Week 7

Entrepreneurial Journal – Week 7

I had a meeting this week with a client to discuss their October wedding.  It will be my largest wedding this year.  I have done a wedding for another daughter in the past, so we know each other well.  One of my goals with this wedding was to make sure I price out fairly (the first time around was when I was new in the business and I undercharged them so much due to unexpected expenses, I felt like I hardly made anything – lesson learned).  I also wanted to be sure I had a clear idea going into our meeting about what materials were being used and how that would translate into cost so that I could make sure I am charging enough for what I am doing.  This is our third meeting, and we are close to making final decisions.  At our next meeting, I will make a mock up table so that they can see exactly what we are doing.  I brought several samples and we played with different options.  We discussed the extensive use of silver and mercury glass, as well as the white and green flowers we will be using.  It was a very productive meeting and they were very happy.

One thing I have learned is one of my strengths is my ability to assure people that what they are doing is the best option for their budget and I am able to help them feel comfortable and happy about their event.  That is an important part of my business model, I always want my clients to feel comfortable and to trust me.  I do that by communicating clearly my intentions, as well as asking them a lot of questions so that I know we are on the same page.  One thing I could improve upon is to make sure I have faster turnaround with my statements after events are over.  That will help my cash flow.