Party Planner

A party planner tends to all the details for any given social function, from hiring the caterer, ?orist, and musician(s) or entertainer(s) to addressing and sending invitations. Planners should have a creative ?air and be able to suggest a variety of party themes to fit the occasion. For instance, you could come up with a Caribbean theme where all the party-goers must dress in tropical attire, all the music is calypso-inspired, and giant papier-mâché palm trees sprout from the corners of the room. Or plan a party that is a surprise for your client’s family members, with a little Sherlock Holmes–style caper for guests to solve upon their arrival. Whatever your plan, you’ll need to be extremely well organized to maintain a good reputation, and since your business will grow primarily based on referrals, you’ll need to keep this uppermost in your mind. More than likely, you’ll put in way more hours than you should for each job, but the return will be worth it if your ideas are exciting or innovative and your execution of those ideas is first-class. In other words, the payoff will be directly related to what you put into it.


It’s a good idea to purchase some party planning guides from a bookstore (or borrow them from the library) and build yourself a Web site that showcases your themes and talents. Advertising costs will be your biggest start-up expense. Be sure to get a Yellow Pages ad ($30 to $100 per month, depending on ad size) since this is where many people who don’t know you personally will be apt to look. You can charge either on a percentage basis (15 to 20 percent of total party cost) or a ?at fee of $300 to $500 per party.


While getting started, you might want to plan some friends’ parties for free. Th is will give you valuable experience and build a portfolio, so to speak, of your successes and innovations. Keep at least a photo album if not a video of your parties so that you have something to show potential clients when you meet them in person or participate in local trade shows. Nothing sells better than demonstrated success. On the downside, expect there to be difficulties in dealing with the personalities involved in planning a party. Remember, too, that even though your tastes may be better than your clients’, they will not always be the prevailing ones.

Approx. cost of start-up: $500 to $1,000


Approx. potential earnings: $20,000 to $40,000


Typical fees: $300 to $500 per party or 15–20 percent of total cost of party


Where to promote: Yellow Pages; direct mail; ?yers; networking; banner ads on community Web sites; your own Web site with photos, party themes, and online booking capability through secure server


Qualifications: Resourcefulness, creative ability, exceptional organizational skills


Things needed: Planning system (hand-held PDA or a good planning book), cell phone, fax, camera or camcorder (to record parties so that other potential clients can see the results of your work)


Required staff: No


Hidden costs: Travel expenses, spending too much time on each project for the amount being paid