Start Me Up! - Part 7

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and a happy new year! The beginning of January is always an exciting time with thoughts, plans and goals for the New Year beginning to take shape. In particular, this is a key time for the wedding industry. Believe it or not, a huge number of proposals and engagements take place around the holiday season. In my experience the “hot” season runs from November-March (Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day usually open and close). So what this means for any planners who are established or looking to get established…strike while the iron is hot! You must take advantage of this time while you have it. While you will of course have opportunities throughout the year to build your business, why not do your very best to get out there and capitalize on the bridal buzz.

Hopefully your website is ready or close to it and your business cards have arrived or are on their way. If you meet up with an old friend or have family members that live in the area, let them know what you are up to. Remember, word of mouth and vendor referrals are of the utmost importance - so get yourself out there! Your goal should be to make sure all your family and friends know you are in the business and available for bookings. You never know who might know someone who would be interested in your services.

So, as you are about to pound the pavement to meet those vendors and visit those venues, be prepared that they may in turn ask you a few questions. They may want to know how long you have been in the business, if this business is new to you – what made you make the switch, what you feel you can offer brides, do you accept or offer commissions, and basically – what you are all about.

While you will need to create some sort of business/marketing plan soon that would provide a framework on paper and help you keep sight of goals, it is OK if you do not have one right away. What you should have though, is a firm grasp of what you want your company to represent and how you would like to position yourself. You should be able to tell anyone interested in your services (a bride, a vendor, a friend, etc.) why they should hire you and what you bring to the table. We will get more into the details of how I sell myself when I have client consultations, but for now at the very least, know your product and your environment BEFORE you get out there.

xx,
Belle