Event Planning 101: 5 Event Planning Mistakes Clients Hate!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- Event Planning Business 101: Becoming an Event Planner: : How to Book Clients for your Event Planning Business
Check out my other Event Planning tutorials! Learn about the event planning business before, so you can make money fast!!
Client Checklist: www.misseventplanner.com/even...
How to become an Event Planner Guide?
❤ PURCHASE THE GUIDE HERE:
www.etsy.com/listing/49989721...
Want to create your own website?
❤ CLICK HERE! I still use it!
wixstats.com/?a=12826&c=124&s1...
★CAMERA I USE FOR EVENT PHOTOS:
amzn.to/2BJkhpE
amzn.to/2wdGo2b
★LENS I USE FOR AMAZING EVENT PHOTOS:
amzn.to/2Lq5pME
★CAMERA I USE FOR EVENT VIDEO:
amzn.to/2P2v8wO
★CAMERA TRIPOD I RECOMMEND:
amzn.to/2wkBvUg
★BACKDROP STAND I USE:
amzn.to/2o9sEkF
★LIGHTS I RECOMMEND FOR PRODUCT PHOTOS:
amzn.to/2NiJbOn
amzn.to/2MLZEO5
Event Planning Tutorials:
1. Becoming an Event Planner at 24 with 2 kids!
• Becoming an Event Plan...
2. Birthday Party Ideas
• Girls Birthday Party I...
//Want to shop my favorite Amazon products?!
(amzn.to/2HhcJse)
💛 WEBSITE: BashBesties.com
💛 EMAIL: heybashbesties@gmail.com
💛 BRAND COLLAB INQUIRES ONLY: bashbestiescollab@gmail.com
💛 PARTY BIZ ACADEMY info:
bashbesties.mykajabi.com/part...
Let's get social! Party with us on other platforms:
💛 IG: Bash Besties
( / bashbesties )
💛 PINTEREST: Bash Besties
( / bashbesties )
💛 FACEBOOK: Bash Besties
( / bashbesties )
💛 TIK TOK: Bash Besties
( / bashbesties )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All my posts and reviews are based strictly on my opinion. All ideas and opinions are my own. Some other links contain affiliates.
Event Planning 101
I give advice on being an event planner and how to start an event planning business with little or no money at all.
(Green Screen Effects Credit: CailinsEditingHacks / @cailinseditinghacks ) 
Хобби
![5 Things that SUCK about being an Event Planner!! [Business]](/img/1.gif)
Update 2022: When making this video years ago, my biz was centered on party entertainment and my clientele booked out within 1-3 weeks of their event on average. Therefore, getting back to my client asap was necessary as they would often be in a rush to get something locked in for the date they needed. I found when I would call within an hour or so of receiving their party request then my booking rate went up tremendously and clients were likely to book on the spot. Now, I recommend getting back to clients for the initial follow up call/email/text between 24-48 hrs, and having an auto-response message that greets them instantly in your absence in the meantime and/or an automated consultation scheduler available to your clients like Calendly to create better work/life balance. 🙂💕
Hi, I just found this video today and got impressed by how honest you are! Usually, people tend to share mainly their success stories but you gave us great tips by sharing your own mistakes as a side of (beginner level) self-employed business owner. Thank you for sharing! :)
Aww thank you so much, I appreciate that! Yes, I try to give an complete and honest perspective on what it is that I do. You learn the most from your mistakes right, and I think that's what people need to hear about. No need to sugar coat life as an entrepreneur, that wouldn't help anybody succeed lol Thanks so much for watching! 🤗
I used to do free events for free as a teen. Now I am turning it to one of my streams of income.
That's great, wow impressive that you were doing it as a teen! That's a great backstory to tell your clients. Best wishes with your business!
I do mostly free # families i did few that i thought i would get a small change and the people see me everyday and not a dime, glad the colors they wanted i have in my stacks, learning but still losing my time,
Thanks for the tips!
Your welcome Tammie! Thanks for watching! :)
Loved this, it really helped me!
Thank you so much Caroline, I'm so glad this video was helpful! Best wishes in your event planning career!! :)
Hi there great tips and ideas that you shared thank you
Hello, thanks so much for watching!
You are super inspiring! Thanks for your really informative tips. I've been a "self party planner" for years, having 4 kids and 3 grandkids that I have been creating fun, themed parties for. Now, I am taking it it to the streets! With a passion for art AND parties, I am combining my talents. Creative art parties for kids! Your experience is really helpful and I am enjoying catching up on your videos. I too am interested in your pricing guide. Will check that vid out next! I Subscribed and clicked the bell!! ;)
Aww you're too sweet! Of course it's my pleasure. Congratulations that's awesome, turn your passion into your paycheck! I will try to do some more videos on pricing soon, it can be hard because pricing has such a range depending on location, experience, what's being offered and is really tailored to each individual planner. Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!! I'm glad to have you as part of the family, best wishes with your business, I wish you all the success you deserve!! 🤗
great tips.thank you for sharing
Of course, thanks so much for watching! :)
Thank you for the information
Of course, thank you for watching! :)
I do have a question I am going to school to get my hotel event managing, tourism, event planning certification it's a year and half program and trying to figure out where I wnat to be for event planning.... my only downfall is I dont drive but I have no issue getting.lyft or uber when needed will that be an issue .. what would you suggest
I love all your videos, so helpful . I want to become an event planner, focusing on kids birthday parties. the one thing im not sure on is whether to serve/ provide food or snacks( that I would make ) and if i do what kind of special license |I would need if i did so.Thanks . Do you serve food or snacks at your parties you do?
Thank you , I'm so glad they're helpful! You have to decide what's right for you. You can try doing one event like that and see if you like it or not, if you don't just don't offer that service anymore. I know of a lot of planners that will offer a dessert table in which they make the desserts (chocolate Oreos, candied apples, rice Krispie treats, etc.) You would have to research Cottage Food Laws for you state to see if a license is needed for what you have in mind. I do not serve food, unless I am doing a candy bar. I personally just don't like being responsible for that sort of thing for children, with so many allergies these days. I would prefer to just contract food services out to a reputable and licensed vendor if so. That being said, I don't offer that service anyways in my business as a whole, I let the clients handle all food. So, you just have to decide what makes sense for you!
Hi ! Love your videos they’re so helpful !!! What is the link to client checklist ?
Hello Ashley, thank you so much for watching! Here is the link: www.misseventplanner.com/event-planning-booking-process-cheatsheet-printable/ ❤
hi im trying to set my business up I make arrangements for venues but I have found you as learning the business side but im lost so much to learn but you are fab
Hello, and Congratulations! That's a great and pretty profitable avenue. Thank you so much! I'm glad you are learning a lot about the business side from my channel. What other types of topics do you think you need more help on?
This was great!
Aww thanks so much, I hope it helped! ❤
good morning! my name is Jasmine. To start I love your channel, its straight forward and easy to follow. I am starting an event planning business and I have my associates degree in Culinary arts and hospitality management. I live in Illinois as of right now. I just want to know what inspired you to do events? How do you stay focused? Have you ever had to use any of your own money? Has a client not liked any of your work? I have plenty of questions for you, but let's start with those. Again you are amazing and thank you!
Hello Jasmine, thank you so much, I really appreciate that! I do try my best to make everything easy to follow, so that anyone can take it and implement it right away. If you see my video "Becoming an Event Planner with 2 kids" it's a little break down on how I started event planning. It was by accident actually. I started out as a student going to school for Business, and Fashion Merchandising. I attended cosmetology school as a way to make money on the side, and started doing spa parties at first. Eventually I expanded to do all sorts of events and became a full time event planner, by accident!
I am a very determined person naturally. If I want to do something I'm going to do it, and if someone tells me I can't or it's not going to work, it makes me want to do it more! I stay focused because I always make sure I'm doing what I want in life and what makes me happy. I do a lot of planning in general too. I love lists! I have a list for everything, brainstorming pages, and schedules. I write everything out and have a million notebooks. I regularly re-evaluate my goals, and my strategies to make sure I'm on the right path!
In the beginning, yes I used a lot of my own money, but I looked at it as an investment. I was going to have to put up my own money at some point no matter what. For instance, I started doing spa parties, so I had to upfront buy a set of girl's spa robes. Now, one mistake I did make was at one point buying too much stuff, like decor and supplies that weren't being used for an actual booked event. I didn't need everything that I started buying in the beginning that's why now I only recommend you invest in what makes you money back (camera, comp, marketing materials, etc.) That being said, if you get a client booked when you're first starting, and want to put some of your money into it to make the event nicer so you can get photos (because maybe you under priced the party accidentally or purposely) then go ahead, but only do this a couple times in the beginning until you've got the photos you want. This is because you should be appropriately pricing your events, so that it covers your expenses and makes you some type of profit as well.
I've fortunately never had a client not like my work. I always try my best, and often go above and beyond to keep my clients happy that's why I have a 5 star average on Yelp. However, one time I had a hostess cancel on me last minute to work a party because she forgot she had to be in a wedding the same day, and I had noone else to work the event. So, I had to cancel on the client the week of, I was mortified! It's the only time I've ever cancelled on a client in my whole career. (To my defense, it's in the contract that they sign, that we reserve the right to cancel and offer a date to reschedule for unforseen reasons.) However, it killed me to do it, and I was so scared she was going to bash me everywhere, but she didn't luckily. I guess it was because it was in the contract, but she was really upset and I felt really bad too. That's the only time I've had a negative response. I guess I have been quite blessed in that regard.
Thank you so much for watching and best wishes with your business, let me know if you have any more questions!
Thank you for this video... I'm a event decorator and still struggling with my pricing!!
Yes, that’s always one of the biggest struggles because pricing is so unique to the individual business, location, specialty and changes as your business evolves. I still change my pricing from here to there and try new strategies to this day. So don’t think of it as a struggle, more as something that you’ll always be tweaking and trying to improve along your journey! 💕
@@BashBesties thank you so much you seem like a sweetheart. I will subscribe and and follow your channel.
Thank you!
Thank you Marcy for watching! ❤️
I think it is okay to have personal time aside from business but it would be nice to have a instant reply message saying you are away for the time being and will get to them when your back. 😊
You are totally right, that is a great way to keep customers in the loop in your absence! This is a great fix for most business owners and EPs, for my particular business my clients usually book within 3 weeks or so of the party date and they need a specific date. So, sometimes they absolutely want that confirmation right away and can't....or won't lol wait unfortunately. ❤
Hello my name is Leslie and I'm from Patchogue N.Y. . I just wanted to say thank you for those tips on how to book clients. I've always been into Event Decor as well as the planning, I just want to know what inspired you to become an event planner.
Hello Leslie, thank you so much for watching all the way from NY! You are very welcome, I'm glad I could help. Well, I actually just fell into being an event planner. I've always loved anything to do with decorating, fashion, parties, and such. I love to make all things pretty I guess...
Well, I got a cosmetology license in college to do hair and make-up while going to school, but I had children and wanted to have more flexibility with my schedule rather than be stuck in the salon all day everyday. So, I started doing spa parties on weekends, but then I got tired quickly of only doing one theme, and started researching all the amazing kid's themes that were out there. So, I decided to start offering them for my clients to suit different personalities, and to break up the monotony. Then one day I just realized I was bringing tables, chairs, linens, decorating, coordinating crafts, etc. and that I was no longer a cosmetologist doing spa parties, but that I had become an event planner by accident! :)
Your videos are so helpful!! thank you so much! I've always loved planning events, like birthdays for my friends, sisters, and myself. I can definitely see myself having my own business or working for a major event planning company someday. Would you suggest me to take business classes in collage or do you think it wouldn't be worth putting my money towards? I ask because if I don't need to go to school to learn the things I can on my own, I'd rather not go to school
Thank you for all of your videos, I would love to see how you organize your business according to finance and clients. Things like how much you charge, if its per hour or not, and how you personally run your business. Thank you xox
Hi Rachel, thank you so much, I'm so glad!! Well, if you are already in college I would say yes it's always helpful! It won't necessarily teach you about event planning, but everything you learn can be used towards starting your own business. If you aren't in school and are would rather use your money else where, then technically no you don't need to go to school. But you'll have to take it upon yourself to "school yourself" if you know what I mean. You have to research your industry, business practices, and such. You can definitely find all the information you need in books and on the internet fortunately. If you're a good self-motivator then I'd say try taking on the challenge of learning it yourself, but if you're not and you need more guidance than go to school. You have to do what makes you happy and what works best for your situation! I went to school, but taught myself everything I know about the event planning industry from research and experience if that helps. :)
Yes, I can do more videos about pricing that's one of the toughest parts of event planning is learning how to price to be profitable. Thank you so much for watching and if event planning is your dream, keep at it, you can do it!
H
Are the parties always on the weekends?
Hi, your videos are very nice! I was wondering if you need to have insurance for this kind of business!
Thank you Marcy! Yes, with any self employed service business you do need to acquire your own insurance, but many people operate without it. It’s not recommended of course, but fairly common.
amazing is there a follow up to this? i.e any other mistakes you've thought of? I love how honest you are!
I think I should put together a new one. I'll keep a little list and hopefully I can get a Part 2 up soon!
I love your videos they are so helpful! Can you make them a bit longer? I look forward to them!
Hi, thanks for watching!! Yes, I definitely can! I actually make them shorter intentionally because it shows that people only watch about 2 minutes of most videos, and I want everyone to watch til the end and get all the information. I think though I'm going to break up my channels, and start a purely EP channel so I can do more related topics, go in more depth, and make longer vids as you suggested! I just need everyone to go subscribe to that channel so I can work on getting it up and running, here's the link: ruclips.net/channel/UCXSZDDiw2XLAjaTa0nZnHhg Thanks!! :)
The Makeover Mom great I’ve subscribed!!!
Perfect, I hope to have that one and up and running soon. Thanks so much!!
Hey girl! I love your videos! How do you make the graphics for these videos?
Thanks hun! I usually use photoshop, but a much easier way is to use Canva! 💕
Miss Event Planner thank you so much girl!!! Love your channel 🤍✨
Thanks for watching, glad to have you! 🥳
So. I've actually heard the opposite about getting back to people quickly. Within an hour can sometimes make you look thirsty, so you look underbooked, or inexperienced. My mentor has informed me to get back in a few hours, or if its in the evening, the next business day. Two days is obviously too much but to respond back right away makes it look like you have no clients or other work to be doing.
I would disagree with your mentor. I know what she's getting at but why would you not want to capitalize on selling yourself/services and/or closing the deal right when your client is at their peak of interest in you, while they're on your website, and excited to book looking at your photos??..Just to make it "seem" like you're booked. If you have a proven client track record (photos, reviews, testimonials) and a professional business portfolio where the client found you, your work should speak for itself. Your online business presence should be sending off the message that "I'm booked and busy", not the amount of hours it takes you to call them back.
That being said, if it's in the evening, I say that can be a pass to respond the next day because it's outside of general business hours, people are getting home from work, eating dinner etc. so evening calls can sometimes be disruptive, however some clients can only speak in the evening because of their work schedule, so it just depends on the situation.
Now, the reason I say to get back within an hour or so for my particular business is because my clients are likely to book on the spot or shortly after the call. If I was a wedding planner, and someone was booking a year out, returning a call the next day wouldn't be the end of the world. In all, I would recommend following up as soon as you're available to speak, and don't put too much weight on "pretending you're busy," so that you can book clients faster and actually be busy! 💕
What do you do when your competitor undercuts you by 50%? I know in the video you said that clients pay your competitor less if it’s the same work, my case it’s not I have a much higher skill level then they do.
Hello Amira, great question! To that I would ask you, why do you think that business you speak of is specifically YOUR competitor?... From even the little bit that you've told me, it doesn't even sound like you guys have the same target market. So, is it truly that they are undercutting you, or are you simply targeting the wrong customers?
If you are doing significantly higher quality work that justifies your significantly higher prices, then I'd say you're a higher end event planner that needs to target clients with applicable budgets. That other business is in your market, yes. They are somebody's competitor, yes. But not yours specifically from how I see it. I wouldn't even mind them. Let them take the cheap (and often more difficult to work with) clientele that they are inevitably attracting by severely under-pricing market rates. If you try to lower your rates to be competitive with them with what you are offering, you aren't going to feel adequately compensated. Stick to what you do best and be the best, hone in on your clientele that match your level of skill and pricing, and try to figure out how you can reach more people like that. (For instance, it may be attending different business gatherings to network with a different crowd, maybe advertising in a certain area, updating your brand and marketing materials to suit a higher end niche.)
I was just hypothetically referring to a business that offers similar quality services, mostly for beginners who don't know what or how they should be charging.
Best wishes!!
The makeover Mon hello!! my name is Alicia I have a question for you. Did you went to school to work as a planner?
Hello Alicia, I did not actually. I stumbled in to being an event planner really, I originally was a licensed cosmetologist and started doing spa parties, then expanded to more themes and eventually became an event planner. You're not required to go to school or be certified to start your event planning business, but education always helps! I have a video on the story of how I became an event planner in my playlist! ❤
I was watching your videos, and I’m wondering what type of business entity might this fall under? You s inspired me to pursue event design and I’m struggling to start cause I am not sure what it would be...an LLC? Or Soul proprietor?? Any help would be great!!
Hello Luz, thank you so much for watching and I'm glad you were able to get some inspiration! Most small businesses start as a sole proprietor, you don't really need an LLC until you start getting serious with your business where you are worried that you may get sued for some reason. The LLC protects your business assets in that case. I am still a sole proprietor if that helps! If that's the only thing keeping you back I'd say just go ahead and get started and if you feel as you're going along that you want to change then you can at any time!! Good luck with your business!!
Thank you!!
Of course!
Hi Taylor thank you for sharing your experiences and great tips. Do you have a video on how to creat a contract for clients in the event planning business? Btw I love your videos!! 😍🙌🏾😘
Thank you Gwyn for watching! I will be having that information available for you guys in the coming month or so, along with all other printables you may need! ❤🤗
What licenses do I need to start an Event Planning business?
To be legitimate you’d need a general business license and file your fictitious business name. Get an employee tax ID number if you plan to hire employees, and you’re good to go! Many people operate without licenses, but that’s at your own risk. Hope that helps! 💕
Great tips here! Sorry to hear you lost that client because of phone reception. :/
Thanks! I know it's pretty elementary, but it's just a reminder that us small business owners have to be on point, or at the very least have effective communication outlets lol Thanks for watching! :)
You're so right! Communication is where it's at. (:
I clicked on your website link. It’s not there.
Oh no, I just checked now. Should be fixed 👍 Thank you!
Hello I ordered a booklet from you just checking up on it
Hi Mary, thank you so much! The booklet guide is available for instant download just as soon as you purchase it on Etsy! Once you are logged in you can click Purchases and Reviews, and then Download Files. The guide will be downloaded straight to your computer and can be printed right away so you can get started asap! Please let me know if you have any more questions!
The Makeover Mom okay will do
The Makeover Mom okay I have a problem lol I wasn’t signed into Etsy when I bought it I don’t think so idk how to access it
Oh wow, let me check on that! I've never encountered this issue before, it was my belief that you have to be signed in to purchase anything. Can you try looking up the confirmation email Etsy sent you when you purchased it, to see if it includes a link to download and let me know if that works? I am also going to contact Etsy about it as well. :)
The Makeover Mom okay yes I will look for it is there a way I can send you a picture of it in a more discreet way?
A cleint cancelled her wedding at her bridal shower that me and my partner gave her because her matron of honor and brides maid said they did not plan an doing, the colors she wanted were odd so we ask for a portion to buy the linens, we did not get pay now she wants the stuff back, we did not say that portion of money was towards our pymt, a mistake i will not make again, do you think we should get paid if we keep the linens plus what we were asking which is just half, thank you for your reply
Wow, it’s so sad and frustrating when you come across a client like that! So sorry you are dealing with that. First and foremost did you have her sign a contract in the beginning? Plus, what were the agreed upon terms of your event planning services?
Ok, I’m reading it again. See this is very unfortunate, this is why we just can’t provide services that we’re not booked for because of clients like this. Also, why you need a contract that stipulates what you will do and for how much and when the monies are due or are non refundable. That was very nice of you guys, but also not your responsibility and something you should have never done free of charge. This is something I see often. Next time stand firm in what you were booked for and even if you feel bad, unfortunately that’s the problem of the bride. In hindsight you should have gave her the option to add on a quaint bridal shower for maybe a little less than market rate since she already booked with you the wedding, but it definitely should not have been complimentary. You’re going to have to look through your email/text communication to see what you agreed upon for payment for the shower, and your cancellation/payment terms for the wedding. If it’s not set in stone, I’d say keep the linens and any money paid to you thus far for your services, and you may have to chalk this one up as a lesson. From the sound of it, it’s going to be a major headache trying to get even half the payment from her now unless you had a contract. If you didn’t, I’d use it as a hard lesson learned and move on to bigger and better clients! Like you said, I bet you’ll never make that mistake again! ❤️
Would you mind if I read this aloud in a video to use as a teaching lesson? I know there are a lot of other people who have had this happen to them that it could help.
What free website did you use to start out ?
I used Yelp.com and Craigslist to promote my business. :)
Here is the website builder I used in the beginning and still do: wixstats.com/?a=12826&c=124&s1=themakeovermom ❤
What is your website?
Hi Lauren, themakeovermom.com is where you can find all of my work! :)
2 working days to get back to a client's email is absolutely reasonable time. You just need to set an auto-response email saying that it takes you 2 days to get back to them.
Hello! Yes, some people think so, but not everyone is as forgiving unfortunately. I do have an auto response, but for my particular business (I run a children's event planning and entertainment company) the average booking lead time is within a month of the party at best, often only 2 or 3 weeks in advance. I've even got a lot of bookings the week before and week of, so lots of people are looking to book right away to make sure they can get their preferred date locked in. Your right though some clients definitely have more leniency, especially with other types of events, like say you were a wedding planner and the client's date is not for another 6 months to a year. It all just depends on your individual business and clientele, but it's definitely good practice to respond to your clients at the very least the day of, especially if you're like me and operate off email communication. ❤️
I got a cheap phone that’s just for my business.
That’s the best solution! If you use the same line as your personal phone I think it’s harder to ignore client calls/texts and create those boundaries.
Don’t take time off lol