All tagged planning
If there's one thing I know to be true in business (and in life), it's that nothing is ever constant. By their very nature, businesses are dynamic, and we all need to be mindful of that if we want them to thrive. We, as business owners, have to be willing to face the reality of what we've built, something that's often easier said than done.
(Editor's Note: Today on the blog, we welcome the return of frequent guest contributor Jennifer Taylor of Taylor'd Events! Read more about Jennifer at the end of the post!)
The wedding industry is filled with conferences, tradeshows and other educational workshops at both local and national levels. Most of them can be tempting to sign up for, but realistically, you can’t attend every single one due to time and financial commitments.
The question is – how do you determine which will be the best experience and provide you with the most return on investment?
(Editor's Note: The talented Fabrice Orlando of Cocoon Events Group is back on our blog today, offering his advice on how to get un-stuck and find inspiration again in your wedding business. Read more about Fabrice at the end of the post!)
Even the most creative wedding professionals find themselves uninspired at times, so don’t be ashamed or discouraged if you find yourself staring blankly at your computer.
While we’ve all been there, there are plenty of ways to get your creativity going and pull yourself out of a funk. Although it may seem logical to scroll through some top wedding blogs or flip through magazines for ideas, that process can actually add to the frustration, as you’ll end up seeing all of the gorgeous details that have already been done.
Here on WeddingIQ, we've always been passionate advocates for what's truly in business - beyond the pretty Instagram snaps, the glamorous branding, the cheerful small talk at networking events. And what's more real, honestly, than realizing your business just isn't keeping up?
Starting a wedding business is such a whirlwind of excitement, and if you've got that perfect combination of skill, connections, and pure luck (which really isn't so much luck as good timing and good market conditions), your business can take off quickly. At least, that's what happened with my primary business. My former partner and I happened to launch it at a time when our region desperately needed upscale, polished, non-cheesy DJs, and we benefited tremendously from the fact that many of our would-be competitors were still embodying the bad DJ stereotype.
Where do couples look for our services? This is the question you have to ask yourself when delegating those precious marketing dollars. Wedding magazines, wedding shows and online wedding directories are the obvious choice. It’s where couples go to get ideas, shop vendors and plan the all the details of their dream wedding.
I don’t know about you but the last time I checked, I was one of hundreds of vendors in my category all vying for the same clients. Sure, we all try to stand out with elaborate wedding show booths, stunning imagery or paying for top online placement, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could somehow get our clients to look at only us and not the competition? Here are a few suggestions to start thinking about other ways to market yourself, making you the go-to vendor in your field.
