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 Table of Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..3
• Do You really want to become an Events Decorator?
• Who and what is an Event Decorator?
• Benefits
The Business…………………………………………………………………………..7
• Choosing a winning Business Name
• Creating your Brand
• Making a Comprehensive Business Plan
• What Materials do you really require?
• Basics Start- Up Costs
• Training and Experience
Event Décor……………………………………………………………………………13
• Weddings
• Corporate Events
• Parties
• Funerals
• Working with a Theme
Material………………………………………………………………………………..18
• Drapes
• Lights
• Table Linen
• Chair covers
• Centerpieces
• Top and Cake Tables
• Props
• Floral Arrangements
Marketing…...…………………………………………………………………………25
• How to Make yourself wanted
• Get Referrals
• Remain Relevant
Managing your Business …………………………………………………......……27
• Investments Culture
• Record keeping and accounting
• Sales
Empowering Yourself …………………………………………………...…………29
• Pros and Cons
• Be Fruitful and Multiply

© RB Planners Inc.
Introduction...

Do you really want to become a Decorator?

Life as an event decorator can be the
most exciting experience. It does not
only give you the opportunity to do
something different everyday, it also
gives you the opportunity to meet with
people from different cultures. You get
to go to various venues, visit different
cities, meet new people, create contacts
and lots more. Moreover, you get to
transform those places into memorable
breathtaking memories for individuals.

This training manual will:

• Set you on your marks.
• Keep you on track (doing things the
right way)
• Show a totally exciting world of
business.
The most important thing in business, is
doing what exactly you
love doing, the reward is getting paid for
it... How exciting is that?
Starting out a new venture can become
a disappointing experience, if you don’t
feel like you are accomplishing
something meaningful, which is why this
training manual is designed to guide you
through the whole process of starting
your own business and making it
worthwhile. This training aims at
equipping your mindset, thinking pattern and skills. Even when things are
not happening as fast as you expected, you will still have a positive spirit
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because you have understanding of some basic principles in life, business
and God.
The important thing is starting out with a clear picture and plan
in mind.

These are the Basics you need for starters!

Set Goals: The very first thing is to set goals for your self, then practice
accomplishing those goals. This is the most important thing in starting
out a career. There are various phases in this business, but you can
understand them easily and fast, if you take time out in the beginning
setting up a plan.
Have a Vision: You must have a clear vision of what you want your life to
look like once you have a job. Your vision is what keeps you motivated.
You need to b able to see your life while in transition, and see the
finished masterpiece (you in your new career, enjoying the
lifestyle that a career in events decorating has to offer)
Be Willing To Ask Others For Help For this training to run smoothly, you
must not hesitate in asking people to help you in any way. It could be
from giving you contacts of people already in the business (these are the
best to make friends with), to actually referring you. The truth is that
people get more fulfillment and enjoyment from a successful venture,
which had their contribution when it started. When you get your family
and friends involved, they will be just as excited about your new career
as you are, and contribute greatly in helping you stay motivated.
However some people are expert in dissuading you, be careful to avoid
those ones. Please don’t try to do it all by yourself… asking for help
doesn’t make you less capable, it only makes you smarter. Imagine
combining the wisdom of FIVE people.

We shall start by writing down four people you can trust with
helping you launch a new career. This is a very important step.

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4 People I Can Trust With Helping Me Start My Business in
Event Decorations

1) ______________________________2) ___________________________
3) ______________________________4) __________________________

LETS MOVE ON!!!

Why Do You Want To Become an Event Decorator???
There are various reasons why you want to venture into events décor,
BUT you must be very clear on your motivation level. This can be best
achieved discussing with your family and closest friends. Fill out the form
below, stating all your reasons for your interest in events décor.

6 Reasons Why I Want to Become an Event Decorator?

1) ___________________________________________________________
2) ___________________________________________________________
3) ___________________________________________________________
4) __________________________________________________________
5) ___________________________________________________________
6)___________________________________________________________

Congratulations! Now you are all set to get

into action.

© RB Planners Inc.
Who And What Is An Event Decorator?
Decorating an event is the art of transforming a reception venue into
something that was only imagined, by individuals. It is the end result of a
painstaking effort to creatively beautifying a place, from wedding
receptions and conference seminars to funeral ceremonies. Event Décor
is a little related to event planning, because it also involves coordinating
aspect of an event in order to achieve a premeditated ambience. The
major difference is that it is not fully involved in the detailing and follow-
up on event crew. Décor is more concerned with the beauty of tables,
the chairs being well set and sometimes covered, the focus (stage),
flowers and arrangement types, color coordination…anything to lift the
aesthetic of an event.
An Events Decorator is someone who has an obsession for creating a
wow effect at any kind of event. The first thing that catches attention, at
an event, before the food, drinks etc, is the ambience…which is created
by the décor. A lot of individuals and even corporate bodies usually
spend substantial amount of money on their event decor, because to a
very large extent it portrays their style and taste.
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 Benefits
There are a lot of
benefits in events décor
as a business or career.
1. You are your own
boss, you decide when
you want to work.
2. You get to meet
people from various
social backgrounds. The
more creative your
work is, the more
sophisticated clients
you’ll meet.
3. You get to create
your own brand and be
recognized for it.
4. You help Canada create employment.

The Business…

Choosing a winning Business Name

Now you are about the get started, you need a name for people to
call you by…A BUSINESS NAME. It is advisable that your name
should be simple and easy to remember. It should nevertheless be
catchy (this makes potential clients curious). Your business name
should give an insight into the kind of service you are offering,
without saying it verbally.

Follow these 5 Rules for choosing a business name:

1) A winning business name has to be memorable – but easy to spell:

Obviously, your potential customers and clients need to be able to
remember your business name. But they also need to be able to find it
easily if they’re looking for it in a phone book, directory or online. So
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choosing a business name such as “Crychalwellyn” is a bad idea. Unique
is good but difficult spellings are a bad idea.
2) A winning business name needs a visual element: What popped into
your head when you read “Crychalwellyn”? Anything? Most people don't
visualize anything when they read this business name that I invented. But
generally we are hard-wired to “see” images when we read or hear
language, and incorporating a visual element into your business name
can be a powerful aid to customers’ memory (and a powerful advertising
tool).
3) A winning business name has to have positive connotation: Many
words have both denotation (literal meaning) and connotation
(emotional meaning). A word’s connotation can be positive, neutral or
negative, depending on the emotional associations that people generally
make. The classic example is the difference between “Mom” (which has
a very positive connotation) and “Mother” (which has a neutral
connotation). Now you know why they called them “Dad’s” cookies,
rather than “Father’s”!
What it means to you is that when you create a business name, you need
to choose words that have the positive connotations that you want
people to associate with your business – and make sure these
connotations are suitable for your business.
If you are starting a trucking business, for instance, you don’t want it to
have a weak sounding or negative name, such as “Willow Twig Trucking”
or “Kitten Transport”. You want a business name that conveys strength
and reliability. A choice such as “Stone Creek Trucking” would be much
better. Notice how all these names have a strong visual element.
4) A winning business name needs to include information about what
your business does: Chances are good that your new business is not
going to become an international brand. It certainly isn’t instantly going
to become as well known as Nike. So you need to be sure that your new
business name at least gives your potential customers or clients some
clues about what you actually do. That’s why you see so many
landscaping businesses that have the word “landscaping” in their name,
and hair styling businesses that include words such as “salon” or even
“hair designs” in their names.
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Including information about what your business does in your business
name also makes it easier for potential customers and/or clients to find
your business in phone books and directories (both off and online).
5) A winning business name has to be fairly short: Once again this is vital
because you want customers and clients to be able to remember your
business’s name (and be able to tell other people what it is)! But it’s also
important for promotional purposes. You want a business name, for
example, that will fit well on a business card, look good displayed on a
sign or in an ad, and perhaps even a business name that will serve well as
a domain name and show up well in search if you have an online
business. So keep it as short as possible.

Tip: Think about colours when you’re choosing a business name. Colours
will be an important component of your business logo and other
business promotion materials and your business web site, and colours
have strong emotional associations, too. Red, for instance, is an
aggressive colour; its fiery elements are associated with speed,
excitement and passion while green is a calming colour associated with
growth, renewal and nature.
You’ll want to create at least two winning business names, and three is
even better, because once you’ve chosen a business name, the next step
is to register it and your first choice may already be taken.

Creating your Brand

Your brand is the strongest weapon you have in a competitive
market. Your brand distinguishes you from the rest. Your brand is
what makes you sought after and preferred to your competition.

Follow the steps below to successfully build your own personal brand.

1) Look at your personal brand as an investment.

2) Set goals for your public image: How would you like your potential
customers/clients to think of you? Your personal brand is composed of

© RB Planners Inc.
your public actions and outputs in three main areas:
1) What you're about 2) What your expertise are 3) What's your style
3) Run a blog or website that is all you
Tip: Include a mini-bio at the end of each post, put time and effort into
your About page and use it to paint a picture of your ideal personal
brand. People will only remember a few things about you, so focus on
telling the story that contributes most to your brand. Use your personal
story as the basis for your expertise.
4) Try to be personally ubiquitous without over-stretching or over-
exposing yourself.
Tip: If people hear your name enough they will check you out (maybe not
the first, second or third time, but they will). Participate in social media.
Help your projects become ubiquitous by writing viral content and guest-
writing.
5) Keep your brand fresh.
Tip: Keep adding new layers to what you represent.
6) Continue learning and updating your knowledge, especially if your
expertise is based around the online world.
Tip: try to use non-intrusive forms of communication. Don’t write things
that require a response in blog comments; that's what email/Twitter is
for

Making a Comprehensive Business Plan

Making a business plan is very crucial to establishing any business
of any sort. It gives you a sense of direction and makes you
attractive to a potential investor. Too many people don't bother to write
a business plan because they think it's too hard or unnecessary unless
you’re looking for funding. That's a shame. These myths keep a lot of
people from the benefits of planning.
If you're still skeptical, here are 10 benefits to business planning you
shouldn't be overlooking:

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 10 Benefits of writing a Business Plan
1) You'll stay on strategy. It's hard to stick to strategy through the daily routine
and interruptions. Use a business plan to summarize the main points of your
strategy and as a reminder of what it both includes and rules out.
2) Business objectives will be clear. Use your plan to define and manage specific
measurable objectives like web visitors, sales, margins or new product launches.
Define success in objective terms.
3) Your educated guesses will be better. Use your plan to refine your educated
guesses about things like potential market, sales, costs of sales, sales drivers, lead
processing and business processes.
4) Priorities will make more sense. Aside from the strategy, there are also
priorities for other factors of your business like growth, management and
financial health. Use your plan to set a foundation for these, then to revise as the
business evolves.
5) You'll understand interdependencies. Use a plan to keep track of what needs
to happen and in what order. For example, if you have to time a product release
to match a testing schedule or marketing to match a release, your business plan
can be invaluable in keeping you organized and on track.
6) Milestones will keep you on track. Use a business plan to keep track of dates
and deadlines in one place. This is valuable even for the one-person business and
vital for teams.
7) You'll be better at delegating. The business plan is an ideal place to clarify who
is responsible for what. Every important task should have one person in charge.
Your plan keeps track.
8) Managing team members and tracking results will be easy. So many people
acknowledge the need for regular team member reviews and just as many admit
they hate the reviews. The plan is a great format for getting things in writing and
following up on the difference between expectations and results with course
corrections.
9) You can better plan and manage cash flow. No business can afford to
mismanage cash. And simple profits are rarely the same as cash. A cash flow plan
is a great way to tie together educated guesses on sales, costs, expenses, assets
you need to buy and debts you have to pay.
10) Course corrections will keep your business from flopping. Having a business
plan gives you a way to be proactive -- not reactive -- about business. Don't wait
for things to happen. Plan them. Follow up by tracking the results and making
course corrections. It's a myth that a business plan is supposed to predict the
future. Instead, it sets expectations and establishes assumptions so you can
manage the future with course corrections.
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What Materials Do I Really Require?
The real truth is that in the
Décor business, you don’t
need to have a heart
thinking of a sophisticated
office, state of the art
equipment etc. What you
need are the basics:
1. A personal computer
2. An all in one printer
3. Mobile phones
4. Basic office supplies
(desk, chair, stationery, etc)

Basic Start up Costs

1. You will need a separate home office
space and a store to keep your décor
materials.
2. Some money to spend on letter head,
business cards, brochure, etc
3. Getting internet access is a must in
today’s world. It keeps you informed and
lots of research can be done with it.
4. Business registration fees, graphic designs etc.
Training And
Experience…
You definitely need training to
be a successful event
decorator. Event décor can be
broken down into sections in
designs apart form operations.
You should endeavour to take
seasonal training sessions
before you start off and when

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you have had some experience, you must continually recreate your
knowledge and skill.

Event
Décor...

Weddings
Weddings are very
emotional events. It
involves a lot of things
like personality, family
background, social
preference, budget
etc. It is usually
advisable when
decorating weddings,
to speak with the
bride in person. If it
was the mother of the bride who hired you, need to make sure you also
talk to the bride.
In decorating a wedding reception, first thing to discuss with your
“bride’’ is the venue, date and time of reception. Venues to a large
extent determine your creativity. Some venues are flexible and can
accommodate any design at any time, while others can be very rigid in
structure and are run by difficult individuals. It is always a good idea to
go take a look at the venue, to ascertain to number of chairs and tables
and also types of tables. Time is of the essence, so that you will know
how much time you have t turn around your venue into something
spectacular.
Having got the venue and time sorted, you can now get personal with
your bride. The details you will need from your clients are:
The number of guests to be entertained, choice of colors, wedding
theme. To do this effectively you must be very knowledgeable and very
creative with color combinations and themes. Colors automatically
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decide how attractive your venue will look. Usually a bride will hire you
months ahead to wedding.
Professional decorators prefer this, as they can play around with
different concepts and color combinations before narrowing it down.
Decorating a wedding venue can be very overwhelming and detailed. It
involves the use of drapes, lights, chair covers table linen, centerpieces,
and flowers, etc. these must be properly coordinated to create the
desired effect. You must be careful not to overdo it.
A typical setting for a wedding is as follows:
1. The Top table ( high table)

This has three major settings. The most conventional is having a very
long table that would sit the couple, flanked by parents, the chairman
and his wife, and other special gusts as deemed by the family. The table
should skirted and draped with fabric of choice and have a floral
arrangement in the middle, just in front of the couple. The floral
arrangement could also on the length of the table, depending on the
budget.
Another type is having a table at the center, for the couple with the
groom’s man and maid of honor. Flanking this table are tables for the
parents, chairman and special guests.

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1. Seating Plan
First thing to do is agree on the center of the venue where the top table
should be. It could be on either the length or breadth side of the venue
(the venue could be a hall or marquee). From the top table, you can
determine the walkway/aisle. Chairs and tables should be arranged in a
balance on either side of the aisle. The walkway may have a red carpet
running through, if desired by the bride.

2. Table setting.
Always discuss the number of chairs that should go round a table. Chairs
are of various sizes and
types, and same goes for
tables. In a venue with
round banquet tables, 10
armless chairs or 8 cozy
chairs can go round it.
Rectangular banquet tables,
seats 8 or 12 people,
depending on the length of
the table. You also need to
talk about the ambience
preference, which is the
type and color of table
linen, chair covers,
centerpieces etc. it is
advisable to liaise with the
caterer to achieve perfect
coordination. You would
want to have set your lovely
table linen, and have
somebody from somewhere
put some funny colored
stuff on it. Caterers are usually the ones to add that finishing effect with
their wine glasses, cutlery placement etc.

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Dressing a wedding venue is every decorator’s excitement because,
when the money is right there’s no limit to your creativity and lavishness.
But it is very important to keep in mind that a wedding is extremely
personal but has definite budgetary constraints. These can often be
conflicting situations. The bride and her mother (usually the two most
involved) will have a clear image of how they want the reception to look,
which might not always be realistic with their budget. You must be able
to sit with the client, get a complete understanding of what they want,
and provide them with options that will fit both their vision and budget.

Corporate Events
Corporate events are what I call “small work, big money”. Corporate
events range from simple seminars, Annual General Meetings (AGM) and
product launches, to investors’ forum and end of year celebrations.
Corporate parties are somewhat straight forward. You always have to
work with the company colors, logo etc. the use of flowers is very
minimal, instead you work more with candles, tea light and other
creative touches. Corporate events are very prone to themes because
they are straighter forward to manage.
Corporate clients expect you to be very confident and professional about
your business. When meeting corporate client clients, it’s very different
from meeting brides. Your language and style must be as professional as
creative. This is solely because getting corporate events usually takes a
bidding process and since you don’t know who your competition is, you
just have to be at your very best. What differentiates you is your ability to
convince the client that money spent in hiring you is money spent wisely.
It is very useful to have presentation skills, even if they are basic. You can
always build up on them as you move on. In designing corporate events,
you must understand the following:
A. What the event is exactly about.(type of event)
B. What kind of entertainment to expect.
C. What kind of guests was invited?
D. What is the budget?

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Decorating a corporate event can earn you a very good income, and if
you provide comprehensive service and deliver an outstanding event,
your client will most likely utilize your service again and even refer you to
others.

Parties
A party can be anything from a 10th wedding anniversary, a surprise
birthday party to a thanksgiving dinner. Decorating parties can be a lot of
fun; it usually is not as demanding as weddings and corporate events.
Most clients like to keep their party simple and nice, nothing to
elaborate. Some clients however like to make a statement by having a
grand ball, or an especially themed event. This is common in 40th, 50th
and 60th birthday celebrations. Pool parties are also common with
parties (any kind of party actually). Surprise parties are sometimes held
in the convenience of a living room, or an intimate restaurant. The use of
helium balloons works well with surprise parties.

Funerals
There’s nothing spectacular about funerals. So we won’t flog it. Funerals
basically entail decorating the lying in state. Colors are predominantly
purple. Other colors are lilac and white. A floral gazebo can make a lying
in state look spectacular.

Working with a Theme

Working with a theme is as exciting as demanding. It involves a very high
level of imagination and creativity. There are various event themes like
oldies theme, nautical theme, earthy romantic theme, aqua theme,
winter wonderland, forest theme, traditional theme and many more.
For example, aqua theme would require swaging drapes of voile in
aqua and white. The use of strung sea shells as mobiles will give an
underwater effect. For the tables, very pale blue linen would be use to
cover the tables. On them would be centerpieces of gold fish in bowls,
surrounded by tea light candles or floating carnations in fish bowls.

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The title of a theme usually dictates the colors to be used and accessories
to match. A good events decorator must be willing to learn and adapt to
suit all types of clients.

Material...

Drapes
We shall take from the basics with an
introduction to Types of fabrics
1. Cotton: this is the most ordinary and
cheapest of fabrics. It is never used by
seasoned professionals; however it can be
used for low budget décor. It can be used for
waging on outdoor canopies (not tents). It
comes in bundles of 30yards each.
2. Satin: Satin is the most
flexible of the fabrics, it
can be used for almost
anything. It has a silky
feel and bounces
beautifully when swaged.
It is often used because it
is affordable and flexible;
however satin, when not
properly
managed and ironed can be a disaster to use. It could also be
heavy to work with. It is best appreciated when it is brand
new. Satin comes in bundles of 50yards each.
3. Organza: This is a very cool material, very transparent, light
to work with and has a shiny look with creates effects.
Organza is not as flexible as satin, though more expensive. It is
best used for stretch designs (backdrops, ceiling drapes), and
skirting. Managing organza is very tasking, and once rough
can be an eye sore. Organza however does not swag properly.
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It is used usually for particular designs. It comes in irregular bundles, and
is sold per yard.

4. Voile: This is the most expensive

of decorative fabrics. It has a
transparent but pale look, which
gives heavenly effects when used.
It is quite flexible, but can be
clumsy to work with due to its
width (120/ twice satin’s). It is used
by experienced and seasoned
professionals, and for high budget décor. Voile can be used for any kind
of design, and always leaves a wow effect. It comes in bundles of
100yards. Draping a hall is the first step in changing the look of the
venue. You choose what type of fabric to use and design you intend to
create.
Lights
Lights give a lift to the ambience. They make the venue come alive, the
same effect you feel when electricity sized is returned. Lights create a
romantic feel, especially for weddings. There all kinds of lights; fairy
lights, rope lights, curtain lights, joy lights, rice lights etc. Fairy lights are
the most flexible for venue décor. They have a stable golden glow, which
gives a lift to the ambience. Curtain lights are just like the name says
“curtain”. They drop down from a focal point and are good for backdrop,
depending on the event. Rope lights are
runners and are very convenient for
Christmas décor. They can be used to
create characters on wall due to the
flexible nature.
Table Linen
Table linen enhances the quality of your
décor. They add a great deal of effect to
the set. Tables can be covered in different
ways:

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1. White or colored brocade with runners
2. white cotton underlay, with an organza overlay(coordinated)
3. white cotton underlay with damask overlay (coordinated)
The type of table linen you choose to use is dependent on:
• your client’s budget
• your concept design
• how far you want to go with your creativity and lavishness

Chair Covers
Chair covers were formally seen
as wasteful extravagance, but
because of the pace of change
in perception, taste and
exposure to the western
culture, it is fast becoming a
standard at events. In fact, a
wedding without covered
chairs may be classified as a
bland setting by social
standards.
There are two types of chair
covers:
• The Fitted: it is sewn to fit a
chair perfectly. It looks very
graceful, and does not drag on
the ground. It is however not
flexible as it might not fit
various types of chairs and can
be expensive to make and
maintain.
• The Sack: it is sewn as the name implies…like a sack,
usually
in satin. It is very flexible and can be worn on any type
of chair, but drags at the base of the seat and can get
clumsy at times.
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Centerpieces
A table centerpiece can be anything from petals in a glass vase to flowers
on a wrought iron stand. It is totally a reflection of your creativity and
imagination. There is no clear cut rule as to how a centerpiece must look.
These are some suggestions on
table centerpieces:
• Fish bowl with gold fish
• Fish bowl with floating
candles and petals
• Fish bowl with floral posy
• Martini vases with the above
options
• Candles with floral base
• High ball vases with flower
balls
• Wrought iron stands with
flower balls
Centerpieces complete the
wow effects to an event décor.
Different centerpieces are
created to suit the appropriate
events. E.g. a wedding cannot go
wrong with plenty of flowers; and for
corporate events, less busy
centerpieces such as petals in vases are
appropriate. Never forget to use candle
lights for dinners, they are a must.

Top and Cake Tables

Top tables are the focus tables. In a conference or a corporate function, the
top table seats the facilitators, guest speakers, special guests and the likes. For
social events, you have the celebrants and their special guests on the top
tables.

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Props
Props are different effects used to spice up a venue. Like centerpieces,
they are also a reflection of the
decorator’s creativity.
There are various types of props:
• Lanterns
• Crystal Curtains
• Manzanita Trees
• Candelabras
• Earthen pots
• Roman pillars etc.

Floral
Arrangements
Floral arrangements
can be made with
either fake or real
flowers. When flowers
are well arranged, they
give a magical fairy
land look to events;
there are various types
of floral arrangements,
ranging from pedestals
to posies and
bouquets. Flowers are
selected according to
the design you want to
achieve, and also the
event's colors because
flowers have exclusive
purposes and
messages. Amongst
the popular types of
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flowers are:
Foreign
• Chrysanthemums
(various types)
• Roses
• Orchids
• Carnation (standard
and spray)
• Gladiolas
• Lilies ( various types)
• Star gazers
• Ivy leaves
When arranging
flowers, local greens
are used as fillers,
before the flower buds are arranged in place.
Some of the greens are:
• Togo Fichus
• Moriah
• Ferns
• Palms
• etc.
Other materials needed for floral
arrangements are floral oasis
and wire mesh. The steps to
arranging a posy are simple and
basic:
1. cut your oasis to preferred size
2. cut the wire mesh and wrap
round the oasis
3. use short stems of greens to
fill the oasis
4. cut to desired shape
5. Fill with flower buds, to flow
with the shape of fillers.
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 List of Flowers with Names

Alstroemeria Amaryllis Anemone Anthurium

Friendship Splendid beauty Anticipation Hospitality

Asiatic Lily Aster Birds of Paradise Bouvardia

Majesty Patience Joyfulness Enthusiasm

Carnations Cushion Chrysanthemum Cymbidium Orchid Daffodil

Pride and beauty Fidelity A belle Chivalry

Daisy Delphinium Dendrobium Orchid Freesia

Fidelity Heavenly A belle Innocence

Gladiolus Heather Hyacinth Hydrangea

Strength of character Admiration Constancy Heartfelt

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 Iris King Protea Larkspur Lilac
My compliments Daring Levity Youthful innocence

Lisianthus Oncidium Orchid Oriental Lily Peony

Outgoing A belle Majesty Bashful

Phalaenopsis Orchid Queen Annes Lace Ranunculus Roses

A belle Sanctuary Radiant Love

Snapdragon Standard Chrysanthemum Statice Stock

Desire Fidelity Remembrance Lasting beauty

Marketing...

How to make yourself wanted by clients

For you to succeed in the décor business you will definitely need
customers and your level of success depend on how much you are
sought after. Being sought after is a result of the combination of both
your work and personality. It is good for people to appreciate your
décor, but it is even better for them to appreciate your person. This is
what gives you the edge over your competition, however in a corporate
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scene, you are expected to look and act very professional. Always have a
presentation if possible. Your potential clients expect you to know
exactly what you are doing and also possess the ability to convince them
that they can be comfortable with your judgment. Your clients will be
either from the corporate or social categories. It can be resourceful to
find contacts in the corporate world, and word of mouth as mentioned
earlier is your best bet for social clients. Promoting yourself for free
(through seminars, magazines, etc) is a cost effective way of marketing
yourself.
The most important thing is simply to get out and talk to as many people
as you can. You must be able to sell your abilities, services and
personality. The more contacts you develop, the more you are likely to
increase your business.
Plan to attend trade shows, join clubs and organizations and socialize as
much as possible to meet potential client and business contacts. Get
comfortable talking about what you do to every one you meet, and
always hand out business cards. Effective marketing involves
networking, advertising, developing your website, and listing your
company in news papers that specialize in events. Plan how you want to
sell your company and yourself before you begin. Image is very
important in this business.

Get Referrals
Always try to get referrals and testimonials from clients, especially those
that were very pleased with your work. The most reliable way of getting
more clients is actually through word of mouth referrals. Clients feel
more comfortable working with a decorator whose work has been
commended by a friend, sister, colleague, etc. Some organizations
require that you present a list of testimonial from previous clients, to
make them more comfortable.

Remain Relevant
Competition is very high in event décor, almost every one wants to
become a decorator. It is vital to identify your competition, and what

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they offer, and be able to offer more. Event décor is quite personal, so if
you are able to show your clients different levels of creativity, they most
likely be comfortable working with you( since they get something
different all the time). The message is to constantly strive to recreate
new ideas and
concepts. This will be your greatest weapon.
You must develop a listening hear for your clients, be able to understand
the image they have about their event, their personality, the type of
guests expected to attend and budget. You must possess a creative flair
and an artistic nature that sets your skills apart from the rest.

managing your business...

Investment Culture
When in business, is good to understand the law of delayed gratification.
The first two or three years should be spent saving and investing.
Returns on investment usually take a while, but secures your business
and future. You should focus more on building your stock and acquiring
more materials. In décor business, the truth is you cannot stop investing.
Trends and tastes in the social world change with time each new day,
thus continuous savings will afford you the power to acquire new and
more creative materials. When you’ve matured to an extent, your can
also broaden your horizon, by buying stocks in your company name and
other feasible business. This would ensure a steady income for the
company even in a down time.

Record Keeping and Accounting

Keeping track of your financial records is the key to managing a
successful business. You should set a system or structure that
effectively keeps track of all your records. It is very important
to establish an area (a file cabinet will do) for all your invoices,
bills, expenses and clients’ itineraries. Set up files for different
paperwork, it allows you easy access to information needed.
Accounting can very tricky, especially if you don’t have an
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accounting background.
I believe the following steps will make it simple enough:

• Open a file for each client

• Make a list of what you need to purchase including miscellaneous (for every
job, the amount of money you want to spend is totally dependent on you).
• Fix the market prices to it.
• Determine your profit margin
• Adjust expenditure where necessary, as suitable.
• Disburse your profit according to your finance structure.
• Document every transaction or purchase made in clients’ files.

Sales
Determining how much to charge for your services is entirely up
to you, but must consider a lot of things:
1. Who you are marketing your services to. It helps establish a
competitive price, at the same time making it affordable.
2. Don’t set your prices too low, or you will depreciate the value of your
service and appear cheap.
3. Find a price in which you profit, that would also be comfortable with
your clients.
4. Do a research on how much your competition charges.

You must be very careful not to sell yourself short. The following
formula will give you a better insight.
Direct Costs + Overhead + Profit = Your Price
⇒ Direct costs imply the actual cost of purchasing materials, flowers,
fabrics, table linen etc. Remember to include fringe benefits like
transportation.
⇒ Overhead refers to the cost of doing business: rent, equipment,
utilities, office expenses and administrative costs, marketing and adverts
etc.
⇒ Profit is an amount calculated over and above direct and indirect
expenses; the standard is 15 – 20 percent.

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Empowering yourself...

Pros and cons

The choice you make in becoming self employed is often based on
certain basic issues – personal and family needs, financial requirements.
Good thing about being self employed is that it affords you the liberty to
set your work schedule. You can also have greater flexibility with your
family and personal life.
You must however be careful to recognize its disadvantages, so that you
can overcome them:
1. The Financial pressure inherent in producing your own income.
2. The absence corporate provided benefits and insurance.
3. The absence of a social working environment
4. Low motivation, due to absence of managerial or corporate pressure.
Even if you have a small office outside of the home, it takes a lot of effort
and dedication for you to success as a business man. The earnings of an
event decorator depends largely on their ability to network, socialize and
be creative so that your clients always want to use you and also refer you
to potential clients. Earnings also depend on the season, festive seasons
record higher income for decorators than during Length and Ramadan
periods, so it is advisable to imbibe a savings on investment culture
(make hay while the sun shines). The beauty of it all lies in the knowledge
that every great thing started small, and your business will definitely out
grow “these disadvantages” having fully empowered yourself with
knowledge and zeal.

Be Fruitful and Multiply

Being in business is all about building your image. For a client to trust
you, it is essential that you present an image of professionalism,
creativity and intelligence. You must have a standard of unarguable
quality delivery. Try to have signature effects which will be associated
with you, and soon your image and reputation will grow.
In addition to creating mind blowing ambience for events, it is important
that you dress in a professional manner. A client will is more likely to feel

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comfortable entrusting you with a large budget if they feel you are
experienced enough and trust the professionalism you exhibit through
your mannerisms and your dress.
Your brand should project from all your presentations… business cards,
letter heads, literature, brochure, staff work clothes (on field). Whatever
you do, your brand must represent what you are tying to sell and you
MUST live up to it. Your brand is your greatest arsenal.

Now that the business is fully operational, prepare ahead for its growth
in an organized manner. If you grow without structure, it is like building a
house with poor foundations. No manner how nice it looks, it cannot
withstand a storm.

� Have up to date systems

� Develop a website
� Establish your business plan with your attorney
� Ensure professional accounting is in place
To keep your business going, you should:
� Posses the ability to sell your skills
� Enhance your personality and friendliness
� Improve your communication and computer skills
� Maintain good relationships with your clients
� Maintain your integrity

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Wrap Up
Starting and maintaining any business is a difficult task. It “separates the
boys from the men”. You should be receptive to things that can go
wrong and opportunities to move to the next level. Your greatest asset is
to continually research and learn as much as possible. To be successful
requires hard work, motivation and a go getter spirit. Your personality,
sales ability and friendly demeanour go a very long way in the industry.
You must be able to give reasons why you should be preferred and
defend your creativity, as some client might just put the pressure on you
just to see how you’d handle it. To have a strong business going, don’t
forget the following:

1. Open a business checking account; never use your personal account

for business.
2. Pay all bills by check and note on each what was purchased. This
enables analysis of expenditure.
3. Use petty cash sparingly, but keep receipts if you have to. Periodically,
write a check to petty cash to keep your records complete.
4. Record all income. Use receipts and invoice to itemize payments
received.
5. Deposit receipts often and label your deposit slips. Don’t keep cash or
checks hanging around, they invite theft and they get lost.
6. Balance your account monthly.
7. Practice good record hygiene. Keep clean, neat and regular records.

Thank-you for completing the RB Planners event decor course. Please feel
free to contact us at Info@RBPlanner.com or 647-768-2152 for any further
inquiries/mentorships. Good luck with your new craft and/or venture!

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