How to Become a Children's Event Planner

Children's event planners get to work with happy kids.

Many people are natural organizers and planners, and want to pursue careers that allow them to put their gifts to good use. Event planners typically focus on preparing and planning parties and events, from locating the venues and planning the decorations to hiring entertainment and caterers. If you enjoy working with kids and dreaming up birthday party and bar mitzvah ideas, you may want to consider a job as a children's event planner.

Instructions

1. Write a comprehensive business plan for your children's event planning business. Start by deciding if you plan to focus on any particular niche, such as birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, tea parties or holiday parties. If you plan to focus on any type of dress-up theme parties, make a list of stock costumes to purchase. Include ideas about how you plan to stay up-to-date on kid trends, such as music, toys and popular television programs. If you have kids of your own, this part should be easy.

2. Set business hours that you will reserve for finding new clients, and estimate how many clients you can handle at one time. For example, if you plan on only working part-time, you may be only able to plan one or two parties a week. Create a long-term strategic plan and set specific financial and hiring goals. For example, you may want to hire an assistant to help book and decorate the party venues.

3. Research your state's rules and regulations for setting up a new business. Decide if you will be a sole proprietorship, a limited company, corporation or some type of partnership. The type of business typically depends upon how many employees you have, and you will have to meet federal requirements if you have employees. While you won't typically need any type of license to start this type of business, you will need to register your company's name, as well as look into filing your federal, state and city taxes.

4. Consider the different types of vendors that you may need to work with for a child's party. For example, you can partner with catering companies, local bakeries and party rental equipment companies that rent chairs, tables, snow cone or ice cream makers and bounce houses. Find local entertainers, such as clowns, character actors and bands for your parties. Other examples include hotels and restaurants that have event rooms and party spaces.

5. Make connections with potential vendors to establish yourself as someone who has all the right connections with the best children's venues in town. Hold meetings with company decision-makers and offer to promote their services to your clients if they agree to give you discounted rates.

6. Create a marketing plan to find new clients. Create one-page or tri-fold color brochures that advertise your services. Pass them out to parents at playgrounds and schools. According to "Entrepreneur" magazine, you should ask to post fliers of your service at local dance and karate studios, as well.

7. Set up a website with your contact information, pricing and past successful event photos, such as a birthday party for your own child. After you start getting new clients, ask them for testimonials to post on the website. Other marketing ideas include giving away a free party to a well-connected parent who will spread the word, as well as purchasing ad space in your local Yellow Pages.

References

• "Entrepreneur"; Business Idea Center; Children's Party Planning
• Fab Job: Start Your Own Party Planning Business and Get Paid to Plan Parties