Becoming an Event Planner: A Guide for Busy Moms
So you think you can be an event planner? You absolutely can! Many mothers want to work flexible jobs that can accommodate their role. In the event planning profession, not only are you expected to be flexible when you juggle multiple events and tasks, but you will also have your own flexibility. Being your own boss means you have the flexibility to decide how often you work, your pay, the types of events you like to plan, and the clients you work with!
Planning events will take up a lot of your time, and it’s certainly challenging work, but it is a truly fulfilling career! If you’re ready to take the next step towards a planning career, here’s our guide on how to become an event planner when you’re a busy mom!
Some essential skills…
Event planners need a little bit of stress to help them prioritize tasks and keep them on track. Most times, if they are planning multiple events simultaneously, they’ll often be under a certain amount of pressure—being able to adapt to a good amount of stress can translate to some pretty amazing events since it pushes you to be efficient and find creative solutions.
This leads us to our next point: you need to be creative to handle last-minute requests! Think about it, you’re probably working with a budget that you helped design and have been sticking to it faithfully for months…but suddenly your clients want you to accommodate for something else. Being innovative can save yours from having to scour $3000 for an ice sculpture last minute!
On the other end, you need to be able to meet deadlines without faltering on your attention to detail. Especially if you’re intending to enter into the wedding planning industry, your attention to detail is necessary. You never know when you’re going to run into a Bridezilla or Groomzilla!
Remember when you were getting married and every little detail, from the color of the frosting on your cake to the placement of flowers on the tables, seemed like it would make or break your big day? It’s easy to see that you were freaked out for nothing, but your detached logic may not work on your clients. Making sure that your eyes are on the details will appease your clients and earn your services rave reviews.
Choosing the kinds of events you want to plan
Some event planners work for companies that require them to be well-rounded planners who can plan all kinds of events. Are you interested in big or small events? How do you feel about corporate, wedding, social, or non-profit events? If you’re going to be self-employed, it may be best to choose a niche to work with. Find out what interests you!
By narrowing down your field of expertise, you’ll be able to market yourself better and tap into potential clients’ needs. You’ll also free up more time for your family if your niche market throws events around certain times of the year. Wedding season, for example, is at its highest during the summer. You’ll also want to consider the types of events you want to plan!
Get training & resources
Just like when you just found out you were expecting, did you know anything about how to properly swaddle a baby or how to best support them as they grow up? People aren’t just born knowing how to do these things!
Yes, some skills and techniques are instinctive or common sense, but other things must be taught. You may have had your own mother and father teach you how to prepare for motherhood, or perhaps you checked out dozens of books on the subject. Either way, you didn’t get yourself there alone – and that’s completely fine!
Enrolling yourself in event planning courses or securing other avenues of professional training can do wonders for your career. Although the planning industry is unregulated and you don’t technically need any training to become an event planner, how will you know what to do otherwise?
Look for reputable courses taught by professionals who have many years of success in the field. You’ll be able to learn about the latest trends, planning best practices, and marketing strategies that work right from the horse’s mouth! There are so many different things to look for when choosing a planning course, so do your research!
The question of time
Taking care of your kids can be extremely time consuming, it’s like holding a full-time job! So how can you balance both being a busy mom obligated to her kids and being a busy event planner obligated to her clients? You have to recognize when you’re taking on too much.
Knowing your limits and setting aside equal time for just your family and just your work is important. We know that weekend events take away from precious family time. You want to make sure that you have great time management and organizational skills to meet the needs of your kids and your clients! In the nights and weekends leading up to a big event, you can expect long hours and higher levels of stress. The great part is that since you’re working for yourself and have that aforementioned flexibility – if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, you can take a break and not accept any new clients until you’re ready to go again!
Know that it’s not all just glitz and glamour
Some event planners may be flying on private planes and tasting the most expensive foods and wines from around the world, but not everyone is so lucky. Contrary to how event planning is portrayed in the movies and on television, it’s tough work! Not every task is going to be something you eagerly look forward to doing. Maybe you love the venue-scouting part of event planning but hate drafting up contracts for suppliers—unfortunately, you can’t really have one without the other!
You’ll have a long list of tasks and duties to fulfill for every event you plan, but if you work hard, the boring administrative tasks are worth the payoff! Plus, you’ll eventually get the chance to plan an amazing event for your own kids – how great will that be?
