How to Start an Event Planner Career

Starting an event planning business can be more than daunting if not approached correctly. An event planner needs to be detailed oriented,  creative and frugal, without allowing the frugality to show in the product. An event planner must also be a people person with undying patience. If you are that type of person, then starting an event planning business can be the perfect career choice for you.

As long as there are corporations, big business ventures and wealthy affluent people, there will always be a need for event planners. Event planners are hired to coordinate events and functions, thereby helping to reduce the stress of the client, while making sure the event is both tastefully done and cost effective.

1. Judge your skills and abilities. Many times we seek to do something, taking the time to put in a lot of hard work to obtain a particular goal, only to realize that isn't what we want in the first place. Event planning requires certain skills and disciplines.
   
   Are you detail oriented? Love is in the details, and that is what separates the okay event planners from the good ones. The more love in the details, the greater the event planner.
   
   


2. Do you have great organizational skills? The word is "great" not "good." Event planners can sometimes have more than one project on their plate, requiring incredible organizational agility, especially when trying to avoid the mixing together of different events. Event planners should be able to keep up with everything that is going on around them without becoming frazzled and confused. 


3. Do have excellent listening skills? Concentrating on a client's event and giving the client what he wants could be the difference between you doing an event once year to doing one once a month to you having your own show on television (it could happen!). You can't plan a sweet 16 for someone if you aren't sure of what she wants. Listening skills are more than essential to becoming an event planner.
   


4. 
   
   Do you have good interpersonal skill? Can you mingle with a particularly difficult client? Sometimes a client can be really demanding, but she still is your client, and unless you terminate your contract, you are stuck. 
   
   


5. 
   
   Learn the business. There are many ways to do this. You can take a class or two and learn the trade of event planning. The Internet has plenty of resources for places and websites that can help lead you into the career of event planning. For the sake of integrity, it is highly recommended that you obtain certification. You could also check your local vicinity for non-profit agencies that might need help around certain times of the year with planning events. The holidays are the best year for this. Just be ready to move furniture, set up tables and chairs and do a lot of grunt work. When the agency sees that you are willing to do the non-glamorous part of event planning, the more it will be willing to dispense more glamorous type duties that go along with event planning. The main skills that you will need to learn are: How to create a budget that is cost effective, yet it can be stretched to fit the needs of the client. How to deal with vendors and their contracts. How to market events, especially for public occasions. 
   
   


6. 
   
   Figure out a business plan. A business plan is an outline structure that gives you direction on how to create, build and expand your business. Every good business idea needs one. It helps as a guide for budgets, potential profits, potential expenditures and future expansions. If you plan on applying for a loan, banks require a business plan. 
   
   


7. 
   
   Get business insurance. If you are unsure what kind of business insurance you should get, an insurance agent should be able to help you. A lot of times, the hall from which the event is taking place has insurance included into the price of the rental. It is still good to have your own coverage, however, particularly liability. This is in case someone gets injured at one of your events.
   
   


8. 
   
   Choose your vendors. Selecting the right vendors for an event is always key. If you are fortunate enough to be able to work with the same steady vendor for every event, this is a plus. Selecting the right vendor not only is key for a successful event, that same vendor could refer you to someone who needs an event planner. It is very important and beneficial for an event planner to develop good relationships with vendors. Always do a good research on each vendor before hiring one.
   
   


9. 
   
   State your prices. Determine which events are going to be a flat rate, and which ones will be a combination of a fee plus a percentage of the vendors cost.
   
   


10. 
    
    Market yourself. Create a social networking page. Use it to dispense advice on event planning. Purchase sponsor space at business expos. Offer to plan charity events pro bono, making sure that one of the deals for your free services is that the host lets everyone know that you are the one who planned the event, and where you can be reached. Having a website created is an absolute must for any serious business owner. Make sure that it is easy to navigate through for clients who want to see what you can offer.