There are all types of donors in the world. There are organ donors, disease donors, blood donors, caring donors, and many more. However, the donors that Wesley Spectrum have are the type of people who help one another who are in need. Not only is monetary donations are given, but the volunteering act of teaching and self-discipline.

When you think of an entrepreneur, a powerful, extremely motived, self-made man or woman immediately comes to mind.  But what type of person do you picture when you hear, internet entrepreneur? 

After looking at Mark Zuckerberg, Seth Godin, or Garrett Camp, you have a whole new appreciation for what it takes to be an entrepreneur and how the internet has changed the rules of the game.  Thanks to The Web, entrepreneurs have more of an advantage than ever before:

• Little start up costs
• Access to a huge (essentially limitless) marketplace
• Instant connectability with and feedback from their customers or users
• Don’t have to be charasmatic or engaging – only have to know the language of the internet.

Personally, I found the last point to be the most interesting.  Our class looked at 3 self-made millionaires and only one of them would be considered “engaging” at a party.  Though some internet entrepreneurs fall short when it comes to social skills, the web has leveled the playing field and anyone (granted they have good computer skills) can become an entrepreneur.

So if you’re sitting there reading this post, stop hiding behind the excuse of not having the personality of an entrepreneur.  As we’ve seen time and time again – sometimes it’s not about personality, it’s about C++.

Much as the age old saying of use the force, Luke goes, it is the same these days when it comes to businesses making their way onto the Internet. Use the abundant resources available to you on the Internet. There are so many social media websites out there these days that it’s almost impossible to keep up with them all. The best part about it is that almost all of them are free! What a better way to gain a spot on the Internet as one of the leaders in your market than using free websites to make yourself known! Making sure that you utilize these websites is probably the best thing that you can do as a new to the Internet business. Using your resources wisely will help you to succeed!

Tomorrow’s Forcast is cloudy with a 95% chance of economic crisis and unemployment moving in by late afternoon.  Are predictions dark and gloomy for nonprofits or will the sun poke its rays through the gloom?

2009 may be shaping up to be the perfect time for people to give to their favorite cause.  While money is in short supply, the stock market is proving to be a fatal investment option, and businesses are laying-off employees, nonprofit organizations are proving their ability to weather the storm. 

Baby boomer and Huffington Post retirement expert Mark Miller wrote last month, “The business world is crumbling all around us, but non-profits have been growing faster than either the business or government sector–and they’re facing a shortage of talent. Best of all, the non-profit sector is gradually waking up to the potential of encore career switchers–people who want to move into new lines of work with meaning in the second half of life.”

Not only are nonprofits recruiting young talent, the outlook for giving might not be as stormy as predicted.  In a survey conducted by Dini Partners, 34 individual major donors, 14 foundations, and 6 philantrhipic corporations were surveyed about their giving to nonprofits in 2009. 

• 64% indicate they will be motivated by the existing relationship with the paritcular institution
• 33% responded that their giving will focus soley on programs that help the poor and those in need
• 50% said that they will limit their giving to fewer projects 

When asked what single factor will have the greatest wieght in their giving decisions in 2009, the  majority again confirmed that an existing relationship with the agency or institution will be of singular importance.  The second and third factors respectively  include the economic or social need of the asking agency or institution and the vision of the agency. 

The money hasn’t dried-up or blown away – nonprofits will just need to spend a little more time developing relationships with donors and supporters.  34% said their giving will be the same as 2008 giving and 5% said their giving will increase.  At least that’s partly sunny…

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The world of web 2.0 has made the internet even more interconnected than before. Websites that provide a specific service or attraction with the intent to reach target users can rapidly gain attention through ingenuity and holistic online collaboration. The content of a website is also beginning to play a greater role in directing user flow from other websites in as large of a spectrum as possible. In essence, both online collaboration and website content cooperate in bringing target users/consumers to a website.

The importance of collaboration with social networking sites such as Facebook.com and Linked.com has become more important than ever. When a website provides a service directed towards a specific interest, a pool of users can be selected with the use of a social networking site to target individuals who will likely be associated with the provided interest. For instance, relationship websites often advertise on Facebook.com to gain the attention of a pool of ideal users between the ages of 18-25. (Individuals who are most likely to get married)

Everything is changing on the internet with web 2.0. Websites that comply with these changes and are willing to collaborate with other sites toward mutual benefit are going to have the ability to narrow their target users. Those that lag behind won’t last much longer.