We’ve all heard the business adage "Hire character, train skill." But what does it mean? How do you do it? And, finally, how important is it when it comes to your wedding and event business? In this post, I’m going to be speaking entirely about independent contractors as opposed to employees, as the process is a little different when hiring for short-term gigs rather than full-time work with a company. So, let’s get started!
(Editor's note: We're thrilled to kick off our March content theme of all the operational "stuff" you need to manage in order to maintain a successful business - contracts, bookkeeping, client and team member management, and more. Today we welcome guest contributor Annette Stepanian, an attorney who's generously provided some fantastic advice for wedding business owners and other creative professionals. Take it away, Annette!)
You’ve decided to hire some extra help for your wedding business. Perhaps you’re now sending all of your graphic design needs to a local graphic designer or maybe you’ve hired an assistant to help with the day of work for an upcoming event.
Before hiring your next worker, it’s important to understand the distinction between what makes a worker an independent contractor versus an employee and what that means for you, the business owner. Improperly classifying a worker as an independent contractor can be quite costly for your business.
There's not a single wedding business owner in the marketplace who closes 100% of their sales meeting. That's just a fact. Sure, there are things you can do to increase the chances a client will want to sign on the dotted line, but you're always going to lose a few.
And that's okay. It gives you an opportunity to reflect on your strategies and make improvements for an even better business, all because of the dropped sales.
Happy Friday! Weekends in the wedding off-season are so much more fun when you have money in your pocket - which usually requires some sales success! With that in mind, for this week's Friday Five series, here are five things you can do to put yourself in a position to close more of your wedding sales.
Where do you conduct sales meetings? In your home, in your office or in a cafe? Or perhaps you don’t even meet your clients in person and instead use the phone, Skype or FaceTime.There are so many options when it comes to meeting potential clients. Technology has paved the way for easier communication over long distances, between busy schedules and after business hours. It has also allowed us, as business owners, to create our own individual workspaces and schedules, whether that’s in an office, at home or on the road. Today we’ll be discussing the pros and cons of such arrangements as well as how to make the most of each situation to ensure you make a great impression and close the deal.
