Party planner
If you have ever been to a lucrative party and thought "I would love to host a party like this?" you should think about starting your own party planning business. No matter how big or small an event is, it does require some planning of some sort. Professional party planners are able to step in for businesses and put on a great party for them and all they need to do is show up.
The party planning business is broad, which makes it appealing to people looking to start the own party planning business from home. You can choose to do small events like birthdays and anniversaries or you can branch out into a larger market of company birthday parties and anniversaries. Most people don't have much more than a nice home office to start their party planning business. Make a file of all the parties you have done either as a professional or as a volunteer and show them to your potential clients. This will help them get a good understanding of your knowledge of party planning and your reputation. You need to have a strong desire to be a party planner if you want to be successful and you must be well-organized and maintain a high level of energy.
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As stated previously, you should plan on designating at least one room in your home to your party planning business. If you decide to purchase props, tables, chairs, and other things, rent a storage unit.
A party planner is a big time commitment, more than just the regular 8-10 hour workdays of other people. Most party planners will end up working weekends, holidays, and evenings. Since there are several party planners out there, you really can't afford to turn down a job opportunity and risk it going to one of your competitors.
Party planners can make a great income if they work hard enough at it. Party planners normally charge per hour or a set fee for their services. Charging by the hour will net you about $25-$125 per hour, depending upon the services you offer to your customers. On a scale of 1-5, a party planner rates as a 3.5. Normally it will take you at least 3 years to really make a good living from your company and many planners aren't able to dedicate this amount of time and their business will fail. To grow your revenue, consider add-on services like partnering with flower companies so you get a percentage of the sale. You may consider partnering with catering companies too, this way it's a win-win situation for both of you.
One of the best ways to become successful at your party planning business is to market and network your company. Build a good web site that clearly explains the different types of parties you can plan and the fees for doing so. Make sure you include pictures of past events you have planned so your clients can get a good idea as to what you are all about. You also need to build a strong network. This network will be used to help you find new clients and to get your clients the things they need. For example, if you have a client that wants to include exotic floral arrangements at every table, you can easily do this for them if you have an exotic florist in your network of contacts.
With any business, check your state and local laws to make sure you are not in violation of anything. Obtain your business license if it is necessary and make sure you have insurance to protect you in the event that anything goes wrong.
