Every entrepreneur has probably heard the saying that most new businesses fail within the first few years, with reports showing that eight out of 10 companies shut down during their first twelve months of operating. But the drive business owners need to keep their companies going can be difficult to find. You need to be resilient and able to find new ways of keeping your business afloat. Looking to other industries can help get an idea of how best to run your business. Thanks to the nature of their industry, wedding planners are an unexpectedly excellent source of inspiration. Here, we’ll go through some of the best qualities and tactics you can learn from wedding planners.
Staying on trend is essential
When planning a wedding, or indeed any event, lateral thinking and a keen eye for detail and style is key. Wedding planners often immerse themselves in the creative world, and keep a lookout for emerging trends to keep on top of what is fashionable. This helps pull off a stunning event which will impress clients, and more importantly, guests. When it comes to your business, you need an aesthetic that is pleasing to your customers, and that encourages them to buy from you time and time again.
Whether you’re working on website design or store layout, it’s important to catch the eye of all your customers at every opportunity. Wedding planners are also experts in creating a unified look throughout the entire event, depending on the chosen theme. This is crucial when designing websites, stores or corporate events, as they have to be cohesive, and ensure brand consistency.
By simply doing your research and keeping on top of industry trends, you’ll be able to get ahead of the curve when it comes to knowing what will be trending. This can help you focus your marketing campaigns on a particular trend that may be getting a lot of traction, becoming one of the first businesses to grab hold of customer attention before you miss the boat.
Punctuality is key for any business
Weddings and events need to be meticulously planned, and everything has to run to a tight schedule in order for everyone to get the most out of the day. There are a number of things that need to run along a set schedule—the ceremony, reception, drinks, food, DJ, and any entertainment—wedding planners try their hardest to ensure every event runs smoothly together. Luxury wedding planners Snapdragon take punctuality so seriously that they have hired a number of employees who are ex-military personnel to influence timekeeping across the business.
Punctuality is key for all businesses, as it presents a sense of professionalism to customers. Employees that are happy and willing to be at work are also more likely to be on time, or early to work. Staying punctual also extends to delivery of projects and campaigns, and other deadlines you may have within your business, which can help reduce stress, and maintain team morale and productivity. This keeps your business running smoothly, and can be the difference between your success and failure.
Networking and collaborating with other brands is effective
Wedding planners are experts on networking and collaborating with vendors and specialists. They need to be able to know specialists in the industry, such as DJs, entertainers, and caterers, in order to get the best possible deals for their clients. Wedding planners will also need to know a wide variety of these specialists, in order to cater to every style and theme of wedding they’re planning for.
The same rule applies for businesses. Networking with other professionals is key to the success for entrepreneurs, as it builds a strong community of skills. Maintaining professional relationships with experts, whether they’re in the same industry or not, can help your business succeed. For example, you may have met a digital designer who can help you build a fresh website for your business, or update the one you have, allowing you to benefit from their skills. Professionals within your network can even help put you in touch with other specialist businesses, and help you secure a good deal with the company.
Making life easier for your clients is a priority
Making life easier for clients is one of wedding planners’ main job roles, and this is something that should come naturally to any good entrepreneur. Wedding planners are often chosen to help relieve the stress that comes with planning a wedding, allowing the bride and groom to focus on their own wellbeing. Showing that you’re willing to go the extra mile for clients and customers is excellent customer service. Providing exceptional customer service is key for client retention, and can even help increase the chances that they will recommend your services to peers.
Wedding planners have a number of different qualities that marry up perfectly with their job. Thinking more like a wedding planner can often be the difference between your business feeling like a never-ending honeymoon, or going down a rocky path and turning into another statistic.
