Organizing holidays as a business, advice from a professional. Organizing children's parties - where to start a personal business

Do you have organizational skills and love holidays? Try to make money from this by opening your own event agency! This is a fairly profitable, interesting and promising business with a minimum entry threshold. You will organize weddings, birthdays, corporate events and various children's parties, meeting new people and finding clients through word of mouth. This market has practically no competitors, especially in provincial cities. Let's look at how to open an agency for organizing holidays and how much you can earn from it.

How to register

To create such an agency, you just need to register as an ordinary individual entrepreneur. You need to select 92.3 and 92.72 as OKVED codes. This will allow you to cover the full range of event services.

Note: You can start registering not immediately after you decide to open, but after you have developed your own customer base. This will save you on taxes.

Don’t rush to register - first you need to develop a customer base and make the necessary connections

You will need to create a brand and a high-quality portfolio, otherwise you will have practically no clients. Therefore, you can simply host two or three events as an individual to gain the necessary experience, take some quality photos and shoot video footage of your work.

Which room to choose

You will definitely need an office. It should be in the city center, not on the outskirts or in a factory area. At first, you can save money by inviting clients to your home or making appointments in a cafe, but in the end you will still need a good premises that will emphasize your status as a reputable office.

A room measuring 25-30 square meters is quite enough to conduct successful activities. You will need to renovate it, decorating it in bright, attractive colors. We recommend inviting an experienced designer to design it - everything should be done professionally and harmoniously.

To get started, you will need to purchase a comfortable sofa, a table, armchairs, chairs, a couple of computers, a TV for displaying various photos and videos, a printer and a fax. Approximately, you will have to spend about 100 thousand rubles on furnishing the office, plus another 100 thousand on its renovation.

You will also need specialized equipment and decorations to run your business. But don't buy expensive DJ consoles or a large number of wedding dresses - they can be rented if necessary. When you realize that you really need the equipment constantly and it will pay for itself, then buy it.

For work you may need the following list of things:

  1. Inexpensive mixer.
  2. Good remote microphone.
  3. High quality speakers.
  4. Amplifier.
  5. Laptop.
  6. Light and music set.

You will have to spend about 150 thousand rubles to purchase this. Subsequently, you will most likely need a high-quality SLR camera and video camera, but in the early stages it is better to simply hire good photographers and camera operators with their own equipment.

You will need space to create an office and store props

Recruitment

So, you have already decided that you want to start organizing holidays as a business: where to start, how to succeed in this difficult task? If in the early stages you can work alone, then as you develop you are guaranteed to need help. You will have to hire:

  1. Manager. He will take calls, explain various issues to clients, place orders and monitor their execution. Wage such a manager is usually set at 10 thousand + a certain percentage of each order.
  2. Designer. This person will be responsible for decorating the halls, ordering costumes, flowers, etc. Typically, designers receive a certain percentage of each order, but it is often cheaper to arrange for a permanent salary.
  3. Driver with his car. You will have to constantly carry something from place to place, so without a car it will be difficult. You can simply hire a driver with transport for a salary of 10-15 thousand.

How nice it is to plunge into the atmosphere of a holiday, be it a child’s birthday or New Year. But what to do if you don’t have the strength to organize everything yourself?

Comes to the rescue inventor, or organizer of corporate, entertainment or business events.

The inventory profession is quite complex and, at times, scrupulous, although many believe that this is not the case.

Responsibilities of event organizers

The responsibilities of event organizers include introducing the client from the very first meeting to the event itself, which can be difficult, since each client needs to choose their own approach, as well as to please with prices and satisfy with the result obtained.

You also need to look for new clients and at the same time send presentations of ready-made holidays to the “old” ones.

The next step is a presentation at the client's office. We will have to participate in tenders, prepare proposals, and develop new concepts.

You need to have time to make colorful Power Point presentations to demonstrate to clients.

In the best case, this ends with the conclusion of an agreement with the client. This is followed by script writing, copywriting of concepts, as well as script texts, rewriting, and coming up with all kinds of slogans.

The next step is the selection of sites for the action, all options, contractors, artists, animators.

Estimates are being drawn up for summer team building events, including sports programs, weddings, children's parties, PR campaigns, festivals and many others. The profession also includes coordinating events and ends with writing reports on the events carried out for the website of the companies that ordered the services.

Organizers of children's parties

There are many separate organizations for holding children's parties. They specialize only in important days in a child’s life, most often until the age of 13-14. Organizations of this type will make a holiday of any complexity, which will be interesting to watch even for adults :) They have a huge selection of show programs, animators, clowns, life-size puppets, there are cakes to order, various shapes inflatable balloons and much more.

How to become a holiday organizer?

In order to become an event organizer, you need to understand that with certain skills everything is achieved with experience. You need to have a certain talent. Talent for working with audiences, with the public. The ability to hold attention and interest the audience. But to take your place in the sun, you can first start with future competitors. See how they accept an order from a client, what they ask, what is written in the contract, what price they charge, and much more. Everything will come in handy! You can try to create your own agency for organizing holidays, but you must be sure that your team consists of experienced psychologists and excellent organizers. The ability to convince people will be a very important factor. You also need to think about the location of the office - a building close to a business center or luxury complex for the convenience of future clients would be an excellent location.

Event organizer courses

To learn how to organize a holiday, you can choose courses. Usually about 100 hours are devoted to this profession. 30 hours of which will be classroom lessons (theory), and 70 hours will be practice. Courses for holiday organizers are aimed at developing in students an understanding and knowledge of the competent organization of holidays, as well as other public events in a team. The course program includes studying the professional organization of various holidays. They focus on studying all the components of a corporate event: venues, decoration, food, program, holiday budget, as well as how to avoid problems and make these events really cool, fun and amazing.

The main task of the holiday organizer is to hold it and make it unforgettable! And with the acquisition of knowledge and experience, you can achieve incredible success!

Prepare a portfolio. Having specific examples of your work demonstrates to future employers that you can be trusted and reinforces the impression that you have knowledge and experience.

  • Record all the events that you helped organize. Take photos, save examples of invitations and client references that demonstrate your reliability and experience. Place it in a professional looking binder or folder. If possible, scan all materials so they can be emailed to potential employers.
  • Prepare a professional resume that describes your education and experience. Be sure to list events in which you have participated as a volunteer, as well as your involvement in professional and student organizations of which you are a member.
  • Write individual cover letters to accompany your resume, applying for each vacancy. There is no one-size-fits-all cover letter that will work for every occasion. Tailor your cover letter to address the customer's specific needs and describe how you can meet them.
  • Start spreading the word online. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job and ask them to let you know if anything comes up. You never know who someone else might know, or what someone might hear about the work you're drawing.

    • Create an account on LinkedIn. This social network allows you to create an account and place a resume in it, which you can send out. You can also join groups and networks of other people in your industry.
    • Don't lose touch with your fellow students. If any of them got a job, ask how they did it and if there are any other openings.
    • Make business cards and carry them with you at all times. Manufacturing business cards Relatively inexpensive, they are a good idea to carry with you, since you never know where and when life might bring you into contact with someone who can help you find a job.
  • Look for work online. With so many jobs now available online, it's important to visit popular job sites. Also, certain organizations or specialized sites may advertise vacancies in the event management field, allowing you to focus your search.

    • Superjob and HeadHunter are popular job search sites in Russia. Narrow your search to "event planner," "event management," "wedding planner," "event coordinator," or "event management."
    • The Meeting Professionals International website has a career center where you can also search for jobs (careers.mpiweb.org). Also check out specialeventsite.com and careers.nace.net (the National Association of Catering Planners' job site in the US).
  • Walk the streets. Look for event planning companies near you and stop by to give them your resume. Sometimes a personal message, especially in this communication-oriented field, can make all the difference.

    • Look the best way and be professional when you show up to the company. You must know the manager's name in order to ask for a short meeting with him. If an appointment is not possible at this time, politely leave your resume and cover letter with the receptionist and plan to make a follow-up phone call in a few days.
    • Carry your portfolio with you in case you are lucky enough to meet someone who hires you.
  • Consider freelancing or starting your own business. These could be steps you might want to take after a few years in the industry, or you might know straight away that you want to work for yourself.

    • Research the competition. Look at what event management companies already exist in your area and what they specialize in. If you are able to be different from them in one way or another, this can be an advantage for getting on your feet and getting clients.
    • Talk to other freelancers or entrepreneurs. There is no need to comprehend everything through thorns. Rely on the experience of those who can help you avoid some of the pitfalls that self-employment can present.
  • Don't stop trying. Finding a job in many fields is a difficult task. Persistence will pay off, so stay positive and keep looking.

    • Form a support group of friends who are also looking for work. Surrounding yourself with people who are in the same boat as you can alleviate the feelings of alienation and frustration that come with the job search.
    • Celebrate small victories. Interviews, surveys, callbacks are all positive things. Even if they don't lead to a job at the moment, they let you know that you are on the right path and there is interest in you to find out what you are like and what you have to offer.
  • The theory of the famous Scottish economist Adam Smith that demand creates supply has so far been refuted by no one. And it is precisely under this law that business operates now. There is a need for a product, which means it will be produced and sold. However, people now live more according to the principle of the ancient Romans, who shouted to their rulers: “Bread and circuses!” And they knew how to organize spectacles. The topic of holding entertainment events is still relevant today, and since truly good show few can deliver, and therefore among such companies only a few remain afloat, I decided to tell you how you can create an agency for organizing holidays, what pitfalls a novice entrepreneur can avoid, and how, if possible, to achieve success in this business.


    Surely you have heard that in Russia holidays more than in any other country in the world. And it’s true: our compatriots have come up with so many holidays that they have already become even more than 1/3 of working days. For example, this year we work 240 days and rest 125, that is, every 3rd day. The question is: when to work, and what are people dissatisfied with who think they are overworking? One way or another, Russian people love holidays, and they are used to celebrating them on a grand scale - if they go out for a walk, so that they will remember about it for a very long time.

    Brief business analysis:
    Costs of setting up a business:500,000 - 1,500,000 rubles
    Relevant for cities with the population: from 100,000 people
    Industry situation:the supply market is saturated
    Difficulty of organizing a business: 4/5
    Payback: 1-1.5 years

    Our citizens are quite successful in this, especially if you consider that in just a few days of holidays they “discharge” everything that they have been able to accumulate over several years. Vivid examples of this are weddings, anniversaries, the birth of a child, etc. So the sums in this business are quite considerable, and the “entrance ticket” to the market for such services is also not cheap. But the agency for organizing holidays also receives orders all year round, in contrast to the seasonality of other areas of entertainment, such as beach attractions, or an open-air cinema.

    By the way, according to the now “fashionable” tradition of naming everything that is possible and everything that is not in foreign words, about agencies for organizing holidays you can now hear the expression “event” (English: Event). Of course, the concept itself is somewhat broader than the word “holiday,” but company owners do not particularly pay attention to semantics, proudly naming their enterprise in a foreign manner.

    However, modern holiday organizing agencies deal not only with the holidays themselves, but also with other events that can only be called holidays with a stretch:

    • Award Ceremonies
    • Organization of presentations
    • Corporate events
    • Picnics
    • PR campaigns
    • And so on and so forth

    We draw up a business plan and register our activities

    A business plan in any business is the basis that not only allows you to paint a picture of the future business, but also prevent the risk of failure, or “mitigate” the consequences of bankruptcy. I have already told my readers how to create a business plan; I will not repeat it. Those interested can view all the information at this link.

    If you want to simplify your task and get advice from professional lawyers and accountants or help in completing all necessary documents, then come here.

    Let's organize a workplace

    Do you feel the difference? Not an office, but workplace. Because almost always meetings and conclusion of contracts are held either in a neutral place (cafe, restaurant) or on the customer’s premises. Therefore, you will need the room mainly for work - discussing upcoming events with the team, drawing up scenarios, etc. But it also happens that a client wants to meet you on your premises, and therefore the workplace should be designed accordingly.

    Photos hung on the walls from various events you have held (at first these may not be your photos at all), good office furniture, reviews from grateful customers - all this should impress clients. In addition, you should always have a portfolio ready, consisting of videos of the show you organized.

    Recruiting a team

    Organizing holidays is exactly the kind of business in which “personnel decide everything.” 2-3 specialists cannot handle this task, except perhaps to work on events with a small budget. In order to achieve success in your business, you will need a team of first-class specialists:

    • Animators
    • Drivers
    • Screenwriters
    • Leading showmen
    • Photographer, videographer

    In addition, you will need cooks, workers installing lighting and other structures, dancers, circus performers, musicians of various genres, pyrotechnicians, waiters, decorators, and a bunch of other people. Of course, it is simply impossible to keep all these people on staff, so I put the specialists who were needed first on the list, and listed the rest in a line.

    It’s up to you to decide who exactly to invite to your team on an official basis, and who will be involved as needed under the contract. But the fact that during the work of an agency organizing holidays you will have to “grow tentacles” of useful connections is a fact, not only among the “sharks” of show business, but also among municipal authorities, directors of schools, kindergartens, theaters, and cafe owners and restaurants, and other “necessary” people.

    “Along the way,” several “related” businesses can be identified as a separate area: decorating with balloons, providing a bus for parties, etc.

    Scenarios for holidays

    A competent, interesting, captivating script is half the success of your team, so you can’t skimp on writers. It is better if 2-3 people work on it, and the necessary adjustments will be made after writing by the whole team. The usual “drinking, partying, dancing” will not surprise anyone now, people want creativity.

    By the way, about saving. Since there is fierce competition among event agencies, and they literally “fight” for clients, especially large ones, you cannot save on all the staff, especially if they are professionals high level, since, having gained experience, gained certain knowledge, working in your team, no one will stop them from leaving for competitors (such poaching is widespread in the entertainment business). Corporate “loyalty” should be supported not only by banknotes, but also by a loyal attitude towards employees, and some corporate “ideology”, and the cohesion of the entire team.

    And one more thing about scenarios: they must be protected by intellectual property rights, otherwise, after your holiday is “copied” by competitors, you will have to come up with something new every time.

    Necessary equipment, inventory, and gear

    When organizing a business, purchasing all the necessary equipment and inventory will probably be the biggest expense item. You will definitely need a car that will transport equipment and artists to the performance site.

    • Lighting and sound equipment
    • Suits
    • Photo and video equipment
    • Scenery

    - Of course, you won’t be able to buy everything you need, and you don’t need to purchase it right away, everything will appear in the process of business development, but you should have what is listed on the list.

    We are looking for clients

    The most important thing for you in business, especially in the first year or two, should be filling out your portfolio. No one will trust a company that has held several children's matinees, couples graduation ceremonies, anniversaries, and one wedding, organizing a show worth a hundred thousand dollars. That is why you should always strive upward, building up a portfolio, and not being afraid to offer your services to famous customers.

    "Pitfalls" of an event agency

    The main mistake of beginning event agencies is the desire to do everything, and therefore, without the necessary experience, they often take on events that, to put it mildly, are not yet up to the task. You need to move towards success smoothly, gradually, but steadily, and then you will definitely succeed.

    Take a little advice: try to find out all the dates that are significant for the “right” people: birthdays of your wife, children, beloved dog, company anniversaries, etc. And not only to congratulate when necessary and unobtrusively offer your services, but also to simply “mark” in their memory, so that at the right moment your candidacy “pops up” in the person’s head.

    Another dangerous point in this business is the use of outdated scripts. If the client wants it to be different from others, there is no need to redo it old script, better write a new one.

    At the same time, learn yourself, as the leader of a large, multifaceted team, develop professionalism, the ability to predict events, flexibility of thinking, and quick orientation in the situation. Success will not keep you waiting!

    Interview with the founder of one of the famous and oldest event agencies in Moscow

    (votes: 1, average: 5.00 out of 5)

    Every parent strives to give their children the best. A holiday will help make your childhood happy and unforgettable. But most often, working mothers and fathers do not have the opportunity to organize it so that it is a bright and enchanting performance. In such a situation, the help of professionals is indispensable.
    If you are a creative person, you have a lot of interesting children, then you can easily get involved in arranging and organizing all kinds of children's events. Holidays are not limited to just birthdays. It could be New Year, Christmas, ending school year- whatever you can come up with and sell.

    Organizing and holding festive events is a business that requires drawing up a clear action plan. You should do everything so that parents can enjoy the holiday with their children, and not try to keep track of everything. It is very important to treat every little guest with attention - even a very shy child should feel comfortable and cheerful. The responsibilities of the organizer include many actions:

    • Preparing a script and agreeing with parents.
    • Planning and careful consideration of all details.
    • Providing event participants with costumes.
    • Decorating the premises, creating a menu, etc.
    • Cleaning up after the holiday.

    The advantages of this business include low start-up investments and an exciting creative process. Every day you will go to work and end up on a birthday or other holiday.
    For your business to flourish, imagination and organizational skills are not enough. You will have to study the hobbies and interests of modern children so that you can diversify the program and come up with an interesting scenario.
    The most important stage of preparation is the budget. Based on the amount you have available, decide on the venue, necessary details, entertainment program and a treat.

    Where to look for clients

    If you decide to start organizing children's parties, the first thing you should think about is how to find clients. It will be all the parents and children dreaming of a fun event. Your task is to interest them, so make a colorful booklet and send it to everyone who lives in your area. Submit an article to a newspaper with interesting description of your services, advertise on the Internet. Promotional products can be distributed in children's sports sections and dance studios, but first coordinate this issue with the owners.

    If your city hosts charity auctions, consider hosting a free children's party. This is very good and effective advertising. When you have your first clients, do not forget to take photographs of the holidays. From these you can create a portfolio that you will show to other potential clients.
    Most of the orders are provided by word of mouth. Even if it seems to you that things are going well, don’t stop there. You need to constantly remind yourself and your services. Don't ignore the regions. Professional organization Children's parties are the prerogative of large cities. You can take advantage of this and offer your services in other markets.
    Register on specialized resources, parent forums, where you can track topics on organizing children's parties. It is better to leave your phone number in private messages - advise yourself as a specialist who held a holiday for your child. Make business cards and leave them everywhere you go.

    Decoration of children's parties

    Organization of any festive event for children requires rich imagination, skill, love, kindness and positive emotions. The feelings that you experience when decorating the interior are transmitted to all participants in the celebration.
    The room where the holiday will be held should be bright and beautiful. You can use flowers to decorate it. Plants can transform any room and turn an ordinary room into a magical meadow of flowers. And if the holiday takes place in the banquet hall of a restaurant, you can arrange a real flower carnival for the children. Unusual fresh compositions, garlands, figurines fairy-tale heroes and animals made from flowers - all these accessories will become a wonderful element children's party.
    Another way to decorate a room is Balloons. Bright and shining, small and large, round or oddly shaped, they will add a unique flavor to a children's party. Balloons can be hung from the ceiling, attached to chairs, decorated with windows, or simply scattered on the floor. A highlight of the holiday can be the launch of dozens of colorful balloons into the sky.
    For themed events, you will need decorations that will help transport guests to another era, create an interior of the time that will fully correspond to the holiday scenario.

    How to organize a business

    The most convenient option for doing business in organizing children's parties is a limited liability company. The bulk of your clients are small and medium-sized companies, child care institutions, as well as individuals who have enough money to hire professionals and enjoy their vacation.
    Based on the target audience, create a price list indicating the list of services. But first analyze the work of agencies organizing holidays in your region. This will help you identify shortcomings in the work of competitors and create reasonable prices for your services.

    Be sure to think about the location of your company. The best option is a room of up to fifty square meters. Divide it into three rooms: the first will become a meeting room, your sales managers will work in the second, and use the third as a warehouse. The room must be equipped with modern office equipment - computers or laptops with Internet access, a printer, a telephone-fax, as well as a TV and DVD player.
    To organize a children's party you will need a pen, a diary for notes and a phone. And if you spend themed parties, stock up on costumes and makeup for guests.