How to Start A Party Planner Business: 12 Steps to Start

Planning parties can be fun, but it requires a lot of dedication and multitasking. You have to be diplomatic while dealing with clients and most importantly you need to have the desire to help other people enjoy themselves in parties and events.

Your engagements can range from weddings and product launches to corporate seminars. The tasks of an event planner include renting a hall, sending invitations through emails, planning a theme for events, booking entertainment, hiring staff and deciding the food menu.

You don’t need any specific education or training to set up a party planner business but if you are experienced then it can come in handy, it will help you to plan your business properly and also to know what to do and expect from the business.

If you are already experienced in party planning, then it will help you to develop a healthy relationship with a network of professional caterers to entertainers and this will provide you with the resources that the clients demand the parties and events.

In This Article

start you own Party Planner Business

Research Market

Research the market and figure out the competition you have to face, consult your business idea with those who are experienced in the field.

First, try to organize small parties and gain experience and then move on to expand the business.

Choosing a Niche

You must determine your niche and focus on it. This will make the task of setting up the business easier for you. There are different types of parties to work on.

There are some event planners who are generalists and work on a wide variety of events, but it is prudent and lucrative to choose an area of specialty.

It can be a challenging task to figure out your niche but if you are clear with your passions, interests, experience, and knowledge you can easily narrow down your focus to a specific niche.

If you think you are more experienced in organizing birthday and wedding parties then you should specialize in those on the other hand if you have the requisite knowledge of planning corporate events then you must focus on trade shows, conventions, meetings, company picnics etc.

The niche can be also be classified on the basis of the size of events like big events or small events.

Training and Certification

Experience is not a must for starting a party planning business, but an experienced person will be in a better position to start the business. You can gain experience through online and offline training courses.

Earlier to become an event planner you had to obtain a degree from a college or university offering courses on party planning, hospitality, and tourism.

Certification helps you to gain reliability among clients, it will keep you one step ahead of those who are inexperienced.

Plan the Business

There should be a well-formulated business plan before you start. It should include the plans for investment, business costs, and operational plans. There should be a timeline that will act as a roadmap for your business.

First, you should do a soft launch to test your business idea and management skills.

Once you are confident start investing more to expand the business. Reinvest some of the revenues earned for professional development like gaining knowledge, information, and skills. Plan according to your strengths and don’t over expect.

Also see the location of your business while planning, whether it is near to corporate offices or it is situated in some posh locality etc.

Don’t stick to any one idea but keep on changing and adapting to the situations, shift plans quickly to avoid any major setbacks to your business. Your business plan will also help you to focus on specific events like marriages or conferences.

Target Groups

You have to be clear about your target audience. Your target audience will depend upon the niche you choose to focus on.

If you prefer working for social events then your target audience will be those willing to organize birthday parties, marriage ceremonies, engagement parties, retirement parties etc.

You can also focus on corporate clients if you are interested in planning office parties, meetings, seminars, conventions etc.

Your target group can also include non-profit clients like those organizing charity events and fundraisers.

Hire Staff

Hence a party planning business can be a good start-up. You need to hire worthy and reliable staff who can work as a team to make your business successful.

Since multitasking is an essential part of event management, you have to allocate the tasks to your staff efficiently and keep their morale high while working.

Website

If you want to be competitive as an event planner then building a website is very essential. An online presence will help you to attract more clients and also a platform to showcase your work, experience, and achievements.

It will also help you to list your services and testimonials and make your business appear more professional.

You need to buy a domain for your business. The website should also keep a section dedicated to receiving feedbacks and reviews from customers.

Marketing

Marketing strategies are a crucial part of setting up a business. There are many ways of promoting your party planning business, but you need to be consistent. You can choose two to three methods of marketing and work on those.

If one method fails and becomes ineffective then move on to another.

Try to promote your business in social media platforms as this will help you in drawing a lot of clients. Also use business cards, brochures, guest blogging, and print advertising.

Use your website for marketing and offer attractive deals to your customers like providing discounts in festive seasons.

Be Innovative in Pricing and Services

The pricing will depend upon the clients you serve and the type of parties you plan. Bigger parties require more effort and you should charge more for them. You can also charge more from the corporate companies as they are in a position to pay you more than any other general social program.

You will get potential new clients at every event and try to ensure quality service in the events you plan and behave politely with your clients.

Be innovative with your ideas, themes, and plans and try to stand out from the rest in the market. Make every event you plan a grand success and provide enjoyment to each participating in them.

Here is one of the lucrative infographic about the event. Check below and get inspiration fro your business. Read Below.