I had a little question/ advice to ask you?
I have an event planning company and i do planning and design, thankfuly my business continues to grow; however im struggling with the actuall structure and system of the daily operations and the actual business management. I know how to put a wedding or event together, but now is not only me we have more staff and is the having a clear structure and step by step procedures on everyones envolvements, sharing of information and making sure everyine is on the same page and not stepping on each others job. What are your recomendations? How can i set up my business so that is propertly organized in order to grow successfuly
I look forward hearing from you soon.

Warmest regards and thank you in advance.

This particular entry from Mr. Preston has caught my attention and has given me the urge to share what I have been doing and what I have been dealing with in my business.

I am Tandy from Singapore, I own a wedding planning boutique based in Singapore too. My business is about 2 years old and it is very challenging to be creative as an artist, many of our new clients get shunned away by the looks of our works and we are given no chance to explore our ideas in real life as there is barely a buyer in my country.

I am quite lucky as I have been dealing with quite a number of high-profile clients who are more than willing to pay us for our works, actually Mr. Preston did one of our wedding planner’s client’s wedding in Bali, in fact the work is featured on Preston’s book titled “Celebrations”. Again, many of our clients feel intimidated upon seeing us and they choose to engage other vendors who charge significantly less and of course the quality is severely compromised.

It is very very sad that the locals are still treating their weddings like a liability than a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Thank you very much for this post! I run an Event Design & Floral business. We have been surviving for 6 years already which is a great blessing. I’m 24 and run this business with my sister who is 33. We still hold our day jobs but at the same time ambitiously work to develop our business!

Challenges faced initially were typical of every creative business. Getting people to hire/trust us with their events. We started off confident of our talent and ability to provide something different. However as our projects grew albeit slowly, we faced another challenge today and that is on pricing. People say we are expensive and that we overcharge etc. We work extremely hard and by reading blogs like Think Splendid and of Sean Low’s we do charge to cover our costs obviously and a premium which basically is reflective of how much we value our work.

But i think a contributor to this cost issue these days ironically is the immense number of wonderful wedding/party blogs out there that showcase beautiful events clearly inspiring clients everywhere to have a wedding/party of such standards. However, on the clients part there has been zero realization of whether such wants are aligned to their budget. i’m currently working to find ways to educate them about costs.

i secretly hope couples of these beautiful weddings actually reveal their budget next to the pictures they showcase!

Thank you so much for your honesty. It is rare and refreshing! In business, everyone gloats about how great their lives are and how perfect each day is — without a challenge.

Being an entrepreneur is difficult, lonely and full of self sacrifice. No one but another entrepreneur or someone in a committed relationship with one understands the daily up’s and downs.

I am a small ad agency owner, I live in Washington, DC. I have been in business for nine years. I own all of your books and admire your work and dedication.

It is difficult to charge a lot of money in this economy. I wish I could charge more. One of the things I am working on is owning my voice and public perception. I realized this year, I have achieved a great deal, but it is hard to toot your own horn. Very hard.

Thank you for sharing. I love reading your posts, when I have time……

Karen

I’ve been in business for just a few months (a professional blogging and social media marketing company, particularly for wedding and event design companies) and I find my biggest obstacle to be price-setting. You’ve talked before about setting your “standards” and being “high brand / name / quality” and not being afraid to charge those prices, however, with just starting out you can’t exactly demand high prices. With a limited portfolio it’s no wonder that I have to start out lower and work my way up. Any general tips on how you can justify gradual price increases? Or even just price increases, in general?
Much appreciated, Preston.
Thanks!
-Savannah

Check out my pride & joy company that I blog for– The French Bouquet. FABULOUS French florist, Anne Marie Foy, is so brilliant and wonderful. Love her work and it’s a pleasure to work with her and blog about her designs.
http://www.thefrenchbouquettulsa.com/blog

I am a student in the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University, pursuing my passion for event planning. I have found that I have faced obstacles trying to pursue and achieve a dream that is not very common in college. I hope to one day be able to work for you and assist in the process of making people’s dreams become reality. What advice do you have or what steps should I take to make sure my goals become reality?

Warmest Regards,
Jacqueline