Sunday, February 24, 2008

Top 5 School Fund Raiser Ideas

By Dion Semeniuk
TOP FIVE SCHOOL FUNDRAISING IDEAS

Schools often look for ways to make money. Sometimes, new playground equipment is needed, or perhaps band equipment and uniforms, it might be that the football team is in need of uniforms, or that the debate team needs money to travel to a meet. Fundraising is quite common and an excellent way to make the money required while teaching students about good sales and marketing, as well as money management. You will also see schools using fundraising to help other people. For example, during the Tsunami, schools all around the country joined efforts to raise money that could be used for medicine, food, clothing, and other needs. As you will discover in this article, there are many innovative ways of making money.

Discount Cards
With discount cards, you can offer one particular type or a book that consists of several different cards. For example, three of the favorites are shopping cards, pizza cards, and prepaid phone cards. With the shopping card, you would choose from local and national merchants that provide nice savings at retail shops, grocery stores, florists, etc. For the pizza card, this is just what it sounds, a card that would offer a discount off the price of food sold at major chain pizza restaurants. Many of these cards offer limited use but for a mere $10, the person might receive a discount 20 times, making this a real bargain. Finally, prepaid phone cards are always a great fundraising option, used by families that live across the country from one another or for college students. For this type of card, you can choose from a number of denominations of $10, $20, $24, and even $30.

Sweet Candy
The second school fundraising idea is something just about everyone loves – candy. Most often, candy sales are associated with school clubs, sports groups, music departments, and church youth groups. Because this is a small dollar item, they sell well but a good marketing plan to increase sales must also be developed and implemented. Ideally, find low-priced candy suppliers, ones that support school fundraising projects, choose the type or types of candy you want to sell, determine your price, and then get started selling.

Rubber Ducky
Next on the list of school fundraising ideas is the rubber duck derby. In the past few years, this has become a very popular school fundraising idea. Not only is the rubber duck derby fun, but also a great way to involve the community while earning money. You could work with your local grocery stores to sell rubber ducks for $1, which gives the buyers a chance to win a valuable donated prize. Then on a specified date, the ducks are taken to a local park with a lake. All of the rubber ducks are emptied into the water at once and the first one to cross the finish line wins.

Car Washes
Next for successful school fundraising ideas is the car wash. Many companies will donate the water for car washes so all you have to do is bring garden hoses, towels, Windex and paper towels, and signs leading people in the right direction. You can set the price at $1 to $5 per car or establish the car wash fundraiser as a donation basis. Either way, you will find that you make quite a bit of money in exchange for some hard work and fun.

Bake Sales
Finally, one of the most popular and most successful school fundraising ideas is a good, old-fashioned bake sale. For this, students (and probably parents) would donate baked goodies to include brownies, cookies, cake, pie, and miscellaneous items. Then, the students would work outside a strip mall or grocery store, encouraging people to buy. Usually, people are very supportive of a bake sale and if the food is good the money is too.

About the author: Dion Semeniuk is the proud father of 2 girls. He's actively looking at ways to be able to generate money for kids to be able to participate in special events. Learn about School Fund Raiser Ideas, visit http://www.school-fund-raiser-directory.com

Friday, February 22, 2008

Thinking about earning your computer degree online?

By Matt Norman

Here's a few things that you should know.

Online distance education is one of the fastest growing markets in the education field. Online computer degrees offer you unparalleled flexibility and convenience, usually at a great price. But before you sign that check for your tuition fees, you need to make sure that the programme- and the college- is right for you. Remember, just because a school or university has an .edu domain, does not mean that it is a reputable college.

When choosing the online school that offers online computer degrees, you should try to get as much information about the institution as possible. Where is it accredited and by whom? There are numerous resources available online that will help you in verifying a school's credentials.

What is the average class size? Some online courses have large numbers of students enrolled, thus making it difficult for the instructor to effectively communicate with their students. Are the instructors experienced in the field and do they have experience teaching online? Being a great instructor in the classroom does not mean that he or she will be able to successfully make the transition to the virtual campus. Try to contact former students and ask them questions about their experiences. Many alumnae are happy to talk about their time at college or while studying and this will give you some more information about pursuing your computer degree from an online college.

Another tactic that you can employ to find out about online computer degrees is to contact the Better Business Bureau to see if anyone has registered a complaint against the college or institute. Likewise, you should also contact the appropriate licensing board to verify that their diploma or degree will be recognised.

Choosing an online college for your computer degree is a very important step in your professional career and is one that shouldn't be taken lightly. With a little due diligence and some common sense, you'll quickly find the computer program that is just right for you.


About the author:
Matt Norman is the founder of Easy Distance Learning a website providing information on learning online

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Thinking About Getting Your Marketing Degree Online?

By Matt Norman

You've finally decided to take that big step and find out about online marketing degrees. You've heard about online education, but you're not sure whether it's right for you. Here are some things that you should consider before making your decision about online marketing degrees.

Online education is very different from a traditional degree programme, because you will be essentially studying independently. But how do you know if it's the right platform for you? There are some questions that you should ask yourself. For example, are you a self-starter or do you need someone to regularly guide you and check on your progress? Do you benefit from classroom discussions or are you happy to work on your own? If you are motivated and prefer to work at your own pace, then earning your marketing degree online might be the best option for you.

There are technological issues to consider, as well. If you plan to pursue your degree online, you need to have access to a reasonably good computer and reliable internet access. Before signing up for online marketing degrees, you will also need to check with the college to find out what sort of programming the course uses. They will be happy to answer your questions and, in some cases, will provide you with software downloads. Likewise, online education is often a great choice for those who live in rural areas, giving those students access to courses not otherwise available in their area.

However, if you are the type of student that works best in groups, than earning your marketing degree online might not be for you. While many online courses often give you individual attention, face-to-face contact with your instructor may not be possible and you won't have the classroom camaraderie with other students, that you would have in a traditional classroom setting.

Making the decision to earn your marketing degree online is an important step in your career. Taking the time to properly think out your options will help you choose the programme that's best for you.


About the author:

Matt Norman is the founder of Easy Distance Learning a website providing information on learning online

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Coaching employees in the workplace

By Stephanie Tuia

After a full week of training, you are still a little nervous about your new job. All of the information you need to digest, the new environment you are adjusting to, and the new faces you will be getting acquainted with is just a bit overwhelming.

Meeting the expectations of a new job and being the new face among an established network of co-workers is an uncomfortable position for everyone. But you can find comfort that new hires everywhere face the same challenges.

All of us at one time or another has had those feelings of disconnection. Yet, if co-workers and managers take a responsibility by continually coaching and preparing new people for their jobs, they, as well as the novice, will benefit from the experience. This will ultimately benefit the company as a whole.

For The New Hires- Attaining new skills, learning the ropes of the job, and establishing him or herself in a new community, with the help of an experienced co-worker gives them valuable insight and knowledge about the job and community. Co-workers are their most accessible resources on the job. Veteran employees know what works best with their field of work.

For The Co-Worker- Because veteran employees have developed job knowledge and skills and are easily accessible, they are the most logical choice to coach, mentor and train a new employee. This opportunity offers the veteran employee a chance to develop their leadership skills. It also boosts self-confidence that others value their experience and dependability. With the duty to coach the new hires, a veteran employee takes stewardship for the new hires seeing that they learn all the aspects of the job. With manager coaching, this leadership can be developed further, giving them a chance for promotion later.

For The Manager- The manager is often overloaded with too many other responsibilities. Coaching employees through his or her veteran workers, helps maintain continuity of work protocol and efficiency. The new employee isn’t waiting for the manager to get time to explain more procedures. When his or her subordinates become proactive participants in the coaching of new hires, the manager gains more time to turn his or her attention to other employees as well. By coaching the veteran worker in training new employees, the manager begins to develop the potential of the veteran worker.

The relationship between the new hire and his or her co-workers and managers will become a valued partnership in the success of a company. Briefly, coaching employees guides new hires, develops leadership among employees, and provides a collaborative effort in the success of the company.

About the author:

Stephanie Tuia specializes in internet marketing for http://www.cmoe.com/cmoe.html To find out more about how to maximize your influence when coaching employees visit http://www.cmoe.com/coaching-employees.htm

Friday, February 8, 2008

10 Great Online Degree Programs

By Donna Monday

Contemplating earning a degree online?

Depending on the course of study and field of specialization you’re interested in, there are lots of accredited degree programs that offer an excellent and convenient educational experience.

There are over a hundred undergraduate and graduate online degree programs. Too many to list here, so I’ll just give you a small sampling of some popular educational programs to get you started:

AIU Online – Earn your degree online in record time. Degrees in: business administration, criminal justice, information technology, visual communications.

DeVry University – Students have the ability to interact with faculty and other students while they earn their degree. Degrees in: business technology, information systems, human resources, business administration.

University of Phoenix – A superb national reputation for providing working professionals with quality education. Degrees in: business technology, education, nursing.

ITT Tech – ITT Technical Institute offers accredited online programs that can help you develop the knowledge and skills that can be used to enhance your technical career.

Kaplan University – Earn your degree, advance your career, and do it all without missing a day of work. Degrees in: business, criminal justice, technology and design, paralegal. Certificates in: forensic nursing, legal nurse consulting, financial planning.

Walden University – For 30 years, Walden has helped adult learners balance their personal and professional commitments while earning a respected degree. Convenient online Ph.D., masters, and bachelor degree programs.

The Art Institute Online – Start your career in design with distance learning programs that focus on multimedia, web, game art, graphic and interior design.

Clayton College of Natural Health (CCNH) – CCNH can prepare you for a rewarding career in natural health, holistic nutrition, naturopathy, and herbology.
University of Liverpool – Earn a masters degree from the university for business professionals worldwide. Liverpool has earned an international reputation for high quality.

Concord Law School – Nationally recognized Concord Law School offers a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and an Executive JD degree that can be earned 100% online.

As you can see, there’s a large variety of educational opportunities awaiting you online. Whatever your goals, whatever your dreams, you can now more easily achieve them at your own pace, and in the comfort of your own home.

About the author:

Copyright 2005
Donna Monday
Earn a degree online in your own home
http://www.online-distance-learning-careers.com