WAHM > Stay at Home Mom Work Ideas > Selling a Service > Become an Event Planner from Home

Start An Event Planning Business

What you will be doing.  Do you have a knack for organization and pulling a soiree together?  As an event planner, you will manage all components of an upcoming event to complete that special dinner, party, meeting, or concert.  All events have something in common whether they are dinner parties or live benefits for non-profit organizations.

How to start.  Get some experience in your chosen business career.  Non-profit organizations and local churches are always looking for someone to help with fundraisers.  Your job involves using the budget set up for the event, to accomplish all that is needed for the upcoming event.  Within the budget you will requisition vendors to provide food, drink, entertainment, decorations, equipment, and a venue for the event.   

Starting costs.  This venture doesn’t require much in the way of start up capital.  You could be expected to spend between $3,000 to $5,000 for equipment and advertising.  A computer with Internet access, printer, copier, fax machine, and telephone with headset are needed for your home base of operations.  Advertising costs are factored in.   

A database of vendors, clients, and venues puts all the information you need to plan a budget at your fingertips.  Once you start working the business, clients may give you a rough outline of how much money they want to spend and let you fill in the gaps.  The experience you have earned with the unpaid event planning jobs prepare you to create sample budgets, a list of vendors with prices, and other pertinent information for the client to work with. 

Skills needed.  Are you outgoing, polite, and communicate well?  Event planners pay attention to detail.  To keep your vendors happy, send “thank you” notes when the job is finished.  Fostering good working relationships enhances your business.    Event planners organize well.  When working with several different entities, timetables and deadlines are important.  People are counting on you to make things happen for them.

Marketing.  Creating a portfolio of event flyers, programs, newspaper articles, and personal comments gives potential clients a glimpse into your world.  They may even have attended some events that you have planned.  Not only will you use a portfolio, try advertising in print ads in trade magazines and local newspapers.   

It will cost more to advertise in fashion, wedding, and business magazines, but when you are ready the cost will be worth it.  Direct mailings to hotels, churches, convention halls, non-profit groups, and small businesses can net more business.  All of these people may host or need events planned.   

Event planning is a multitasking career.  It takes focus and best of all, a great attitude.  Things don’t always go as planned, but an event planner accounts for that and just keeps moving.

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