Don’t Short-Change Yourself: Confidence Matters

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post entitled “Don’t Hawk What You Can’t Handle: A Lesson In Customer Service.” The article warned against overextending yourself with promises you can’t keep -- still solid advice (I think so anyway).

While it’s certainly important to know what you can and can’t promise your customers, it’s first and foremost important to be confident in your abilities.

Just because you're starting out doesn't mean you have to start small! For instance: as a wedding planner, if you start off with low budget weddings, you may find yourself stuck in that category -- a tale more common than you might think. Now, there's nothing wrong with simple, inexpensive weddings, that's for sure. But if you aspire to do more high-end weddings, then go for it! -- provided that you are confident of your skills. Never limit yourself out of fear of failure.

If you believe you are capable of offering high-end services and you are sensible about your resources, then you're set. The greatest weapon in the event professional’s arsenal is self-confidence. You can handle just about anything if you’re confident in your abilities. Of course, confidence comes from knowing you’ve done the proper prep work, training, and practice that will allow you to succeed. Otherwise, it isn’t confidence, it’s bluster.

Too many event professionals sell themselves short, not because they can’t afford to offer greater services but because they lack the confidence to do so. If you convince yourself that you are not ready for something, or that you are not as skilled as someone else, then you’ve already defeated yourself. Exude confidence even when you’re scared. You’ll be surprised how quickly that confidence becomes real.

Clients notice and respond to your sense of self. If you waver at all, they’ll immediately question your abilities -- and why not? After all, if you’re not sure of yourself, how can they be?

Whatever service you offer, offer it with complete confidence that you are the best person for the job. And once you've taken a look in the mirror and told yourself you're awesome (confidence), take a look at Inspherio, the all-in-one event planning and business management tool (sensibility). Inspherio has the tools to help you to grow your business: you won't have to waste time with a lot of busy work that could be better spent doing fun things like cultivating your business's image, establishing your presence, and connecting with clients. Just sayin'.

One thing's for sure: without a program like Inspherio, you're going to have much more cause for anxiety. Nothing is more confidence-shattering than having to juggle websites, applications, and paperwork trying to stay afloat. Get organized, save time, and make more money with this program! Try our free 30-day trial and see for yourself. Let Inspherio be the spark that ignites your fire!

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Email Etiquette: Get It Right or Pay the Price

Whether by phone or email, event professionals are often in constant correspondence with their clients. As an event professional, a great deal of your job is attracting clients, which is then followed by maintaining those clients.

When you’re communicating with clients, potential or established, it is important to maintain a professional demeanor -- this means dressing nicely when meeting in person and speaking politely when on the phone. Most successful event professionals have these standards down pat. Yet all too often, people forget a crucial component of establishing a professional image -- email etiquette.

Following basic grammatical rules and adjusting your style, tone, and diction to your audience’s expectations is just as important for establishing and maintaining your presence as dressing well or speaking professionally. Like it or not, email etiquette is important if you’re trying to present your business to a client.

We both know you’re neither disorganized nor disinterested, but clients are going to judge, subconsciously or otherwise, the content of your written communication. If it looks like you put zero thought into your correspondence, your clients will feel they are a low priority to you, since you took little care in presenting yourself professionally. Perhaps your email comes off as too serious or confrontational or too personal -- these are the things to look out for.

Even if your clients make mistakes in their responses or inquiries, it’s best to be sure that you maintain a professional demeanor every single time you email anyone regarding your business.

Even the best make mistakes. It is all too easy to send an unpolished email without thinking -- we’ve all been there. But remember that emails are not texts -- there is generally no expectation of an immediate reply, at least not the same swiftness expected of most text conversations. So take a breath, read it over at least once, and then send it.

Finally, everybody has a different style of writing and speaking, and nobody speaks or writes perfect “Standard English” -- there’s no need to worry about following exactly every guideline of the Oxford English Dictionary (though you’re more than welcome to if that’s your style).

“Proper” English is not what we’re talking about; rather, what you have to say and how you go about saying it are what really matters in your messages. So be sure to ask yourself if there are more advantageous ways to phrase your sentences.

The following are a few pointers for drafting a professional email to your clients:

1. Always use “Dear___” when emailing a client for the first time, even if you know them well. This ensures that you view the recipient as worthy of a formal greeting. For the most part, their response will dictate whether or not you continue the formality.

2. For business emails, use at least a semi-formal closing. Generally speaking, sign-offs like “Cheers” or “Later” are to be avoided. A simple “Best” will suffice. There’s always the old stand-by “Sincerely,” or the trustworthy “Regards,” and, perhaps the simplest and most direct, “Thank you.”

Never simply sign your name at the bottom of an initial message without a closing. As the conversation goes on, it may be acceptable to do away with closings, but for first messages ensure you take the time to sign off.

3. Be aware of your tone. We are often told that all business correspondence needs to be direct and concise -- and this is generally a good rule of thumb. However, it is possible to be too direct. Direct language is great for clarity, but its brevity can quickly turn into curtness if you're not careful. There is nothing wrong with padding your sentences a tiny bit in the interest of being at least semi-polite.

4. Know when and when not to use exclamation points. I can't tell you how many times I've received an email littered with exclamation points -- it always feels like I've stumbled into a surprise party, but not the good kind. Exclamation points can be great to emphasize a point or to express excitement, but you can express excitement without having to make every other sentence an exclamation. If you want to sound excited, that's fine -- but not at the expense of your professionalism.

5. This should go without saying, but alas, it needs saying: avoid text talk. As mentioned briefly above, writing an email as if you're texting a friend is a really fast way to annoy your clients. We all get that we are often on-the-go and on our phones, but that's no excuse to stop acting like a professional. Besides, writing clearly and carefully can help you in the event that confusion arises and you need evidence to point to. It's much easier to point to a thought-out sentence than a jumble of unclear letters and numbers.

Keep these pointers in mind when you're drafting email templates. With Inspherio, the all-in-one event and business management program, you can create an unlimited amount of email templates for any situation you can think of. Once you have the perfect message, you can use our email marketing feature to send that message to targeted groups of people. You can even read detailed reports on recipients' various reactions to your email marketing campaign -- a very useful tool for market research. Try our free 30-day trial today and see how easy it is to spread the (well-written) word about your business!

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How To Stay on Task While Working From Home

Event professionals' work hours are rarely spent in an official office environment; instead, they tend to work from home and on-the-go. The work hours of event planners are pretty much 24/7, so learning how to balance business time and off time can be tricky to say the least.

When working from home, the boundaries of "on" and "off" time often blur. Your home is your residence, your shelter, your safe-haven -- and when you spend a great deal of time working in your hearth and home, the risk of losing that sanctuary quality increases quite significantly.

Whether you're just starting out or you're an established event guru, balancing home life and work life can challenging at times. Yet, with a little practice and determination, any event professional can master the art of working from home.

Working from home comes with the perk of having no commute (other than the long walk to the coffee maker), but there are downsides, perhaps the worst of which are the innumerable distractions in your home. No need to worry! Below is some advice on how to stay laser-beam-focused on your business, even when you're at home.

1. Television

Figure out the right amount of television for you. So many times we tell ourselves, “No television while working!” -- but if it helps to watch a little bit in between bursts of work, or to have it on in the background, that's perfectly okay. As long as you’re productive, what does it matter?

However, if you know that you are powerless to the allure of the television, try placing the remote somewhere inconvenient to retrieve; this way it isn’t easy to turn it on and off at will.

2. The Internet

The same goes for the Internet, except that the Internet is trickier than television, precisely because you more often than not need the Internet to do your work -- putting the distraction away becomes infinitely more difficult. As with television, a little bit of time is usually fine. Allow yourself to indulge in Facebook now and then if it helps you to recharge your batteries -- but if you know full well you’ll end up exploring every nook and cranny of your friends’ lives, then it’s best to avoid going there in the first place.

If social media is a huge distraction, a good piece of advice is to remove any bookmarks to social sites, and make yourself type the URL every time you wish to visit. Additionally, make it so that none of your social media accounts remember your login information. You'll have to type in all of your credentials, making it a little bit more annoying to log in. It’s not much, but being forced to expend energy, no matter how small, can help to deter you from mindlessly logging in to these sites. It's just that much more time to remind you that you're wasting time.

3. Break Time

Make sure you take breaks just as you would at an office. Taking a break gives you an excuse for a little distraction (but not too much) without feeling as if you’ve blurred the line between work and home. Set specific break times for yourself and stick to them. Give yourself an hour for lunch -- no more, no less. While you take these breaks, relax! If you’re going to keep that work/home balance you’ve got to be careful to adhere to your set time for each.

4. Work Anywhere but Bed

Keep your workstation(s) separate. First and foremost: don’t work in bed (you know, the place you go to sleep at night). If you stay in bed all day working and then go to sleep, you will have stirred the stress of your work with the peace of your rest. Your bed is sacred; keep it out of your work life.

5. Food and Drink

Eat and drink, but watch yourself. Working at home makes it easy to find food when you’re hungry and drinks when you’re thirsty -- a plus for sure. But if you’re not careful, you’ll find that food and drink often threaten your productivity as much as television, radio, and Internet.

It’s easy to get stressed out over a problem or dilemma, get up, walk to the fridge, and absentmindedly start eating. It’s also dangerous for your health, your weight, and your sanity. Granted, little snacks throughout the day (the healthy kind) can be amazing for your health and for your maintained focus -- just beware of grazing for the sake of grazing.

6. Stretching and Moving

Instead of eating all day, walk it out and talk it out. Speak aloud to yourself. Hearing yourself say something aloud might help you to clarify the murky thoughts of your silent inner dialogue. Do some push-ups or squats. Stretch. Getting your blood flowing can kick-start your brain -- just don’t over do it, as you don’t want to tire yourself out too much.

7. Nix the Outside Conversations

Do your best to keep outside (non-work) conversations at bay. You've heard it before, but it warrants repeating: during work hours your phone is for business only. Put it on "Do Not Disturb" mode, turn off the notifications -- do whatever you need to do to prevent getting sucked into a long drawn-out conversation with a friend (or foe).

As for your family, if they are home while you are working, be sure to (politely) make clear that when you’re working, you’re working. There’s no need to shut yourself up and ignore the world entirely, but it is important that you have space to focus in on your work.

8. A Line In the Sand 

One of the biggest benefits of going to an office is the simple fact that it separates work and home so distinctly -- but this line is less clear when working from home. Ensure that you treat your work hours as if you were at a different office entirely.

When work begins and ends, have something to do to signify to your senses that you have shifted from one direction to another. This can be any number of actions -- if you are able to keep the television off while you work, turning it on when you are finished can operate as a sort of ceremony to indicate you have finished the work day.

There has to be a discernible action that helps you to get in the right mindset for what you’re going to be doing. First cup of coffee down? Time to work. Out of the shower? Time to work. Without these little reminders, you run the risk of your morning spreading a bit too far into your workday -- and vice-versa.

Inspherio, the all-in-one event management program, certainly makes working from home much easier (and much tidier). Because Inspherio is cloud-based, you can work from home, the cafe, the park, the subway -- it's accessible anywhere and everywhere. All of your work can be consolidated into whatever device you prefer, which is a lot neater than file cabinets and drawers full of paper. With Inspherio, it's infinitely easier to switch the work/home gears when needed. Give yourself this convenience -- you've earned it. Try our free 30-day trial today!

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Avoid These Five Phrases When Meeting With Leads

Meeting with potential clients is a crucial step in event planning,  a "make-or-break" moment for the event professional. In-person meetings give you the chance to really make a connection with someone, beyond advertisements or marketing.

While these initial meetings are certainly full of opportunity and possibility for both you and the client, you must remember that your mindsets, demeanors, and approaches are likely to be quite different. Your client may be tentative where you are intent, cautious where you are certain, and static where you are spirited.

Confidence and a strong sense of self go a long way, but don't forget to be aware of and receptive to your audience's needs. For instance: if your client is being tentative, scale back the volume and reduce your movement a bit; if your client displays an eager enthusiasm, be sure to match her energy. Don't get so caught up in the sales pitch and the product that you forget about the reason you're there -- the client.

To help you along, we've collected some sales pitch phrases that you should absolutely avoid when meeting with your client. These phrases can quickly derail your conversation and jeopardize your business, so beware!

1. “We’re much cheaper than they are.” 

Don’t say your product or service is “cheaper” than the competition; sure, it's good to let them know you aren't overly expensive, but this sounds like you are of a lower quality than your competitors. By using the word “cheap,” you run the risk of making your leads feel like you consider them cheap.

Instead: Words like “cost-effective” and phrases like “more value for the money” are infinitely better than “cheaper.” Better still: pitch your product or service so well that they are not even thinking about cost.

2. “I’m not here to sell anything.”

Prefacing with a denial that you’re selling something is a surefire way to communicate to your lead that you are, without a doubt, selling something. Setting up defenses before even pitching your idea immediately places the potential customer in an adversarial position. Needless to say, this is not an ideal tone for a sales pitch. (It’s like a child telling her parents, “I didn’t do anything wrong, but…” -- you know it’s not going to be good news.)

Instead: Just present your service or product in a sincere, authentic way. A straightforward and honest conversation will put your potential customer at ease much more effectively than making denials.

3.“Trust me.”

Again, when a potential customer hears this, a red flag is going to pop up in her mind. She has already given you a degree of trust by listening to what you have to say. Your job is to build on that trust. If you present yourself with honesty and with passion, the trust comes naturally.

Instead: Don't tell me to trust you; show me why I should trust you and your service or product.

4.“Allow me to introduce…”

This phrase sounds very affected and showy. Instead, just go ahead and start talking! As we have seen, a lot of prefaces (well-meaning or otherwise) are damaging to your sales pitch.

Instead: Open with a question. Ask the lead what service or product she has been using. This way you have an “in” and you more organically become part of a two-way conversation. Ditch the cheesy phrases -- let the client tell you what she needs and respond accordingly.

5. “Oh, [the competition]? They’re incompetent fools, just terrible…”

There’s nothing wrong with being confident that your product or service is superior to the competition -- but relying on attacks indicates a lack of faith in your own product. If your product or service is so special (and it is!), there's no need to disparage someone else. Positivity trumps negativity every time.

Instead: Don’t risk coming off as cruel or desperate; instead, just focus on what makes you the best. If the competition comes up, give the facts and speak honestly about why you feel you are the better choice -- but don’t slander your competitors. Be classy!

When you’re ready to meet with your leads, consider keeping track of their details with Inspherio, the all-in-one event management program. Inspherio provides access to everything event professionals need: tools for record keeping, payment, employee payroll, inventory, scheduling, promotion, and planning are all conveniently located in the same place. Try our free 30-day trial today!

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The Do's and Don'ts of Website Design

In today’s business world, having a website for your company or organization is paramount for your success. Websites have been shown to increase sales and exposure at a relatively low cost, and users are more likely to research a product or a company online than anywhere else. And more often than not, your website is your first impression. 

Simply having a website is no longer enough; you need to be sure that your website is accessible, user-friendly, eye-catching, and functional.

We’ve compiled a list of some useful tips for making your website top-notch:

-Make information easy to find.

Don't get so caught up in the look of your site that you forget to make it accessible. There’s no benefit to a chic design if potential customers are unable to find what they need.

-Stay focused.

Don’t give users any headaches. Every page should serve a specific purpose and every page should connect to other pages. If a user arrives at a dead-end page, they’ll have to spend time getting back to where they were before, and you run the risk of annoying them and losing their business.

-Sometimes less is more.

Really flashy, in-your-face websites are rarely taken seriously and are often immediately dismissed as amateur by visiting users. Avoid background clutter, too many colors, dense paragraphs of text, and "busy" images.

Sometimes a very simple and straightforward site is the best way to go. Sometimes a sleeker site is in order. In the end, you will need to gauge what styles are appropriate for your target audience. For instance, a photographer will probably require a more visually-involved site, whereas a tax professional might refrain from using too much imagery.

-Maintain your website. 

Make sure that all of the links, videos, and pictures work. Every so often, go through your website and make sure that everything is working properly. You can’t simply let your website sit and expect it to function perfectly; you’ll need to periodically make updates and check on its functionality.

-Check your spelling.

Make sure you have spelled everything correctly and eliminated any awkward-sounding sentences or phrases. Nobody’s perfect: a mistake or two will probably go unnoticed by most users. However, if your site is loaded with misspelled words, your visitors may take you less seriously.

-Establish and maintain a tone.

Make sure that your site has a somewhat cohesive tone. If you’re going for a fun vibe, stick with that as much as possible. If you’re going with a “down-to-business” vibe, don’t suddenly turn funny. Conflicting tones can be confusing for users, many of whom are visiting your webpage to get a feel for what your company provides. Establish your tone and stick with it!

With Inspherio.com, you have complete control over the design of your website. We provide you with the tools to create and to perfect your own site -- and if you need help, we're only a phone call or email away. Try our free 30-day trial and see what we're on about!

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The Art of Troubleshooting

Whether you’re a photographer, caterer, wedding planner, or any other kind of event professional, chances are you’ve run into your share of issues. Even the best make mistakes; it’s bound to happen. And sometimes, problems occur through no fault of your own -- but you’re still responsible for fixing them.

From minor missteps to unmitigated disasters, trouble happens -- and when it does, you’ve got to be a pro at the art of troubleshooting.

As an event professional, you are probably already a troubleshooting maestro, but it never hurts to have some reminders on how best to solve issues when they arise.

Here are some useful tips on how to conduct yourself when things go awry:

Use the process of elimination. Seems like a no-brainer, but when you’re stressed out you may not be thinking clearly. Don’t try to identify issues willy-nilly. Don’t jump from one guess to another -- start from the top and work your way down to the bottom.

Start easy. When an issue arises, we sometimes have the tendency to panic and to assume that the problem is a very intricate and complicated one to resolve, one that threatens to throw the entire event into chaos thereby ruining you forever! Okay, exaggeration- but sometimes we do let our minds jump to extremes too quickly.

Always begin with the easiest-to-identify tasks, even if you think you’re too good to forget them. There’s nothing more aggravating than rushing around in a sweat looking for all kinds of issues when it’s something very, very simple.

More often than not, the problem is an easy one to resolve. For instance: your speakers won’t play, and you assume the wiring has gone haywire -- and then you find that the power cord isn’t plugged in. Simple. Don't jump to the worst case scenario too soon.

Take a deep breath, and think of the potential issues that you could easily solve. If it’s not one of those, work your way down, getting more and more specific until you identify the issue.

Go through your routine. Another good way to work out issues is to think back to your routine, from the very start. Try to remember if there were any tasks you missed or any steps you skipped.

Routines can be great, but sometimes you get so used to them that you don’t think about what you’re doing -- they become automatic, which means it's easier to fail to notice when you've missed something. So think back and try to remember if you didn’t do something you should have. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you’ve exhausted all of your options and you’re still lost, it’s okay to ask for help! One of your co-workers or employees may be able to help you, even if it's not their specific area of expertise. It never hurts to have an extra perspective around.

If you fly solo, call a friend or family member who might be able to help. (It is advisable to have somebody around who knows how to fix things!) Even if the person you call can't help, explaining the situation aloud may reveal solutions you couldn't find by thinking silently to yourself.

Now that you’ve freshened up on your troubleshooting skills, take a look at Inspherio, the all-in-one event professional program. Try out our free 30-day trial and see why we will drastically reduce your need for troubleshooting!

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Empathy & Solidarity: The Keys To Quality Leadership

Leadership: It’s one of those words you hear so often it almost fails to retain any meaning. Most messages on leadership are unoriginal, platitudinous, and generic. 

And so, when you’re called into a conference room for an “inspirational” speech about leadership, you know exactly the buzzword-ridden script you’re going to hear, and you end up unmoved by the whole affair.

Perhaps it is time to take a fresh look at this old word, with its tired speeches and cliche homilies, and think about how we can rejuvenate it and bring it back to life, to relevance, to meaning. 

So how exactly does one become a good leader? 

It starts with empathy and solidarity -- two words not always associated with leadership. 


The best leaders look out for those around them, take care of those who have given them the honor of being followed in the first place. You’re in a position of trust, and that is a great responsibility to bear. It is difficult indeed to feel alone, rudderless, and lost at sea at your desk. We've all been there. If there’s no impression of camaraderie, an employee is not going to be inspired to do her best work. Making a connection with employees helps to keep them from feeling detached and alienated.

The most important thing a good leader can do is express to her employees their value -- and, even better, to truly believe in their value. After all, the employees were hired for a reason. If you view your employees as merely bodies that do work and not as unique, skilled people, they'll know it and will perform accordingly.

The best leaders look to grow the potential in their employees. They don't give blanket tasks to people: they find, recognize, and develop employees’ specific skill sets. In the long run, it’s better for management, employees, and for the overall business. If you can make your employees feel that they are more than cogs in the machine, that they are valued for their individuality and uniqueness, they’ll be more likely to come to work feeling like they have a purpose beyond the next paycheck. 

A good rule of thumb is to treat your employees as well as you would your customers. The result will be a thriving and happy business. Don’t promise stellar customer service if you’re not willing to extend the same courtesies to your own employees. It’s hypocritical and counterproductive. Foster an environment of positivity instead and you'll reap the benefits. Happy employees make happy customers, and happy customers means more sales, and more sales means more money -- a win-win-win!

To be sure, being a leader sometimes means letting people go. Sometimes you’ve got to make tough decisions that might not be popular and that might hurt feelings. But do what you can to empathize anyway, even when letting go of an employee. Be honest, but tactful. Give advice, but without condescension. As always, a little kindness goes a long way. There's no use in producing bitterness and resentment. 

Long story short: take the time to empathize with your employees. Treat them right and they'll reward you with increased productivity.  It's not always easy to be empathetic, but it's worth the effort. It’s hard work being a good leader, but you’re up to the task.

You can get a head start on being a good leader by getting organized with Inspherio. Manage employee payroll, appointments, tasks, and more all in one easy-to-access program. Try our free 30-day trial and see how easy it is to manage your workforce with Inspherio!

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Wedding planning tips during the holiday season

Well, we're just past Halloween, which means that retails stores are - ridiculously - in full holiday mode. It seems they completely forget about Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas...but I digress.

 

Photo Credit: Merle® Top Fashion Collections

There can be a lot of perks to planning a wedding during the holiday season, possibly a few more than your clients may have thought about. Wedding and event planners, below you'll find some great ideas from various bloggers that can really help out your clients and save them some good money.

From Love & Lobster: Coastal New England Weddings 
Hit up the after-Christmas sales 
You may not think you’ll find much for your wedding amid all the discounted electronics and Christmas decorations, but great deals abound. Snag marked-down twinkle lights and candles to adorn your reception space, or food items to stuff into guest welcome bags. Look beyond the traditional red and green décor and sift for candlesticks, containers and vases in shades of white or metallics.

One warning: This isn’t the best time to create or add to a wedding registry. Inventory is chock full of seasonal items, even products with no obvious holiday theme, that stores are trying to clear out. Plus, much of retailers’ regular inventory has been removed to make room, so the usual items aren’t available. You don’t want to spend an afternoon with the scanning gun just to find out in January that many of your items are out of stock. 


From 1 Elegant Event 
Get a Deal on Bridesmaid Dresses 
Whats the difference between a designer New Years Gown and a Bridesmaids Dress? Nothing! If you have not chosen bridesmaid dresses, gather up the girls for a fun day of shopping! During this time of the year, you will find fabulous styles on sale and if you only have 2-4 Bridesmaids. 

Send out Christmas Cards! 
So you and your fiancée took some beautiful engagement pictures and it is a shame to keep them to yourself, so why not send out Save-the Date Christmas Cards. Make sure it is OK with your chosen photographer and use one of the quick and easy ways such as Shutterfly, Walgreen's Photos and many others to upload, design, print, and even mail them out! I have done this for family photo's and it takes minutes!


From About.com Weddings 
Christmas Gifts, Hostess Presents, and Wedding Favors 
If you're like most people, you've been invited to a slew of parties and open houses, and have a variety of what I call "random people" to buy presents for: work colleagues, the mailman, the kids' teachers. When you're shopping for wedding favors, keep an eye out for gifts to buy in bulk. Consider boxes of chocolates, bottles of olive oil, or bath products, or goofy gifts from Oriental Trading Company. And, if you're buying the wine for your wedding yourself, order an extra case to take as hostess presents. You'll thank me later, when you realize there's yet another party to go to! 

Hold Try-Outs 
Having people to your house or throwing a party? Now is the perfect time to try-out a wedding caterer, cake baker, or florist. If you're going the DIY route, you'll have an assembled audience to help you make sure not all 50 pieces of wedding cake go to waste. For those considering DIY flower arrangements, many online flower sellers offer a "test bunch." Order it before a big party, and hit two birds with one stone. Not only will you have inexpensive arrangements for your party, but you'll find out if you're really capable of doing your own flowers, and get some practice before the big day.


And let's not forget about your own business. Check out some great advice from our friends at BookMoreBrides.com

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Wedding Industry Legal Tips: Q&A with Rob Schenk

In the wedding industry, there are contracts upon contracts, clauses upon clauses. With contracts, inevitably, will come lawsuits. Even if you think you have done everything perfectly, if one tiny thing involved with the wedding goes wrong, the search for a scapegoat will begin.

In order to protect yourself against frivolous lawsuits, you want to have a good grasp of the law. That being said, I contacted business law attorney Rob Schenk, who represents wedding industry professionals. He was kind enough to take the time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions.

Wedding Industry Law: Rob's online resource for legal news and education about the wedding profession

What is the strangest wedding industry case you have seen? 

I love the lawsuit where the Groom sued his Wedding Photographer SIX YEARS LATER claiming that the photographer showed up late, failed to capture portions of the event, and did not have knowledge of the venue as claimed. What makes this one awesome is that the Groom demanded $48,000 to fly everyone back to NY and reenact the missing portions of the Wedding! What makes this one TOTALLY awesome is that he's now divorced! You can check out more info on the case here. 

If a contract does not explicitly say that a retainer or deposit is refundable/non-refundable, how will a court view any dispute between a vendor and their client? 

It will depend on other language in the contract, and sometimes, who the Judge believes. This is why it is extremely important that contract terms are explicit and the age old question, "What happens if I cancel the wedding X days before the wedding," should be clearly spelled out. 

Do you have any recommendations for wedding/event planners regarding injury liability? For example, say a guest gets hurt at a venue that the planner booked for the event. 

I routinely see Wedding Venue Operators requiring that the Bride/Groom acquire Event Insurance to cover these type of issues. Better safe than sorry.

Who owns the rights to wedding photos/video: bride & groom or photographers/videographers? 

This will depend on what the contract says. Generally, the person capturing the images (still or video) is the copyright owner. This means that the photographer/videographer has exclusive rights to distribute, duplicate, sell, burn, whatever. This would be the case even though the services are paid for by the Bride/Groom. Unless, as stated, the issue of copyright ownership is laid out in the contract. 

What is the top piece of advice you would give wedding professionals across the board?

Work only with a written contract. Work only with a written contract that you understand and that covers the issue of MONEY, CANCELLATION, and VENDOR DUTIES. 

We'd like to thank Rob for taking his time to provide us with some excellent legal advice. You can check out some case studies and more great advice from Rob at weddingindustrylaw.com.

About Rob:
As a business law attorney representing wedding industry professionals, Rob Schenk concentrates his practice in two areas: advocating for clients currently engaged in litigation and counseling clients on how to avoid litigation. Understanding the common disputes that arise from the ‘big day,’ Rob provides advice on a daily basis regarding contract provisions and business methods that help reduce the risk of a lawsuit with Bridezilla. 

Robert's Social Media: Twitter,  Facebook

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Class Up Your Wedding Blog to Keep Readers from Fleeing

This is a guest post by Kathy DalPra at Bride Appeal.

As a seasoned wedding professional, having an engaging blog can keep visitors perusing your website longer. It gives them more time to get to know you and fall head over heels with your work. Of course, with all the time you spend maintaining your blog, the last thing you want is to set it up in a way that turns readers off or sends them on their way. So here are a few simple ways you can add some extra class to your blog and keep those readers staying longer.

1. Add a Search Bar

I know it seems simple and obvious, but I’m continually surprised at how many website themes fail to add this amazing little tool. A search bar, or search “field”, makes it effortless for your visitors to find the exact information they’re looking for by allowing them to type in any keyword.

I’d add this field to the very top of your blog sidebar, if possible, so that it can’t be missed. The quicker visitors can find what they’re looking for, the happier they’ll be and the less likely they are to abandon your blog.

2. Eliminate Distractions

Years ago, during the upswing of the social media craze, I used to recommend installing full-scale social media widgets into your blog sidebar to grow your social media following. However, after having some time to really test this approach, my tune has changed a little.

When you really think about it, the purpose of your blog isn’t to grow your social media following…it’s to attract visitors to your website where they can learn about your products and services. In fact, that’s the purpose of your social media profiles too! Because of this, these days I encourage my clients to only place simple social media buttons that are linked to their profile rather than interactive widgets. They are less distracting, but still allow readers to connect with you off of your website if they want to.

3. Reduce the File Size of Images

I realize that not everyone is a Photoshop wizard. Nonetheless, you simply can’t afford not to optimize images on your blog if you want to avoid losing traffic. The reality is that today’s millennial couple doesn’t have the patience to sit around and wait for large images to load. They’ll simply move on to the next blog.

Reducing the file size (kb, mb) of your images is easy with free tools like PicMonkey. You can still use photos with a large width and height, just reduce the actual size of the file before you upload it to your blog. I typically suggest keeping your image file size under 50-100 kilobytes, if possible. The smaller, the better. 


About the Author:
Kathy DalPra is a former bridal-preneur who unexpectedly fell in love with web design and SEO. Today she helps other wedding professionals use their website to get more traffic, leads and inquiries so they can create a thriving wedding business in any economy. Learn how to turn curious visitors into paying brides™ on her website at http://brideappeal.com. 

Kathy's Social Media: Twitter, Facebook
Check out more great advice from Kathy at her blog

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Four Tips for Saving Money on Event A/V

As event and wedding planners, you typically must consider audio visual components to give your event that extra wow factor. But what should you look for and what should you be aware of when choosing an A/V company? I contacted A/V professional and social media superstar Jenise Fryatt, who provided the guest blog below.

This is a guest post by Jenise Fryatt at Icon Presentations. The original article can be found here.

Understanding Objectives of In-House vs. Outside Audio Visual Companies

Going with the in-house audio visual service provider at your venue may be easy, but it won't always save you money, let alone provide you with the best bang for your buck.

In-house AV companies have to pay a significant percentage (40-50% is not uncommon) of every sale to the venue. This makes it very hard for them to give you a good deal.

Also, hotel audio visual is usually where new techs cut their teeth. So while these guys may adequately handle breakout sessions, more involved productions can be a bit of a stretch for them.

Beware of Hidden Fees

Hotels and convention centers are very motivated to get your business, so they will take measures to counteract the attractiveness of outside AV companies.

Beware of contractual fees they often slip in to make up for the loss in sales to outside AV companies. Fees for power or "required supervision" by in-house techs can be waived if you catch them BEFORE signing these agreements.

Maybe the venue is offering you a great deal on meeting rooms if you use their AV services and your breakout meetings don't require highly technical audio visual. This could certainly save you money in the long haul. However you still may wish to consider hiring an outside AV company for your general session or gala.

Remember, you are in the driver's seat at least until you sign that contract.

Think Ahead and Build Relationships

To get the best deal and help ensure the equipment and service you hire is top notch, aim to build a long-term relationship with your AV provider.

If you use the same company for all or most of your event audio visual needs throughout the year, you can sit down with them at the beginning and negotiate a screaming deal.

Knowing about your needs in advance will also allow them to plan and give you priority attention - the kind you are likely to get as a returning customer.

Consider Hiring Local Labor

Calling a local union or labor company can save you up to 20% on your audio visual labor costs. Again, make sure that you scratch out any hidden fees for bringing outside labor in before you sign that contract with your venue.

For more good advice from Jenise, check out her blog.

About the Author:

Jenise Fryatt has been involved in the event industry for more than 20 years as Co-Owner/ Marketing Director of Icon Presentations AV for events. She writes for three blogs, manages three Twitter accounts and three Facebook pages. She serves as Social Media Manager for The Conference Publishers and moderates a weekly Twitter Chat for event professionals called #eventtable. She also gives presentations on social media strategy and uses improv concepts to teach leadership and team building skills.

Jenise Fryatt Social Media: Twitter, Facebook

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Aspiring Event Professionals: Gain Event Experience without Leaving Campus

For those college students who are aspiring event planning professionals, as I'm sure you have heard time and time again, you need to gain as much experience as possible while in college. But what if you don't have a car on campus or can't find a good internship off campus?

Here's a nice piece of advise: you don't have to leave campus for good experience.

A college campus can be a great place to gain some valuable work opportunities, particularly for a large school. Here are just a few different areas you can gain some type of event experience: 


Development/Fundraising Office
If you learn how to consistently raise money, you will always find job opportunities. In addition to putting on alumni events each year, many non-profits typically have event planning positions that require fundraising experience, so having this skill in your back pocket gives you an advantage when applying for these positions.

Facilities Management
Do you want to run a venue someday? Start working with your campus facilities department (or with a specific building) and learn the everyday skills and knowledge needed to perform the job. This can include maintenance, audio/visual, scheduling, landscaping, and more. Facility managers work with event planners to see events through, so it is a good way to see the planning process and, more importantly, grow your network.

Food & Beverage
On campus dining departments typically also do much of the on-campus catering for events, so this a good place to get some quick experience and, again, meet new contacts and grow your network.

Student Life
The student life department typically puts on larger events: orientation and convocation, commencement, on-campus concerts, movie showings, Family/Parents Weekend, as well as educational and cultural opportunities.

Admissions Office
The admissions office has a number of events it can put in an attempt to attract the most qualified students to the school: campus tours, info sessions, open houses, career fairs, etc.

Residential Life
Dorms are always looking to plan various events. This could be a cookout, holiday party (Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, etc), beach trip, hike, night out on the town, and more.

Greek Life
Take the lead on planning events for your fraternity/sorority: formals, social events, philanthropic events, retreats, chapter, etc. You can gain a lot of experience doing this and, if nothing else, learn of the demand an events career.

Wellness Center
At your college's wellness center, you can have opportunities to plan intramurals or campus-wide dorm tournaments. You can also gain scheduling experience when juggling multiple classes and classroom space.

Athletic Department
Athletic departments, especially for larger schools, run like independent entities and are a great place to gain experience. Student interns are always needed and there are many ways to get involved:

• Marketing - Planning events for fans (FanFest, pep rallies, open practices, Midnight Madness, etc)
• Sales/Ticketing - You not only work a lot of events, but you talk to a lot of people on the phone and make a lot of connections with other ticketing offices. Have I stressed the importance of growing your network?
• Development - Planning events and travel for boosters who donate money to the athletic department. This is a good way to get to know a lot of successful and influential peoples.
• Event management - This department works with every other department to plan those events for boosters, season ticket holders, fans, as well as every home athletic contest.
• Facilities management - Regardless of the event type, they are held in some type of venue. This department is often part of the events department.
• Individual teams - This may require planning recruiting or alumni events, coordinating travel, and team functions.

Plus, if you're at a well-known athletic department, it really can stand out on your resume.

Summary
If you've been paying attention, the most critical aspects of working in college are: a) gaining valuable experience and skills, and b) growing your network. Doing these two things while in school - with fewer bills and responsibilities - can really give you an advantage when you start looking for a job after graduation.

Photo credit: www.wjla.com

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5 Steps to Achieve Great Things

Les McKeown recently wrote an article for Inc magazine that outlined what he described as the "First 5 Steps to Achieving Great Things."  In his article, Les is focused on that all-important transition from Good to Great.  There has certainly been no shortage of advice on this transition, and that's because of its importance.  Anyone can become good at something simply through natural talents, but unless there is a conscious effort to become more than that, you will fall short of Greatness.  

Les' 5 Steps are as follows:
1.  Prioritize
2.  Plan Ruthlessly; Execute Relentlessly
3.  Get out of your inbox
4.  Get out of your office
5.  Review, revise, adapt, push on

Prioritize
To achieve great things, you must prioritize where your attention will be focused.  This also depends on how you will define greatness for your particular business.  Prioritization can include making Goals for the Long Term & Short Term.

Plan Ruthlessly; Execute Relentlessly
McKeown defines good planning as having a plan, working the plan, and not being trapped by the plan.  Obviously, you must work the plan in order to achieve your goals, but if you aren't adapting your performance based on your results then you are becoming trapped in a plan.  

Get out of your inbox
Not every email is worth checking the second it is received.  Recent studies indicate that smartphone users check their phone 150 times per day.  The constant notifications from your phone can bring about all sorts of distractions.  A great point that Les makes in his article is that by checking your inbox every chance you get "you're working to other people's agenda, not your own."

Get out of your office
The advice to get out of your office can be taken several different ways.  For example: your business' success in dependent on you getting out there, meeting with clients, and booking new events.  That doesn't all happen from within an office.  

Another way to take this advice is to get a change of scenery now and then.  Becoming comfortable is the enemy of innovation.  The more time you spend in one place,  the easier it is to fall into a routine complacency. 

Review, revise, adapt, push on
After a plan has been put in place, you need to review your success; revise anything that could be improved; adapt your plan to accomidate your recent findings, and push on.



Photo Credit: Squidish

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10 Things to Stop Doing Now

Photo Credit: J E Theriot

The following article was written by Jeff Haden & originally appeared in Inc. 


Happiness--in your business life and your personal life--is often a matter of subtraction, not addition.  Consider, for example, what happens when you stop doing the following 10 things:

1. Blaming.

People make mistakes.  Employees don't meet your expectations. Vendors don't deliver on time.
So you blame them for your problems.
But you're also to blame. Maybe you didn't provide enough training. Maybe you didn't build in enough of a buffer. Maybe you asked too much, too soon.
Taking responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others isn't masochistic, it's empowering--because then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time.
And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier.

2. Impressing.

No one likes you for your clothes, your car, your possessions, your title, or your accomplishments. Those are all "things." People may like your things--but that doesn't mean they like you.
Sure, superficially they might seem to, but superficial is also insubstantial, and a relationship that is not based on substance is not a real relationship.
Genuine relationships make you happier, and you'll only form genuine relationships when you stop trying to impress and start trying to just be yourself.

3. Clinging.

When you're afraid or insecure, you hold on tightly to what you know, even if what you know isn't particularly good for you.
An absence of fear or insecurity isn't happiness: It's just an absence of fear or insecurity.
Holding on to what you think you need won't make you happier; letting go so you can reach for and try to earn what you want will.
Even if you don't succeed in earning what you want, the act of trying alone will make you feel better about yourself.

4. Interrupting.

Interrupting isn't just rude. When you interrupt someone, what you're really saying is, "I'm not listening to you so I can understand what you're saying; I'm listening to you so I can decide what I want to say."
Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say.
They'll love you for it--and you'll love how that makes you feel.

5. Whining.

Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better.
If something is wrong, don't waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you'll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now.
Don't talk about what's wrong. Talk about how you'll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.
And do the same with your friends or colleagues. Don't just be the shoulder they cry on.
Friends don't let friends whine--friends help friends make their lives better.

6. Controlling.

Yeah, you're the boss. Yeah, you're the titan of industry. Yeah, you're the small tail that wags a huge dog.
Still, the only thing you really control is you. If you find yourself trying hard to control other people, you've decided that you, your goals, your dreams, or even just your opinions are more important than theirs.
Plus, control is short term at best, because it often requires force, or fear, or authority, or some form of pressure--none of those let you feel good about yourself.
Find people who want to go where you're going. They'll work harder, have more fun, and create better business and personal relationships.
And all of you will be happier.

7. Criticizing.

Yeah, you're more educated. Yeah, you're more experienced. Yeah, you've been around more blocks and climbed more mountains and slayed more dragons.
That doesn't make you smarter, or better, or more insightful.
That just makes you you: unique, matchless, one of a kind, but in the end, just you.
Just like everyone else--including your employees.
Everyone is different: not better, not worse, just different. Appreciate the differences instead of the shortcomings and you'll see people--and yourself--in a better light.

8. Preaching.

Criticizing has a brother. His name is Preaching. They share the same father: Judging.
The higher you rise and the more you accomplish, the more likely you are to think you know everything--and to tell people everything you think you know.
When you speak with more finality than foundation, people may hear you but they don't listen. Few things are sadder and leave you feeling less happy.

9. Dwelling.

The past is valuable. Learn from your mistakes. Learn from the mistakes of others.
Then let it go.
Easier said than done? It depends on your focus. When something bad happens to you, see that as a chance to learn something you didn't know. When another person makes a mistake, see that as an opportunity to be kind, forgiving, and understanding.
The past is just training; it doesn't define you. Think about what went wrong, but only in terms of how you will make sure that, next time, you and the people around you will know how to make sure it goes right.

10. Fearing.

We're all afraid: of what might or might not happen, of what we can't change, or what we won't be able to do, or how other people might perceive us.
So it's easier to hesitate, to wait for the right moment, to decide we need to think a little longer or do some more research or explore a few more alternatives.
Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by.
And so do our dreams.
Don't let your fears hold you back. Whatever you've been planning, whatever you've imagined, whatever you've dreamed of, get started on it today.
If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step. If you want to expand or enter a new market or offer new products or services, take the first step.
Put your fears aside and get started. Do something. Do anything.
Otherwise, today is gone. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever.
Today is the most precious asset you own--and is the one thing you should truly fear wasting.

_______________________________________________________________________

As Jeff explains in this article: the most important part of beginning something new is taking the first step.  
Inspherio is here to help you take that first step to improve your business.  You will be able to manage your business with just one tool, which will reduce your stress and work load, so that you can focus on the things you love.  Inspherio helps you eliminate excessive paperwork & gives you more time to actually Achieve your goals for your business!  

Check Out our Free Trial to Learn More!

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