cheap wedding inspiration

The Simple Plan… simply rocks

For most of the time that I’ve been “running this site”, its actually been running me. That is, at least, until I attended The Simple Plan Business Planning Workshop, lead by my friends at Sage Wedding Pros, and the businesswoman in me came alive with a vengeance.

I was petrified before walking into this workshop. I thought, “Oh god. I didn’t  prepare enough. I don’t know how to run a business and I certainly don’t know what my goals are!” Shortly after we began my fears dissolved as all the parts of running a business that had previously intimidated me were broken into easily digestible (and, dare I say, fun?) chunks… and for the first time, I was able to gain real clarity for my business and nail down exactly what it is we’re doing over here, and where we want to go!

photos by fellow attendee, Suthi Picotte of Picotte Photography

Of course, learning from such admirable and amazing women like facilitators Michelle and Kelly (of Sage Wedding Pros), and special guests Blair de Laubenfels (of Junebug Weddings) and Holly Jakobs (of Envelopments) was a huge treat, but being surrounded by such a creative and clever group of local fellow wedding pros didn’t hurt either. It was a truly empowering, enlightening and enjoyable 2 days… my only complaint is that I wish it could have gone on longer!

• Write a mission statement and define a company vision
• Set short and long term goals
• Refine their target market and niche
• Find the pricing sweet-spot
• Determine how many weddings are needed to be profitable; write a sales plan
• Examine branding and determine whether their branding projects their vision and values
• Create a marketing plan, operational plan, and financial plan

It is open to all professionals who do business in the wedding industry: new and experienced, in all segments (photo, video, flowers, planners, etc.) YOU WILL WALK OUT WITH A BUSINESS PLAN IN HAND, WRITTEN BY YOU.

While my time there certainly helped grow my confidence, inspire me to dream bigger than I ever imagined, and honed my vision for our future… I think my biggest tangible takeaway from the event was defining our mission statement for once and for all, and I’m pleased as punch to share it with you:

Broke-Ass Media empowers brides and beyond to spend wisely, live richly and thrive creatively…
crafting a bad-ass life on any budget!

Now doesn’t that sound nice?

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend, and I highly reccomend attending the next time they come to your city, whether you’re a knee-knocking newbie or a seasoned pro. Your business is ever evolving and shifting, and being armed with a business plan and keeping it up to date is half the battle.