The party planning industry is a fairly easy business to enter. An individual who wants to become a party planner can begin without attending college, seeking any type of certification, or even securing any specific training. Often, all that is required is organization, planning, and marketing skills as well as a love of fun parties and events.
While there isn’t a specific training or educational path for becoming a party planner, some individuals may benefit from seeking training. An aspiring party planner may attend event planning seminars or training courses in marketing. Some may even volunteer to work for other event planners in order to learn the business. There are also many books intended to help new party planners get started.
One of the most important steps for an individual who wants to become a party planner may be deciding which types of parties he wants to organize. For example, he may want to focus on birthday and anniversary parties and other types of celebrations for individuals. Alternatively, he may prefer to concentrate on parties and special events for businesses and organizations. While some people may decide to organize all types of parties, many find it easier to establish themselves by focusing on one party category.
Another critical step for a person who plans to become a party planner is often creating a business plan. This includes determining what the business' start-up costs will be and how much money the new party planner will need to keep it running until it becomes profitable. The business plan should also include details about marketing, and it may even include plans for eventual expansion.
A prospective party planner will also have to deal with licensing and vendor selection. Though party planners don’t usually need licensing to plan parties, they may need licenses to operate a business or a special license to throw a particular kind of party. An individual may need a business license even if he plans to operate his business out of his own home. He’ll also need to find vendors and create a list of their contact information and ordering policies. For example, a party planner may need to work with caterers, musicians, disc jockeys, florists, and party supply stores, and having their ordering requirements handy can make party planning a smoother process.
Marketing is an important consideration for an individual who wants to become a party planner. He’ll need to determine the type of image he’d like to present to the public and create or buy marketing materials that reflect his vision. For example, he may create business cards, flyers, and brochures to let others know about his business. He may also create a Web site or place party planning ads in local newspapers.
