Event planning is something that people do regularly. Meetings, quick reunions with friends, birthday celebrations, and even dinner dates are just some of the important moments that require a considerable amount of planning to make them memorable. So, as a new event planner, how exactly do you find the first few people who will need your professional help to make both those big and small significant moments happen? It can be quite a challenge, but do not fret, these three simple tips can easily give you a good start on landing your first clients:
1. Start with your close circle of friends and family.
You are starting at square one – you have zero connections and your event planning client base is an empty box on your planner. Should you start handing out flyers for your event planning business? Hold your horses – your first client might actually be living under the same roof as yours! Find out whose birthday is coming up next, and throw a surprise party for that person. Put together a warm welcome celebration for a friend who’s coming home for the summer. Make sure to take pictures and share them on social media. Do let the guests know that you are establishing an events planning business, and be ready to hand out your contact information.
2. Network, network, network.
Once you have explored and maximized event planning opportunities within your circle of good friends and relatives, it’s time you venture outside of your comfort zone. Bring out the extrovert in you and start meeting new people. Attend community gatherings, sign up for club memberships, touch base with former schoolmates, and attend event planner conferences. Chances are huge that someone from any of these circles will need an event planning professional, and you just might be the person who can give them what they require. The bigger your network becomes, the higher the probability of getting a steady stream of clients.
3. Establish ties with an events supplier.
Contact your favorite cafe whose pastries and savory goodies sell out daily – they might know a regular client who needs help planning a birthday party. Maybe they cater too, and you can be their event coordinator partner. Get in touch with your photographer friend who does some event coverage gigs on the weekend, he might just have a solid base of potential clients who need some event planning assistance. In addition to possibly helping you land your first few event planning clients, they will also make it easier for you to connect with other suppliers whose services you might require in the future.
Starting with a blank slate as an event planner may be a scary concept. The great thing about event planning though, is that it’s perfectly okay to know just a few people in the beginning – you can still end up with an overflowing contact list in just a few weeks. With conscious effort to establish a client base and consistent initiatives to build a network, landing your first few clients, and the succeeding ones, can be a smooth-sailing experience.
