Easily Build Your Event With Inspherio

There is one word to describe the event industry and that word is ‘chaos’. Even the most professional wedding planners can have something go wrong, or get so busy that key details fall through the cracks.

Don’t get caught up in a hectic frenzy, while trying to manage guest lists, pay vendors, keep up with the event activities, and more. Instead, stay on top of your event and easily manage every aspect of it with Inspherio.

What’s Inspherio?

Inspherio is the business management solution for all professionals in the event industry. From wedding planners, DJs, photographers, and more, Inspherio is the perfect assistant that simplifies managing your event. It’s full of innovative features for online payments, event progress, online
marketing, contracts, and more.

Building Your Event

Before planning an event it’s important to know what your clients want, which is why Inspherio makes it easy to learn about what your clients want by having them fill out the Know Your Event form. They can log into Inspherio and answer questions about what time of day the event is, the venue location, if anyone is a vegetarian, and more. You can also customize the know your event form by adding your own questions.

Then you can create contracts for your clients to sign online. The information from the know your event form will auto-fill on your contract, so you won’t have to enter in all of the information yourself. You can create custom payment plans with your contract, and your clients can log in to securely sign the contract online, and make payments.

Invoices for your event will be automatically created based off of the payment plan created with your custom contract. You’ll receive reminders for invoices that haven’t been sent out, and for outstanding payments. You can also create invoices for lost or damaged rental equipment.

Make sure your event runs smoothly with an itinerary that you can check on location right from your smartphone. The itinerary has pre-made templates that you can customize for your event, and you can share it with your staff, vendors, and clients to make sure everyone is on the same page as far as knowing when and where to show up. The itineraries can also be easily printed or mailed.

Are events even possible without guests?! Prepare an organized guest list with your client online, and even send out invitations directly from your Inspherio account. As more guests RSVP you’ll know how many people to expect, and how many guests to bill your client for. Plus, you can pull up the guest list from the Inspherio app no matter where you are to quickly make any changes that your client needs.

Events are expensive, easily keep track of expenses with Inspherio to avoid letting them get out of hand. Record each expense in relation to different events, keep up with which of your employees incurred expenses, and keep track of when you reimburse those employees for those expenses right from the palm of your hand.

Make sure that you have the right inventory to cover an event, and add these items to your contracts. Once an item is added to an event it can be checked out and can be checked back in later. These items will be added to your load list so you can make sure you have everything when preparing for the event. Also, when you return items to your inventory you can add notes about any damages and the condition of your items.

Manage your contacts. Keep track of your staff by adding them to events and assigning them tasks, and keep up with the payroll to make sure they get paid for their hours. Also, organize different vendors into groups related to different events and easily pull up their contact information in a matter of seconds.

Give Inspherio a Try

Enjoy a complimentary 30-day free trial to take advantage of Inspherio’s intuitive features that will help you plan and manage your event with features for managing guest lists, keeping track of vendors, keeping note of your inventory and it’s condition, email marketing, and more.

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Wedding Planners: Add New Revenue through Bachelor(ette) Parties

People typically see wedding planners as those who plan, well, weddings. Just weddings. But as we all know, there is so much more to the wedding planning process than just the wedding itself. What about the reception? The rehearsal?

What about the bachelor(ette) parties?

Honestly, the amount of time and energy that some bridesmaids put into planning bachelorette parties or weekends can be astounding. They have to find a venue, food, plan entertainment/games, make decorations, and invite guests.

Sounding familiar to you?

Wedding planners take note: there are a few distinct advantages to planning these events:

• It allows you to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Your complete wedding package is truly a complete wedding package.
• You can develop new business/vendor relationships throughout the area. By bringing them new business, you are opening yourself up to new referral opportunities.
• Not only can you build a valuable rapport with a variety of local venues and young professional hotspots, but you can also better get to know the happy couple. And if you are a good fit, maybe the bride includes you in the festivities.
• You never know which of the bridesmaids or other attendees may see your skills and want to book you in the future.
• Do I need to mention the added revenue from your planning fees for these parties?

Now, your bride and/or groom may want to plan a wild night out on their own, or they may be reluctant to join in the cliché traditions of tequila shots or Hummer limos. There are, however, some viable alternatives you can offer that your clients may very well find intriguing and that may go along with the wedding theme. 

Time to Unwind
Relaxing amidst the torrential downpour of wedding woes can be the hardest thing for a bride or groom.  Search local options concerning your client's interests: visit a local orchard, a fun cooking class, horseback riding, river tubing, or creative adult art classes! Renting a cabin in the mountains and spending a weekend hiking would be an ideal retreat for the weary but restless.

 

These girls had the right idea 

Check out all the occasion's photos at Shelby Schmidt Imagery

Check out this New York Times spotlight below on a summer-camp themed Anti-Bachelorette Party.

Adrenaline Junky
While fly-fishing and quilting may be sufficient for the mild-mannered, some brides and grooms would rather celebrate nearing matrimony with a little flair. 

 

Yes, those are guys

Consider suggesting white water rafting, kayaking, spelunking, zipline and canopy tours, rock climbing, indoor skydiving, or visiting a national park. 

Nostalgic Night Out

 

Timeless vintage style. Trending everywhere now.

Check out more photos at The Hen Planner

Vintage trends are still making big waves in the world of wedding style, and it never hurts to have a few hip cards up your sleeve.  Orchestrating a fun vintage photo shoot, trip to the state fair, carnivals, fall festivals, amusement parks, snazzy wine-tastings, or museum tour can be a simple departure from the steady bustle of planning a wedding.  A music festival or VIP table at a local jazz club can add some music to your clients' memories.

As you can see, ideas for these festivities, just like weddings, are endless.

And remember, you can plan and organize all of your weddings, parties, and other events on Inspherio . If you're new to the Inspherio family, start your free trial today and see how we can help you plan your success.

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Wedding Market Expo in Atlanta this week

We will be in Atlanta the next couple days for the Wedding Market Expo.

This is not an expo for brides-to-be, but rather for wedding professionals. Attendees will enjoy a stellar group of keynote speakers, plenary sessions, and a state-of-the-art expo (which we, of course, will be part of). Here is schedule of events for the week. 

Inspherio will be on site to show off our comprehensive business management program and how it can help wedding professionals do more business.

Check out this short video for a preview of the event and why you should be going if you are a wedding professional in the southeast.

As Alan Berg says at the beginning of the video, spending time being creative helps you once you have the business, but it does not help you do more business.

That is where we excel. 

With Inspherio , you can manage your entire wedding and events business from one cloud-based program. From leads to contracts to employees, you can manage it all anytime, anywhere, all in one place.

If you're new to the Inspherio family, start your free trial today and see how Inspherio can help you run your business that much easier.

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Micromanagement is Not Always a Dirty Word

Photo Credit: Luke Ma

The Following Article was written by David Goldsmith with Lorrie Goldsmith for FastCompany.com

To become a more effective manager, it helps to rethink what you thought you knew--for example, that micromanagement is a sin, and that employees are the most important part of your organization.

Even the best leaders can benefit from adopting a new perspective or expanding an old one. Let’s explore and challenge a few concepts that you may have accepted as conventional wisdom but that aren’t necessarily working in your favor.

Over the years, I’ve heard many decision makers say that people are the most important part of their organization. While I agree that good organizations are made up of great people doing great work and that employees play an extremely important role in the success of any organization, the idea that people are the most important part of an organization is a wrong assumption that can actually hinder the people it intends to credit. We’ve all seen firsthand how even the most talented people turn in substandard performance if they don’t have the systems and structures they need to excel in their work. Therefore, if you make this assumption and are willing to rethink it, you can more readily capture opportunities to empower your people to achieve more successes within your organization.

In order to gain the successes that come from talent and skill, your systems and structures must be in place. The systems and structures include everything from computers, tools, and equipment to the rules, regulations, laws, procedures, and policies that govern how your staff works within your organization. These systems don’t always have to be elaborate; they just have to be appropriate. For example, in 2011, Boeing relocated passengers’ flight attendant call buttons in their new 737 aircrafts away from reading-light buttons. The seemingly small change is anticipated to reduce the number of unnecessary trips that flight attendants will have to make down the aisles of planes in response to typically apologetic customers who mistakenly press their call buttons rather than their reading-light buttons.

Having the appropriate systems and structures in place is one of the most effective ways of bringing out the best talents and highest productivity of your people. Yet it’s one of the most ignored factors in organizations today. When leaders see dipping productivity levels and low morale, they often want to address personnel and personality issues, an attempted solution known as “hugging and kissing” your people. The hugging-and-kissing approach typically yields only temporary relief, if it solves anything at all. Then conditions return to the same or get worse. Instead of fixing the real challenges, these leaders have missed the mark altogether (and they’ve wasted time, money, and resources in the process). If, after the systems and structures are remedied, leaders still have issues, then leadership would be wise to address morale, but not before.

Systems really can make the difference. In fact, the presence of a supportive system is one reason why decision makers who leave major corporations don’t always succeed when they start their own businesses. Many have been so accustomed to a support system that gave them what they needed to be successful that they either flounder or must invent new systems and structures to maximize their skills once again.

Meanwhile, micromanagement has gotten a bad rap over the years, because it conjures up images of the big boss breathing down the necks of hard-working subordinates. But in reality, that’s only one side of micromanagement and is only the case when it isn’t executed properly. It’s time to rethink the opinion that all micromanagement is this in-your-face type of suffocation that smothers people and decreases their abilities to perform optimally.

In reality, micromanagement can be one of the most effective ways to increase performance. In addition, there are some environments where micromanagement through systems and structures are necessary to ensure specific outcomes and safety.

In the stereotypical, negative view, the word “micromanagement” makes us think of leaders who are so engrossed in the daily doings of their subordinates that they get in everyone’s way and don’t get their own work done. By filling their days with tasks that belong in someone else’s daily planner, these micromanagers fail to give ample time to their own responsibilities like thinking, strategizing, and moving their organizations forward. In this scenario, micromanaging efforts ultimately hurt the organization on multiple levels, not the least of which may be employees, volunteers, or other group members reacting negatively to feelings of frustration and needless pressure resulting from the constant monitoring. This means that neither the micromanaging boss nor the subordinates are performing as optimally as they could.

By contrast, when leaders have the right mental tools to be effective micromanagers, they are able to direct their organization’s people and resources in the direction of shared goals. 

Effective micromanagement through setting structure, developing strategy and plans, creating reliable systems for others, and teaching people how to be independent thinkers can actually empower others to do their jobs with little involvement from you at all. Yet truthfully, they are being micromanaged; they just don’t feel it, because you’re not in their faces.

Micromanagement isn’t always a choice. You may be entrenched in an industry or sector that requires a certain degree of micromanagement, so the question isn’t whether or not you micromanage; it is how to do it correctly. Leadership in toxic waste or medical waste-management facilities, for instance, must follow strict procedures to ensure the safety of their staffers, customers, and the general public.

For decision makers, striking the right balance between being involved and letting others work independently can be a challenge. Build an environment of systems, structures, tools, equipment, etc. to support the talents and skills of your people, and you will earn their trust, gain their cooperation, and increase their productivity levels. When micromanagement is done right, you are able to achieve the results your organization needs to grow and survive.

Here’s an example of micromanagement done right. Think about when you drive on the highway. Do you feel micromanaged? Most likely you feel pretty independent. You select your destination and the vehicle you’ll use to get there. You also determine the vehicle’s air temperature, whether you’ll listen to music, who your passengers are, and what type of car you’ll drive. But if you look closer, you are actually very micromanaged. You must drive on predetermined roads, streets, and ramps. You must maintain certain speeds. You must pass only in predesignated passing zones. In some areas, you must pay a toll for using the road. 

However, you don’t resent being micromanaged, and you don’t feel that you’re constantly running into roadblocks due to the micromanagement, because the road system enables you to reach your targeted destinations, much like systems help your staffers to reach their targeted goals.

Systems and structures also direct your organization toward innovative solutions both internally, as organizational improvements, and externally, as product and service improvements. Consider how a restaurateur might opt to “micromanage” his establishment’s reservation process by using a proven software system--one that employees manage internally or one that patrons can access externally through the Internet--to achieve reliable outcomes. Micromanaging systemically removes the crises that erupt from inefficiencies and replaces problems with opportunities. Additionally, micromanagement done right prevents waste, so your organization has more resources to dedicate to these improvements.

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All About Inspherio

It’s time to get your Event Business organized with Inspherio - the most advanced business management program for Event Industry Professionals.  Inspherio provides solutions for businesses of any size, no matter if you are a one person operation or a full crew with many employees.  No other tool allows you to manage your entire business from one place - even employees and payroll!  

The exclusive Enterprise Version of Inspherio is leaps and bounds beyond any other program on the market today!

No other program offers a Truly All-In-One Solution, allowing you to:

• Schedule Your Employees & Assign Them to Events
• No more wasting time on an antiquated scheduling process
• Give Your Employees Account Access with Individual Login Information
• All your company information in one central place
• Automate Your Payroll Process & Track Expenses Intuitively 
• Eliminate that shoe box full of receipts & tax info
• Gather All Event Info From your Clients Automatically Add it to Contracts in Real Time
• Inspherio eliminates redundancies wherever possible
• Create Contracts in the Cloud & E-Sign Them From Anywhere
• Always Be Closing, no matter where in the world you are
• Generate Comprehensive Reports at Tax Time & Throughout the Year
• “Planning Your Success” is our motto, but can also Measure Your Success

With Inspherio, you are not alone.  Our customer support team is always available to offer heroic help whenever you need it through phone, email, & chat support.  Just give us a call at 704.234.6000 or email us at support@Inspherio.com with any questions you may have.

These are just a few examples of what Inspherio can do for your business. Join Inspherio Now to checkout the above features and more!!! Get started for Free!  NO Credit Card required to check it out!

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Understated: the Latest Wedding Trend

By Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez, AFP/Getty Images

One of our biggest movie stars of the decade: Natalie Portman was recently wed to the French dancer, Benjamin Millepied.  Despite the fact that this couple certainly had the means to host an extravagant wedding with all the decadence and opulence that you would expect from a movie star's wedding, they decided to tie the knot with a relatively small crowd at a private residence in Big Sur, California. 

As Donna Freydkin wrote in a recent USA Today article about the couple's nuptials: "Portman joins an increasing number of stars who opt for nuptials not in lavish hotels or swanky resorts but in homes far away from prying eyes, invasive lenses and interlopers."

Freydkin goes on to mention several other celebrities who opted for a more intimate wedding ceremony such as Maggie Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard, Matthey McConaughey & Camilla Alves, and Drew Barrymore & Will Kopelman.  But this trend does not necessarily only apply to celebrity weddings.  Many couples throughout the country are opting for a smaller gathering without all the extravagant details we have grown to expect from modern weddings. 

A smaller setting creates a more personal and relaxed event.  Since this is becoming more and more popular, wedding vendors should not be worried if a bride tells them that they want a small wedding.  It should even be encouraged. If a client does not follow their desires, especially for their wedding, it could easily end with an unsatisfied bride with a much bigger wedding than she bargained for.  Small weddings do not necessarily mean that they will cost less.  Most couples will still want to capture their big day with photos, videos, great food, and of course a beautifully styled location. 

This Understated style fits in with other recent styles that differ from the traditional large wedding.  While this new style may be popular now, there will of course be many couples that will still want to Go Big on their big day.  As we all know, each client is different and it absolutely essential that you realize what their expectations are for their event. 


To manage your event business more efficiently, you can use Inspherio. 
Inspherio is an All-in-One business management tool for event industry professionals. 

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Tips for Delegating Tasks Effectively for Event Professionals

Hectic! This is how most Event Industry Professionals describe their day. You have to effectively communicate with customers, send and sign contracts, keep up with invoices and all that while doing site visits or may be even cooking dinner. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all this? Don’t fret. These simple steps will help you manage your business more effectively by delegating your daily tasks to free up your time.

In our previous posts we have discussed how you can organize the structure of your business, and how to make that structure work. Yesterday we discussed the tools that help you get things moving smoothly.

What if after you have done all that; you still don’t have enough hours in a day to get all the work done? You need to delegate! Whether you have a team of people helping you, or you run your business on your own, you could benefit by automating simple business processes

See what Inspherio can do for your business!

You no longer have to fax or mail your contract, you don’t have to sit across a table with your client to go over it either (unless, of course you or your client prefer to do that).

Your e-mails, Tweets, Blogs and promotion texts can be scheduled to come out on certain dates strategically picked to suit your business needs. If you prefer to do it yourself, anyway, use our Task Calendar feature.

When it comes to managing humans, it’s a little more complicated, but here are few things to keep in mind:

Think of all your team members, asses their skills and interests, Determine who would be better at a particular task, or maybe who is more passionate to learn a new task and distribute the responsibilities according to that. 

Only delegate tasks that need to be and can be delegated. For example, if you are out of the office a lot; someone needs to answer the office phone (you can also invest in Call Forwarding), sign for courier packages, etc. That’s a perfect example of some tasks that you can get off your hand right now.
Contract negotiations and custom price quotes take a lot of skill, so unless you have a business partner that you trust these decisions to, do not delegate these tasks! 

For any task you pass on to someone, there must be proper training! Make sure that the person has a perfectly clear understanding of what needs to be done and how to do it, as well as what you expect to see at the end. Follow up frequently, offer feedback. 

They say there is nothing personal in business. So, don’t make it personal. Do not assign tasks based on family, that’s a big no no! Do not hold grudge if a team member made a mistake, give your feedback and move on.

How do YOU delegate your daily tasks? What is the most challenging part? Tell us! (Unless, you are too busy doing everything by yourself.)

For more helpful ways to save your time and money, visit Inspherio, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Check out our Popular posts:
How to Organize your Business
8 Things you are not doing if you cannot get your Work done
7 Better Business Tools

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Event Planning Business Organization; How to Divide and Conquer

First of all this article is for the people that are serious about their business, serious about making money and becoming successful. If you would rather watch dancing kittens, follow this link instead: Kittens Dancing.

Now, that we only have the serious readers, we will proceed.

Any business, big or small, needs a structure. Structure is the backbone of any business. A clearly defined structure will keep your business operations smooth and the management easy.

To create a structure for your business, break your business down into Departments. For Event Professionals like you, we recommend: Operations and Support departments. Ok, I can already hear you saying: "Wait, my business is run by one person, and it’s me!" Relax;we don’t want you to start a hiring campaign. These are Virtual Departments, the purpose of this is to keep your business organized; you can still serve in all departments and do a great job at it!

Divide your Departments in to Divisions or Sub-departments,whatever you want to call them, the main purpose is to reflect every activity that needs to be performed to keep your business thriving, think of everything. For example:

Operations:

Sales

Marketing

Customer service

Vendor relations

Accounting:

Accounts receivable

Accounts Payable

Taxes

Support:

Purchasing

HR

Building management

... and so on

We will continue talking about organizing your business in the next blog. For now, please, check our new product: Inspherio, which will help you organize your business and keep all of your event information.

Picture source: sp122809.eventbrite.com

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How much does the Wedding cost in US?

24,973 - Number of jewelry stores in the United States in 2009. Jewelry stores offer engagement, wedding and other rings to couples of all ages. In February 2011, these stores sold $2.27 billion in merchandise.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (448310)

$17 million is the combined wholesale value of domestically produced cut roses in 2010 for all operations with $100,000 or more in sales.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

17,124 - The number of florists nationwide in 2009. These businesses employed 75,855 people.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, NAICS code (453110)

2.1 million - The number of marriages that took place in the United States in 2009. That breaks down to nearly 5,800 a day.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics

28.7 and 26.5 years is median age at first marriage in 2011 for men and women, respectively.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements: 2011

Average cost of wedding bouquet, according to the Brides magazine is $230

Average cost of a Wedding is about 25,000, with about 6000 couples getting married daily, that makes the wedding industry one of the most lucrative industries, surpassed only by chocolate and travel industries. Even with economy slowing down in past few years, the average cost of the wedding went down only about 3k, (in 2007 it was 28,000). Couples still put a lot of value on how their event will look, where it will be held and by whom it will be planned.

Wedding Photography is another industry of its own, according to census survey, wedding photo make about 40% of the total professional pictures taken. Kids’ pictures are the next runner ups.

June, August and October are the 3 most popular months for the weddings.

Most recently there has been a lot of buzz on the web about what average event planner, DJ or caterer should charge for their service. Some debate that the flat fees are the best and give you better edge to win a customer, but the downfall is that the flat fee may not adequately reflect the effort and extra work you put in to the event. Some say that charging the percentage of the total cost of the event may be a solution to the problem; however that unorthodox approach caused quite uproar among meeting planners and other industry professionals. Seems that some sort of hybrid approach is needed here?

Would you charge your client a higher flat fee to stay on budget or would you rather sacrifice your effort to keep your client satisfied? Tell us what you think…

Pictures source: Pinterest

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Destination Wedding: 7 Rules About Southern Wedding Planning

More and more couples choose to travel for their wedding outside of their hometown. There are different reasons why. Sometimes they don’t want to play favorites if one or both of them are not from the town they live in or their families are scattered across the country. The number one reason is to pick an unforgettable destination that will be remembered by the couple and their guests.

South Carolina has become a very popular destination for a wedding. No wonder! Great weather, beaches, lavish parks make perfect backdrops for the wedding pictures. Places like Charleston offer great historic locations for wedding receptions and ceremonies.

So, what if you have to plan a wedding in a south? Where do you start to ensure that the wedding will be not just a party with lots of food, but a very special occasion, the one people talk about way after honeymooners returned home?

Here are few things to remember.

If you are a Wedding planner, DJ or any other wedding related professional, please, make sure that your fees and your budget are clearly discussed with the couple or the other responsible party. Do not surpass your budget; do not add any last minute fees. That will ruin the day. The comprehensive collaborative platform of Inspherio allows you to do just that, set your prices and let your client see them clearly with our Client Portal tool.

Most southerners don’t like sit-down dinners, buffet  may be more appropriate. Make sure that set up of the tables and stations allows for a good traffic flow, yet make sure that there are places to gather. Southerners like to congregate and chat. Ample elbow room around a bar station usually does the trick.

For the menu, stick with simple comfort dishes, nothing over-the-top. A roast-beef carving station with lots of side dishes is a loved staple.

Outline the time when the reception will end, it is a courtesy that will be welcomed by both guests and the staff servicing the wedding.

If a wedding is outdoors, take measures to ensure proper airflow;  fans, ice sculptures and lots of cold beverages (ice tea is best) will make your clients more comfortable.

These are just few things that we could come up with. For more Tips and Tricks visit our other blog posts.
Of course, every event is different and takes a lot of collaboration, communication and hard work.

We know you work hard, that is why we’ve created the communication tool, called Inspherio. Like no other platform out there it allows you to manage your clients’ information from anywhere, add special notes and to keep a history of your client’s events. Anticipate your clients’ wishes and wow them with your attention to detail. 

Get Inspherio today!

Pictures source: Pinterest.

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Invoices or 3 mistakes you could have avoided

Have you or your office assistant ever lost an invoice in the confusing labyrinth of your desktop software or even in a mountain of paperwork on your desk? 

Businesses like yours waste time and money due to inadequate business management each day. It’s hard to put a number on it, but think of the many hours you spend on billing and other menial office duties. In the Event Planning business, it is important to bill your client promptly and accurately to ensure your clients’ satisfaction. How do you do that?

Inspherio allows you to quickly generate an invoice with a unique invoice number (no more guessing and coming up with complicated file names to identify your invoices.) right out of your “booked event” page by using the same information you already have in the system. You can even do that on your phone, if you like.

Your client can also view the invoice immediately and pay it, right then, by using PayPal, Google Checkout or Authorize.Net.

Do you have a client that needs a bill today? What are you waiting for? Check out our website and take advantage of 30 days free trial.

We will be happy to hear from you, give us your feedback at support@inspherio.com, Facebook or Twitter.

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What's trending this wedding season?

So one benefit of working alongside the wedding industry is learning what’s hot and what’s not! And this season, natural beauty is in! We are noticing a lot of brides getting their inspirations from the beauty of nature around them.

The color of choice is anything pastel! Our color of choice - sea green! You can make it classic and elegant adding pearls and cream. Or make it a beach wedding and add seashells and seahorses. The color is as versatile as your wedding choices!

  

Image Credits: Ring: StyleCaster Heart Soaps: Sophie's Favors Shoes: Kvoll as seen on Wedding Bee Color Board Gown: Tim Walker Photography  (http://www.greenbrideguide.com/blogs/seasonal-decor)


Sticking with nature, why not protect it while you’re at it! You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to incorporate eco-friendly ideas into your wedding! Starting with outdoor receptions! Celebrate the happiest day of your life with the sweet smells of nature, taking in every smell as a memory. Centerpieces made of fruit and flowers give your wedding a casual but elegant feel and easily incorporate your wedding colors. Last but not least, wedding favors are taking an eco-friendly turn! Mason jars filled with seeds of herbs and decorated in the wedding colors is becoming a big hit. If your guests are into the organic lifestyle, then this is for you! And if not, who doesn’t love a mason jar!

   

Image Credit: Row 1: Left: bklynbrideonline.com Middle: vintageindie.typepad.com Right: IntimateWeddings.com  Row 2: Left  wedding.blogdig.net  Middle: IntimateWeddings.com Right: Brides.com   Row 3: Left , Middle, Right - All from Brides.com  (http://ashleysbrideguide.com/the_wedding_scoop/article/eco-friendly-tablescape-wedding-inspiration)

Is it me or are mason jars the most versatile accessory? Not only can you drink out of them, you can decorate them any way imaginable! We are seeing everything from His & Her jars, centerpieces, hanging lanterns, wedding favors, to lighting the way down the aisle. Then on top of that, you can fill them with anything from flowers to candy; the possibilities are endless! Best part about it, mason jars are inexpensive! Everyone loves to save a buck or two these days!


   Image Credits: Summer Living , Orange and Blossom , wedloft , Kate Miller Events , Ruffled Blog , wedloft by wedding window , Intimate Weddings , Seven Seven Inspire , Vintage Rose Garden (http://www.weddingsbylilly.com/wedding-ideas-inspiration/mason-jar-ideas-for-weddings/)


As you could see, this season is all about capturing the beauty of what’s around us and just living in the moment as two lives become one. 

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Did You Get My Message?

We can all remember our first cell phone. The gratification of being able to talk to someone anytime, anywhere! Nowadays, if someone doesn’t answer our call, we find ourselves texting and emailing them until they respond back. We want answers and we want them now!
Inspherio allows you to communicate with your client directly through the program. If your client has a question, they can log into their client portal and send you a question. You’ll then receive an email notification with their message, can log into Inspherio, and respond. Why is this useful?

How many times has a client had a question and they call, text, and email you! Or you need to remember something they asked but don’t remember if it was through a text or an email? Inspherio keeps all communication between you and your client in one location. Allowing you to access any necessary information quickly and keeping you organized along the way.

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When You Think Innovation, Think Inspherio!

There are many products on the market that assist you in the managing of your business. You may have one that handles your leads, another for your expenses, and then your handy dandy calendar; but did you know that  Inspherio can handle all of this for you? What about all of the exclusive features that can only be found in Inspherio?

• The KYE Form --> A customizable form that allows you to quickly gather pertinent information for your client’s event. Receive real-time feedback of your client’s responses and notifications if anything is updated at a later time. 

• Communication --> You and your clients are able to chat directly through Inspherio, allowing you to easily keep track of conversations with clients. Receive email notifications every time you have a new message!

• Maintaining Your Identity --> One of our biggest goals with Inspherio was for our users to feel that they could use our program and their business was still the main focus. That is why we made sure that you are able to brand any email, form, or website used within Inspherio. Change the font, color, and background to match your own; even upload your companies logo to accompany any outgoing documents. We know that our users have worked hard to build their name and it should stay that way!

• Full Accounting System --> Keep track of all income and expenses through Inspherio and see how easy it is to do your taxes! Print a few reports and you are good to go! Income is automatically recorded as your clients make payments, all you have to do input any expenses.

• User Friendly --> How many times have you started using a program and had no idea where to start? Inspherio ensures that you understand every step of the way and offers descriptive Help Text to answer any lingering questions you may have. We have also provided a road map of Inspherio to guide you along in setting up your business. 

• Super Support System --> The Inspherio Support Team are available for your convenience around the clock via email! You may contact us either via telephone or live chat Monday through Friday, 9AM to 6PM EST. Take advantage of our Support Team’s expertise and schedule a 1on1 training, as they walk you through the program and answer any questions you may have. Our Inspherio Youtube Channel offers over 30 tutorial videos to explain and demonstrate the many features Inspherio offers. 

See for yourself why Inspherio is the top choice for professionals in the event planning industry to manage their business. Start your full-version free trial today and start Planning Your Success!

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How much is marketing costing you??

We all know the most important piece of our business are the clients that we bring in. In today’s day and age, the avenues of marketing our business seem endless! Sometimes keeping track of these campaigns and their success can get lost in translation. Not only will Inspheriohelp you manage your time but also your money you’re investing into your business!

Inspheriomakes it easy to track which clients were referred by which campaign! You input the campaign name and when your customers use the Contact Us form, they choose the appropriate campaign. It’s that easy! Want to check your return on investment and see which campaigns to run again? With a click of the mouse, Inspheriowill generate you a report to analyze your results!

This is just another way how Inspheriois dedicated to help you “Plan Your Success”!

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Inspherio Support Team: Your business works around the clock & so do we!

You know the situation, we’ve all been there: You are confused and stuck, you call customer service to receive a robot. You email-nothing. Live chat-might as well be a ‘live robot’. How frustrating?! We know your pain and that is why Inspherio is dedicated to making sure that if you have questions, you receive an instant answer!

If you can think up a way to contact us, Inspherio is available! Of course we have the basics of live chat (with a human being), 24-hour email assistance, and phone support minus the automated system. If you are the type that you like to solve your own problems and research them, well then we have the tools for you! Inspherio offers an extensive ‘Support Center’ which includes a FAQ page, Help Guide, video tutorials, and even updates on what’s new with Inspherio !

So that’s not enough for you? Find us on all of the social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, even Pinterest! We all know we check our Facebook like it’s our part-time job! And if pinning away on Pinterest isn’t addicting, I don’t know what is?!

As you can see, we are dedicated to the success of your business! Try Inspherio today free for 30 days, no credit card required! Visit Inspherio and start your free trial now! Or you can call the desk of our Product Manager, Fabiana @ 704-234-6000, and she’ll even give you a personal tour of all the benefits Inspherio has to offer! 



Watch the following video to see how Inspherio is there for the success of your business!

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The following article was originally posted on DigitalBrandMarketing.com by Megan Harris


The wedding industry is not only high-grossing but highly specialized. According to the 2011 BRIDES American Wedding Study, the average wedding costs $26,501. While that figure has fallen about 5% since 2009 due to the economic recession, weddings are still very high-paying and nearly recession-proof business. Even in tough times, couples like to celebrate their nuptials in style, which is often not cheap.
As a freelance writer and editor, I have had experience with the wedding industry from the first article I wrote for a client trying to break into this competitive market. Here are some key points I have taken away from my work in the wedding niche in regards to business branding. Perhaps those in the wedding industry and beyond can find these tips helpful!

Supply a Need in Your Products or Services

Does your startup do what everyone else does? Chances are, if it is part of the wedding industry, it won’t take off. It’s a harsh but true reality that following the crowd will not get you noticed, and this is especially true in weddings.
Businesses must fill a unique need in their products or services. This is how BridesView, a wedding inspiration community, went from being a small startup to being featured on Mashable in a very short amount of time! They found a unique need to fill and found it in linking vendors and brides together through a photo sharing community.

Provide Value to Clients and Customers

One of the biggest hurdles in the wedding niche is getting noticed. It’s a competitive market, and you can bet every major city in the U.S. is teeming with photo booth rentals, DJ and lighting professionals, and floral designers anticipating that busy summer season. However, if you are not the kind of professional that provides outstanding service, you’ll get left behind!
Some of the best businesses not only are great at branding because of what they do, but because the mission of their brand shows through their work. I have had clients that are widely recognized from the five-star reviews they receive on WeddingWire and repeatedly gain recognition for their work.

Network, Network, Network!

One of the best ways to grow your brand is to partner with others in the wedding industry. Partnering with other businesses not only helps you gain their trust and expertise, but can help you come up with all new ideas!
Let’s say you want to provide a unique wedding editorial blog to your region. Why not partner with a wedding photographer or graphic designer to get your blog some traction? Perhaps they can send their clients your way once the blog is up and running. You will gain more exposure with partners and can likely find help in an area you do not know from an expert.
Regardless if you are working in the wedding industry or not, you can learn a lot about branding from it! Successful wedding businesses fulfill the needs of their client base; provide high-quality services or products; and are not afraid of working with others to improve their business. Try using some of these strategies in 2012 to boost your business!


This Blog was originally posted by Megan Harris on DigitalBrandMarketing.com on 1/29/2012
Re-Blogged by Inspherio on 2/7/2012

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