1. GET OUT THERE!
Introducing yourself to wedding vendors is critical since these are the folks who will become an endless source of referrals for you. Get out there and meet everyone, with an emphasis on everyone! Think beyond your typical caterers, florists and photographers. Travel Agents, make-up artists, massage therapists, ballroom dance instructors...you never know where that next referral is coming from.
2. INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OTHER WEDDING PLANNERS
I know, I know, but instead of thinking of your fellow wedding planners as 'the competition', think of them as an endless source of referrals for your wedding planning business. Yes, referrals!
Imagine that you and I are both wedding planners in the same town. A bride comes to me needing help with just day-of wedding services. The thing is that I recently made the decision to work on full-service weddings only. Rather than turn her away, I call you and ask if you're interested and available to help her. Or perhaps a bride requests your professional wedding planning services but you're already booked on her wedding day. Imagine how grateful your bride would be if you're able to recommend her to me, another fab wedding consultant.
You get the idea? Unless (or until) you have an entourage of wedding planners working for you, it's unlikely that you can handle all of the wedding planning business in your town. Get to know the other 'professional' wedding planners out there...you'll be so glad that you did.
3. MAKE A LIST OF POTENTIAL VENDORS
Your next step is to make a list of the specific vendors you'd like to meet. A good place to start is the local vendor listing on The Knot. Don't contact anyone just yet. At this stage you're just creating a list. Look at vendor websites, read bride testimonials and you'll soon get a feel of whom you'd like to know better.
Local bridal shows are another source for wedding vendors. Typically the show organizers print a program and list wedding vendor names on the bridal show website.
4. SCHEDULE WEDDING VENDOR APPOINTMENTS
Set a goal to meet a certain number of wedding professionals each week. Call each vendor and arrange a 15-minute appointment to introduce yourself. Taking the time to make the call shows them that you're a professional. Don't just 'drop in' unannounced!
I've found that most vendors get busier as the week progresses, so you may want to arrange for your appointment to happen earlier in the week. Of course, that may not always be the case. Each vendor you contact will let you know what time works best for them.
5. RESEARCH EACH VENDOR
Once you have secured an appointment with a wedding vendor, familiarize yourself with their company before your meeting.
Check out the company website, their blog, Google them, read brochures, etc. Although the point of the meeting is to find out as much as you can about the vendor's line of business, think about how you will answer any questions s/he may have about your wedding planing business.
Be prepared to answer questions succinctly and with confidence. Nobody wants to hear you ramble on about yourself (except you, perhaps).
6. WIIFM:"What's In It For Me? (the vendor, that is!)
Yes, that's right; think carefully about what you can do for each and every wedding vendor you meet. Do you have a shared interest? Or someone that they would be interested in working with? When you go out of your way for another vendor (or any person for that matter), you increase the likelihood of that person doing the same for you.
7. MASTER THE VENDOR MEETING
For your face-to-face vendor meeting, dress as you would for a client meeting. Remember the adage 'you never get a second chance to make a first impression'. You are representing your business.
Bring extra business cards just in case your vendor asks to keep a few on hand to share with his/her clients.
Center your energy and attention on the vendor. Turn off your cell phone and/or BlackBerry! Even if s/he doesn't extend the same courtesy to you--so don't get flustered if phone calls, clients or staff questions interrupt the flow of your meeting.
Wedding planning expert Debbie Tobias publishes 'Weddings For A Living', a bi-monthly ezine for wedding planners who want to catapult their startup or small wedding business to success. If you're looking for creative tips and marketing ideas to successfully grow your wedding planning business, get your FREE tips now at http://www.WeddingsForALiving.com
Showing posts with label wedding planning business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding planning business. Show all posts
What To Do Before Starting Your Own Wedding Planning Business
If you love weddings and have a very organized personality, starting your own wedding planning business may be the right choice for you. This type of business is fun and exciting and you will be able to help happy couples plan the wedding of their dreams.
To become a wedding planner you should have great people skills and a familiarity with all aspects of planning a wedding. You will have to work with and develop relationships with reception venues, florists, caterers, bakers, entertainment companies and bridal shops.
Starting a wedding planning business also requires that you manage stress well. You will have to occasionally deal with demanding brides or unhappy service providers. Your business must provide the couple with their ideal wedding without any stress to them.
As a wedding planner, you will need to stay on top of all the current wedding trends. You should have detailed knowledge regarding wedding etiquette and attend bridal shows on a regular basis. Use your good people skills to network with potential clients or suppliers.
You will want to build a portfolio once you decide to create a wedding planning business. Use the portfolio to showcase weddings that you have planned as well as testimonials of your highly satisfied clients. Your first clients can be relatives or friends that allow you to plan their wedding.
Keep your prices competitive with other wedding planning businesses and advertise your services in newspapers and on the Internet. Word of mouth will also help bring in clients. Once your wedding planning business gets going, you will be satisfied with this fun and interesting career.
To become a wedding planner you should have great people skills and a familiarity with all aspects of planning a wedding. You will have to work with and develop relationships with reception venues, florists, caterers, bakers, entertainment companies and bridal shops.
Starting a wedding planning business also requires that you manage stress well. You will have to occasionally deal with demanding brides or unhappy service providers. Your business must provide the couple with their ideal wedding without any stress to them.
As a wedding planner, you will need to stay on top of all the current wedding trends. You should have detailed knowledge regarding wedding etiquette and attend bridal shows on a regular basis. Use your good people skills to network with potential clients or suppliers.
You will want to build a portfolio once you decide to create a wedding planning business. Use the portfolio to showcase weddings that you have planned as well as testimonials of your highly satisfied clients. Your first clients can be relatives or friends that allow you to plan their wedding.
Keep your prices competitive with other wedding planning businesses and advertise your services in newspapers and on the Internet. Word of mouth will also help bring in clients. Once your wedding planning business gets going, you will be satisfied with this fun and interesting career.
Earl Taylor is an expert opportunist with 8 years experience as an internet marketer. He is the author of CareerJobs. His diligent research and recommendations has been known to help thousands. Get his Free home assembly job listings just for visiting. Or send a blank email to: cashfaqs@freeautobot.com
Starting a Wedding Planning Business
The wedding business is booming! Every year, almost 2.5 million couples tie the knot in the United States, spending an average of $20,000 a couple -- making it a $72 billion industry. Planning and organizing a wedding is still a major undertaking and many couples simply don't have the time to devote to it -- and are more than happy to leave the planning to a professional.
The demand for wedding planners is booming too -- an estimated 15% of couples now use the services of a professional wedding planner. Being a wedding planner allows you to be your own boss; it's a profession that most people consider to be fun and rewarding -- and there are no particular educational qualifications or requirements. Around 10,000 people in the United States claim to be professional wedding planners.
As a wedding planner, you are responsible for every aspect of the wedding -- flowers, photography, food and perhaps accommodation for out of town guests. You also have to enjoy dealing with people, as that is essentially what you will be doing much of the time, as a wedding planner. And perhaps one of the most important qualities is simply to be well organized and efficient -- you don't want to find that you forgot to book the caterers for the big day!
Starting a wedding business is not much different from any other business -- although start up costs tend to be minimal. You will need a small office to work from, or a quiet space in your home -- keep in mind your clients may meet with you there. You will need such basics as a separate phone line, fax machine and business cards and you may need to register your business in your county or state. Having your own web site is an essential too.
A portfolio is also an excellent thing to show potential clients. If you aren't sure where to start, offer your services to family and friends in exchange for being able to take and use photographs. Your portfolio should contain photographs of any weddings you have helped to plan -- anything from the flowers and the table settings to the catering and the choice of venue. Reference letters from some satisfied clients are always a nice finishing touch.
The best way to become experienced as a wedding planner is to learn all you can about weddings -- and what makes them successful. Attend weddings, talk to those people involved such as caterers, photographers and florists. Try to get as many contacts as you can -- you will need them later. It's also worth trying to negotiate discounts with some of your contacts. And if you want to go back to school -- you can take classes that teach you all about the profession.
So now you are a wedding planner -- but where do you find your clients? One of the most effective ways to find potential clients is through your network of contacts in the industry. Make sure your business cards are visible at caterers, florists and bridal shops. You may want to advertise in the local newspaper and display your business card at such places as libraries, community centers and workplaces. And as every small business owner knows -- word of mouth is often the most effective advertising.
And one of the best things about being a wedding planner? You have the satisfaction of helping to plan what many people consider to be the happiest day of their lives.
For in-depth information on how to
target=_new [http://www.mommyempire.com/become-a-wedding-planner-business.html]
become a wedding planner visit target=_new [http://www.MommyEmpire.com/] [http://www.MommyEmpire.com/]http://www.MommyEmpire.com/
The demand for wedding planners is booming too -- an estimated 15% of couples now use the services of a professional wedding planner. Being a wedding planner allows you to be your own boss; it's a profession that most people consider to be fun and rewarding -- and there are no particular educational qualifications or requirements. Around 10,000 people in the United States claim to be professional wedding planners.
As a wedding planner, you are responsible for every aspect of the wedding -- flowers, photography, food and perhaps accommodation for out of town guests. You also have to enjoy dealing with people, as that is essentially what you will be doing much of the time, as a wedding planner. And perhaps one of the most important qualities is simply to be well organized and efficient -- you don't want to find that you forgot to book the caterers for the big day!
Starting a wedding business is not much different from any other business -- although start up costs tend to be minimal. You will need a small office to work from, or a quiet space in your home -- keep in mind your clients may meet with you there. You will need such basics as a separate phone line, fax machine and business cards and you may need to register your business in your county or state. Having your own web site is an essential too.
A portfolio is also an excellent thing to show potential clients. If you aren't sure where to start, offer your services to family and friends in exchange for being able to take and use photographs. Your portfolio should contain photographs of any weddings you have helped to plan -- anything from the flowers and the table settings to the catering and the choice of venue. Reference letters from some satisfied clients are always a nice finishing touch.
The best way to become experienced as a wedding planner is to learn all you can about weddings -- and what makes them successful. Attend weddings, talk to those people involved such as caterers, photographers and florists. Try to get as many contacts as you can -- you will need them later. It's also worth trying to negotiate discounts with some of your contacts. And if you want to go back to school -- you can take classes that teach you all about the profession.
So now you are a wedding planner -- but where do you find your clients? One of the most effective ways to find potential clients is through your network of contacts in the industry. Make sure your business cards are visible at caterers, florists and bridal shops. You may want to advertise in the local newspaper and display your business card at such places as libraries, community centers and workplaces. And as every small business owner knows -- word of mouth is often the most effective advertising.
And one of the best things about being a wedding planner? You have the satisfaction of helping to plan what many people consider to be the happiest day of their lives.
For in-depth information on how to
target=_new [http://www.mommyempire.com/become-a-wedding-planner-business.html]
become a wedding planner visit target=_new [http://www.MommyEmpire.com/] [http://www.MommyEmpire.com/]http://www.MommyEmpire.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
