Event planning is a highly profitable and competitive career. As an event planner, you must find ways to stay on top of your game while adapting to the changing work environment.
Many businesses are finding it difficult to stay afloat without many sales. In this situation, your best option is trying to remain relevant while making the most of new opportunities.
Here are 9 tips that will keep you ahead of the event planning game:
1. Register your business and apply for permits/licenses
Event planning does not require official licenses or certifications. But relevant permits and qualifications can improve your business image and reputation. People have a tendency to patronize fully registered and licensed businesses.
If you have been running your business without an official name or permits, its time to make it official. Pick an official name and register it with the appropriate bodies.
Get a bank account under your business name and an operating license if necessary. Carry out some research about the registration process and the necessary licenses and permits you need.
Once you have the information, apply for the right ones to avoid any legal issues. Registration means your business can pay tax and receive benefits.
2. Create a website
In today’s event planning landscape, a website is a must. A website serves as the portal to your business, the face of it. People visit your website to get information about your business. It also provides details of past works, reviews and testimonials and contact details, A website is hugely important for business promotion.
The best part is creating a website is very easy. First, find a domain name that suits your business and register it. With reliable hosts like HeartInternet, Blue Host, 1&1 and Domains4less, you can quickly see if your preferred domain name is available, or whether to search for other great alternatives and register the most memorable and brandable one.
If you have a website already, check if any changes need to be made. Revamp your website to increase the ease of use and make it more engaging. Ensure that it is easy to make inquiries and contact you.
Add a blog to your website if you do not have one. Blog posts help to attract visitors to your website. It is important to use the right keywords in your posts to enhance your visibility and ranking.
3. Have a signature and make it known
Create a signature that is uniquely yours and make it known. It could be a stunning logo, a catchphrase or a specific colour scheme. Incorporate this signature into business tools like business cards and personalized bags. Business cards are small but essential tools.
A professional business card projects an image of class while sharing important information.
Event planners often choose a tri-fold business card. This card acts like a mini brochure and can contain more information than the average business card.
Have your business cards with you always, give them to people who show interest in your business. You can also drop business cards with vendors(caterers, florists, etc) in the same niche.
A well-designed and informative brochure is the height of professionalism. Brochures provide information, displays your work and impresses clients. Branded bags and stationery are a good way to display your signature.
4. Take online classes
2020 has seen a lot of physical activities go virtual. Don’t be left behind, increase your knowledge online. There are many online certification programs to enhance your expertise.
Online classes keep you abreast of changes in the event planning field. Clients are more likely to entrust their events to knowledgeable planners. Get a heads up on what certifications you need.
5. Be Flexible
Flexibility is important in business, more so in the field of event planning. Event planning requires split-second decisions and detailed back-up plans. Being flexible helps you accommodate and fulfil the needs of your clients.
Flexibility is not limited to dealing with clients, it is a must in daily activities as well. A flexible business is open to new methods, ideas and processes. This increases its chances of survival in a competitive niche.
Take suggestions from clients, vendors, employees, neighbours and friends. Watch out for what your competitors are doing as well.
6. Show your expertise
With the global lockdown situation and social distancing, events are few and far between. Come up with creative ways to display your expertise. This will help you stay relevant and attract clients. Writing guest posts on sites with authority increases your ranking and your reputation.
Weekly or monthly email newsletters remind people about your business. Plus, they provide you with a way to share information. Organize a question and answer segment on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
Take opportunities to speak at conferences, seminars and webinars. Lend your expertise during interviews. You can find opportunities using social media. Journalists search for experts to quote using hashtags like #prrequest or #journorequest on Twitter.
7. Diversify
The business climate has changed considerably. You will have to consider what you can do to stay afloat. You can diversify the range or type of services you offer.
If you work in a specific niche such as wedding planning. You could include wedding dress rentals or ice sculpture rendering to your services.
You may decide to extend out of the niche. Try your hand at corporate events or launch parties. In essence, look for opportunities in and around your niche and take advantage of them.
8. Simplify the process
Multi-tasking is a key element of event planning. There are always a thousand and one things to do at any moment. As a business owner, you also have leadership responsibilities.
Technology makes everything simpler, even event planning. There are several tools and applications that automate and simplify the process. These tools can perform a broad array of tasks.
For instance:
- Use HelloSign for affixing, sending and receiving legal signatures on liability waivers and contracts.
- Schedule the sending of promotions, invitations and announcements with MailChimp. Mails can be targeted to sections or sent to the whole list.
- Zapier is an application that enables the automation of repetitive tasks. With Zapier, the linking of many technologies is possible.
- Eventbrite is an online ticketing platform on which event pages can be created and shared. It makes buying tickets and events registration very easy. You can integrate Eventbrite into platforms like Spotify and Facebook. This allows the sales and purchase of tickets from other sites.
9. Network and Promote
This is another way of saying get on social media. Social media is an invaluable tool for networking and business promotion. Social media allows business owners to connect with people from various parts of the world.
Remind people about your business and what you do on Twitter and Facebook. Use Facebook to create or join industry groups and even create a business page.
You should develop an online portfolio with Instagram. Post pictures and past videos of your works and follow potential clients. Remember to use social media elements like hashtags on your posts. Hashtags are useful for promoting your business and increasing brand visibility.
Conclusion
Being an entrepreneur in the event planning industry can be stressful. No matter your level of expertise or experience, the 2020 business climate has been challenging.
Businesses have gone through decline worldwide, but don’t give up. Be innovative and willing to adapt to new situations. This will greatly boost your success chance.
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