Growth and changes are parts of a business owner’s life. They happen as a result of our planning, our hard work and our dedication to our businesses. Surely, you know that “there’s no other direction to go but upward”, but experience tells you a plateau might come unexpectedly, and if you’re not careful, you might slip back to square one.

So what’s the best thing to do if business is good and clients are raring to hand over checks and party package orders? … Expand, of course. But how?

Here are some things you can do to start expanding your party biz:

1. Mass produce party giveaways.

Get a good supplier who can put your logo on everything the company creates for you and sell these in your ‘party planning’ store. This will give your clients the option to buy stuff for you and let other party planners handle the event organizing. You will still earn from the sales even if you didn’t get the job.

You can expand further and put up a boutique or a mini-mall for party planning supplies. This way, you not only sell to clients and potential clients, you also sell to your competition. For massive purchases you can purchase a Honeywell Barcode Scanner, learn customization, and charge higher for ’special’ rush orders.

2. Partner with Dropshipping Companies

Dropshipping is simply ordering supplies from an offshore company (usually in China) and sending your logo or your client’s logo to them. They’re going to take charge of shipping and handling, while you take charge of customer service. Being a middleman for massive orders is awesome, particularly if your business front is online. Your internet presence can serve as your own web store. Get decent hosting and hire a freelance designer to make your web page look professional, then incorporate an internet store and take orders.

You can hire someone to take charge of forwarding orders to your dropshipper while you can sit tight waiting for the profits to roll in.

Because you’re a workaholic (cmon, admit it!), and you have a passion for the party industry, there really is no way you can get off the profit ladder, but there will be times when your old sources of income will not put out anymore so you have to find more sources, … just in case.

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

There are certain errands that a smart party planner can cut when she plans ahead. One of these is the errand of going from one department store to another looking for supplies, checking and comparing prices and grabbing catalogs. Some prefer to do these errands only when the down payment is secured. Maybe it is wiser to spend the cash that the client has already put out rather than draining the meagerly filled coffer to buy supplies that you may not even need.

I am all for the opposite of that last bit. Saving time and effort will benefit your party planning business in the long run, and here’s why: when the going gets tough, and party season is on, you won’t have time to go to the groceries to buy your supplies. In fact, even if you do have time, it will soon be wasted on mile long check out lines during the holidays.

Plan 3 months ahead, buy supplies when the demand is low; and do not forget to ask your local store for free catalogs, and their website address so that you can shop online (allowing a few weeks for delivery). Of course, one thing that is of utmost importance is being aware of the occasions that are coming up in the next months and planning around these.

What about financial priority? Do you risk investing what meager cash you have at the moment on something that could or could not make you money in the future? Fortunately there is an option to avail of a cash advance from a local bank or an independent provider, and payday loans that one could pay for in the future.

Here’s an economical, but not in any way cheap, method for throwing the best parties. For a starting party entrepreneur, stocking up on these seasonal things may be the most cost effective way to earn from party planning. I am talking about Christmas lights!

These type of lights have the shortest lifespan, as most families keep these in a box somewhere when it’s not Christmas season.

You can extend the functionality of these lights by using them in the parties that you organize.

These mini lights lend a festive feel to any occasion, if one uses them resourcefully. In a garden dinner party, these can adorn bushes or trees. During the prom or Valentines day, pink- or red-tinged clear mini lights may be enough to adorn the ceiling. A simple open house party may seem like a grand occasion when when the front porch is decorated with small twinkling lights that invite the guests inside. And my favorite, luau parties! Twinkling party lights over the luau buffet table, or creatively wrapped around the table will hide the blandness of a simple house party buffet. Lights are accessories a shrewd party planner should consider as a must-have.

Investing on Christmas lights during off season may be a good idea. You can choose the designs you want, and avail of bargains, which is better than buying these when everyone else is.

Something else to check out: Fire Pit Table Enjoy factory direct discount pricing on a variety of fire pit tables – table by day, fire pit by night!

As party planners, we are always on the lookout for complementary businesses to complement the party organizing one. As the party planning business is the main source of income, all other businesses must revolve around it. These complementary businesses must not be liabilities to the main one, in that:

• It has to be low maintenance.
• It has to be in demand
• One must be able to excel on it too without sacrificing much of the time spent on party organization.

So, what business will satisfy all these criteria and efficiently bring in more cash to the party planner?

Catering? – Not if the party organizer has to be on the wheel all the time. This aspect of a party is the most tedious. It demands time for preparation, serving and feedback collecting. If someone in your immediate family or circle of friends wants to concentrate on this aspect, well and good, but if it has to be you, the party organizing side could suffer.

Starting a Party Supply Business

This is by far the best bet for a complementary business! Supplies aren’t perishable, and they won’t take up too much space. They can also be imported. Besides, if you’re the crafts and arts type, this business will be a breeze.

What to look out for:

1. Trends and Themes – One party theme could work now, but it may not in the future. Take note of what’s fashionable and hip in the current generation, particularly when planning for birthday parties and weddings. Remember that your job includes pointing your clients to the best and trendiest themes for their occasions, so your supplies must be up-to-par.

2. Price - Your usual supply broker can be as loyal to you as your friends, but it is not unethical to find cheaper sources for materials. Remember that the more costs you cut without sacrificing quality, the more profit you will reap.

3. Contingency Supply Source – Deliveries go awry, we all know that. Party supplies are not as sensitive to delivery mishaps as food, but taken to extremes, this could very well ruin a perfect party. Look for stores (even competitors) that sell the same supplies as you do and be friends with them. You never know when you might need a helping hand or someone to provide you with the supplies you direly need.