{"id":1619,"date":"2014-05-14T14:57:50","date_gmt":"2014-05-14T19:57:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.qceventplanning.com\/?p=1619"},"modified":"2014-05-14T14:57:50","modified_gmt":"2014-05-14T19:57:50","slug":"business-advice-event-planners-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qceventplanning.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/business-advice-event-planners-part-1","title":{"rendered":"Business Advice For Event Planners (PART 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Event and wedding planning is a tough sell. You have to get noticed in order to get clients. Many new and aspiring event\/wedding planners struggle with this area of the business\u2026 even more than the actual planning itself!<\/p>\n

In this series, we\u2019ll look at the different requirements to building a professional brand, marketing yourself to clients, and forging beneficial relationships with vendors.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Part 1: The Basics<\/H1><\/p>\n

Before you even think of marketing yourself, there\u2019s a lot of work to be done. You wouldn\u2019t sell a half-baked cake, would you? Nor should you rush into marketing before having all the pieces of your business squarely in place. If you fail at this first step, you\u2019ll probably end up leaving clients with a bad taste for your business.<\/p>\n

Before you can start selling to clients, you have to know what they want. Too many event\/wedding planners try to corner a market that doesn\u2019t exist. For example, selling beautifully elegant, extravagant and costly weddings to low-income rural communities probably doesn\u2019t have a great chance of succeeding.<\/p>\n

Do you work in a busy metropolitan or in a small close-knit community? Either way, you\u2019ll want to research what your clientele wants in a wedding and event planner.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in a large city, there are probably many options for you to choose from. Your challenge will be how to stand out from your competition. Make a list of all event and wedding planners in your area, and what their marketing angles are. You might spot a gap in the market that clients would like filled. You can then survey the community and see what they think of your ideas.<\/p>\n

Event\/Wedding planners in small towns or rural areas have a different challenge. Residents in these areas probably aren\u2019t used to the idea of hiring a wedding\/event planner. In these cases, you might want to focus on a specific passion the community shares. For example, is the community particularly proud of a local sporting team? Is there an annual festival everyone participates in? Do all residents share a similar cultural or religious background? Becoming a community expert might be a fun way to break into the market and attract some outside attention as well.<\/p>\n

<\/span>What\u2019s in a Name?<\/H2><\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing how much the name of your business matters. Making a mistake at this stage can alienate your clientele before they get a chance to know you.<\/p>\n

You have two options: Market yourself as an individual (i.e. Jane Doe, IEWP\u2122) or come up with a name for your business. Here are a few considerations:<\/p>\n