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Your Event Career

4 Goals to Set For Your Event Planning Business This Year

With a new year on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to make some professional and personal New Year’s resolutions. That being said, we much prefer making concrete goals for the year ahead instead of simple resolutions – they’re more specific and attainable. Nothing against New Year’s resolutions, of course!

As the owner of an event planning business, you know the importance of setting regular goals, as they’re what propel your business to success! So what should you be focusing on for the year ahead? We’ve put a list together of four goals that you should set for your event planning business, and how to lay the groundwork to achieve them.

Read on and take not

1. Goal: Stronger social media presence

Let’s start with an area we know you’re familiar with – social media! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are just some of the platforms you should be using on a regular basis as the owner of an event planning business. Not only will they help you build your brand identity, they’ll also help you connect with potential clients. If you’ve already been using social media, great! However, with a new year ahead, there’s never been a better time to step up your social media game, and there are a number of different ways to do so…

wedding planner working on laptop outside.

While meme posts generate the most likes, they don’t inspire people to hire you for their event planner needs. Create original content on each platform you use. While you can (and should) share funny event-related posts from time to time, your main focus should be showing off your talents to a target audience. Emotional appeals, tips, ideas, and trend trends posts will attract new followers. Draw up an editorial schedule for yourself and set specific checkpoints (such as weekly or monthly milestones) to make sure you’ve achieved the followers you want and that your content is engaging. The only way you can see growth is if you track it!

Think of growing your social media presence as a marathon, rather than a sprint. Be sure to interact with your followers instead of simply sitting back. You’re much more likely to gain likes and followers if you’re liking and following other people! Of course, some days you’ll fare better than others in growth. But growing by 20 likes one day and 5 the other is far better than by single digits each week.

2. Goal: Increase revenues

As a business owner, you know the importance of financial literacy. Charging the right amount, making sure you get paid, and keeping your event business afloat is all part of the job! Many business owners begin the New Year with the goal of increasing their revenue. But it can be tricky to know where to start!

Setting an ambitious goal for your event planning business requires you to examine your sales strategy. Look closely at your list of clients, the number of events you plan per year, and the expertise and scope of the competition. Take time to add sections to your strategy, including what opportunities you can take advantage of, where the competition is falling short, and what your clients are up to. Depending on the size of your event planning business, you may need to hire some employees to grow your team. The heart of a successful business is made up of dedicated and passionate employees. When you have a team who loves event planning and making people happy as much as you do, you’ll throw events that keep clients coming back for more!

Large event and wedding planning company with happy and enthusiastic employees

After you evaluate your company and local industry, it’s time to outline your goals. There’s no sense in only knowing what you want. You’ll also need to figure out how you’ll achieve it! A goal won’t work unless you take it seriously, so you need to put a real plan in place to help you get there. Having a notebook with goals written down will be a constant reminder of what you want to achieve and what you’re working towards.

3. Goal: Improve customer satisfaction

This one is huge! Events are highly personal. While you can expect the final goal to be the same, the individual elements included will all differ. An example would be a wedding. All weddings are thrown to celebrate the union of a couple and their families. But every couple will have a different vision for what they want. Some want a small, rustic wedding and others want a 500-person, highly religious celebration. No matter the scale, give the utmost respect and consideration when planning them. Especially when it comes to stepping into unfamiliar territory, do some research! If they wanted cookie-cutter events that don’t reflect their values, they wouldn’t reach out to an event planner. Nobody wants to be snubbed just because they aren’t throwing a big theatrical production!

A new year is a prime opportunity to sharpen your customer service skills. Examine a new approach in crafting the best first impression; revamp your website and contact channels to become more accessible; or even go the extra mile when writing proposals! You may think you’re currently providing stellar service to your clientele (and we’re sure you are!), but setting a goal to take things even further in the New Year will only make your clients happier, and add more to your list.

Destination wedding with beautiful decor by a professional wedding planner

Similar to your social media goals, draw up a few documents to help you meet this one. Use a call schedule to regularly let clients know the status of their upcoming event, and keep detailed planning timelines to ensure nothing is overlooked. These type of schedules will keep you on track and help you achieve your goal of more satisfied clients!

4. Goal: Better business networking

Event planners are social by nature, which comes in handy when building a network! Especially when you’re just starting out, you’ll need to build relationships with clients, vendors, and other planners if you want to get noticed. Your local event industry may already have some top dogs pulling in most of the clients. How can you make yourself look like an appealing choice when other planners have the vendor-list and portfolio to prove their worth? You have to put yourself out there! It sounds counter-intuitive, but befriending your competitors can actually help grow your business!

Meeting other industry professionals can only improve your reputation, clientele, and knowledge of the field. However, there is a right way to go about networking, and it doesn’t involve spending hours mingling aimlessly with strangers.

Research upcoming trade shows and conferences for the year. When you have all the important conferences marked down on your calendar, you can prepare ahead of time. No more getting off-guard when someone asks you what you do! Just make sure they’re right for your business (think wedding shows and food expos, for example)! Once you have a short list, set a goal for each show, such as collecting names for a mailing list, networking with new vendors, and scheduling free client consultations afterwards.

Two professional event planners collaborating

Having goals in mind will keep you focused throughout the events, and you won’t find yourself spinning your wheels while your precious time fades away. Be prepared at trade shows with a professional booth, signage, and marketing collateral – this is a wonderful opportunity for you to make yourself known, and make the most of your time at the event.

Share your New Year’s goal in a comment below, and check out some New Year’s resolutions for event planners!

6 responses to “4 Goals to Set For Your Event Planning Business This Year”

  1. Event planning is quite a tricky task, making the day memorable and keeping every one elated is a big thing. Thank you for sharing the goals that I can set for my business to attain great revenues.

  2. Nicole says:

    Great pointers! I love the section on improving customer satisfaction and I think it is so true especially now with the COVID 19 pandemic, we as event planners need to be constantly adapting and changing our approach. For example, we need to start planning virtual events and price accordingly. It’s important to keep your education up and now more than ever, online schools are the way to go. I plan to take the QC Virtual Event course to try and keep myself in the game as well!

    1. Sarah-Lynn Seguin says:

      Hi Nicole,

      Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful comment! <3 We absolutely agree! COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected the planning industry, but that doesn't mean that it's not still possible to have a thriving, successful business! It's all a matter of adapting to the current circumstances, and finding new and innovative ways to continue offering clients different types of services (just in safer and more convenient ways these days). We hope you love the Virtual Event Training Course! xx

      All the best,
      Sarah
      The QC Team

  3. Shawniece says:

    I felt like point number two in this blog spoke to me directly! Finding new ways to increase my company’s revenue is something that I am currently working on. With engagement season right around the corner, I want to ensure that my pricing is appropriate. I am definitely going to add to my list to take a look at what some of my competitors are charging and what services they are offering. I am currently reviewing the option “Starting your own business” unit that is included in each course.

    1. Sarah-Lynn Seguin says:

      Taking advantage of the optional Business Unit of your course(s) is a wonderful idea, Shawniece! We do our best to touch on critical components, in order for our students and grads to be as prepared as possible when it comes to the ins and outs of running a successful business. If you choose to complete this Unit, we hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Thanks so much for taking the time to read this article, and for sharing such a refreshing, personal insight!

      All the best,
      The QC Team

  4. Nigel Chiriseri says:

    I need these lessons for event planning business

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