So Many Questions!

It has been a bit of time since my last post but considering I only have two followers at this time (one being my Husband) I feel I'm not letting too many people down...just wait until I have 5...wow - then things will get crazy!

Well a good thing to note, for anyone reading this for the inspiration portion of my posts...May, not the greatest time of year to try and occupy the time of some of the city's top event planners. 'Tis the season to host an event (second to The Holidays).  So needless to say I have had some trouble locking in a coffee chat with either of the event planners I have contacted. Good news is they are both more than happy to meet up when things slow down a little and offered to answer some questions in the mean time. So here are the list of questions that I have asked. Hopefully soon I will make a post with the answers to these questions. There are many questions and I certainly prefaced the list saying that they did not need to answer all of them or all fully.

1. How did you get started with event planning?
2. How did you build your client base and market yourself?
3. What types of events did you start with?
4. What are your favourite events to plan and why?
5. What courses or continuing education would you recommend to learn more about the industry?
6. What can you tell me about your process for an event from start to finish (might be more of an in person questions because I’m sure this is a long one)
7. What were some of your best lessons learned?
8. What do you love most about what you do?
9. How do you determine your pricing?
10. What are you main tools for planning an event? Spreadsheets, to do lists etc.?
11. How do you make your events different?
12. Where do you get your best creative ideas from?
13. Do you have any advice or recommendations to give someone starting out?

While I wait for answers my next step is going to be to research what program I want to take. I am hoping that the event planners I have contacted can help with that question but I do want to do some of my own research as well. I miss school and I'm excited to get started in the program. 

Finally, my homework to myself is going to be to set some goals and targets. How many event planners to meet with, when I should plan my first event, what that event will look like, when will my first paid event be etc... questions, always so many questions! Isn't it GREAT! 

"To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask?" Jim Rohn 

Ready...Fire...Aim

Over the years I have had several different business ideas. I would sometimes start business plans, get part way and then the passion would run out and I wouldn't have the drive to take the idea any further. This was always my roadblock. I would always find excuses why I couldn't make the business happen. So this time, knowing I have a real passion for this business, instead of getting myself bogged down in the details and making excuses I decided to follow some great advice I received years ago - Ready...Fire...Aim. Sometimes you just have to do it and figure the rest out later. So here are the steps I followed to get the ball rolling.

1. After much deliberation I decided on the name Gloss Event Planning
2. I read about the steps to registering a Sole Proprietorship in BC at: http://www.bcbusinessregistry.ca/
3. I went to the BC OneStop Business Registry site: https://www.bcregistrynames.gov.bc.ca/nro/ where I submitted my business name for approval ($31.68)
4. Once I received the name approval (by email) I went to: http://www.bcbusinessregistry.ca/registrations.htm and set up my userID and Password
5. After logging in I filled out the required information and registered my Sole Proprietorship ($40.00)
6. VOILA I have a registered Sole Proprietorship 'Gloss Event Planning'
7. I went to Netix http://netix.com and followed the steps to register my domain name: www.glosseventplanning.com  (price depends on package - about $15/year)

So there you have it - a Registered Sole Proprietorship and a hold on my future website.  What's next then? Here’s my plan:

1. Set up a meeting with a noted event planner in Victoria (meeting agreed to – date and time to be set)
2. Register for courses in Event Planning & Management (receive advice about the best courses to take)
3. Develop my website (work with a web developer – look into hosting etc.)
4. Create a logo
5. Develop a network of mentors and advisers to learn from

So there are my next few steps – I’m focusing on research and education for now (it’s me …I’m a planner…I can’t take out all the ‘aim’) and we will see what comes next…stay tuned…

“I think I can, I think I can.”
- The Little Engine That Could

The Beginning

Do you ever find yourself looking beyond today and trying to figure out how you're going to get to tomorrow? You have an idea of what you want your future to look like but can't see the steps that will bring you there? Well I have always seen myself as an entrepreneur, someone who makes a living doing what they love, is well regarded in the community, is proud of their achievements, and provides a happy life for their family. I couldn't pin point what it was though that really made me tick. To say I had an epiphany would be an injustice to all the experiences and the people who gave me the pieces of the puzzle that came together in a moment of clarity. What I love doing and what I've been doing since high school for charity events, conferences, my own wedding, and anywhere I can get involved is planning events. I love event planning, it is my passion and it drives me.

So here is where I begin - at the beginning of course. I want to document my story as I take the steps towards building my business. I think it will be a great tool for me as I go through the process as well as create something to look back on. If I can hope for as much maybe it will provide some guidance and inspiration for someone who is looking for more pieces to their puzzle. Last of all, sometime down the road maybe this will be read by someone who would like to hire me for their event. It's too hard at this point to say what I hope a future client will derive from this post so maybe I will write about that later - whatever it is I hope it's positive!

“The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment.”  - Earl Nightingal