Volunteering - Benefits - Yes or No?

It has been an interesting exercise over the past 4-months with regards to the offer I extended to volunteer my event planning/coordination skills to worthy causes. Right now there is 50/50 chance of me actually extending this donation next year.    
  

The reason for the split, some committees, I might as well be a fly on the wall and just do and not say anything. My father had an expression which we heard many times when young; "children should be seen and not heard". This actually captures it perfectly unfortunately with an A type personality I do wish to voice opinions but to be shut down completely is truly frustrating and sad.

   

On the other hand I have become involved with a couple of committees that fulfil the need completely and give me a sense of involvement, another phrase comes to mind "one for all and all for one". Maybe in my naivety I imagined that volunteering would have this same stamp across the board but it does not appear to be so.

     

Recently I spoke to an individual about the crisis occurring within a number of organisations who are drastically running short of volunteers and noted to them; it does not matter how many people you recruit if you cannot retain therein lies a major problem.  I have already excused myself from 1 committee and I am on the brink of doing it with another.  At this point in time I sit on 3 with another on the horizon.

   

As baby boomers begin to retire these will consist of individuals who are completely business savvy entrepreneurs who have held successful careers and a number will definitely want to venture into the world of volunteerism.   

    

To be honest when the next organization asks me “can you help us” – I am going to ask for a role description because in truth it is an unpaid job - payment for me - the opportunity to network with like minds and personal satisfaction, something which is priceless.

Next Season Starts

Thursday, April 5 I took an important renewal course - C.P.R. Training - now I can carry a card that states I am a Basic Rescuer in accordance with the guidelines of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

It was an interesting 3-hour course and it has taken some dramatic changes over the years, it has been streamlined and is so much easier.  Not so many steps to remember and even though the stats given are a 5% survival rate, this is better than none.  I was shocked to hear that the rate excels to 80% when a defibrillator is utilized and hopefully the cost of these units will drop substantially to allow them to be part of the kit you pack in your car or for me to carry-on to a venue with me.

I am now going to become an advocate of C.P.R. training, even though the odds are small I feel we should all have this tool in our pocket.  From my personal perspective to standby and feel hopeless would be worse and any chance to live is better than none.

Easter has now come and gone, so we now step into another season.  My workload for the next couple of months will be doubled due to the events I will be coordinating:

May 16 & 17 - Corporate sessions; London & Kitchener
May 26 - Scotch Tasting Experience; Greenhills Golf Club, St. Thomas
June 1 & 2 - Chatham-Kent Welcome Homecoming; 2-day event @ John D. Bradley Convention Centre **
July 13 - Wedding in Sarnia
August 26 - V.O.N. Walk; Popular Hill Park, Strathroy area**

** Donating my services

A Wedding Planners Dilemma

This weekend turned out to be extremely busy; Saturday required an on-site visit for a couple who had retained me for their July Wedding. They are an extremely nice couple who happen to be gay too and I really am looking forward to assisting them. On this particular encounter I had the opportunity to meet the mother of the bride and her sister and it was just like any typical family meeting with lots of input and a multitude of ideas. The bottom line is they secured their venue and after personally visiting a number for them it was great to check this important item of their list.
 
Sunday's visit was another adventure. The previous week I had been contacted by a bride-to-be who was uncertain as to whether or not a Wedding Planner was the route she wanted to go. I told her it would be wise for her to source another couple of planners - my thought being that once she had spoken to 3 planners it would illustrate the great asset of utilising planners. When she called back, 1 planner was not available for her date and the other I think did not flow as she had wished.
   
In my naivety I presumed the appointment we made for the Sunday (an hour's drive for me) was the start of me being hired but I could not have been further from the truth. The meeting took place at her parents’ home and with such a comfortable environment I felt that it would be a great starting point to assess her requirements. Unfortunately, it took another direction; the bride had everything under control, an "A" type personality which I knew would leave nothing to chance.
  
I outlined my qualifications and the services I would offer but it didn't seem to satisfy her and then I reiterated. To be honest I am not quite sure what she wanted to hear and finally she asked me to sell my services to her. This is not my style, I feel that my expertise, abilities, knowledge and skills and a soft approach is more comfortable for everyone involved. A used car salesman pitch to me feels superficial and does not give an in depth full scenario and to be honest I have never been asked directly to do it.
  
Red flags started to appear for me and after 1 hr 15 minutes I decided that the meeting was not going to conclude in retention of my services because she was undecided and I diplomatically told her that she should try to enjoy the experience and get some life balance.
 
Maybe some individuals expect too much from their Wedding Planners but I feel that our role is to guide them in the right direction and I personally did not think that monitoring their bridal registry would be truly beneficial for them.
 
I also enjoy being on-site the whole day and watching the day unfold making sure all the numerous details are in place and the couple enjoy a perfect day. It seems such a pity that either family members or close friends are sequestered to do this role because they then don't have the opportunity to be part of this memorable and special occasion.
  
My hopes are that the bride I meet with on Sunday meets someone who will listen to her every word and make sure that everything is precisely put in place. Here's wishing that her day is stress free and she can relax.

March Already!!

Busy, busy, busy....... how fantastic.  As I stand back now and look at the new business I have acquired and the volunteer roles gathered along the way so far in 2012 I see that it is going to be a fantastic year.
   
The volunteer role of Board Director on the Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC) is proving to be really informative and I am learning lots about the area. Bonus as well is the board members are great people and totally forward thinking.
   
Welcome Home Chatham Kent (volunteering), a 2-day event is interesting with a diverse group of individuals and as we head towards the June 1 & June 2 function, I can see lots of activity and fun along the way. They will use my event management skills to my absolute limit.
   
Three new clients have also come across my desk; corporate client who requires quarterly seminars organized, the RFP (request for proposal) was to be just for event planning (I thought) but it is going to grow into a position that I know will be really rewarding and utilize a lot of my other skills too.
   
Scotch Tasting Charity event for a Rotary Club is unique in the sense that these individuals have never held an event of this nature previously.  How exciting for me because during my 10 years with Diageo (world's #1 liquor company) my main criteria was to organize across Canada and the U.S. spirit tasting workshops.
   
Originally when I opened up Key to Success, in 2008 I had a sideline as a Virtual Assistant, this I thought would allow me to use my Executive Assistant skills, expertise and abilities. Although it did not have a large volume of clients, they did keep trickling in and I now have clients that have been on my books for over 2-years.  The past 2 weeks saw a returning client and a new businessman request a large amount of documentation to be created - over 60 pages!! Now that definitely tested me in all areas.
   
Trying to balance my event planning clients and virtual ones has been wild to say the least but I had a blast and it looks as though for me business in 2012 will be just like a roller coaster.
   
But hey who doesn't enjoy fun fairs?

February 2012 & 1st Wedding Show

Where has February gone??  I cannot believe how busy I have become and certainly no complaints.
    
February 24 will be my first Bridal Weddings Show, attending one in London last month I was surprised to see that there were no Wedding Planners and there were over 50+ booths.   Mine will be in Sarnia and there is 45 booths and only 1 Wedding Planner ME!!
 
As a member of a variety of organizations one being Event Planners, I asked the question, "Why Event Planners do not exhibit", the resounding answer back was that they were expensive and there was no R.O.I. (Return on Investment).   This is quite a surprise to me but I must admit that although the booth space was quite inexpensive by the time you have acquired; signage, handouts, goodies for the table and been asked to donate a $50.00 raffle prize the cost has started to escalate but my philosophy is that if you don't try how will you know.
     
I am delighted that I have a mixture of events to keep me occupied for 2012 whether they be non paying or not.  Utilizing my skills on a regular basis is a win win situation and the variety of events I have been asked to assist or coordinate is great and will ensure that my path going forward will be fun too.

2012 - Year of the Dragon

2012 marks the year of the Dragon, a representation of power, luck, and strength.

POWER - to do anything that we want, think; positive, innovative and "I can do attitude it". I decided for 2012 I would donate my services to at least 2 charitable organisation, this has given me well being and the knowledge that I am helping people to achieve success for others.

LUCK - Being in the right place at the right time, look for the openings and step forward with confidence. Creating new "feng shui" in my office space, clearing out the old files making new ones, creating an atmosphere of comfortability and ease in which to work. Now when my phone rings, I can glance around my surroundings and know anything is achievable.

STRENGTH - Dig deep down inside, write up a plan for each month and follow through.  Remember to allocate time for both personal and business life - strike a balance.  The endurance to know that I am in this for the long haul.  That I can only grow by constant learning and use these as building blocks to become stronger each day.

      

JANUARY UPDATE

PERSONAL

1st week - Extended an offer of volunteering my event management skills to a minimum of 2 worthy  charities.
 
2nd week - Approached by two organisations in two different locations (United Way Chatham-Kent and V.O.N. Strathroy) various communications - donation was accepted.
  
3rd week  - Took a different direction I was asked whether I would be interested in a volunteer Board of Directors position, after meeting President, Past-President and General Manager (an informal interview process) offered role - accepted.

CROSS OFF  "Volunteering Offer"

BUSINESS

1st week - Approached by an organisation to assist with quarterly seminars for 2012 - submitted a proposal
 
2nd week - Proposal accepted
   
3rd week - Meeting with a bride for a possible Wedding Planner role for July

February can only get better, my philosophy has always been Pay it Forward you can never go wrong.

So 2012 what have you got in store for me?  I know now that I shall only be going up - started at ground level both personally and business wise and both have lifted off!! 

The sky is MY limit...............................................

Welcome to 2012

This morning I looked out on my deck, the snow was falling and the birds were collecting around my feeders which were empty.  So I geared up and went out to fill them up and then watched the hive of activity.

I think that we can learn a lesson from our feathered friends.  Even though the feeders were empty they never gave up.  Travelling together for support and watching as someone would try with no success but then the next one would venture forward.

This is how I approach my business - if at first you don't succeed try, try and try again.  As I entered into 2012 I knew that this would be the most productive year to date for me both professionally and personally.

October 2008 - to date I can see the struggles that I have gone through are beginning to pay off.  It did mean moving out of great new office space and relocating to a new basement Home Office but I was not going to give up.

2009 was a brand new start and I added Virtual Administrative Assistant, which has given me a few excellent clients.

 

2010 saw weddings enter into my portfolio and to be honest it was something I  had not expected to be doing but to my surprise and delight I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A Jamaican wedding couple and a wonderful Canadian wanted an outdoor ceremony and reception.   My V.A. idea started to bring in a few clients and the road started to get covered.

2011 brought even more delights; City of London Conference, 2 East Indian Ceremonies and Receptions, 1 Moroccan Wedding Reception and another Virtual Client.

2012 has started off with a new client who would like assistance with a series of quarterly seminars - how great is that?  My mandate this year was to donate my event management expertise to some worthy charities and I have already been asked to be involved with 2.

So if this is only January what an adventurous way to start 2012 and that unpaved road that I started might even become a small highway!!