Q: “Can you offer the names of at least three companies that offer event planning software that you find easy to navigate and affordable for a start-up company?”- Toni Taylor, CWP™, EverMoreEvents II, Bowie, Md.“I really can’t answer that, I don’t use a program. I am old school.”- Frank“I’m pretty sure I’ve tried them all and keep coming back to my old faithful standby of a spreadsheet. Having said that, I do love a lot of the functionality of HoneyBook, but the ‘planning tools’ aren’t live yet. But rumor has it, they’re coming!”- Tonia “I like and use Planning Pod. It offers different pricing packages based on your needs and has pretty much all you’ll need to manage an event from start to finish.”- Carmen“Many of the companies specializing in wedding planning software have affordable subscription rates. Some of the most popular are HoneyBook, 17 Hats, and Aisle Planner.”- Shelby“Planning Pod, Aisle Planner, and Wed Planner Pro.”- DonnieQ: “It seems everyone is a ‘wedding planner.’ The rental companies, florists, venues, caterers all want me to recommend them to my clients for the core services they offer, and yet, they continue to offer planning services in competition with mine. How do you handle it?”- Lynn Wheatley, Lasting Impressions, Tulsa, Okla.“It’s a shame that so many of them are now competing with us. However, we still need their services for our clients. When I refer some clients to a vendor who does this, it is NEVER mentioned that they also offer this service. It’s not a problem when working with my clients, just a problem to our industry that adds to the already over-saturated market of wedding consultants.”- Frank“A title is only as good as the service that supports it. Spend time asking more questions with your colleagues—those who you feel are offering competing services. Find out what they’re really offering, and if your relationship warrants it, maybe you’ll have the opportunity to have a conversation with them, explaining all that you do and discussing the use of the term ‘wedding planner.’ My bet is that they’re all saying ‘wedding planning,’ and from their perspective, that’s what they’re doing. (To be fair, they are planning aspects of the wedding, as it specifically relates to their role. You and I recognize the term to be far more reaching and encompassing weddings from A to Z, but we all have a part to play here.) Same words, different definitions. You might find some strong allies by way of these conversations, and find a way to play well together, each relying on his or her own strengths to create partnerships. But you have to be humble on the way in, to look for the connection and value add, not just the next referral. And as an added bonus, I don’t refer someone whose work I don’t already know."- Tonia“First, determine if you want to work with these service providers. If you already have a relationship with them and would consider referring their service to your clients, have a conversation about your concerns. What exactly are the planning services they are offering? If it’s wedding day direction, team up with them if it works into your business model. If they truly are in direct competition as far as the services they are offering, it’s up to you to decide whether to refer them or not. As far as venues offering planning, there is a huge difference between a venue coordinator and a planner, so that is not in competition with a wedding planner.”- Carmen“I like to work with vendors who understand and respect what I do as a planner. I also like to work with vendors who do not just look to me to refer business to them but also refer prospective clients to me—that’s how we each benefit from the vendor partnership.”- Shelby“That happens a lot. But here is the deal. I have a wedding planning company and a floral/décor company. They are both under the Donnie Brown umbrella but have different staffs, budgets, management, etc. The only thing that combines them is me. And under that set of circumstances, I think it’s fine. However, if you are a floral designer, photographer, DJ, or catering manager, and you are merely trying to upsell or cut a deal by offering to help the couple plan their wedding, it is not a good thing. I often speak to groups and ask how many catering managers in the audience do wedding planning services. Many hands go up. Then I ask, ‘How many of you will go to the invitation designer, the bridal salon for fittings. . .’ the list goes on . . . and all their hands drop. It’s prudent to educate the client as to what a wedding planner does; the value of hiring a good, qualified wedding planner; and why using an unqualified vendor is a recipe for disaster.”- DonnieQ: “How is the best way to hire a permanent, part-time employee? I do everything out of my home and need help. Designing the flowers is almost the easy thing to hire for, because everyone wants to learn and ‘play’ with flowers, but when it comes to the nitty gritty of the business, I’m having issues finding someone who can only work in the busy times? Any suggestions?”- Diane Murphy, Frontrange Florals, Highlands Ranch, Colo.“I would check with your accountant. I have regular and ‘floating’ staff for on-site event coordination. They are all on regular payroll, and are only paid when they are on duty. They are not independent contractors.”- Frank“I might be too much of a control freak, but floral design is one of the last things I would hire out for a first-time employee. (I’m both a planner and floral designer myself.) Consider blocking an hour in your schedule this week, and sit down with a blank piece of paper. Write anything and everything you do, both personally and professionally, within a two-week time period. Odds are high that there are several tasks you could outsource that would give you more time and energy to re-invest into your business. And if you’ve got enough support on other aspects of your life (administration, bookkeeping, house cleaning, social media, etc) and/or your volume of floral work is impossible for you to keep up with on your own, then consider hiring additional floral team members. You’ll have to decide if you are training someone to design in your same style, or if you’re hiring an already proficient designer (different price points and skill levels,) or if you’re looking for someone to come in and prep flowers and vases and clean up after you. Also, you may want to chat with your attorney about the difference between an employee and a contractor. I’ve been in business for quite some time and am just now transitioning from contractor to employee within the next 18 months.”- Tonia“Look into internships. If an intern works out, perhaps they would be willing to be hired permanently. Also, advertise to older people looking for something to do. Look for people who already have part-time jobs that don’t conflict with the hours you might need them. There are many ways. But marketing for interns is a great way to get people that you can train the way you want and end up with a good employee.”- DonnieQ: “How do you know if you are charging too much or not enough, and would you only charge one fee for day-of coordination or two separate fees based on the amount of hours worked? Ex: 10 hours maximum, one fee and 16 hours maximum, a different fee.”- Shannon Larkins, Shannon Louise Weddings, Nashville, Tenn.“Every wedding is different. Why would you even think of charging the same fee for every wedding? You need to seriously look at every wedding individually and price accordingly.”- Frank“You need to set your fees to be profitable. Know your hard costs, both fixed and variable. Know what you need to make in sales to cover those costs and pay yourself. Know how many hours it’ll take you to plan an event (you should be tracking your time from start to finish). When you know these things, you can price accordingly, but also keep in mind your experience and education, and what your market will allow.”- Carmen“If your prices are comparable to others in your geographic area, and you are booking events, that is probably a good indicator that you are charging enough. If no one is booking your services because of pricing, that is an indicator that you are too expensive. Many planners have one rate for wedding-day coordination based on the services and hours provided. If the client needs additional hours, the flat rate can be customized to include the additional hours required.”- Shelby“We charge a percentage based on the wedding budget. For us, it is the only way to balance the fee with the amount of work to be done. Larger budgets with more moving pieces pay more. Smaller budgets with less needs get less time. It balances out. You can also do a fixed-fee rate with a base amount of hours. Then, charge per hour for what they need over and above the allotted hours. Just make sure that it is clear and not hidden in the language of their contract.”- DonnieQ: “Why is it important to use a strategic planning process in this business?”- Anonymous“This is not easy to do in this business as so many factors change from year to year. Some years are better than others. Changes in the economy dictate consumer spending. I suggest setting moderate, achievable, and realistic goals—better to be over goal than under goal. Also, think about what happens if you are under goal? How will you make up missed revenue you were counting on?”- Frank“We’ve all seen a glorious timeline, with hours and hours of pre-work, that nearly falls apart and needs to be adjusted to something out of our control, right? One of the best things about the planning process and the plans we make is the ability to adapt them as needed and still achieve the desired outcomes, even if we had to go through Plan A, B, and C to make it work. That skill is a result of both the plan and planner. One is only so good without the other. If you don’t have a strategic plan for your business, I’d ask, ‘Is it really a business, or just a hobby?’ Sometimes, we need to be in it for awhile to learn the ebbs and flows, in order to make a plan that makes sense. But at some point, you have to get strategic about what you’re doing and where you’re going with your business; otherwise, what’s the point? How will you know when you’ve achieved your goals without knowing what they are? Lewis Carroll writes, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.’”- Tonia“In this and every business, if you don’t have a plan, then plan to fail. To grow your business, think about where you are and where you want to be in one, five, 10 years. Then begin to plan how you will achieve that. You can’t get to where you want to be without a plan. And, be prepared to change and alter it. Each year, analyze your business to see if you’ve reached the desired goal(s) for that year. If you have, celebrate your achievement and plan for what needs to be done in the coming year to get you where you want to be. If you haven’t seen the success you wanted, analyze the steps and changes needed and do them.”- Carmen“Strategic planning is necessary in your business—to give you focus and a sense of direction. Strategic planning helps you set goals and plans to achieve them. Strategic planning positions your company for success.”- Shelby“Every wedding has a basic structure. It is incumbent on the planner to develop a strategic procedure that fits this process. You utilize the same procedure for every event. The way you initialize, create a planning calendar, budget, and handle each portion of the event is done the same way and should be handled, noted, and catalogued the same way. This also assists in every employee in your company understanding every wedding easily, because they understand the structure. If you or the lead planner assigned to a wedding is taken ill or quits, anyone in your office can easily review and identify the needs of a wedding quickly and efficiently.”- DonnieQ: “So often, we hear that employees are unhappy in their jobs. This happens in most industries. How can we keep our employees and independent contractors happy? Why are most companies failing at this?”- Anonymous“I always make sure that they know this is TEAM effort, and not ‘The Frank Show.’ As when I accepted many of the awards I have won for my work, I make it clear that I am standing there because of the team I put together, not only because my talents. Recognize! I call every vendor after every event to say thank you. And some get that call every week when I am busy.”- Frank“This is two main issues. The first has to do with you, as the leader, creating your company culture. This is everything from a) being intentional about what you believe in and value as a business owner and team leader, b) communicating that, c) making it happen, and d) correcting the trajectory when someone is off the mark. The second is about your team; their individual process of self-discovery. Often, employees are unhappy because they’re looking externally for something only they can give themselves. If they’re not willing (or guided!) to ask those questions of themselves, to connect internally and with their values, they won't find deep happiness in aligning with someone else’s goals or objectives. I see this especially within creative fields. If you want to continue this conversation, reach out by emailing me at tonia@aribellaevents.com.”- Tonia“It is important to have employees work with you who support the vision and mission of your company. Communication, respect, and education are major principles of good employee and contractor morale. And, I’m a strong believer in treating people how you want to be treated.”- Shelby“Make your workplace fun, employee friendly, and make sure employees are paid an amount that makes their job important to them—and give bonuses for hard work. When you do good, they should benefit from it.”- Donnie