Читать книгу Start & Run an Event-Planning Business - Mardi Foster-Walker - Страница 6

Once you have decided on whether or not this field is right for you, your next step is to determine your market or area of specialty. Is there a big enough market waiting to hire you to produce their special events? Make certain you discover this before you risk time and money on starting a business.

Many start-up operations are established solely on instinct and optimism. The enthusiastic new business owner may have only a vague idea about who his or her clients are or, indeed, whether or not there will be any clients at all. Operating on blind faith, such people are relying on plain old luck to see them through, and sometimes, it takes just that. However, while every business needs a little luck now and then, banking on it is hazardous to the long-term health of your enterprise.

The special events industry is so vast that the event organizer is not limited to just one market segment. Even those who are experts in the events business will have a difficult time trying to define all the potential markets. But to be successful in a field that is so broad, you need to find your niche — a specialty that combines your best capabilities with a service that is necessary and, preferably, underserved in your area. As outlined in the introduction, the choices are plentiful: conferences, conventions, incentives, corporate meetings, expositions, trade shows, fund-raisers, weddings, sporting events, concerts, festivals, parades, children’s events, golf tournaments, and the list goes on. When you concentrate on one market, referrals and word-of-mouth businesses come your way much more quickly. On the flip side, when you work in different fields and functions, you reduce your chances to become known as the best in the business.

Where do you see yourself? What makes sense to you and the community you plan to serve? You may need some experience to gain this insight, but what’s important is to keep your options open and remember that you cannot succeed if you spread your special events business too thin. The key to your success is to identify your potential customers, to know what they want, and to determine how to fill that need.