How to Make a Career of a Party Planning Hobby

If you already plan parties for your office, your kids' birthdays, and your friends' bachelorette parties, you should consider making money from it. Party planners are needed in every community for a variety of events. Take advantage of contacts you've made as you've done this for a hobby to start your own party planning career.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide if your party planning career will specialize in one or two areas. For example, stick with birthday parties or wedding showers if that's your niche; once your business is in full swing, you can add a new specialty.

2. Ask the people that you planned parties for in the past to refer you to their friends who need parties planned. Offer a discount for referrals. Build a reference list so your new clients have someone to contact to verify your skills.

3. Advertise your services in as many locations as possible. Use the Internet, the yellow pages, your local classifieds, your children's school, the post office billboard, word-of-mouth, the grocery store, toy stores, and anywhere else you can think of where people who need a party planned may show up.

4. Take business and accounting classes at your local community college to get familiar with the financial aspect of your party planning business.

5. To make sure you meet all standards research your state's requirements on licenses and permits for a business such as yours.

6. Call around to other party planning businesses and get their pricing, to help determine your price list. You want to be competitive without undercharging for your time and labor.

Tips & Warnings

• Party planners are needed for many events such as birthdays, weddings, retirements, holidays, graduations, religious celebrations, family reunions and anniversaries.

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