How Does a Party Planning Business Work?
Your Party Invitation
Love parties? Is being a "people person" your strength? Are you outgoing, gregarious and a good organizer? Then a party planning business may be the career you're looking for. It's challenging, time-intensive and requires attention to detail, but a party planning business can be fun, rewarding and profitable too.
Typical Business Plans
Party planners differ from event planners in that party planners do more private and social events such as birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, weddings and other milestone celebrations, whereas an event planner can be heading up publicity happenings for corporations or work with large accounts on product placement, showcase events, conventions and other big occasions. Event planners generally have a storehouse with props, party supplies and other inventory at their disposal, while a party planner can start with a closet or storage room to house supplies.
Job Defined
A party planner is responsible for first preparing a party proposal for the potential client, which is a detailed outline of all the services recommended including a timeline and budget; and may include sketches or photographs of new or past projects. The other considerations built into the proposal are: researching the client and their needs; the theme of the party; the location (it could be a park, community room or wedding chapel to a more unconventional setting such as a golf course, movie theater or beach-front condo); creating and issuing the invitations; planning the catering; arranging for entertainment; decorating the venue; coordinating interactive activities for guests; and putting together gift bags or swag for VIPs or the guest of honor.
Skills Needed
The party planner must be a jack-of-all-trades and juggle certain activities, such as tasting the menu choices and negotiating food and drink services and fees; picking out flowers, decor items and other decorations like backdrops, fountains, candelabras, cake stands and more. They will be doing space planning and should know how buffet tables are set, about chair heights and options, and how best to direct the flow of traffic. They will be hands-on sometimes selecting the invitations, coordinating music, lighting and food service delivery.
Tasks Required
Party planners should know prepare event timelines whether the celebration is for a first birthday, high school reunion or a fiftieth anniversary, as they will be responsible for moving a lot of people around to insure for a good time. Factor in hiring entertainment options such as bands, performers, clowns, actors and other people in that industry. That means party planners will be on site and available for organization on weekends, evenings and holidays. They will engineer computer databases for to-do lists, employees, and accounting and supplies. Party planners must also be business people who work with vendors and negotiate the best prices, secure all required licenses and permits, set up event pricing, advertising and publicity, and do other tasks like contracts and hiring, along with invoicing and accounts payable.
Fees for Services
A party planner can be one individual who works small private parties or the business can hire a staff of workers who do more challenging commemorations or public events. The money typically made by a small outfit can be charged to the client as "cost-plus" pricing. That means that every service, product or offering will have a small markup from 10 to 20 percent attached, to cover the cost of the event plus outgoing expenses, overhead and salary. A larger business can price events on a flat-fee structure using typical, past performances and evaluations from clients in order to plan their pricing.
Advice for Success
The best way to advertise your party-planning business will be through the comments and word-of-mouth from happy clients who will recommend you to their friends. Networking with rotary groups and organizations in your community will eventually pay off. Be a joiner, be visible and be a representative for fun, and your clientele will grow and you will prosper.
Tags: party planner, Party planners, Business Work, Party Planning, party planning, Planning Business Work
