There are so many advantages to being your own boss. Aside from deciding on your own rates and work hours, you get to choose the types of clients you work with. There are plenty of event planners who have managed to successfully mount their careers without letting go of their corporate job. However, it takes a special kind of dedication and patience to juggle both. In addition, it can take a while for any new business to gain traction in the industry, so keeping your full-time position may be a smart and practical decision.
The point is — it can be done. It can be quite a challenge and will really test your time management and organization skills, but it’s definitely feasible. Here are some tips to follow so you can get started on running your very own events business while still being true to your 9 to 5.
- Learn to set priorities
Keeping up with the demands of your day job and running a business on the side is no easy feat. It takes a massive amount of patience, dedication, and skill to maintain your focus. To ensure that things go as planned while moving one step closer to being a certified event planner, you have to identify what’s more important that the other things and arrange them according to priority.
Every person multi-tasks differently. So before deciding to get into this setup, you have to be ready in your mind, heart, and body. A schedule is one of the most efficient ways to track your to-do list. Have your work or month’s tasks visible at a glance so you avoid double booking or scheduling an event or client meeting on the same day as your office seminar or team activity. This system also ensure that you still get “me” time in between your two careers. You do need to take of yourself before anything.
If jotting things down in a calendar is not for you. You can go digital by setting reminders on your smartphone. It’s the same system as keeping a traditional calendar, only that everything’s literally at the palm of your hand. It is also vital that you put in some leisure or downtime in the middle of it all to make sure that your stress levels are still manageable. This way, you won’t endanger your day job, your business, or both.
- Identify your goals
Commitment is the operative word in this kind of career setup. It’s easy to get caught up with everything’s that’s going on simultaneously that you run the risk of losing sight of your main goal. Why are you doing all these? Why an event planning business more than any other?
First, decide that your business is not something you just when you feel like it. Event planning is a real career and will demand a lot of your time and energy. If you set a goal to have X number of clients per month, work to make that number happen. List down all your goals and place them in a section of your home or office where it’s easily visible, so you are always reminded. Even with a task list at your 9 to 5 job, when you have identified your goals for your events company, it will be easier to plan your next move. Plus, seeing those numbers go nearer to your goal is an awesome feeling.
- Utilize your network
Always find the time to network and tell people that your business exists. Whether you’re at the office or are socializing, use every chance you can to build connections. If you are an employee at an events planning company, you can tell your current customers that you are planning to set up your events firm soon. A connection that has been established in person holds a lot of promise in terms of booking a new client. You never really know if a friend, an acquaintance, or their friends and family is in need of an events specialist.
Maximize your time and take advantage of every opportunity to market yourself. Your day job will just be there as long as you do perform your tasks, but your business will not grow if you don’t put yourself out there. Another way to give your budding events career a boost is to partner with local businesses (like a retail store, salon, or bakery) where your potential event clients go for related services. These partnerships and the recommendations that can spring out of these is a good way to build your business, without you having to leave your full-time job.
