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Crebre owns her own business and I think klp does too. There are quite a few... don't know where they are though... keep bumping!
I don't own my own business, but I can give you some tips that I think might be helpful.
If you want to be a wedding planner, the first thing is to get your feet wet. You could start with day-of coordination, that way you could do Saturday or Sunday weddings without quitting your job. You could advertise on Craigslist to start with. Offer your services for very cheap/free at first until you build up a portfolio. Make sure to coordinate with photographers at weddings so that you can use some of their photos to showcase the weddings you coordinated. From there, you will be able to guage the level of interest in your services and start upping your price.
I hope that helps at least a little bit!
@Mrs. Mouse - Haha, we think alike! All those things are included on my plan of attack :) I most definitely wouldn't just quit my job without some testimonials and a better resume, but I dunno, getting started is still scary.
@Miss Chapstick I am in almost the exact same place as you! I too am eager to hear responses from ladies in the hive who have made it work.
Ooh oh, I'll play. But it's gonna take a while to formulate... give me a bit ;-)
The scene - 6 months out of school, working for "The Weather Channel," selling advertising for a new but failing venture of something I could care less about. (getting TWC stuff was the only highlight :-)
I had been doing photography for a few years. Granted, looking back, the things I learned I had been doing wrong, OMG! Seriously, for a while I thought my pics were grainy because I had dropped my D70s... No, it was set to ISO 1600. I knew my time with TWC was limited, and afterall, I only took that job because I had to get away from a toxic healthcare company where I was always worried for my patients and ethical issues.
While my time with TWC dwindled down, I started to invest in computers and software and camera equipment. I started to scour the internet learning techniques and lived with a camera in my hand. I researched my local market and was doing more than "journalism." I started to work for an architect taking images of their designs. I worked for a university doing head shots and event photography. Then, I took on my first wedding, and it was about 1 week after leaving TWC. I kept running. Grabbing last min. weddings while marketing for my future. I came out swinging and offering a product I was proud of and knew could rival others in the area. My first wedding was $500. 2nd was $1100. 3rd was $1500 and up. Nothing against them, but I didn't want to be known as a CL photographer. There were like 30 of them and no offense, some are still there and still charging $500... years later.
My first full year of business my "profit" (gross minus expenses, etc) before taxes was the same I was making at TWC.
For me, I spent my senior year of college as president of our Students in Free Enterprise team. we initiated a project with our towns Mayor to build small business in our community and that was my life. I figured, why not do it for myself.
When I decided to go into business, I had a product I knew myself and others could trust and believe in. I KNEW how to take a picture. It sounds stupid, but most (not all) CL photogs are still learning technical aspects. While I've improved (and must at all times while in business) I'm still proud to show images from 3 years ago. So, I took my product and came out swinging! I spent all night working on building a website, all day at work day dreaming of freedom and brides, and the evening on google, flickr, and anything else I could get my hands on. It wasn't "easy." still isn't, but it's so much better!
I truly think a big part is believing in yourself and being a smart business person. Position yourself well and you'll get the business. I'm not sure WHY ON EARTH people seem to think CL is the only way to start a business. Seriously, CL is great for a lot of things. Building a business is NOT one of them. I'm all for using it for getting experience... but as a foundation on which to build your business, No. Be smart, work / market hard, fight for it.
About a year before I had dreams of wedding photography, I stumbled on a local wedding photographers site. I was blown away. I saw something on his blog that showed the "straight out of camera" image next to the "edited" image. I realized the only thing holding me back was my lack of post processing knowledge. Here he was, making $5000+ a wedding! So I solved that and entered the market. He came to my first bridal show, my booth was PACKED, and I heard him in the background oohing and ahing and going "woah, where did she come from?"
That's what I wanted. I wanted people to think I had always been, that I just moved into town, that I was some hot shot not a newbie...
And that's how I started on 1 CL wedding. :-)
Wow, thanks for such an insightful answer, KLP! You're totally right ... it's all about believing in yourself, which I do. I guess it's natural to be terrified of a huge life change, but I know that if I can make this a successful leap, I'll be 100 times happier in life.
Thank you again!
I'd love to hear any other stories people have!
sorry i'm late:D for me it was my life long fantasy to open a business doing what i do. but i always doubted myself or said that it wasn't very "practical". instead i went to college, and worked in a different field for years! my friends all told me, you need to do x, and i still wasn't ready.
fast forward to jan 2nd last year. i was 28 and a half to the day and decided that maybe i could make a living doing what i loved. at the time i was working with a business partner and the business partner was a very good ying to my yang. well, a few months later it was suggested to me that i submit my resignation at the bs company that i worked for and i happily obliged. at the same time my partner decided she didn't want to continue with my company. talk about baptism by fire!
since then i have never been so broke, nor happy in my life. i work long hours on my computer researching different marketing tactics and seeing what's hot and new to stay abreast of changing trends in my industry. however, i never really feel like i'm working because it's what i love and honestly what i have always done. i have ALWAYS been obsessed with this industry. my clients are all awesome and love my passion about the business and some are business owners and have given me pointers on licensure, what type of entity to set my business up with, etc.
as far as profits go hmmmmm... i haven't done my taxes yet, but i think i may have broken even? this year will be a great profit. i only asked a 1/3 deposit down from my clients and most people are leary booking a newer person who does design etc. as such i gave a way 5 free DOC packages (and advertised here in the classifieds section). i also found EVERY show in the area that i could. i quickly discovered that my way of thinking and viewing things is a lot different than most of the professionals in my area. so a lot of very modern people flocked to me and enjoy things that i offer. every time i see a need or niche for something, i see if my company can provide it AND i add it to my product line. so far it has worked really well and i'm the only company in the area that offers certain products and offers them at a price cheaper than you could find on the internet.
looking back i would have done it all again. perhaps i would have focused more on my personal credit and built it up more so that i could get lines of credit for my business on things, but that's about it. going forward this year is amazing. i have approximately 15 events booked and that's amazing and surprising and i am truly excited that people love what i bring to them.
the first thing i would say to you is decide what type of company you want to be, what are you looking for? then google that in your area and see if your market is supersaturated with that particular type of company. if it is, see what you can do to make yourself standout or what you can offer to make yourself different. we are in a recession right now and I currently market a design package based on the need for a less expensive option. it's helpful that i am currently going through the same thing that my clients are. i am getting married, i'm on a tight budget and hell it's a recession so everyone is on a budget and i wanted to cater to myself. what i have learned is if you do things that you like, no matter what you'll succeed. every one of the designs i have created for my clients i like or love or would have at my own event and that's what sets me a part i think. i'm not saving my best designs for that high budget client, i'm using it for the mid range client. i of course pray i would have someone spending 40 or 50k (omg the things i could show them) lol but good things come in good time.
lol, Ya, we're the token business owners / wedding vendors / brides here ;-)
KLP - what does the CL stand for? Thanks for sharing your tips though - definitely some great information!
I think it's awesome you wanna go out on your own and follow your passions! I own a small business... I do it part time on the side but still have a full time job as well. I have my own business doing Wedding First Dance Choreography and Dance Instruction. It's called A Dance 2 Remember. I danced throughout college on a dance company and have a minor in dance. Always had a passion for dance! I always taught hip hop at the local studio when I came home on breaks from College. So once I graduated and got a full time job I continued to teach dance.
A year goes by and the studio gets a call from a couple who saw a hip hop first dance on youtube.com and really wanted something fun for their first dance and could someone help?! So I jumped at the chance! I too wanted to be a wedding planner at one point, interning with 2 pretty prestigious businesses in Boston while at college. This was great, it combined dance and weddings- two things I love!
After that one couple, I knew I was on to something! There was a huge market for this and NO ONE in the whole state who specialized in this! So I started my own business. I came up with a name, created my own logo on microsoft paint, I created my own website myself using freewebs.com. I bought a host name, www.ADance2Remember.com for $32/ two years-- so cheap! I started researching how to get my name out where for free and it's worked! I haven't spent more than maybe $300 on all of my advertising and since starting about 1 1/2 yrs ago I have had plenty of business to keep me busy when I'm not holding down a FT job. I get most my business from people searching on google, word of mouth, or referals.
I would LOVE to do this FT but it's a start. I am learning how to run a business on a smaller scale and look forward to building it more in the future! There are definitely a lot of resources out there for little or nothing to get you started!
If you have a passion, it shines through and I think prospective clients see that and I think that's what draws most of my clients... we have fun because it's fun for me.
GOOD LUCK!!! You can do it!
I think CL refers to Craigslist.
One thing I would advise is to not quit your day job until your business has some momentum. Think of your day job as "funding" for your job as a DOC. Someone is enabling you to pay your rent, while you are building your dream business on nights and weekends!
Then when your DOC business is making you good money, you can make the full transition and quit your business. You'll know when the time is right!
Thought I'd put in my 2 cents as a business owner too! I'm a graphic designer that works mostly with small businesses and non-profits (www.callmeamy.com).
I agree with a lot of what the others have said. Especially things like:
- Don't build a buisness on Craigslist! Sure, it could be useful for getting your feet wet, but people go there looking for a cheap deal. You can't give them a cheap deal forever, while competing with all the other vendors on there and still pay your rent (mortgage?) Another designer I know was telling me she can't even get anyone to respond to her ads anymore (she is also very low priced).
- Don't quit your day job right away! Unless you have at least 6 months worth of savings to carry you completely (ie. you making no money at all). I hated my job just like you did, and had about 3 months worth of savings at the time. I had already been freelancing for a few years and had a few clients under my belt. I was at the point where I couldn't take on any more side work, so I had to make a decision to either quit the job or stop taking on new freelance business. However, I didn't have enough clients to completely support myself. And 2.5 years later, I'm about 75% of the way most days (sometimes more, sometimes less).
- Get out there. Join networking groups, go to trade shows, take classes. If you have the spare time that you would otherwise be working, make sure you are working on meeting people that could help build your business. Since you're looking into a wedding-related business, check out Womens networking groups. Women like to hire women! (A client actually said this to me today).
Whenever I get asked about how I find new clients, I always tell people that the best way to find new clients is to do a great job for the ones you have. A happy client passes off your name to their friends. I have found just about every client of mine through a referral from another happy client. And of course, I do the same for vendors I am happy with! I have never had to advertise.
Hope that helps, and good luck!
I bought a local franchise with my cousin (not mcdonalds scale or anything- there are only 6 locations!) It's my baby-- but I needed some love money & his expertise to get it off the ground. He mentored me after opening 2 successful businesses on his own.
Being a small business owner means long hours & you're usually the LAST to get paid. The first year we could only afford to have 4 staff members besides myself & we were open to the public 73 hours a week. This didn't include the 3 hours a day of paperwork & ordering or early morning prep. I opened & closed. I broke my hours down vs what I got paid & I was making only about $7 an hour! I also wasn't making enough to have luxuries like fresh groceries, so on the day my business was closed I hosted kids b-day parties in the back, $10 per kid. NOT exactly what I'd dreamed about in business school. I didn't do anything but work for an entire year (which is the only time being in a LDR is good). Summer 2009 was the first time I took time off work. This last quarter was our most successful & we have recouped all of our initial investments (almost 2 years). Now I have that flexibility that you hear about when you work for yourself.
HOWEVER... I could go in only once a week if I wanted, but then my business would suffer. The reality is that you'll always be working, so make sure its something you love!! I have been "off" work for a week now, but I still get calls every day & I was in 4 times this week... even yesterday I had to man the register lol. I still have to deal with vendors, staffing problems & customer complaints. You never truly get a day off.
I had a lot of help starting my business. The franchise was the biggest helper. They cover advertising, website, POS systems, products, pricing, training, suppliers, etc... A franchise is a lot easier than picking up & doing it from scratch, however you don't have the freedom to do what you want and it costs a lot more upfront. There's no guarantees you'll make it back either. The only thing I can't stand is the constant memo's & guidelines set by the franchiser. My hands are tied when it comes to creativity. Actually, there isn't any! Everything has been decided for me & I have to comply. Our uniforms include pink shirts for the front staff. I hate it! lol I also can't stand that the original owners faces are plastered all over the website... but whatever.
My advice:
1. Make sure what you choose to do doesn't feel like "work" or else your business will have trouble succeeding.
2. Pay yourself. Don't do what almost all of us do-- don't underprice your services & make sure you get paid!! Don't cut your prices sooo much just to get a customer! Also I know its a business, but try not to undercut your competitors. A lot of the times you'll cross paths & you don't want to piss of others in your industry! Definitely do your research & charge the local going rate.
3. Double the amount of money you think you'll need for start-up costs.
4. Advertise, advertise, advertise. If you're going into the bridal industry hit up EVERY bakery, every florist, every hairstylist & every bridal salon. No one will hire you if they don't know about you!
5. Network! You'll need to make goals for your business & YOU are your business. Choose a reasonable number & make x amount of contacts every day! (This can usually be the hardest part for people)
6. Get a website & cards made professionally. Don't get vistaprint or DIY business cards. This is you all wrapped up on a tiny little card. You get what you pay for & your clients will notice the difference. Your business card & website is your first chance to wow potential clients!
Lastly, never give up! It won't be all rainbows & sunshine, but I guarantee this will become your favorite career of your LIFETIME. :) There's nothing more fullfilling than doing something you love & doing something that doesn't feel like work. Once you get the small business bug, you'll always be thinking and finding new business ideas. Enjoy it & if one venture doesn't work out, move onto the next idea... my favorite line that I say to myelf often is "Just keep swimming" ala Dory in Finding Nemo! lol
Thank you, everyone! Wow, lost of great responses and advice.
I'm definitely not going to just quit my job and hope I make it, of course. My plan is to do it full-time until I can support myself, but as others have said, will I know when the time is right? I hope I will.
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I wanna hear from any and all bees who have started their own business! Wedding-related or not.
For the past year, I've grown increasingly frustrated and borderline clinically depressed about my career, or lack thereof. When I graduated college, I realized I no longer had any interest in my area of study, and just went into office support to figure out what I wanted to do. And now, I'm an office manager. I.hate.my.job. The first two times I quit my job for a "better" one, I blamed the office environment. Now I realize no matter what office I work in, I'll never be happy. I hate working for other people who, generally, in my experience, have been morons. I hate stupid office policies like, "You get two sick days a year." Whaa? I hate my pencil cup. I hate my phone. Yeah, I'm dramatic.
I just need to start my own business, and I know that. I actually want to be a wedding planner. I have a semi-business plan written up. I've given it at least two years of thought. I'm not going into this blind. I have a plan of attack. But, what's my concern? Making it successful and being able to live off what I make in a few years. Even though my husband tells me whole-heartedly he support this decision and knows I would be awesome at it, I'm just plain old scared, I guess, of losing the finanical stability and being a complete failure.
So, bees, has anyone ever just up and quit their job to start their own business? Was it a success? How soon were you able to make a profit? I want to hear any and all stories! Success stories might give me the extra motivation I need to get going.