If you have always been the first to jump to organising family parties and have a knack for those finer details that nobody else really thinks about, there is no reason as to why you shouldn’t set up your own business in events planning. Changing your hobby to a business will mean you need to work on a completely different scale and ask yourself how you are going to establish yourself in the industry.
If you are interested in becoming a self-employed events planner but have no idea where to start, here are a few useful questions to ponder before you get started:
1. What type of events are you going to specialise in?
Different styles of events require different skills, areas of expertise and in depth-knowledge, so the very first step is determining which type of eventsyou are keen to plan. Here are a few examples:
- Personal events: birthday parties and weddings
- Organisational events: product launches and charity events
- Leisure events: festivals, concerts and sporting events
It would be wise to choose a niche that you have a little bit of experience inso that you know will be comfortable with the style of event; regarding the subject area, the type of people you will be dealing with and the scale.
2. Do you need qualifications?
It is not essential to be qualified for events management, but a lot of people choose to study towards a qualification to set themselves apart from other professionals. Being self-employed is a tricky business when you are having to compete for clients, so gaining a qualificationis the first step to showcasing your industry knowledge.
3. How are you going to make the event a success?
If you are looking into going into public events management, you need to work out methods of marketing the event to gain interest from the public. Clients will be interested to know how you are going to pull in the crowds and guarantee that tickets are sold. Essentially, you are the driving force behind the entire occasion and the success or failure will fall on your shoulders.
Posters and leaflets are ideal for local events, but if you are going for a large-scale event that is set to be advertised nationwide, you may wish to go to the next level and publicise on billboards and TV. If the latter is your goal, look into hiring professional artists at an animation studio, who will produce high-quality motion graphics as part of the client’s package. Be sure to keep a portfolio of your past collaborations with the graphics studio to present to new customers and explain how you can ensure an effective marketing campaign.
4. How are you going to advertise your service?
Due to the immense competition out there, you need to promote your services well to get noticed by companies and clients. Social media would be an ideal content marketing strategy for B2C relations, whereas both customers and businesses looking to hold large-scale events would usually browse through a search engine to see which websites appear at the top of the rankings. A website will provide you with a platform to clarify your skills and experience, to encourage clients that you are the best person for the job.
