Archive for The Business Side of Things
Party Entrepreneur Investment: Dreaming of SUVs?
A party planning start up company could get really lucrative as The Season starts to roll in. As early as September, the requests for party help may come in. Hence, the peak time for car buying among party entrepreneurs must be January or February. Just in time for those Valentines dances, spring party errands and summer time outings.
On with the car investments issue among starting party planners, i keep thinking about the “do-all” car, which will be big enough to accommodate deliveries, but trendy enough to turn heads during a bidding session. The first car that comes to mind when we think of the 3 F’s (fashion, function and flair) is an SUV.
An article at the Car Insurance Quotes website delineates the pros and cons of purchasing an SUV, in terms of insurance value. In a nutshell, we discover that it has a high insurance premium, for the reason that it causes more damage on the other vehicle in collissions. It still remains the best family car type, and if you’re down on funds, you can even rent it out for some friends’ group outings.
Of course, if you don’t mind bulky (and I mean bulky) and heavy, an SUV could be the Car for you.
Some Lessons in Business and Manpower Management
While it is true that a party planner can be just your ordinary woman by day, doing shopping, browsing the wares like any regular girl, in her business, she is queen. More than a ruler, she is the driving force that anchors her team and keeps everyone moving. She oils the machine, fires up the engines, inspires her employees and with a gentle hand, helps everyone who needs some guidance.
A party planner won’t quit in the midst of chaos. She will not balk at challenges and when trouble ensues, she is stoic and reserved, as if everything is under control. And, to any onlooker, things are ALL under control with her in charge. This is how she gets her clients’ trust. Her attitude of being on top of things will calm the most frantic client, and even the most hysterical mother-of-the-bride.
Anyone who is driven can lead a team, and while a background in management will help a lot, most of the leadership potential and skills come from actual experience. Longevity in this business of people management means being able to make things happen. There’s a wall that has to be scaled, and the leader of the pack (you) must be the first to try. Thinking out of the box, listening to clients’ needs, thinking 3 steps ahead of everyone can be tiring, but those who are driven will always find a way. Always.
For more inspiring thoughts on business and management, would-be party planners may visit the page of our advertiser, Norman Steisel. Those living in NY might recognize the name.
The Last-Minute Client: The Cant-Avoid-Party Agenda
Everyone hits some rough spots in the money area every now and then, but party planners take the biggest hit when an unusual party request comes along; namely, the last minute party help request.
The scenario
Your phone rings in the middle of the night and you struggle to make your voice seem normal. A friend or a friend of a friend is on the other line asking if you could help with the party next week. You say, ’sure’ because you figure that helping means doing dishes or arranging the table. Then, the client says “We haven’t started on anything yet, and it’s for 150 people.” Your world just turned upside down.
Money Matters
Firstly, you’re broke so that means you can’t put down payments on other party needs like table arrangers or decorators. You’d rather spend what little you have on the caterer. Secondly, a last minute party thing could mean that you and the client won’t have time to sit down and talk about the financial side, and arrange a suitable down payment for your services and other supplies. Also, the topnotch freelance employees could be fully booked and can’t clear their schedule for you, and you can’t even make it worth their while to drop everything for your party. one fast solution of course, is availing of a payday loan to tide you over and handle the more pressing money needs.
Improvise!
You can cut corners on decorations by doing them yourself. One trick that I got from Rachel Ray is the creative use of old things as table accents. Once you have several ideas in place, these will have to set the theme for your party, and there’s no turning back. A little dash of creativity goes a long way, like this centerpiece created for Rachel by Project Runway’s Daniel V. It’s just crystal glasses filled with old jewelry. It costs nothing and it looks wonderfully fabulous!
Save Time and Effort: Bulk Party Supplies
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.
