21 Jul 09 What is “Business as Usual?” No, really!

Many meeting and event planners are self employed. While this is always appealing to people who love independence and “setting their own hours,” there is much more to it than meets the eye. Here are three things you may not have thought about, even if you have a business degree.

Advertising

This can be one of the hardest-hitting realities you will face. You can’t simply hang up a sign, sit in front of your phone all day, then complain later when you have no business. You have to take matters into your own hands. These are the places you will need to turn to for getting the word out:
• Friends, family, social networking acquaintances
• A good press release distribution site (these are usually not expensive)
• Citizen’s journalism sites
• Forums and blogs
• Your own website

This is just the beginning. You will need to have outside support people handy, because….

Someday Someone Will Probably Sue You

You may run into a client who is litigious and needs a few bucks for his expensive new car, and who just happens to crack a tooth on a snack–you booked the flight so if he or she can get a few bucks out of you, so be it. You should have already made nice with a local attorney who could help you with your business law needs–no amount of business school law can prepare you for some of the worst of human behavior.

When Business is Good, Go Get More

People who work hard often think that because they have a decent number of clients and some projects to do for them, that is all they need to do. Well, one of your clients may go out of business, others may hire another planner, others may cut back on spending–you will suffer. Continue advertising and seeking new clients for the future. Don’t wait until you’re in a world of hurt.

Tags: Business Advertising, Business Degree, Business Law, Business Meeting, Business School, Citizen, Decent Number, Event Planners, Friends Family, Human Behavior, Journalism, New Car, Own Website, Press Release Distribution, Realities, Snack, Social Networking