumulated wealth.

Exiting a business is probably the most important decision a business owner will make. They usually only get to do it one time, and all of the many years of hard work, risk and dedication is being realize with one event.

Regardless if an owner is transferring it to an insider or selling it to a third party, careful planning and consideration must be taken over an extended period of usually 3 to 5 years. It is a process that is driven by the owner and accompanied by a team of advisors that may include their financial advisor, accountant, business attorney, estate planning attorney, and so on.

It is also important that one of the advisors is thoroughly experienced with the process and can help the owner along through the required steps.

Online Conference and Event Management - A Cost Effective Way of Managing Events

Conference and event management is one of the most popular forms of event management. It is not that easy to manage a conference or an event. With the passage of time, it's become more and more difficult to manage a particular event without any professional help. This is because events are now multifaceted. They don't deal with a single subject. From registration to organization, everything has to be managed simultaneously by the organizers. In such a situation when it becomes difficult for a single person or a company to handle all the formalities and arrangements required for a conference or n event, the importance of event management companies are realized.

Earlier you had to find out a conference and event management company by asking people or seeing advertisements in the newspapers or in the electronic media. But now Internet has taken over the lives of every individual. Now you can find out an event management company easily in the web world. The basic duties of an event management company are to look after every aspect of a seminar, conference, meeting or event. Be it a cultural programme or a seminar on a particular subject, there is a lot to be taken care of.

Conferences are by far the most important form of events that has to be managed by this kind of companies. Registration for the conference is a vital part of arranging the vent. So the event mangers keep an option of online conference registration open for the participants. This is a very good way of participating in any conference because you don't have to take the hassles of reaching the venue before time and get yourself registered. Conference registration online is also favoured by the business world because high officials attending a conference would not like to waste time early in the day by registering for an event.

The vent managers take the help of online conference registration because this reduces their hassle to a great extent. A lot of participants want to come for the event. So, it becomes to keep a track of every participant. Moreover, the registration fees have to be taken and managed by the event managers only. So, they prefer conference registration online. In this way both the parties, the organizers and the participants get benefited.

When you register online, you get an instant confirmation and the organizers can keep a track of the accounts as well. If the same thing is done manually, it will take double time. Not only registration, variety of other administrative jobs like sending invites to the speakers and the experts, getting confirmation from the participants and receiving registration and related fees can also be done with the help of online registration companies. If an event management company does not have the facility of online registration or online management, they can hire an online event management company for the work. This is a cost effective way of arranging big conferences, meetings and seminars. So, if you want to arrange an event without much hassle, the online vent managers are the best option.

Should You Hire Or Perhaps Buy Your Wedding Or Special Occasion Interior Decoration?

When a lady gets married or even whenever a company hosts a sizable event they want every thing to look great without it all costing too much. One of the things that can cost the most is the decor for the venue. There's two options the event planner will have to look at, buying the decor and decor hire.

Buying your own decoration

Purchasing decor is not necessarily the most affordable choice though it will depend a great deal on the event the decor is being purchased for. If the event is going to be a recurring event then purchasing the decor the first time round and re-using it for subsequent events might save a great deal in decor hire expenses. Nevertheless, if the event is a once off event, buying the decor might cost more than hiring the very same decor would cost. Then there is the problem of having to source and get and set up the decor your self which you would not face if you hired it from a organization that specialises in event decor. You would likely have more freedom though as you are in complete control of the decor.

Decor hire

This really is generally the option that most once off event planners opt for. The decor hire choice is generally simpler and less expensive than buying the same decor. It also has a tendency to cause less trouble since it is the responsibility of the organization which rents the decor to you to set up and take down the decor before and after the big event. You also won't have to worry about storage for the decor as you simply have it returned to the company you hired it from. Obviously, if you are going to have the identical event a number of times over the course of a couple of years then it may work out cheaper to buy the decor and have it set up each time by your own staff. Once you hire decor you wind up paying a portion of the purchase cost as well as for the time it requires to setup and take down the actual decor.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both buying and leasing decor for your event. You are likely to need to take a look at the nature of your event and make your choice from there. If you require very special decor you might have no option but to buy it your self which means this would take the choice out of your hands to some extent. The generally rule of thumb would be to look at costs as well as chances of recurrence. If the price of hiring the decor is actually less than the cost of buying the decor for a once off event, then rent! If the price of buying the decor is actually less than the cost of frequently renting the actual decor for a recurring event, then buy! If you just think about your event logically the solution should make itself evident within a short period of time.

Removing Biases in Business Scanning & Strategic Planning

In the current business environment, bias in decision-making is to be expected given that we have operated in a business-as-usual environment for stretches of decades-with only a few recessions and other small bumps along the way. There are dozens of biases that affect our decision making, but some of these biases affect our perceptions more than others in dynamic environments. One such bias is optimism. We have a tendency to overrate our own self-efficacy or ability to meet the challenges ahead. We also tend to be overly optimistic about the future.

Over-optimism bias

When hiring a sales manager, over-optimism might be a positive trait that can contribute to success. But in decision making, bravado can cause strategic and contingency plans to fall short of dealing with the challenges in front of us. Fortunately, analysts and shareholders are two rational stakeholders, who may force us to act in a more rational manner. This could partly explain why, tempered by more rational heads, public companies outperform private companies. Similarly, companies supported by the active and rational influences of private equity investors, such as buyout or venture capital funds, outperform other private peers. These private equity investors exert a significant influence on rational behavior.

Rational decision making

As a recent McKinsey article The Case for Behavioral Strategy saliently points out, rationality and behavior are explored regularly in the investment market and, arguably, have improved predictability and probabilities in the financial markets. Yet we do not apply the same rigorous behavioral analysis to our leadership decisions. When the market exhibits a certain pattern, a trading algorithm helps us decide whether to sell or buy. However, as the economy ebbs and flows, we have no black box or hard-and-fast rules to help us improve our forecasting abilities. Strategic decision makers are more influenced by, yet fail to understand, the cognitive biases that inform their decision making, concludes the McKinsey study.

De-biasing Your Strategic Planning

Before embarking on external business environment scanning, behavioral economists argue, we need to let go of preconceptions and biases that can negatively influence our strategic decision making. In addition to optimism, examples of other decision-making biases that you should consider in the strategic planning process include loss aversion, risk aversion, the principal-agent problem, the framing effect (taking a narrow view), and the illusion of control.

An overarching failure in today's decision-making is screening out the normalcy bias, made all the more complex by the fact that we do not yet know what the new normal is. Under each bias, consider making lists of bias traps that you may be prone to fall into:

- Are you underestimating the rate at which your business can be commoditized?

- Is recent history now the new normal?

- Is your competitive advantage being commoditized?

- Can you continue to compete with outsourced services?

- Have you adequately accounted for the effects of new regulation on your business?

- Is your product development and innovation advancing at a pace that can compete with the unknown competition ahead?

- Have you adequately accounted for risks? Cumulative and dynamic measures of risk?

Other de-biasing strategies:

- Debate ALL ideas and strategies

- Gather current research to support prevailing and alternative views

- Leave the door open for peers and subordinates to challenge you

The Role of Technology in Planning a Meeting

With the growing threats of financial crisis in the post-recession period, the organizers are constantly looking for cost-effective ways to plan a meeting. It is true that now-a-days holding a meeting is a costly affair and, if they are not planned well in advance, it can lead to lot of troubles in the long run. With so many problems cropping up almost every day, majority of event organizers are turning toward technological solutions to plan their meeting at ease and that too, without investing a lot of money.

At present, technology plays a significant part in planning your events seamlessly, without spending much time and money. Moreover, with the introduction of Cloud-based solutions, event planning has now become virtual. Today, a lot of organizers are using event registration software to streamline the planning process of their meetings. For this, they do not require to install any hardware device or software programs additionally. Let's take a look at how technology can help you plan a meeting successfully and without any hassle.

Effortless Attendee Registration

Attendee registration is a major part of any corporate meeting or event. You can streamline the process by accessing the benefits of online event registration. It not only helps you build up a customized registration page in minutes, but also allows your attendees to sign up 24x7 from any location. All they need for this is a computer with internet connection. Organizers can also launch group registration system, if necessary. However, for this, attendees no longer need to fill up separate registration forms. Moreover, the registrant data automatically get submitted in the database. Thus, it reduces the back-office workload significantly, as your admin staff no longer needs to enter registrant data manually into the database.

Easy Promotion of Your Meeting

Promotion is the key to a successful event. Traditional methods of promotion, such as distributing flyers, brochures, conducting frequent press conferences, and others have lost their ground in this phase of the economic crisis. These have been replaced by online promotion in recent years. The growing popularity of "online networking" has made social media sites a leading platform for event promotion. With a single click of your mouse, you can spread your message to the world. In this way, you can even get extensive promotion.

Sending out Invitation becomes Simple

The event registration software comes with email and other communication tools, which help you manage your guest and dispatch invitation by a single click of your mouse. With it, you can write just a single email and send it to multiple recipients at the same time. Thus, you can send email notification and RSVPs to your potential candidates in no time.

Tracking ROI and Success Rate of the Event

The event registration software comes with a number of in-built reporting tools, which help you track the success rate of your event in no time. As soon as the program is over, you can conduct an online survey to know the attendee satisfaction rate. Apart from these, you can even check out the registrant data online and other details pertaining to the occasion.

Use technology today to reap maximum benefits from your next corporate meeting.

Company Or Corporate Christmas Parties - How to Make it a Memorable Event

To have a company or corporate Christmas parties that shall be an event to remember for you and your co-workers, you need to give it a touch of creative planning. No matter if it is for large companies with big budgets or small businesses with minimum resources, creativity is the key to planning a memorable company or corporate Christmas parties.

To begin with, lets look at what SHOULD NOT be done, since this have been proven to be some of the major factors that will kill the party before it even started.

Don'ts - DO NOT give a major focus on the party buffet. Having the idea that food is what attract workers to company or corporate Christmas parties is so not true, and most of them will simply avoid attending because those parties are predictable.

Another major drawback to company and corporate Christmas parties is planning a sit-down dinner at the boss's house. This kind of parties tends to have pressure-filled conservative atmosphere and should always be avoided. Employees that are tired and stressed are more than ready to break away from the workplace and most probably hard to be enticed into spending even more time with one another, especially if your company Christmas party are the same old tired tradition.

Organizing and Preparations - A creative idea to spark high interest in workers to attend company or corporate Christmas parties is to send out invitations with an included note that there will be a prize for a person that decks out in the most Christmas outfit.

This can include anything from a 'standard' Christmas costume to guests wearing garments that display cheerful holiday clothing, jewelry, hats or anything that their imagination can come up with. Plan for all that attends to be involved in the judging process by using a voting system. The person wearing the most creative Christmas outfit will win a prize of a wrapped gift of their choice from the gift table.

For companies with big budgets, a great idea for a memorable evening is to have a designated receptionist announce the names of each new arrival, crown them with a Santa hat that have their name on it while reading something humorous about them. This works great especially at large corporate parties where large number of employees and customers participate while not everyone knows each other. First names on Santa hats work much better than name badges, and they make great party favors that everyone will be more than gladly take home.

Another great idea as an alternative in using Santa hats is to use it earlier, at the stage of creating your company's party invitations. Take pictures of all employees wearing Santa hats with their personalized name on it and use the picture to create a corporate Christmas greeting card as well as Christmas party invitations. This will not only makes the employees feel appreciated, but will also create the 'party energy' right from the beginning.

Entertainment - Having some fun programs with games and activities is a must to ensure company or corporate Christmas parties are an event to remember. Some of the favorite party games that are suitable for company Christmas party such as Mind-teaser games, Christmas Movie Trivia, The Bacon Factor, Names Those Logos and Association Game are just to name a few that can really spruce up the event.

Also make sure you have some great Christmas party music collections available to ensure the party mood never dims out early.

Party Favors Take-home gifts or party favors can be considered as proof if you may, to a well remembered event. So again, being creative plays a big role here.

For company or corporate Christmas parties, giving away personalized stockings, t-shirts, Santa hats or even an ornament with the official company logo imprint on them is always a great idea. Those personalized stockings and ornaments are perfect decorations for the Christmas party room and then when it is time to leave, you can give the stockings with Christmas bonus checks or Gift Certificates to your employees and some fun goodies like Company Logo ornaments for your customers and guests.

Planning a perfect company or corporate Christmas parties is really about understanding; what are the important stuff that needs to be focus on and executing each of them with some creative planning, so it would create an enticement that will lead to an enjoyable and memorable event.

Want to Be An Event Planner? Tips On What It Takes To Become A Very Successful Event Planner

Event planning is a multi-billion dollar industry that keeps growing every year. If you have the right personality, this business may be for you. Event planning is also one of the best home based businesses for those that are interested in working from home so that they can spend more time with their family while still being able to support the family financially. If you are interested in becoming an event planner, here are some tips on what it takes to become a very successful event planner.

Events always occur throughout the year that people or corporations always need to have planned by someone to ensure success and a great time to be had at the event. Whether it is a simple birthday party, or a wedding, baby shower, corporate events, etc, event planners are always in demand. If you develop a good reputation, you can become very successful in this industry and enjoy lucrative financial benefits on top of being able to enjoy what you do.

In addition to having the right personality, you have to be able to be strategic when planning any event. It is important to remember that very rarely does an event go according to plan but proper planning is still necessary. You need to be able to adapt to changes in the plan without freaking out. You need to develop a Plan B or Plan C if Plan A does not work out.

You need to be able to adapt which will ensure that you will have a successful event planning business. A successful event planner always saves the day and the event when things do not go according to plan so you need to be able to think on your feet and make the necessary adjustments to your plan.

To help you achieve success with any event that you plan, you may need to break down the overall goal into small pieces. This will help you to not get overwhelmed which will allow you to achieve the goals in a timely manner for the success of the event.

Before each event that you are contracted to plan, you need to develop the overall goal. What do you want the attendees to come away with from the event? Is the goal for the attendees to socialize and have fun or to donate or make purchases, etc? This will help you to develop the theme for the event as well as the supplies and help that you will need to get the job done successfully.

Being able to get a good supplier that you have a good working relationship with is important for a successful event planner. If you are asking yourself "How do I become an event planner?" one of the keys is having access to the best supplier or suppliers for your event planning business.

Details matter when planning an event. Do not cut corners thinking that no one will notice. Referrals are a big part of having a successful event planning business. Have a critical eye when planning an event to ensure that all details are covered will lead to a successful event that will lead to many referrals for your business.

The ability to generate a proper budget during the planning phase for the event is important. You need to be able to generate a budget and stick to it. The budget should be specific on what the food, music, decorations, venue, etc, will cost. This will allow you to determine how much profit you can expect to make from a successfully planned event. Adjustments also need to be made to any aspects of the event as needed when you see yourself going over budget while still ensuring that the event is a success.

Good financial management will ensure that you will enjoy the financial benefits of owning your own business. If you have poor money management skills, you may consider taking a financial management class to improve your skills.

Thinking of Hiring a Cheap Limo Service? Think Again

When it comes to hiring a limo service; you get what you pay for. Limousine companies know what they're worth, and although there are many limo companies that pride themselves on having the lowest prices in town, it is unrealistic to expect a quality experience from a limousine company that offers the cheapest prices on the market.

If you can't afford to rent a good limo, then you may want to rethink your transportation options altogether. Cheap rates for chauffeured rides can be a red flag for unpleasant secrets which can range from lack of city permits to dirty vehicles or even no insurance. Here are some of the secrets that discount limo companies may be hiding from you.

Unlicensed or unprofessional chauffeurs: Licensed chauffeurs are professionals at what they do; they will treat you with courtesy and respect, open doors for you, stow away your luggage, and do whatever it takes to make your experience superb. Chauffeurs from a discount limo service have no such standards; they may not behave or dress appropriately, and they may not even be legally licensed or insured.

Run down vehicles: "Affordably priced" may be code for poorly maintained vehicles or old cars. Some companies know that they cannot compete with other reputable businesses on the market and that the only way that they stand a chance is to drastically lower their prices so that some unsuspecting customer will rent one of their cars. Poorly maintained vehicles are prone to breaking down; do you really want to risk that? Besides, you won't be making much of an appearance if you arrive in a worn-out limousine with a bad paint job, dents on the side, and tarnished wheels.

Poor service: Cheap limo companies are often poorly managed with underpaid staff, poor customer service, and uninsured drivers. Don't be surprised when your "affordably priced" limo shows up and isn't the car you ordered, or if your unlicensed chauffeur is unapologetic when he comes to pick you up a few hours later than you agreed on.

Riding in a limo is a supposed to be a luxurious experience; everything from the chauffeur to the vehicle itself should portray class and sophistication. When renting a limo, it is a good idea to compare prices and reviews for several different companies. As a rule of thumb, eliminate those with the cheapest prices as well as those with the highest, and choose from those that fall in between. Don't compromise on the quality of your night on the town; a ride in a luxurious chauffeured ride is worth every penny that you spend on it.

Trade Shows & Event Marketing - Current Trends in Event Promotion & Networking For Business

With the current upswell of marketing activity through online channels, we're often asked by clients, "How's the trade show business? Are companies still investing in event marketing and promotion?" The answer is that face to face marketing is alive and well. It's important to remember that personal connection and networking still has a place outside of Facebook and Twitter. For many companies, attending trade shows and conventions is a vital part of a multi-channel marketing strategy. So what do we see going on in the world of face to face marketing? Glad you asked!

1. Companies are choosing wisely. There are still scores of opportunities out there, and companies are picking through these to ensure that their investment of time and expense delivers. The focus here is on quality, not quantity - by removing the shotgun approach when deciding what to attend, and ensuring that their best people are on the floor, companies are looking at ROI much more.


2. Attendees want real information. Similarly, event attendees are looking for solid information and substance, not 2 days of sales pitches. Stand out and maintain top-of-mind by delivering engaging, interactive displays, innovative product exhibits, and unique & valuable information.


3. Lots of businesses are attending more shows. But the trend is towards smaller show footprints, smaller exhibits, and more specialized events.


4. Dynamic, interactive displays. At the minimum, consider adding an audio/visual element to your exhibit environment. Don't go for glitz and discard substance, but remember that engaging your audience and delivering your message may best be accomplished through an innovative custom trade show display or adding interactive components to your exhibit.


5. The bar has been raced for event & trade show organizers. As companies and attendees become ever more selective when deciding which events to attend, organizers have responded by harnessing the power of social media. With relatively low costs and potentially high returns, social networks and virtual trade shows are a great channel for bringing in qualified attendees.


6. Concise, powerful branding. Your brand and message have to make an impact in an increasingly short amount of time. This forces marketers to ensure that their communications are short, simple and powerful - again, raising the bar for how companies reach their audience.

These current trends have one thing in common - they will reward innovative, fast-acting companies. As audiences become ever more selective and companies focus increasingly on high-ROI initiatives, the best firms will respond to this and adapt their marketing communications. Face to face promotion is very much alive and kicking; but like many other marketing channels, it is incredibly fast-moving and will reward those companies that can stay ahead of the curve.

Insulated Lunch Bags A Trend In Corporate Promotional Items

Insulated lunch bags are one of the most corporate exceptional promotional products and are especially wonderful for giving away at sporting events that have been sponsored by a company. The lunch bags can be used very effectively to bolster the company's marketing campaign and to build a business brand. If you are holding a company picnic for your employees and their families, insulated lunch bags would be a great giveaway idea.

Insulated lunch bags are very popular and if you look all around you, you will see people carrying them. When you need to carry food and keep the food cold, an insulated lunch bag will come in handy. With this bag you can carry your food to anywhere you want to go. You can also carry your beverages or your favourite drink. It's difficult to go wrong when you choose to promote with these bags because they are the perfect giveaway for themed corporate events such as company picnics, fundraisers or retreats.

When you use insulated lunch bags for corporate promotional campaigns, you can be sure that your brand will get maximum exposure. This is because the bags are durable and will be used for very long. This ensures that your company gets lots of visibility for a longer period of time. Because these bags can also be used for very many purposes, their functionality will ensure that your recipients, be they customers or employees, will find them to be very useful for their home and for other matters just as you find them useful in your business for promotions.

If you host corporate sporting events, insulted lunch bags would be a great giveaway idea. The trend for many companies is to use other promotional items. Imagine however giving away insulated lunch bags that are filled with food or with beverages at these sporting events. If you are having a corporate function, the participants will be glad to receive these bags and will be appreciative of the food or the beverage that the bags come with.

By taking advantage of the opportunity to sponsor an event, you also take the opportunity to gain maximum exposure for your company. When all participants leave with an insulted lunch bag that has your company name, logo and themed message, you will undoubtedly gain lots of visibility and your marketing message will reach the masses. Insulted cooler bags are especially great for marketing because they have a very large surface area that can be used exclusively for printing the company name, logo, message that will be viewed by many.

An insulated lunch bag is a great corporate promotional item and when you brand with these bags, you can be sure that your logo and name will be seen repeatedly. There are quite a variety of colors and sizes to choose from and you can have hem made in many different ways to suit your promotional campaign. With these lunch bags, your corporate identity will be solidified and you will beat off the competition. These bags are practical for people of all ages and all walks of life. Promoting with them also encourages safe environmental practices because instead of using paper bags that are unfriendly to the earth, these lung bags can be used.

Corporate Events: What Event Management Solutions Have to Offer

While planning your next corporate event, consider an expert this time. As it is a fact that every event you organize within your corporate, with an investment behind, has an expected outcome. To ensure that the outcome is achieved, you need to entrust someone who already knows the tricks of the trade: how to reduce workload, decrease cost, and increase participation and attendee satisfaction.

Online Event Management Solutions

From planning, through execution to measuring results, experts in the field know that event management can be easy, reasonably-priced, and totally hassle-free. Life-saver named online event management solutions manage any type of corporate event successfully. Smart and experienced event planners are increasingly changing their services to Cloud-based solutions. With the on-demand services, they do not have to buy hardware or pay hosting or setup fees. Many visionary enterprises have already included the service on subscription basis. Hence, they have been able to reduce time, cost, and resource investment, with smoothly run events meeting expectations successfully.

The Cloud-based event management solutions are available on demand. Companies with immediate requirements can get started quickly and have the option of seamlessly leveraging additional capabilities as their needs mature.

The major services the solution offers include the following:

Online Registration and Payment

Let your attendees register directly from your webpage. You can publish your online registration page with a customized look and feel that goes well with your company's website. You can easily publish your registration link in social media sites. Provide event information and the ease of registration at your potential attendees' convenience; at anytime, from anywhere. You can accept payments from any major credit card in a secured environment.

Event Marketing Tools

Online marketing tools help you promote and manage discounts, promotions, gift cards, early-bird pricing, and more. Built-in email communication tools let you invite leads, contacts, and campaign members by sending targeted email invitations, reminders, and RSVPs. It also provides a one-click access to your online registration page from email invitations.

Event Analytics

Pre-built event analytics and dashboards help you measure ROI' view on-screen, or download into Excel' PDF, or flat file format. You can generate pre-built or custom reports and use post-event surveys to get feedback and track participation history. You save time and cost by automating repetitive tasks and eliminating data entry.

Integrate with Best-of-class ERP, HRMS, & CRM Systems

The online event management solutions let you easily integrate with popular applications, such as Salesforce.com. The built-in connector in the platform transfers all attendee data to your backend enterprise system. Each connector eliminates the need to re-enter data by enabling automatic sync-up of your event data and activity. You can enjoy the ease of bi-directional synchronization to lower costs and increase ROI on your events.

There are more features and tools that come within the event solutions platform to make the whole process fast, easy, and effective. With pre-built templates for online registration, plug-ins for online payments, and workflows for corporate training management, these Cloud-based solutions enable flexibility and functionality to gain maximum value from your investment.

10 Reasons to Use the Racecourse for Corporate Events Entertainment

One of the best ways to build stronger relationships with your clients and establish promising foundations with the ones you hope to do business with is to use corporate events entertainment. Here are 10 reasons why the next time you're planning corporate hospitality events, the racecourse may be the ideal venue.

1. There are premier racecourses all over the country, so no matter where your business or clients are located, a great venue is never far away.

2. The majesty of some of the UK's best racecourse grounds means it could make an immediate impact on the people you're looking to entertain.

3. Not only that, but the atmosphere at the year's big meets is something very special. Your clients can't fail to be impressed from their experience.

4. Most people have either never been to the races or only get to go on rare occasions, so will have a truly memorable experience from their day. Meanwhile, those that love to go, will relish an invite for a special meet.

5. Most racecourses will be able to provide excellent corporate hospitality packages to ensure your guests receive the VIP treatment. There are often different levels of hospitality, so it could be ideal even if you want something less formal.

6. From arriving at the venue and studying the form guide to placing best and cheering on the horse, every part of the day will bring something special to the occasion.

7. Many celebrities and royals enjoy the races, so your guests may get to spot or even mingle with the rich and famous.

8. One of the best things about the races is that you have the option to invite clients with their families. Not all corporate hospitality events provide this, yet it may be more in keeping with your company's culture.

9. In between races, as well as before and after, there is plenty of time to talk and socialise with your guests. If you're looking to secure a new contract, this may be the ideal opportunity.

10. If you want food as part of the event, the UK's best racecourse are able to provide fantastic meals in a restaurant setting.

Ideas From Corporate Event Planning Services - Create Moral Boosting Staff Meetings

The ideas corporate event planners use when planning their events keep those at the event interested. Consider using these same strategies in your staff meetings to keep these events light and informative. It is a proven fact that happy workers are more efficient and have a lower rate of error than those who are unhappy in their position. Use this concept to keep employees interested in the information you have to share, get creative, and build the energy your business needs to succeed. Here are a few great ideas from corporate event planning services to consider:

Change Of Location

If staff meetings are held in the same place all the time, consider some ideas corporate event planning services have for changing locations. Consider moving into the company cafeteria or outside in the parking lot or local park. Add food to the event and you have a winning combination. If moving to a different space isn't an option for your next staff meeting, consider adding some decorations and other items to the room to spice things up. Some corporate event planners have even created a monthly theme that combines with the company brand.

Fun And Games

Even though staff meetings often don't last long, schedule in time to include games and fun activities that everyone can enjoy. Make everyone into teams and give each group a 'project' to complete, which might be building something from building blocks or it could be a trivia game. The winning group could then get a prize. Appropriate music or simple games like Pictionary or charades can have a company touch.

Employee Recognition And Awards

Corporate event planners recommend taking time on a regular basis to show appreciation, encourage company loyalty, and enthusiasm with small awards ceremonies at the beginning of an event. They don't have to be for company changing feats, but even for small things. Some ideas corporate event planning services often use include things such as 'idea of the month', 'top team member', or 'go-getter of the month'. The idea is to demonstrate some sort of appreciation and acknowledgement of individuals from various levels.

Give Employees A Say

Although this can be difficult with a larger staff, give everyone a chance to offer ideas or bring up questions and concerns. One of the main reasons staff meetings seem like a chore for employees is because they feel as if their thoughts don't matter. Give them a portion of the meeting that is used to explore the company from their side. If you need to, divide the staff into groups by their departments or into sizes. This can also be highly effective at solving problems or issues your company may be experiencing.

These are ideas corporate event planners use to increase the level of energy and creativity at various events. Using the same ideas and concepts as corporate event planning services in staff meetings will stop the boredom and open the lines of communication. When you connect well with your staff, your company will flourish as a result.

Corporate Events For Unforgettable Corporate Gatherings

If your company is planning a team-building event, there are such a wide variety of Toronto corporate events that are available, that you are sure to find just what you are looking for. Here you will find something for everyone, whether for a small group of about ten people or a large gathering of up to two hundred.

For instance, there is ten pin bowling at the largest bowling center in Toronto. To ensure your privacy, lanes are sectioned off, and there are also party rooms available. You will experience fantastic bowling, delicious food served by extremely friendly staff, as well as a really stylish bar and lounge. As if this is not enough, there are also over two thousand feet of video screens and a live DJ for your enjoyment.

If it is laughter that you are after, then you might consider an evening of entertainment in the form of outstanding comedy. The comedians who will be entertaining you are really superb, and have performed in many places, including Cuba.

Or, if you are looking for something really different, there are various restaurants offering murder mystery dinners, casual or formal, all of them serving fabulous gourmet meals. You will be able to enjoy mouth-watering meals from all over the world in some of the restaurants, Italian cuisine being just one of them.

There are also murder mystery cruises that are available that will give you an evening to remember forever. You will be on board a very elegant cruise vessel that has absolutely everything for your pleasure. These cruises offer fully stocked bars, DJ, and fantastic outdoor entertainment areas. The food offered on these cruises is outstanding and the furnishings simply breathtaking.

One thing is for sure - having your Toronto corporate events at any one of these venues will definitely give you the results you are looking for. In fact, it will be so memorable, that you might find your company coming back year after year.

Team-Building Events Create the Ultimate Colleague Bonding Experience

A Family Fun Day or company picnic is an enjoyable way of rewarding employees for a job well done. In order to build "in house" corporate camaraderie and be certain that your employees are happy, motivated and productive, a more specific type of event is recommended called team building. This kind of corporate event concentrates on colleagues bonding as a team while boosting morale which ultimately increases productivity resulting in a desirable and friendly workplace. Employees feel more comfortable within an organization when they are given the opportunity to get to know co-workers outside the sometimes stressful confines of work and will help strengthen relationships for the long term.

Companies should make it a top priority at least once a year to plan a Corporate Team-Building Experience for their employees and find a reputable company in the Tampa Florida market. Find a company that will guarantee to work within your budget and will tailor design an event to meet your most important needs. The outdoor picnic environment is conducive to the ultimate teamwork practice amongst co-workers. Through physical and mental challenges you will see the enhanced camaraderie among colleagues as a team. They will work together to sharpen critical and analytical thinking and help individuals develop better team skills. These team building skills are what separate the top ranked companies from one another. The activities do not necessarily require physical strength, more so the ability to project good communication skills that must include clear and descriptive commands resulting in effective teamwork all while working to reach the ultimate goal of winning!

Some of the top tiered companies can organize your company bonding experiences ranging from conquering the 30 foot rock climbing wall, competing in an extreme obstacle course, a blind folded tent building contest, 5-man Buddy Ski race, the elusive egg tower balance, round robin volleyball competitions and so much more. Additional services to round out the best team building event would be an old fashioned BBQ cook out with chicken, burgers and hotdogs, a DJ who will keep the challenges upbeat and moving smoothly with background music and announcements and an awards presentation at the end of the event that includes prizes and accolades. Consider adding an annual team-building experience for your employees well being. Help everyone build self confidence, bring out their competitive edge, create a happy, cohesive family of co-workers while boosting morale as well as sales!

Organizing Company Picnics to Promote Team-Building

There are different ways to create more efficient and functional teams within your company. You can try different team-building activities like company picnics or company outings. This activity is not just a simple day out with your employees. It is a team building plan-and a perfect venue-for your employees to bond with each other and enhance their camaraderie which is very important because increased camaraderie can increase your employees' productivity. However, the success of each activity is greatly determined by the different activities and discussions organized by the team building event planners.

Thus the question: how can you evaluate team-building companies? How do you choose that ones that are best suitable to respond to your company's needs? Who has the better programs and more experience? There are different ways to evaluate a certain company to choose which is better. Among the many things that you need to consider are the programs that they organize, the packages that they offer and their capacity to meet your company's needs. Company outings and picnics is not about finding the best resort or the most sumptuous foods for the participants. It is also about keeping the participants, your employees in this case, interested while promoting their team building skills and bonding.

If you plan to hire a team building company, you need to first present them with one of the challenges that your company experiences and ask them for their advice or suggestions. For example, if you are having problems with a particular section in your company, you can always ask corporate outings planner to create a customized plan and package that will directly focus into the challenge that you mentioned and respond to your needs. There are a lot of event planning companies that are not able to mix fun and work dynamics in their activities. You will be surprised at how much some of them do not know which things or activities are fun for the employees during picnics or outings, while some do not seem to know how to evaluate the inner workings of the corporate world. These companies cannot immediately respond to your needs so stay away.

One of the many reason why these team building companies are not able to understand the dynamics of the business world is because they do not come from the same universe. People behind these team building companies have minimum or no business knowledge that is why they are not able to relate their activities to the requisites of the company. But that is not to say that they cannot organize activities and games. They can, but they are ideal for individual or friends but cannot be utilized to respond to certain 'corporate' needs. During the initial stage, if you ask them for a solution for a problem that you stated, then you can easily know if the company is a service provider or an entertainment provider.

Team building cannot take place without the necessary instructive activities that should be provided by people who have business or training expertise. Playing cooperative games is not team building because there are other dynamics involved. To organize the best company outing or picnic for your employees, you need to find a team building events organizer that knows exactly what team building is and the proper techniques to achieve it in a fun, entertaining way.

Why Catering Your Own Wedding Is a Bad Idea

If you're thinking of catering your wedding reception all by yourself, you'd better think again. Planning an event of this magnitude and gravity should be left to the professionals. The amount of work involved and the dedication and patience needed can be absolutely overwhelming.

Your wedding day should be memorable. With good memories, that is. Being in charge of your reception can be fraught with opportunity for disaster. Besides, why would you want to take away from everything else that will be going on that day? It may be challenging enough just to get you down the aisle without tripping let alone make and plan enough food to meet the expectations and satisfaction of your guests.

Even the best cook will most likely need a lot of helping hands on this special day. Hiring a professional catering service has many benefits. The possibility of a close time frame, low budget and stressful situations are the reasons it's mandatory you hire a professional service rather than do it yourself.

Most companies employ a well-trained staff from food preparers to wait staff. And most strive to use the best and freshest food possible that will leave your guests complimenting you every time they pass you on the dance floor.

Catering professionals are also financially affordable and can usually offer delectable menus which will fall into most any price range. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to. This will ensure you won't have any surprises on your big day.

It's crucial you work with the company of your choice in order to ensure your menu tastes great as well as looks good. Ask if you can sample any of the foods ahead of time.

Food preparation and safety are extremely important and a professional food company will know exactly how to keep food safe. Preparation, delivery, setting up and safe food handling takes know-how.

Another great benefit of using a catering professional is that they will have an assortment of the finest glassware, plates and other assorted items to make your table and landscape look as if it just landed a wedding magazine photo shoot. These are necessities which will add polish to your wedding day. Planning for and the use of flowers, decorations and photography are other advantages.

Full service event planners have access to great vendors and resources. They've learned how to correct last minute errors and make sure your reception goes off without a hitch.

And, when it comes time for you to escape to begin your honeymoon, you'll not want to be straddled with clean up. This is another wonderful feature of hiring a professional.

But the biggest advantage has to be in the area of saving time. As the hostess, do you really want to take a chance for disaster on your wedding day? A professional catering company can supervise all activities necessary from start to finish so you can focus on enjoying your day and your guests.

Event Planning Courses - How to Get Event Planning Courses Online

Event planning is a field whose basic needs are good and effective management and communication skills. People who are have these qualities should definitely do event planning courses because for them there is no other field as interesting, rewarding and exciting as event planning.

The job of event planner includes organizing occasions like wedding, promotional parties, birthdays, business meeting and conferences etc. People earn thousands of dollars by gaining experience in this field and some even start their own businesses.

But it is very important that you become qualified through event planning courses so that you have a strong background and you can get a job easily in this field. You can either do an online course or on campus. There are many reputable institutions offering these courses, so you can do it the way which is best suited for you. If you cannot go out or the institution is far away from your place then you can do these courses online from a virtual institute. There is great value of event courses by even doing it from virtual institutes because this field is expanding day by day. They provide degrees, diplomas, certificates, specialization and bachelors in this regard. It is up to you what you choose.

Online event planning course are no different from the courses which are taught on campus. On their websites they provide student with all the study material and other resources, they even give contact addresses through which students can ask questions, queries and submit their projects. However it is important that you choose an institution which is well known and you came to know about it from a reliable source because there are many fraud institutions which just want to obtain your money. You might want to choose a particular field in which you want to get specialization because there are numerous fields available.

The courses offered online are relatively cheaper than those offered at campus. The fees are affordable and you can easily manage to study. The graduates of event planning are highly regarded and so much in demand. People cannot organize their occasions properly because neither they have all the required information nor they have enough time that if why they hire event planners, which make their occasions successful.

These courses will make you a professional and organized occasion planner who has all the required qualities which are needed to make the arrangement of a particular event in the best possible way. These courses will make you multi-tasking, confident and active so that you do the arrangement quickly, without any hassle and thus satisfy your clients.

Managing Registration In-House Made Simpler With Event Management Solutions

As an event planner, you would want to handle ticketing and registration in-house to prevent last minute glitches. By supervising the entire registration process from scratch, you can monitor registration status, access reports and undertake necessary measures to ensure complete sellout for your event. However, managing registration in-house is no simple task and requires a lot of planning and supervision.

Some of the major problems associated with handling registration in-house include the following:

繚 Setting up and running an event registration system may take up a considerable amount of time and involve multiple tests for final development
繚 The process also requires event managers to hire dedicated resources to ensure the success of the initiative
繚 Most event planners avoid this option as it escalates their budgets because they need to get specialists to handle the process
繚 Handling security issues is also a major concern to avoid fraud or breaches

Owing to these factors, most event planners do not prefer going for in-house registration. However, there are some user-friendly solutions that can aid you to manage registrations effectively. The benefits of using comprehensive event management solutions for handling online registrations include the following:

Technical Support Available 24/7

As an event planner, you must make sure that your prospective attendees find it convenient to sign up for your events. You would want to simplify the registration process by opting for a simple yet powerful solution. A comprehensive event management solution provides complete assistance to your attendees. This helps you to avoid situations where your attendees encounter problems while registering themselves online. In other words, you offer improved customer service to prospective attendees.

Cost Effective Customer Relationship Management Solution

Event organizers have to spend several dollars to hire support staff. As a result, budgets are often exceeded and a lot of time is wasted on hiring the right people for the job. With an end-to-end event planning solution, you can build and sustain relationships with your attendees. Options such as live phone support help you to create a positive impression on the minds of your attendees. Moreover, you enable your attendees to sign up using multiple options including phone, fax and email.

Streamline Payment Management

Cutting edge event planning solutions feature enhanced payment management options to make it easier for your attendees to sign up for the events. These solutions support multiple payment gateways including MasterCard, Instant Visa, American Express and more - making it simpler for attendees to sign up for the event.

Customized Registration Pages

With sophisticated event management tools, it becomes easier for you to create customized registration pages for different attendees. You can embed the pages using your corporate logos and graphics to match their look and feel with the corporate website.

Market Your Events

With an objective to help you market your events, comprehensive event planning solutions feature a wide range of powerful marketing tools. With these tools, you can spread the word about your upcoming events and ensure full attendance.

Implementing an effective event registration solution can help you to exceed your ROI and thereby assist you to host successful events.

To learn how you can simplify the process of online event registration, visit this page.

How to Plan a Successful Team Building Event

Planning a company team building event is a little more scientific than simply deciding what kind of activity you fancy partaking in on any given day, racing off and then coming into work the following day expecting to see a 50 percent rise in profits. A lot of planning and thought is required to ensure that your team building event maximises the positive impact it has on your workforce.

1. Consider your workforce: By carefully thinking about your workforce and by asking advice from a company who specialises in hosting team building events, you can ensure that the activity or activities you choose will be suited to your group and deliver the messages that you want.

2. Planning is key : If you book an event and make no preparation and then turn up on the day with little structure in place, then your event is not going to be as successful as you would like. Planning in detail for the day is vital to ensure you maximise the opportunities available to you. A specialist Corporate Events company can help you immeasurably with this. Your plan should allow plenty of time for each activity so that the activities are not rushed but should remain flexible to allow a degree of freedom to shuffle items around if necessary. Remember the six Ps: Perfect Preparation Prevents Particularly Poor Performance!

3. Food and Drink : It is important that your workforce are fed and watered on your activity. Again a company team building event organiser can help you decide what is suitable for your workforce. If you plan to bring alcohol then it is wisest to ensure that this is used in moderation. This is particularly important if you are planning an activity which involves some kind of physical activity or perhaps driving of some form, when alcohol can seriously impair the participants judgement and lead to possible injury to them or fellow workers.

4. Use part of the budget for a Team Building professional: While it is tempting to think that organising a trip like this for the office is relatively straightforward, there are a great many things that need to be considered. Using part of your budget for the day to employ a specialist team building event organiser to help with your planning of the day is a very wise move. Companies such as Chillisauce for example, have vast experience of providing many successful activities for companies of all sizes and their expertise is a fantastic resource to draw upon to ensure your team building event is as successful as it can possibly be.

Then when you do return to the office after your successful company team building event, you can be secure in the knowledge that the skills and concepts learned that day, are going to impact your business in a positive way.

Why Choose the Online Church Event Management Software?

Churches and such similar religious institutions have a lot of work to do when organizing an event; especially fundraising events. The list is extensive; looking for a venue to fit in the attendees, preparing an invitation list, manning the registration desk and the donation collection counter (if it's a fundraising event), and so on. Heavy manpower is required, time and money is needed to see that these tasks are successfully performed. The online church event management software can help you manage all these functions and more in a timely manner without burning a big hole in your fund collection.

Save Cost on Booking a Location

No need to search for a suitable venue if you plan to take your church event online. It means organizing a webinar where you can discuss about church funding issues, volunteering at the forthcoming events, and plans of hosting some more events in the coming year. Today, many churches are using the fundraising solution that allows a person to receive funds online using a variety of payment options - credit cards, PayPal, etc. You can collect donations at a quick pace when you start using the online software instead of managing the contributions in person.

Instant Registration

Integrated registration solution will let you create soft copy registration forms quite conveniently without requiring you to invest capital on paper and on printing charges. Moreover, once printed if a mistake is detected on a hard-copy form, you have to edit the same manually and resend the copy to the printer in order for the modified versions to be printed. It unnecessarily leads to wastage of time and cost. These situations can be avoided when you use an online application - you can edit multiple times any aspect of the form and instantly re-publish the same online without any cost added to the work.

Smartly Manage Your Members

You can manage your members smartly via an online process. Request all church members, volunteers, and supporters to join the online forum created by you to discuss matters and problems instead of physically carrying out such discussions and conversations. New groups of people can become a member anytime to get information on the church's developmental activities.

Create Online Invitations

Instead of sending hard copy letters, why not use the emailing module to send online invitations and reminders to innumerable numbers of people. It is very easy to operate an email communication tool and any non-technical person can use it to create, edit and save drafts of email templates for sending out later.

Automate All Back-office Jobs

A church event solution lets you manage different managerial tasks in an effective manner without compromising on quality or quantity. From registration to payment collection to organizing church events, creating invitations, every element can be supervised and monitored via such a Cloud-based system.