A “ground-floor” opportunity is usually defined as a chance to enter an organization or effort at an early and influential stage. The Family History Guide has such an opportunity, albeit a volunteer one. (We are volunteers at The Family History Guide Association, so that should come as no surprise, really.) The ground-floor opportunity is this: presenting The Family History Guide website to genealogy societies, public libraries, church groups and more, in your local area.

Recently one of our Certified Trainers, Don Hinkle, presented The Family History Guide to a local society. Here’s a brief summary of his experience that he shared with us:

“Last night (1/15/2020) I made a presentation about The Family History Guide to the Midland Michigan Genealogical Society. There were 26 in attendance (including my wife and I). Of the 26, 24 had never heard of The Family History Guide before. My presentation lasted for about 45 minutes. There were many good comments to my wife and I about how much they enjoyed learning about The Family History Guide.”

Don’s experience echoes others we have heard, in a variety of locations. There are many ways to share The Family History Guide, and there are still quite a few places where it is relatively unknown as yet. These add up to some great “ground-floor opportunities,” as most genealogical societies and public libraries have a calendar of training and events and are looking for people to present something relevant and important. (And that certainly describes The Family History Guide!)

If you are a trainer or consultant, we’d like you to think seriously about contacting a society, library, or church group to present The Family History Guide. You don’t need to be a Certified Trainer; you just need to be able to deliver an interesting and informative presentation. We recommend using the website itself to present, although some organizations may have requirements for slides and handouts.

For ideas on presenting, see this blog post: https://www.thefhguide.com/blog/presenting-the-family-history-guide-part-2/

Also, check out the Media page in The Family History Guide for free, downloadable media items you can use for your presentation and for advertising.

Good luck!