Specifically for new wedding business- Let's Talk...

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cynthia Robinson on June 19, 2009 at 4:33pm

I think networking is key. As a photographer I am drawn to vendors who are professional but friendly and engaging. Those are the vendors I refer to Brides.
I think as a planner if you extend your hand to help make the day smooth for the other vendors you are working with you can get referrals. I know some really sucessful wedding professionals who say they have made it by networking and referrals alone. I am not too sure about that ...
Blogging and sites like this one are great because they reveal more about you than an ad alone.
If you have the chance to advertise on a site where you are also featured in the blog that's great.

We are in a market that is saturated BUT if you find your niche you can do well.
What is it about what you offer that should make a Bride choose you instead of someone else ?
Don't let it be just becuase your price is lower.
Make sure you do something to separate yourself from the crowd

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by In True Colors Photography on June 19, 2009 at 5:07pm

Well, i want to add my 2 cents here. I'll see if you agree or not.
Advertising is a must, there is no doubts about it, period. What might hold you back, is the product that you're offering. Why will i go to you? What is that you have that no one else does? Uniqueness is the key. I know, i know, it's hard to be unique and creative, especially when you do what everyone else in the business does. You have to come up with a "style" and go with it, if that doesn't work, find something new and run it by. Challenge yourself and those who might be your potential clients. Word of mouth is the best way to advertise, that's not a rocket science.
Economy has us all down, i find it hard to get any business because everyone looking to save money, anywhere you go. Offer a "Freebie" or something nice that might be beneficial to those who would consider your service.
I would love to network with people in my area, it will take few years before you can get yourself up and somewhat decent. Just stick with it, and never give up, don't let anyone discourage you, and don't compare yourself to others. You have something they don't and it's up to you to define what it is.
Best of luck! :o)
Marina

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Heart and Soul Events on June 19, 2009 at 8:56pm

I am a wedding planner, in business under a year; however I am also a collegiate corporate planner so I have developed many contacts in the area for that side of my career. Relationship building is all about meeting people, communicating your message, and building trust. It does take time. You just have to be patient. Advertising and creating visibility of your business is important. Yes, you should advertise in the same places as other vendors; competition is a fact of life - but also, brides/couples want to have options. They will go with whomever they feel they can trust, who communicates the best message, and who can deliver on what they promise. Pricing should be whatever you need to do the job without losing money. I hope this helps. Connie

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Sweet T Studios on January 21, 2010 at 7:44pm

someone gave me a lot of tips on relationship building. they said as old fashioned as it may be... cold calls... look for vendors in the area that you might be able to partner with then call and introduce yourself. it works. building a base of give and take relationships will help you a lot.

and why not advertise in the same places, and find new ones too. advertise everywhere you can. it can't really hurt your business to advertise. it can only help it. there are a lot of free places to advertise and then i would just do some good research on what you would want to really invest your money in. ask around to other vendors (i.e. the vendors you cold call and befriend)

as far as pricing goes, another friend told me to let the work speak for itself and choose a price that is fair to you and what you do even if that seems less than others. for now we are pretty low in our prices but they are fair to us for our work, and for us starting out. figure out your base and your profit margin and do the math. you're price is your choice.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Glen Shevlin on January 25, 2010 at 10:20am

Welcome to the fun and frivrolity of being a sole proprieter. It can be the most enjoyable thing you have ever done and if you have chosen a business that you truely enjoy you will be in for a lifetime of fun.

Believe it or not some people will actually start a business that they don't like or know nothing about because it is

A SURE FIRE WAY TO MAKE BIG BUCKS AND RETIRE EARLY.

Interesting concept and the guy that you are paying for the privildge of getting rich quick appreciates your efforts on his behalf.

But enough of the doom and gloom,

You are in business because you love the industry and hope to make it a career. In order to do that you will need a few things.

1) Business Plan
2) Pricing that you can live with and on
3)Marketing plan

Your business plan is your roadmap, it sets out what you want to do over the next 1,2,5 years and how you will go about doing it. It is the set in concrete path to success, exc ept for one thing , it is actually set in jello it will change as your business evolves and as you evolve in your business. Changes to your business plan should not be made on a whim but if you ahve a good reason to make a change make it.

Your bank wiull eb able to help you with your business plan mostm have proforma's that is business plans with blank spaces for you to fill in , they are a great help until you get your feet on the ground and have a better grip on what it is that you want to do. The bonus here is that you bank provides it. The plan is in a form they will understand and when you go in with the completed one you can sit down and discuss the plan with them.

Banks are a necissary evil go out of your way to make nice with them early get to know your bank rep personally keep them in the loop , bankers hate surprises both good and bad ones. A good start here will help down the road , a bonus is the bank reps know a lot of people, they are a network opportunity in the waiting position but they will not compromise another relationship unless they know you are for real and reputable.

Pricing, the million dollar question, it depends on a couple of things.

1) How much money you need to live on
2) What the price structure is in your area.

First break down what you need to live on, be brutally honest. Work that ito your business plan and keep in mind You want to make enough so that you can have a life. Now don't get me wrong durting your initial setup and beginning things could be tight , but over the course of your first couple of years you should be in a position where you can take a salary and actually begin to enjoy the fruits of your labours.

This is the point where your basic pricing comes to bear, if you start off as a low priced entry level business that is usually where you end up staying. It is very difficult to raise your prices after getting established at a very low point, the word will be out that you provide service at low prices. If that is your how you ant your business to run well and good, but a healthy profit margin is a good thing. Please refer to the part about your bank manager and surprises.

ALl of the above comes down to making the correct choice early and sticking with it, what the correct choice is depends on you and your needs/desires.

The other part of this is the localk price structure. Pricing for services varies by area if you are serviceing an affluent area the prices for your services will be higher than if you are serviceing a less affluent area. Check the web for your competitors, most will have websites and most will at least hint about the pricing, try to get an idea of what the market will bear. The local structure will tell you where to price your services if you want to offer discounts to your base price at this point to get started well and good but discount you standard price with coupons on your site or discounts off your base price, make them time sensitive so they disappear after a while. That will allow you to raise your prices with actually seeming to raise your prices. The issue here is getting your reputation up and running as

THE BEST AT WHAT YOU DO

Once you have that set up and the references to back it up you can do the price setting.

Your marketing plan, this is where you figure out how you get word out. Where do you want your name mentioned and by whom.

IF you are a member of a church speak to your pastor ask him for referals ( I assume he knows you and your personal reputation). See other churches in the area. Check out referal groups.

The Web , this is the big one, get a website set up if you are VERY GOOD AT THIS do it yourself if not pay somebody to do it for you, remember your site will speak for you when you are not looking. Make sure it says nice things.

Get the search engine optimization up and running form the beginning,are you a local business go to GOOGLE local business center get google maps up, it will provide a very good source of leads if done properly.

Drop flyers off at supermarkets local bulleten boards, church notice boards everywhere you can think of, get active in local groups, charities, be visible, but don't show up at the Habitat for Humanity build and staple flyers to teh new house, a little subtlty is a good thing, good marketing takes time but done correctly last a lifetime.

Drop me a line if you ahve any questions I realize this ran on a little but the coffee hit and I just kept going.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mandy Harris on May 2, 2010 at 10:28pm

I am reading alot of blogs about "newbies" undercutting with prices and it seems to be giving us all a bad name. This is one area where I am really struggling right now... I am not sure what to charge that is fair because i am a "newbie" with little experiance, but do not want other planners in my area to feel I am purposely "undercutting" them just to get business.

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page