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Here’s a portion of a live presentation I did today …

If you struggled this year – and if you want next year to bring you more profits with less stress, please check out this video.

You can put this powerful but simple tool to work for you tomorrow and start seeing results fast.

Go check it out now and then take action. Only you can make your dreams happen – take action and good luck!

If you’re a wedding planner, event producer, caterer, photographer, DJ or any other type of event professional, this is for you – but the idea can be used be any small business owner or independent professional.

Please leave a comment or question! I’d love to hear from you.

Want to get your website ranked in the number one spot on Google when people are searching for a business like yours? It’s not impossible – it just takes the right strategy … and lots of work. Here’s how any event professional can dramatically improve their ranking using free tools.

You CAN Get Your Event Biz to Rank #1 on Google …

I have a load more of free information to give you on how to get more clients using the web plus some good old fashioned tools and strategies.

What do you think so far? Please, please leave a comment. If you like what you’re getting, please help me by promoting this page on Twitter, Facebook, your blog … sound fair?

If all this stuff sounds too technical, have no fear. My team can optimize your site for you – just contact me and we’ll get your site up to snuff.

-Brian

Looking for a venue off the beaten trail? Want to make your event more memorable than a boring hotel meeting room – and save money too? Check out this video I spotted today on Keith Johnston’s Corporate Event Thoughts.

Chuck Salem of Unique Venues offers some great tips on finding a great venue on a tight budget. The video starts off slow, but then Chuck gives away some great tips.

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Want to book more events? Be sure to download a free copy of More Clients Now.  Promote your event business on a shoestring with 10 breaththrough tools. Book bigger, better events, download More Clients Now.

Brian McGovern

Looking for more ways to promote your wedding planning or wedding services business? Today’s brides are online … and are overwhelmed by too many choices and poorly designed websites.

Some event planners tell me they love advertising on The Knot. Others tell me it’s a waste of time. How can that be?

Successful wedding businesses know how persuade brides to click on their links. The others do not.

The ones who succeed know how to convert clicks … into leads … into appointments … into contracts … into happy clients … and into word-of-mouth referrals.

The others throw up a confusing, wimpy website and blame the internet.

Please stop sending paid traffic to your crappy homepage. Build a custom landing page that targets your traffic.

Believe me, right now there are photographers, DJ’s, bands, florists, travel agents, bridal shops making a ton of money advertising on WeddingWire.com, The Knot.com, GetMarried.com and more.

If you have no sales conversion system in place – don’t waste your money. You need to optimize your site and create a lead generating system and not a static website.

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Want to learn more … download a free copy of More Clients Now. I’ll show you how to get started in the right direction … and give you 10 Free Breakthrough tools that will generate business.

Here’s The Knot … they just announced the launch of 75 new wedding websites. Check it out.

Ahead of Schedule, The Knot Continues to Grow Hyper-Localized Planning Sites and Dominate the Online Wedding Space

NEW YORK, NY (March 31, 2009) —The Knot Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT) today announces the launch of the next 75 wedding websites in its growing portfolio of niche wedding destinations. In less than three months, The Knot has launched over 80 new planning sites, leveraging its vast content databases to offer the most robust local resources available for today’s couples tying the knot.

On these hyper-local sites, brides and grooms can browse for inspiration from more than 1,700 Real Wedding photos, get instant community feedback from other brides planning in the same locality, and immediately email thousands of wedding vendors who can help make their dream wedding a reality.

“At a time when the economy is pinching all advertising budgets, The Knot is focused on adding value for our local advertisers by maximizing their exposure online,” said David Liu, CEO of The Knot Inc.

The new sites are search-engine-optimized to appear in natural search results, offering brides and grooms the best tools for wedding-planning on the local level where other national brands are notably absent. The company anticipates it may have as many as 200 niche sites launched by the end of 2009.

About The Knot Inc.
The Knot, Inc. (NASDAQ: KNOT; www.theknot.com), is a leading lifestage media company. The Company’s flagship brand, The Knot, is the nation’s leading wedding resource, reaching well over a million engaged couples each year through the #1 wedding website TheKnot.com. Other products from The Knot include The Knot national and local magazines, The Knot books (published by Random House and Chronicle) and television programming bearing The Knot name (aired on the Style and Comcast Networks). The Company also owns WeddingChannel.com, the most visited wedding gift registry website.

How did one event planner / caterer go from working out of her basement to running an event empire … during a recession?

Catering & Event Business Grows in Recession. A Recipe for Success

This year, some catering businesses will close their doors forever.

After years of struggle and hard work – the business they poured their lives into will be gone. And most, will blame the recession.

Most catering and event companies will have lower revenues this year. They too, will blame the economy. This year is awful, they say.

But some event companies will grow.

They will attract more customers.

They will take home more money. They will hire more staff. They will buy new equipment, new homes. They will make more money than 90% of the competition.

Hold on, you say. Make more money in THIS economy?

How can one event planning / catering firm make millions when others are failing?

I decided to ask Martha Kostyra from Jersey City. She was crazy enough to start a catering company out of her basement when the world was falling apart.

Now she’s worth millions.

Is This a Good Year For the Catering & Event Business?

Record high unemployment. Rocketing fuel prices. Economic crisis. War in the Middle East. Uncertain times, for sure. But, that did not stop Martha Kostyra.

She went on to grow that catering company into an event empire and became a multimillionaire.

The year she started was 1976 – and Martha Kostyra was now known as Martha Stewart.

Rich Planner / Poor Planner

Martha Stewart was and is a master of marketing. She knew how to attract the right clients – the ones who let you make a profit – the ones who host many high-end events.

She knew how to listen to her clients. She knew how to exceed their expectations.

Martha didn’t focus on the bad economy. She focused on growing a world-class catering company.

You can grow a successful catering company this year too.

First, stop imitating the mediocre masses. Most of your competition doesn’t know how to market. So don’t copy them. Only model excellence.

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Learn how to market your business. You may call yourself a caterer, photographer, event planner, wedding planner … but your real job is marketing.

To be successful in the catering & event business you need more than good service. You have to master marketing.

If you want to start quickly attracting more catering customers and you don’t want to spend any money to do it, make sure you download a free copy of  “More Clients Now.” This report reveals 10 powerful ways to promote your business.

I hope you feel a little bit more inspired for reading this – but more importantly I hope you take action. Make your dreams happen. Good luck.

Why are so many event businesses in trouble? The recession is only partly to blame.

Homogeny.

Because of the Internet, your customers can easily find lower-priced competitors faster than ever before. If you only provide generic event services that any other company can sell, you are a commodity. Take DJs for example, an industry full of copycats. Same song list, same equipment, same party favors, same everything. If the only thing that distinguishes one DJ from another is price then the lowest priced DJ wins the business.

The same can be said of caterers. Too many imitate and not enough innovate. As a result, the typical catering company’s proposal is almost indistinguishable from any other. Too many caterers let their customers control the quality and originality of their bookings. The majority of customers are too inexperienced at planning events to have the confidence to do anything original. Customers want to play it safe. So they imitate the last 10 parties they went to.

Therefore, most events are bland, generic and instantly forgettable. No one at the party needs to get your card because your service is invisible. You can’t stand out if you mirror other me-too event companies. You, as the event professional, have an obligation to your client into your business to be bold and memorable. If all you do is provide the same service that anyone else can, your event business is destined to fail.

Barbarians at the Gate

The barriers to enter the event services industry have never been lower. 10 years ago, a DJ had to invest thousands of dollars to build a music library. Equipment was more expensive, harder to find transport and required skill to operate. Now any knucklehead with an iPod thinks he’s a DJ. A song list is easy to pirate and play with a cheap laptop and inexpensive speakers.

Ten years ago, Event Planners would painstakingly build a Rolodex of high quality vendors. Now anyone can assemble there A- list of event professionals after a few hours on Google.

In the good old days, finding a good caterer took a long time. Advertising a catering business required a business address, a business telephone and an expensive Yellow Pages listing. Thanks to the Internet, almost anyone can throw up an impressive website for next to nothing.

Want to book bigger and better events? Download a free copy of “More Clients Now.”

Category Creep

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Now that things have slowed down you see more and more vendors that used to specialize in one event service branch out into many. The florist now does balloons, invitations and party planning. Now the photographer is a videographer and books entertainment too. Event production companies are renting audiovisual equipment, selling staging services and are becoming destination management companies.

Stuck Off the Web

Most of event services professionals are clueless when it comes to online marketing. The companies that grew and matured in the last 10 years did so using antiquated marketing. They relied on print ads, Yellow Pages, cold calls. They depended on unsophisticated and unknowledgeable buyers. Just a few years ago, it was too difficult for the event shopper to compare vendors. Information was harder to come by. Now that has all changed.

To be successful in the event services business today you must have a powerful online presence. Today’s customers are shopping online. Today’s customers are comparing service providers. Requesting and comparing proposals from dozens of your competitors used to take days and now can be done with a few clicks.

To be successful in the event services business today you must have a powerful identity. You can’t afford to be fungible. A fungible event services company is exchangeable or replaceable in whole or in part, for another of like nature or kind. You must invest in innovation and create a unique identity for you and your company.

Hard Act to Follow

If you’re not a hard act to follow, expect someone else to get all your applause. How difficult is it for a competitor to replace you? What unique value do you offer that is next to impossible to replicate? Now is not the time to imitate.

Create a strong brand online. In my free report, More Clients Now, I share with you 10 powerful, effective and free ways to get more customers. Whether you are a caterer, event planner, wedding planner, photographer, DJ, designer, makeup artist, decorator … if you are in the live event industry I urge you to download a copy of more clients than before your competition does.

Many people think that their business is slow only because the economy is bad. However, I have to tell you that a number of my associates are doing quite well and making more money this year than last year because they know how to market better than 99% of their competition.

You can sit and wait for the economy to get better or you can take action now to grow your event business.  Grab my free report, More Clients Now and take control of your future.

Be bold, the daring, be different. I wish you success.

Brian McGovern

I met a wedding planner who told me she worked 100% by referral.  Who wouldn’t love that?

No need to promote? No advertising cost! No selling!

Turns out she only gets 5 jobs a year!

The reason she didn’t market and sell her services is because she didn’t know how to. She was terrified of selling. The process made her nervous. She was clueless about marketing.

What we don’t understand, we tend to avoid and even fear.  Marketing and selling your event business doesn’t have to be hard – if you have marketing systems.

With the right marketing systems you don’t have to “sell.” A well designed marketing system attracts the clients you want to serve. They don’t have to be “sold.”

Do you have a marketing system that works?

I posted a video the other day that describes a powerful way any event professional can quickly build up business – at zero cost.  I have received so many emails thanking me for sharing this idea. Watch it here.

And check out my idea for getting your business noticed by the people who matter most to your success fast.

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For example, today’s bride shops around online. If she can’t find you there, you’d better hope her mother is planning the wedding. The older population still responds to pre-internet adverting. But for how long?

Learn how to promote yourself online with free tools that are easy to use. You don’t have to spend money and you don’t have to be a techie to do it either. Download a free copy of my report, More Clients Now and start attracting new clients.

Why You Should Never Work 100% By Passive Referrals

If you wait and hope for referrals, you’ll fail. If you develop a system for generating referrals, and you work that system well – you can have more clients than you’ll ever want.

Here’s the trouble with saying, “I only work by referral.” It isn’t scalable and it’s risky.

A scalable business is one that is capable of being easily expanded or upgraded on demand. How do you demand more referrals?

Risky Business

A business that is 100% passive referral driven is 100% dependent on actions it can’t control. You can’t control your customers. They move, retire and die. If they go away, so does your business.

Referrals are a great way to grow, but don’t grow dependent on them. You can certainly grow with referrals and if you have a referral system in place

To scale your business you need to marketing systems that generate leads and a sales system to covert leads into buyers. When you want more business you increase the output of your systems. It’s really that simple.

So … before you go back to business as usual, CLICK HERE and grab your free copy of my report, More Clients Now. It’s full of great ideas you can use today to start getting more business.

Business Plans for Event Businesses

Should you hire an expert to help you write a business plan?

I saw that question on Linked-In ( link to me here ) and it got me thinking.

The answer is yes. And the answer is no.

Yes, if you need a plan to raise capital. But first make sure the expert in question has the right credentials and references.

No, if the business plan is merely a formality. Many banks will only loan to event businesses with personal guarantees and real estate collateral.  The business plan is stuffed in a file. No need for expensive consultants, you can do it yourself with some inexpensive software. Check out  Palo Alto for a great business planning tool.

If you are starting a catering business or other live event business – a business plan is a must.  Yo must go through the planning process. Be sure to seek the advice of someone who specializes in the industry.

Marketing Plans for Event Businesses

What about a marketing plan? Should you hire an expert to create a business plan for your business?   No and no.

A marketing plan is more than a formality – it is the blueprint to your business success.  If you run a small business, never abdicate the responsibility of building a sound marketing plan to anyone.

A marketing plan is more than a document – it’s the crystallization of copious amounts of research and deep thought.

If you want to build a successful event business (any live event business, from wedding planners and caterers to banquet halls and entertainment companies) never let anyone else plan the success of your company.

After the consultant is paid and the marketing plan starts to gather dust – you’re  the one who must execute the plan. You’re the one who knows the customers. Who knows the vendors.

You’re the one who has the vision. These are your goals and your company is a big part of your life.

I’m a big believer in using consultants and workshops to facilitate the creation of your marketing plan. The facilitator can guide you through the confusion, help you work through your doubts and lend a constructively critical eye.

Use an expert to help you build a sound marketing plan the same way you would use a personal trainer to build a sound body. They can motivate, instruct and correct – but ultimately it only works when you do the heavy lifting.

If you want to attract more clients and market your event business better, be sure to download a free copy of More Clients Now.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit Gordon Ramsay is a powerful brand. David Tutera may not plan events the way you would, but his client roster is pure A-list.

So what business lessons do a hot-headed chef or a celebrity party planner offer you? Plenty… here are just two lessons:

Thou Shall Not Be Fungible

Fungibility is the property of a good or a commodity whose individual units are capable of mutual substitution. Examples of highly fungible commodities are crude oil, wheat, orange juice, precious metals, and currencies.

If you are fungible it means you are easy to replace – a commodity.

You must be irreplaceable.  If you are just “a caterer”, “a wedding planner”, “a wedding photographer”, or “a corporate event producer” – you have to compete with everyone else in your category. Gordon Ramsay is not “a chef,” he is Gordon Ramsay.  David Tutera isn’t “a wedding planner,” he is the one and only David Tutera.

When you create a strong brand like Ramsay or Tutera – you don’t get price shoppers. You become an incomparable category of one. Customers know that if they want you, only you will do and they will have to pay the price you set.

Thou Shall Build a Great Reputation By Great Deeds

Cynics may think that the only reason these two men have strong brands is because they “know how to work the media.” While no doubt they know exactly how to exploit media – I don’t believe this is the secret to their success.  (But perhaps Tutera owes some of his success to that hair cut. Geesh, if I could only get my melon coiffed that way.)

Drawing attention to your business only works well – in the long run – if your business is worth paying attention too. The only way for a business to build genuine buzz is to produce a great product or service that’s worth talking about.

Build your reputation by accomplishing remarkable things. Create fantastic events and wondrous catered affairs. Be daring, be bold and be different.

Thou Shall Be Judged By The Company Thou Serves

People want the best. Whether they’re throwing a party or planning a big corporate event – they honestly want to give their guests the best they can afford. But food and entertaining is so subjective. How’s a bride to be supposed to know who is the best wedding planner? How is a posh party planner going to find the best caterer?

As I mention in my free report, More Clients Now, people who are shopping for event services use short-cuts to try and find the best vendors.

There isn’t enough time to try out every potential event service provider in town – so the typical shopper looks for shortcuts. The biggest shortcut is word-of-mouth – the shopper asks for referrals from the people she knows and respects. Failing to find a suitable referral, the shopper takes cues from strangers that she respects.

If while poking about the web, an event shopper discovers that David Tutera is the wedding planner of choice for Jennifer Lopez, the shopper automatically assumes David must be the best.When we read that Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants attract celebrities – we assume the place must be good. Otherwise, why would the famous eat there?

Might you do a better job than our famous peers? Maybe, but unless you have an equally impressive client list – Mr. Tutera will win that client (assuming she has the budget!)

Get Thee A Celebrity

It’s amazing how much a testimonial from a celebrity can boost your business. Humans are a herd animal and celebrities are perceived to be the Alpha.  Make it your mission to land a big-name client and make them so very happy – happy enough to grant you a testimonial.

One way to land celebrity clients is by donating your services to their charitable cause.  It’s easy enough to discover with Google search.  Don’t bother trying to make your offer directly to the celebrity. Contact board members or the director of the charity. Donate or deep-discount – do what you must.  Aim to be a big part of an event that your celebrity of choice will actually attend.  Do a great job and unless the celeb is a complete jerk you should be able to get a nice photo and thank you card. Bingo.

I show you  in More Clients Now how to get tons of testimonials and use them to generate new clients. Be sure to download a free copy of More Clients Now and learn how to attract new customers using free online tools.

Don’t limit yourself thinking to pop celebrities. Landing Fortune 100 clients has the same effect.