Small Business Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Event’

Are you looking to host an event, party, conference or workshop?  If you have done so before, you know event planning can be a headache.  And, if you haven’t, you’re probably already overwhelmed!  Continue reading to discover a checklist that will help you ensure you’re prepared for your upcoming event.

Nail down the basic information.  Be able to answer these questions:
1.    What is the purpose of your event?  (Informational, fundraiser, social, etc.)
2.    What is the name of your event?  This should be catchy but relate to the purpose of your activity.
3.    When will your event take place?  (Date and time)
4.    What is the draw – a performer, speaker, fundraising activity?  If a person or group needs to be booked, are they available?

Determine what the physical needs for your event are.  What about:
1.    Physical space – Will your event take place at a banquet, conference room, dance hall?
2.    Tables and chairs?  If you’re having a meeting, presentation, or a dinner, how do you want the tables arranged?  Consider this when evaluating venues.
3.    Food and drink – will a meal be served?  Snacks at breaks?  Beverages?  Sometimes this is bundled with your location, depending on location; otherwise, you may need to book a caterer.  This is a good thing to keep in mind when booking a venue.
4.    Equipment – will you need any audiovisual equipment for the event?  Possible equipment includes televisions, public address systems, computer projector and screen, overhead projector, and so on.  Will your venue supply such equipment, is it available elsewhere, or do you need to rent it?
5.    Security – is your event large?  Do you need a safety and security staff to ensure the well-being of your guests?
6.    Lodging – is your event a multi-day affair, will guests be traveling long distances, or could guests be too tired or intoxicated to make it home?  Consider reserving a block of rooms at a nearby hotel to make available to your guests.  At a minimum, include information on nearby lodging in the materials you send to guests.
7.    Transportation – How will your guests get to and from your event?  Will they drive themselves, and, if so, is parking available?  Is public transportation available?  You may wish to use a coach hire service to provide transportation for your guests.  This is especially advisable if alcohol is to be served at your event.

Advertising
1.    Do you need to advertise your event?  This may depend on the goal of the event and the intended audience.
2.    If so, create an advertising budget and goals.  Is the event public or private?
3.    Identify advertising methods – email and the web?  Radio?  TV?  Newspapers?  The correct medium for you will depend on the type of guests you’re trying to recruit.
4.    Design and distribute your ads, emails, letters or so on with adequate time to receive responses.

Last minute details
1.    Confirm details with the venue, caterer, transportation service, etc.
2.    Confirm any talent (band, speaker, performer, etc.)
3.    Confirm equipment needs are met and all equipment is working properly
4.    Review and confirm the guest list
5.    Get a good night’s sleep!

If you are looking for creative business ideas to start a small business, there are an abundance of services needed by people coordinating a major event or seminar, and also by people celebrating a major life milestone such as a wedding, special anniversary or birthday.

Now add in all the major holidays and the inspiration for creative business ideas can become infinite. Let’s look at some of the ways you could start a small business and create an extra income for yourself helping people organize, manage, decorate and clean up after these happenings.

Halloween has just come and gone and now the Christmas season is coming. Do you know what people need the most help with when preparing to celebrate a major holiday? It’s time! Most people are just too busy with all the aspects of their daily lives and adding something like Christmas on top of that can mean major overwhelm. This is where you can come in.

Services such as indoor and outdoor decorating, specialty food catering for parties, gift shopping, preparing and mailing Christmas cards and many other services are all a boon to the average stressed out family. And starting a service business like this requires a minimal start-up cost.

Now moving on to major events like seminars and conferences, there can be requirements for food services, decorating, child care, clean-up and more. Have you ever wondered who cleans up after a major rock concert or other big outdoor gathering? Specialty clean-up services are usually contracted to do this type of work.

Providing a service like this can mean making a lot more money than just having a regular house-cleaning service and this is where creative business ideas can start. Look at already existing businesses and find a specialty or niche that you can service within the industry.

Moving on to the major life milestone events such as a wedding, could you find a niche to service here? How about a service that drapes ceilings for a reception hall? Putting up yards and yards of tulle netting and lights to transform a drab reception hall into a wonderland would be a specific niche service within the wedding planning industry.

I went to a wedding once at the community center in my town where the ceilings had been draped and lighted beautifully and it was the most profound transformation. The space was just concrete and normally very unattractive and everyone that attended the wedding was just dumbfounded that such an ugly space could become so inviting.

The tables had all been set beautifully and the chairs all slip covered with slip on cloths and ribbon and the effect was just stunning. And these are all services that the bride ordered and paid for, small businesses providing a niche service and doing a successful job too.

Of course with a service like this and/or outdoor holiday decorating you would have to be very comfortable on a ladder, but these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when you start to look around and notice all the possibilities for creating a small business related to major events and life milestones.

Now perhaps this area doesn’t interest you, but at Creative-Small-Business-Ideas.com there are creative business ideas for pets, fashion, toys, vehicles, writing, websites, photography, selling on ebay, travel and many other areas that will fit your unique talents and interests.

Find lots of creative business ideas to start your own small business at Creative Small Business Ideas.com . With 20 different categories of free business ideas to research you are sure to find just the right business idea or inspiration for your own idea to take shape. Get start up costs, marketing info, resources and more.