Top Vendors for Starting an Event Planning Business

If you’re a born organizer with a creative bent, a head for business and a way with people, you could have what it takes to build a successful event-planning company. Event planners are hired to plan and execute parties, weddings, meetings, conferences, events related to product promotions, parades and more.   Among an event planner’s most challenging responsibilities:

1. Developing an event theme and plan that pleases the client.
2. Staying on schedule with every aspect of the event planning, set-up and execution.
3. Hiring the right vendors and coordinating their work.

Learn the trade

Successful event planning involves a multitude of skills. Give yourself plenty of time to hone the skills that you haven’t mastered before you start a business.

Get certified

Professional certification shows prospective clients that you’re a serious, savvy event planner. Corporate clients in particular prefer to hire certified event planners.

Let software give you a hand

“The devil is in the details” is more than a cliché in the event-planning business. Event- planning software can keep you from drowning in those details.

Know where to locate event service vendors

Your clients will expect you to know where to find everything you need to produce the event of their dreams.

Manage your business

Map out your business goals, get help with contracts and double check your liability insurance coverage.

Network your way to new clients

The top event planners agree that networking is the best way to grow your client list. Get actively involved in business, social and philanthropic groups, and be visible at industry trade shows.

• As a self-employed event-planner, be prepared to work long hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Consider specializing in a particular type of event. That way you can become an expert in your niche and gain a reputation as the go-to planner for that event category.
• Create a portfolio of photos of your events so that potential clients can see what you’ve done. Include close-up shots of decorative touches such as centerpieces.