Happy New Year!

Thank goodness 2009 and that "ought" decade is over - we can start afresh with a new year and a new decade!

Some people have been asking about online auctions and 82North. Quite frankly, there are some players in the online auction business with which 82North cannot compete (one rhymes with see-grey) and sees no reason to reinvent that wheel. However, perhaps what you want to do doesn't need that service from see-grey. depending on what you are hoping to do, you can create an 82North site which has a picture of the items being auctioned, then a currency field for the bid amount. At the end of each day (or the next morning) you can go in and update the site to give that day's minimum bid. This might be preferable when you have silent auction items for which you are generating interest before your event, but the items' purchase will conclude at your event. One thought if you do that - give a "Buy It Now" price so if someone wants the items but cannot make it to your event, you'll still be reaping in the big bucks - and acknowledging a good supporter of your organization.

If you provide this type of site on 82North, it is IMPORTANT!!! that you declick "collect payment information" on the 5th page of the Create an Event process. If you do not declick that button, the site will try to charge a credit card for the bid.

And what are the benefits of having an 82North site do your online bidding?
1. if you are a "multiple sites" client, it costs you nothing
2. you let the bidders create the bidding sheet - you don't have to do it through emails to you
3. you have the ultimate control on the site.

Send us your fresh ideas and we will highlight them through the year.

Happy 2010!

82North
Betsey Moran