Being a wedding planner and having your own business is exciting, fun, and glamorous but it is also a lot of work. If you have a passion for weddings, I think you will love it. But I want you to have realistic expectations about what it can take to achieve success quickly, so I address that question today.
Question
Can I become a successful wedding planner in just one year?
Answer
I’m guessing by successful you are asking if you will be able to earn a living from your wedding planning business within the first year. I would say that, of course, anything may be possible. But it can be difficult for any new business to be profitable within the first year, whether it is wedding planning or any other occupation.
You didn’t indicate what you have done in the past. In order to reach success quickly, it would help to have some factors already in place that most people don’t acquire until they have been in business for a while. Here are 8 of them:
1) You have already had prior experience running a successful customer-focused business.
2) You have solid experience planning weddings and working with brides.
3) You have chosen a target market that you have thoroughly researched and are offering the services your brides want and will purchase.
4) You know how to successfully market and sell your services both online and offline.
5) You have a large network of family members, friends, business owners, and others whom you know will be great referral sources for you.
6) You have testimonials from brides whose weddings you have planned who will also spread the word about you.
7) You have a network of wedding vendors whom you can rely on to work with your brides to create fabulous weddings.
8) Your family supports your business and doesn’t have a problem with the hours you need to put in to become successful quickly.
Wedding planning is not a get rich quick business. Don’t do it just for the money because you will not be successful or happy. You have to love weddings, love helping brides make their wedding days special, and be dedicated to doing what it takes to have a successful, long-term wedding planning business.
And if you have a pressing question about starting or running your wedding planning business, you can send me an email at questions@sharonhill.com. I will answer them on this blog or in my ezine, “Wedding Planner Tips,” which you can subscribe to here.