How did you get your start in the event planning business?
SChi25 asked:
Within the next few years, after my own wedding is over and we’ve moved into our new place, I’m determined to start my own event planning business after being an office event coordinator for a couple years now. I was wondering how you event/wedding planners starting your own business. I plan on stocking up on plenty of event planning business books (event planning for dummies, anyone?), but does anyone else have any advice for me? Where to begin? What’s most important? I’d love to hear it! Thanks in advance.
Brenton
Within the next few years, after my own wedding is over and we’ve moved into our new place, I’m determined to start my own event planning business after being an office event coordinator for a couple years now. I was wondering how you event/wedding planners starting your own business. I plan on stocking up on plenty of event planning business books (event planning for dummies, anyone?), but does anyone else have any advice for me? Where to begin? What’s most important? I’d love to hear it! Thanks in advance.
Brenton
I am not in the event planning business, but I would suspect that you should offer your services for free to close friends and family, it will help you iron out your skills without the pressure of it being a “paid” gig, it will enable you to meet more vendors and make more contacts and help you build a portfolio of customers and references, the future clients dont need to know they didnt pay you.
Well, you already have the experience, which is the biggest stubbling block for most people trying to “break into the business”. I read that you should offer to plan 5-6 events for free, with the understanding that they will write a letter of recommendation. If you know anyone who is planning a wedding, birthday party, etc, offer to plan it for them. You might also contact a charity organization and offer to plan their next fundraiser. Since you donated your time, you could write off what you would have charged as a charitable deductions on your business income taxes. Just ask them to make sure your event planning business name gets a credit in the program with all the other donations. If they do a silent auction, you could donate your services for a plan a party for up to so many people. Then when they call you, there’s one of your free parties planned.
You can adveritse in the wedding magazines and/or local business trade journals. It’s expensive, but you have to spend money to make money. You might want to do some networking at a bridal show, but our experience with those has not been too possitive…they charge a fortune, and we have rarely gotten enough business leads to get our money back out of it (I work for a reception hall).
Lots of wedding planners offer day of wedding coordination, which is a god-send to stressed out brides. Even if they want to plan everything themselves, they don’t the time or emotional energy to “direct” the day of the wedding. See if you can talk to all the local churches about leaving your business cards, or if they have one, getting on their referral list.