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piątek, 8 października 2010

Event Budget Template to Help Avoid Overspending


Large companies need to host events for product launches, conventions and exhibitions. Smaller companies need to host events as well, it may not be as huge as the events for large companies but just the same, it is necessary to host events but avoid overspending on them.

Thus, if you need to host events whether your company is big or small you will need an Event Budget Template to know if the profit you expect from the event will be justified as compared to the cost you will need to shell out.

There is an Event Budget Template from Excel which will help you analyze the profitability of such an event by looking at the profit and loss statement in the template.

The template is so simple but it has the important details necessary to plan events that will be successful. Let us discuss the template to give you an idea of what a viable event your company should host.

Details for the Budget Template

What are the expenses you will incur in the Event? This is the first tab in the template. You should put an estimate by reviewing historical events or estimates you get from suppliers.

o Cost of the site

- Room and hall fees

- Site Staff

- Equipment

- Tables and Chairs

It might be necessary that you lump them all together and ask for reasonable discount since this may not be the first and only event you will need to host. Some conference venue halls offer a neat package but start by detailing them first and then asking for discount when you find it necessary.

o Decorations

- Flowers

- Candles

- Lighting

- Balloons

- Paper Supplies

These items are all necessary for the event but if you can ask them to be packaged with the venue the better your chances of profiting from the event.

o Publicity

- Graphics work

- Photocopying/printing

- Postage

Profitability of your event will only be realized if the public knows about it. Attends your event, buys products or acquires services from the event. Thus, you have to spend on publicity. It is good to ask for detailed quotation for each item, then try to request for package when you think it is reasonable enough.

o Refreshments

- Food

- Drinks

- Linens

- Staff and gratuities

Another venue cost you can bundle with the hall fees but if it is not reasonable to package them together, you have to find a catering entity that will provide good food and good service at reasonable cost.

o Program

- Performers

- Speakers

- Travel

- Hotel

- Others

These are expenses you cannot go away with if you host an event and thus the Event Budget Template needs to clearly specify these details. This may be the biggest cost next to the venue and food expenses but they are necessary for the success of your event.

o Prizes

- Ribbons/Plaques/Trophies

- Gifts

They are likewise important for the success of your event but you can be creative in spending for them.

o Miscellaneous

There will be other expenses you have to spend for in the event and you have to consider all of them in the Event Budget Template. Write all other expenses with estimates in your budget template.

After some expenses has been realize input the actual cost in the Event Budget Template. This will give you an idea of how much variation you have from your estimates to you actual. This will help you plan properly your next events.

Another important factor to consider in the Event Budget Template is the Income you expect from it. This is the second tab of your Event Budget Template. They are important because you have to know how much you have to make in the event to ensure that it is profitable.

Admissions

How many guests you estimate to come and how much admission they will be paying. Separate the adult and children computation. You may also put others in the admissions column where you will input the admission received from guests given special admission rates or discounts.

Ads in program

This is another income stream for events. You can invite sponsorship or advertising placement in the program. This is necessary to have some money come in before, during or after your event.

Exhibitors/Vendors

If it is a huge convention, many exhibitors will surely grace the occasion and they are good enough income for your event. Separate the sizes of booth based on the requirement of your exhibitors.

After the event, you have to analyze as well the profitability by inputting the actual income versus the actual expenses you incurred.

This will bring you to the profit and loss summary of the Event Budget Template. If you take a look at it, this tab is set on automatic with the expenses and income tabs. There is also a chart that will tell you if you made money or not in the event.

By analyzing this template and looking at the actuals, you will understand if hosting similar event and doing the same things will give you profit or not.

If you did not make money based on the Event Budget Template, you may need to review your event and make good the next time.

This is a neat template from Excel but if you would want your own template, you can always do so but let this Event Budget Template guide you.








http://financialexceltemplates.com/ is the best resource for high-quality and downloadable Excel Template to help you manage the Finance side of your business.


środa, 29 września 2010

Website Templates - Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Template


Using website templates can be an affordable option, as well as, save you a lot of time, effort and money, when you are ready to create a new layout design for your website. However, if you do not know what you are doing when it comes to editing your template, or choosing the best template for your design needs, the finished website may turn out to be something that you did not have in mind.

Below are some general guidelines to help you avoid the common template editing mistakes:

The biggest mistake you should be aware of is not to pick a template that is very popular. If there are a large amount of people using the same exact template, your website will appear to be generic, not unique, and not very credible. In summary, your website will appear to be just another cookie-cutter website.

The purpose of using a web template to design your next website is to save you time, money and effort. You simply edit the title and other content details to fit your needs and you're finished. The most common mistake with editing a template is to over edit the template beyond recognition. Even though editing the template to fit your design needs makes the template more unique, you are defying the very purpose of using a template to begin with-- to save time, money, and effort.

Take time to make any changes to the template to fit your design ideas and theme. For example, you can find a template that is suitable for your hobby site, the only problem is, the template has an image of pigs in the header. You can simply find images that are relevant to your website, and replace the graphics to suit your needs. However, to avoid any coding issues, do not redesign the entire template, make only the necessary changes needed.

Often, people make the wrong choices when it comes to picking a website template. When designing and editing your website template, be sure to select a template that will be suitable to the audience you are trying to reach. Do not choose website templates that are solely pleasing to the eye, pick a template that will serve the purpose of your website.








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wtorek, 28 września 2010

Quilting Templates - How to Use Them to Cut Perfect Quilt Block Pieces and Avoid Frustration


Quilting Templates are used to mark and cut fabric into units to be pieced together into quilt blocks.? These blocks are then sewn together to make up the quilt top.? It is essential to use only quilting templates which are 100% precise to ensure that the units will line up correctly when pieced together.? Nothing is more frustrating than cutting all the units for a quilt block and when pinning or basting them together discovering that they do not line up properly!? Imagine how nearly impossible it would be to measure out several hundred 12 inch by 12 inch squares with a ruler onto your fabric and have every one of those squares come out to be exactly 12 inches by 12 inches when cut.? Even more impossible would be to measure several hundred 12 inch curved patterns free hand.? As you can see, the use of quilting templates is absolutely essential!

You can make your own quilting templates from paper, cardboard, poster board or flexible plastic, which is sold in many quilt and craft shops specifically for use in making templates.? To make the template you must first choose the quilt block pattern you are going to use.? There are many free patterns available online or you may choose to buy a quilting book which will many times have not only different quilt patterns but instructions on what shape and size templates will be needed to make up the quilt blocks along with guidelines on how much fabric to purchase.?? These books often have drawings of the quilting templates in various shapes and sizes that you can trace to make your templates.

Once you have selected your quilt block pattern and located the quilting templates needed, place the template material over the diagram of the template and trace the outline using the thinnest possible drawing pen.? If you are not using clear template material, it is helpful to place the diagram and the template material over a lightbox so that you can see the outline of the diagram. ?If you do not have a lightbox, you can tape the diagram with the template material placed on top of it onto a sunny window so that the light behind it will enable you to accurately trace the diagram of the template.

If you have used flexible plastic to make your quilting template, it should hold up for multiple uses.? However, if you have used paper or cardboard or any such material whose edges will wear out quickly, be sure to replace these templates very frequently.? Paper templates are good for one use only whereas cardboard or posterboard templates can be used several times before becoming worn out and unusable.? Remember, precision when marking and cutting your units is crucial to the successful piecing together of the quilt block.? It is best not to try to save time and money by reusing slightly worn templates - they will only result in inaccuracy which will produce disappointing results.

You can also purchase premade templates.? When purchasing ready-made quilting templates it is best to select those made of sturdy acrylic that have been laser cut which ensures precision.? ?These premade templates are available in many shapes and sizes both online and in quilt and craft shops.? They will save you a great deal of time over using homemade quilting templates, will be 100% accurate and will last for a very long time.

To mark and cut your fabric into units lay the well-ironed fabric on a flat surface wrong side up and place the template on top of the fabric being sure that the template grain line lies parallel to either the lengthwise or crosswise grain of the fabric.? If using a scissors, trace the outline of the template onto the fabric, using a pencil or fabric marker that makes a very thin line.? Then cut out the units, being sure to use very sharp scissors that you? have reserved for use only with fabric.

To save time and eliminate the need for tracing the template over and over, use a rotary cutter and mat.? Rotary cutters come in various sizes.? The small ones are good to use when cutting curved patterns whereas the large ones are excellent for cutting large, straight lines and for cutting through several layers of fabric simultaneously.? Once again, lay your well-ironed fabric wrong side up on a flat surface on top of a rotary mat to protect the surface, place the template on top of the fabric, and proceed to cut using the rotary cutter.? No need to trace around the template.? All you need do is cut around the edges of the template with the cutter.

Once you have all your units cut you are ready to begin sewing.? If you have used precise quilting templates and have carefully marked and cut your fabric, you should have no trouble piecing together units and having them line up 100% accurately to produce beautiful quilt blocks.








Patricia is an avid crafter and has made a number of quilts and quilted pillows over the years. She enjoys writing about and sharing her knowledge of quilting with interested others. Whether you are an avid quilter or new to the craft, visit her blog at http://www.quiltingtemplates.org for more tidbits of info on quilting.