8 tips from one insane entreprenuer to another

Well, it's Events by Autumn's second year anniversary!  I didn't even realize time had passed that quickly. I'm going to take this week's blog post to reflect on things I learned in my first two years of business.  Hopefully, when I look back, I can see how much I've grown, and I also hope this helps other entrepreneuers out there take the leap of faith to living their dream.  Here it goes:

1.  Sometimes no "backup plan" is the best plan.
In my first year of business, I also had a hefty part time job at the same time as the business was running.  Meaning, I didn't try very hard to get clients because I had a pretty steady income to fall back on.  I had clients, but they reached out to me - I didn't work to find them.  I knew if I wanted my business to be successful, it had to be my ONLY job.  So I moved back to MT with one contract under my belt, and only my own business to fall back on.  I had no "backup plan."  I needed to succeed.  And funny enough, that one contract fell through, and I had NO INCOME.  That really forced me to focus my efforts and do things I would have HATED doing in the past.  That being said, you have to be smart about your savings and honest about the things you can live without when times are tough.

2.  Network, network, network.
I HATE networking.  I'm not good at meeting new people for the first time.  But once that initial dreaded contact is over, I'm fine.  It's just that first awkward "hello" that I really despise.  BUT, you have to do it.  I started this association (www.bitterrootweddingassociation.com) in the valley to get wedding related businesses to work together.  I had to meet new people, talk to vendors about joining, and in turn, talk about my business.  When I was in Colorado, I didn't even receive phone calls from clients until May.  And here we are in April, and I've already achieved my goal number of bookings for my first year in business in this local market.  Nearly 100% of my bookings for this coming summer are referrals.  And those referrals sprung from meeting vendors from networking.  So just suck it up and do it.

3.  You'll find there's a whole lot more time, but you won't get more done.
Lately, I've been staying up until 2am to get custom graphic design projects done.  Or to do my website updates.  Or to file my taxes.  Or to do my billing paperwork.  Yeah, I wake up at 8:30am most days (which is FANTASTIC), but once I'm up, I'm focused.  Doing my social media posts, getting planning work done, designs completed, attending vendor meetings in town, etc.  It's a busy day!  Then next thing I know, it's 4pm, and I have to switch "hats" and become the accountant for my business.  (I'm not great at bookkeeping, so that takes a while.)  And then I look at the clock, and it's 10pm.  And I've hit a second wind and feel motivated to tackle another design project.  But all these projects are things I CHOOSE to do, and I LOVE to do, so it's easy to just keep working!  I'm realizing there will never be an end to the stuff you have to do for your business when you're the only one running the business.  So I constantly remind myself to take a break sometimes.  It's ok to take a day off, even if your brain is telling you to keep working.

4.  Make a freakin' marketing plan.
Without a plan, you're going to spend each day wasting time, just like you spent most days in corporate America on Facebook ;)  Just kidding.  We all know you worked hard at your last job.  But when you're on your own, there is so much more you're responsible for!  So make a marketing plan.  A GOOD ONE.  My marketing plan covers my daily social media posts (FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+, blog posts, etc.), mission statement, financial goals and booking goals for the year, and more.  I made a marketing calendar that shows me what I should be doing every single day for the next year.  You may think that's overboard, but it helps me get into a rythym.  And when you have off days and you fall off the wagon, all you have to do it look at your awesome plan, and get your butt back on board.  Trust me.  Just make the plan.

5.  Find joy in small achievements
Set realistic goals for yourself.  When you achieve them, it will help you keep going when times are tough!   When my parents asked me "how much are you going to make this year?" and I explained that I've beat my booking goal for the year, they panicked when it wasn't nearly enough money to live off of.  But, my business plan was written based on my GOAL bookings and revenue, not on the number of weddings I needed to pay all my bills.  Yes, I still would need to pay bills, but that's what I've worked hard to save for!  You can't set unrealistic expectations year after year, and keep a positive attitude when you keep failing.  Sure, I'd love 20+ weddings in my first year of business, and to make enough money to eat out every day of the week, but that wasn't realistic.  I planned accordingly, so I could survive, and I'm making headway!  So that's something to be proud of.  Don't let others drag you down.  Focus on your small goals and keep moving forward.

6.  Make time for YOU.
I'll admit I'm not good at this.  I'm too focused on making this business a success that I don't get to the gym, or run, or ride horses.  I'm trying hard to set aside one or two days a week to take "off" so I can enjoy Montana!  Make sure through all this hard work, that you make time for YOU!  Typically, I'm putting in a 15 hour day, so taking one or two days off isn't a big deal.  It's NORMAL.  Keep reminding yourself of that.  You really are a lot more efficient when your brain can refresh itself anyways.

7.  Follow your gut instincts.
If you think you shouldn't take that client, and your gut is telling you so, DON'T TAKE THE CLIENT!  If you get a marketing offer and it just seems too good to be true, it might be.  Do your research!  Trust your gut in these first few years, and don't be sad to turn down business if it's not the right fit for you.  The more you make the "right" decisions, the longer you'll love what you're doing!

8.  Keep a diary.  Or a blog.
This year has NOT been easy.  But I wouldn't trade it for anything.  And my dad keeps saying "you'll look back on this and laugh!"  And I know I will.  But in the middle of starting your own business, you're stressed out, you're wondering if you'll ever "make" it, and you hope and pray that your clients will love you SO much that they NEVER stop talking about you.  This blog is my way of sharing these scary feelings with others, and hoping that other entrepreneuers out there can find hidden joy in this terrifying idea of running your own business!  Good luck to you all, and I can't wait to check in next year!

So your planner can plan. But what else can they do you for you?

What do you look for when hiring a wedding coordinator.  There should be 3 main things to consider:
1. Will I be able to work with this person efficiently (do our personalities mesh)?
2.  Be selfish.  What else can this person do for me?
3.  Is their price reflective of all they are doing for me?

At Events by Autumn, we're talented artists in addition to planners (we know, the whole right brain, left brain thing).  Autumn is a professional graphic designer and a skilled painter.  But even more importantly, Autumn can build things.  What kinds of things, you might ask?  Well, let me share just some of our portfolio below!  (We made everything you see below - paper flowers, invitations, wood products, painted signs, wooden crates, chalkboard art, painted bottles, large event props, etc.)

  

This brings us to step 3 of hiring a planner - does their price reflect all they can do for you?  With our full service package, the labor for building customized decor and props is completely included.  You only need to pay for the supplies.  And frequently, our brides already have the supplies on hand - they just don't have the time to make what they want.  A TRULY customized wedding, made just for you.

Keep that in mind when shopping other vendors.  What are they able to do to make your wedding a one-of-a-kind affair, while also providing professional planning?

Why hire a full service planner? Productivity, stress relief, and more.

This past weekend, I had the privilege of taking a full service client on an array of vendor meetings, and I thought this would be a great opportunity (while it's still fresh in my mind) to talk about this part of my planning services.  It's PERFECT for destination wedding clients, and even some of my local clients prefer for me to set up their vendor meetings for maximum efficiency, and because of my relationships with the vendors!

In this instance, both the bride and groom were from out of state, and so this weekend was the only time they'd be in Montana before the week of the wedding.  So it was vital over this 4 day period to introduce them to as many options as possible, but also give them time to explore, relax, and enjoy their time in Montana.  (We want our clients to still love Montana when they come back for their wedding!)

Over a 4 day time period, we managed to meet multiple caterers, florists, cake bakers, rental companies, and a photographer, DJ, hair dresser, and makeup artist.  We even found time to do site tours of hotels for room blocks, and managed to hit a few breweries to "sample" the potential wedding beverages!  My thoughts were that face to face interactions with these vendors would make the bride and groom much more comfortable with their decisions on whom to hire.

Every hour of every day was filled with activities and meetings, but the couple was relaxed and just enjoyed the days.  It wasn't stressful, because no decisions needed to be made on the spot.  I just want to make this very clear:  PLANNERS DO NOT MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU.  They merely offer suggestions as to who might be able to provide the best services for what you want!  At one point in time, I was referred to as a "new member of the family" and that's the kind of relationship I hope for - that my clients trust me, can communicate with me freely, and never be fearful of giving me an honest opinion.  That's how the best weddings become the best!

I gave the Bride & Groom the itinerary a week before the trip, so they were able to plan lunches with friends, and take evenings off to explore or unwind.  We started at a reasonable time in the morning, so they could sleep in, eat a big breakfast, and treat their time as a vacation (which is what it was!)  

Keep in mind, all of my vendors are on speed dial, and it allows for the meeting schedule to be flexible if necessary.  Therefore, I was able to make quick adjustments - we even planned a menu tasting with a caterer 3 hours before it happened.  I think the bride & groom would agree with me, that the meetings ran seamlessly, and the vendors I chose to introduce them to were ideal for their style and budget.  

The key to success (I believe), was that prior to the meetings, I had worked with the couple on diagrams for the event space as well as some design boards.  Once I knew what look we were trying to achieve, we had a focused, common idea in mind for all of the meetings.

Setting up vendor meetings is included with my full-service planning packages, and I encourage brides to take me up on it.  Having diagrams and idea boards are great, but bringing your planner along to give suggestions, and ask questions makes your meetings very productive.

Happy planning!

Rental company meeting was a success!  We found this cool bar.

Sight seeing at St. Mary's Mission in Stevensville!

Tasting cake is one of my favorite things!