When Is The Best Time To Start Offering Proposal Planning Services?

I was inspired to write this blog post by a few of my social media followers. Over the last year, I have been emailed by several potential Proposal Planners and they have been asking me the same question. When is the best time to start offering Proposal Planning services? One of my followers is in college finishing her degree and asked me, “Should I get started now if I am still in school?” A busy mom emailed me wondering if she could pull it off with young kids at home.

And I completely get it because I have been there before. When I started The Heart Bandits, I had a six figure corporate job and I was only 30. I kept thinking, should I really blow this business up and walk away from my “secure” corporate job when I am already this far up and I have 30-40 more working years left? I remember when I had my daughter, I thought, “how can I pull off raising a child and running my own business?”

But I am here to tell you that all of that self-talk is just your brain’s way of making you think that it is ok to put this off. Because if you put it off, you don’t have to face any of the unknowns that you will face as an entrepreneur. But what your brain isn’t telling you is that by putting it off, you also don’t get to experience all of the amazing and rewarding things that entrepreneurship, and more specifically Proposal Planning, can bring to your life.

When I worked a six figure job, I:

Worked 40+ hours a week to make someone else rich

Had to request time off to be able to visit family or travel

Would have had to go back to work after maternity leave when my time ran out, NOT when I was ready

Was always worried about job security

But since I took the leap of faith and started my own Proposal Planning biz, I:

Set my own schedule and every minute I spend on my business goes into MY pocket

I earn a MULTIPLE six figure income

I go on vacation when I want

I spend as much time with my children as I want

So back to the question. When is the right time to start offering Proposal Planning services? The truth is, there is NEVER going to be the perfect time. There will always be reasons why you “should not start now” or reasons you should wait. So what you MUST do, is do it NOW.

Just get started. Even if it takes you a while to launch, at least if you get started now you will be working towards something that is yours. And the very first step to building your own six figure Proposal Planning business, is simply getting started.

The right time to start offering Proposal Planning services is NOW. The industry is growing, the demand is high, the money is on the table. Take it!

Want to find out the top reasons why you need to start offering Proposal Planning? Download my FREE resources below.

Create Your Business Legacy

A person’s legacy is about the richness of the individual’s life, including what that person accomplished and the impact that he or she had on people and places. Some examples of leaving a personal legacy would be having children or dedicating your life to a social cause.

But for us entrepreneurs, we have a special opportunity to also leave another kind of legacy. We have the chance to create a business that will leave a legacy. Today, I want to share my story of how I feel I have done that, in hopes that it will help inspire you to determine what kind of business legacy you can leave.

When I was a little girl, I created a neighborhood circus. I put together the talent, I sold tickets to my show, and I turned my first profit. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I spent my whole adult life chasing that feeling. I worked in the corporate world but my mind was always racing, thinking of new business ideas and daydreaming about being my own boss. I had a lot of bad ideas, some good, and some even moderately profitable.

But everything changed when my now husband proposed to me. I didn’t think the proposal was that great and I asked him why he chose to propose to me that way. He told me that there weren’t any resources out there to help men proposing (this was 11 years ago) and a lightbulb went off. I told him I wanted to start a Proposal Planning company and the rest is history.

Now when I started my business, I didn’t know it would be as huge as it ended up being. But I just kept working hard and growing my business because I wanted to quit my day job so bad. And then something happened. People from all around the world started contacting me, asking me to help them start a Proposal Planning business in their country. People all over the US were also starting their Proposal Planning company, many using my model as their starting point.

And that is when it hit me. My business had left a legacy. My business had given people around the world an idea to start their own business. My little idea had helped to create jobs and a path to financial freedom for people around the globe. When I am no longer on this earth, when The Heart Bandits is no more, there will still be a Proposal Planning industry and I helped start that. Now with my Academy, I continue to help people around the world start their own Proposal Planning biz.

What can you do in your business that would allow your business to truly leave a legacy? To truly leave an impact on people or places that will last longer than you are here on this earth? Maybe you can offer a new service that will be the game changer. Or maybe you can get your business involved with a cause that will change lives. If you don’t already have the legacy in mind, work backwards. Think of the legacy you WANT your business to leave and then add a service or goal that will put you on the right path. Maybe it is creating a pop-up wedding biz or starting a Proposal Planning company in your area or for a certain segment of the market?

If you think Proposal Planning might be for you, be sure to sign up for my Proposal Planning Formula™ waitlist here. Don’t forget to download my FREE resources:

How To Identify Your Target Market

If you are a Wedding Planner that is launching Proposal Planning services for the first time, you are probably overwhelmed at the thought of targeting this new market. After all, you are used to targeting brides in your current marking and this is a big change. And if you are new to event planning and starting your own Proposal Planning business, this is likely your first time needing to identify your target market and that can be a lot as well.

If you really want to intimately understand the type of client that books a Proposal Planner, you won’t want to miss my FREE masterclass that is coming up in March. Sign up for the waitlist here. In this masterclass, I go over the characteristics that almost ALL proposal clients have in common. But each Proposal Planner will also have a target market this is more specific to the type of client THEY want to serve. So how do you identify that market?

What Is A Target Market

Before going forward, we should define what exactly I mean when I say target market. A target market is a specific, defined segment of consumers that a company plans to serve with its services. So all Proposal Planners are targeting clients looking to propose. But you want to figure out which segment of those clients you most want to target. Examples might be LGBTQ+ community, luxury clients, etc.

Why This Is Important

You need to know exactly who you are targeting BEFORE you create any marketing materials. Marketing materials include your website, social media profiles & content, blogs, and more.

How To Determine Your Target Market

  1. Think about which segment of the market you want to service. Again, examples of this could be the LGBTQ+ community, luxury clients, etc.
  2. Think about the characteristics of that market and the aesthetic they may like. For example, for the LGBTQ+ community you may want to use bright colors and feature same sex couples throughout your website. For a luxury client, you may wish to stick to a neutral palette and a modern design.
  3. Brainstorm where this target market hangs out online. What Instagram profiles to they follow, what blogs do they read, etc?
  4. What are their hobbies and interests? For example, if you are targeting ultra high end clients, maybe they play golf and fly in private jets.
  5. Think about their values. Do they value exclusivity (being offered something no one else can get)? Do they value equality, being offered the same thing everyone else can get?

What To Do With This Information

Once you have done research on your target market, you will take everything you discovered and use it in your marketing. If you are a Wedding Planner, you will use this to create your Proposal Planning page, your blogs that are geared towards the proposer, your social media content, and your keywords & hashtag strategy. If you are new to event planning, you will use this information to create your website, your social media profiles, and all of your content, keywords, and hashtags.

Wondering if becoming a Proposal Planner is right for you? Check out my FREE downloads below.

Cheatsheet: Social Media Trends in 2021

If you are a Proposal Planner or Pop-Up Wedding planner, social media needs to be a huge part of your marketing strategy. But even though keeping up with the trends is completely necessary, it can be daunting. So I have decided to create a little cheatsheet for you and cover the biggest social media trends in 2021.

Instagram Reels

No doubt you have seen Instagram’s version of Tic Tok. Every time you open you open your search tab in IG, you are bound to see the newest Reels from your followers. That is because Instagram LOVES video and pushes video content over all other types of content. If you want to increase your visibility and engagement on Instagram, you need to post reels frequently. 4-7 posts a week would give you the most ROI for your time. To make one, simply hit the + button on the top of your account, choose Reel, and get to creating.

Clubhouse

I am sure you have heard of this new platform because everyone is talking about it. And more importantly, people are talking about how to get in because it is invite only! I think that is part of the appeal and why this new social media platform is blowing up, because it feels exclusive. But what is it? It is an audio-based platform where users can hop into various virtual chat rooms and talk with other creatives about a range of topics. It may not be a practical way to connect with your target market, but it is a great way to build your referral partners (people that will refer clients to you.) Download the app and apply to get in. If someone you know is already on the platform, you will get in faster.

Microblogging

This year, Instagram announced that they were changing the way they display search results and now they actually will present posts to users based on content. So that means IG is no longer only presenting posts that have hashtags that match the users inquiry, they are also presenting posts that have CONTENT that match what the user is searching for. And that is why you may have noticed that people are posting longer, blog-like captions on their social media profiles. This is known as microblogging and if you want more exposure, you need to include it in your marketing strategy.

Social Causes

In the past, businesses have often been careful about using their platform as a way to voice their own opinions on social causes. However, according to Forbes, 70% of Gen Z buyers attempt to purchase goods and services from brands they deem socially responsible. So don’t be afraid to use your platform to talk about the causes that are the most important to you. Not only will you feel good and do good, you will be rewarded for it.

If you haven’t yet started your Proposal Planning or Pop-Up Wedding planning services, check out my freebies below. The Heart Bandits Academy offers the only Proposal Planning school and we also have a course teaching you to create pop-up wedding packages.

How To Get Your First Proposal Client

When you are getting ready to add Proposal Planning to your existing services or starting your own Proposal Planning business, one of your first fears will be how you will get your first client. Any entrepreneur feels that way when they start something new.

I was once there myself. When I started The Heart Bandits 11 years ago, no one had even heard of Proposal Planning. So I not only had the stress of finding a new client, but I had to do it when no one had heard of what I was doing. There wasn’t even Instagram or Pinterest back then!

Lucky for you, things are much easier now. Hiring a Proposal Planner is now accepted and guys are eager to get the help you will be offering. So how do you find your first client? There are several ways you can get leads and score your first client. Here are a few:

Reach Out To Your Network

Since you may not have an audience yet, one thing you can do is ask everyone you know if they know of anyone that is proposing soon. You could offer your services for free or at a discounted rate in exchange for using their photos on your website and social media. Normally I would never say to work for free, but when you need photos to start showing social proof, this is an amazing way to get it done.

Introduce Yourself

Send an email or call vendors in your area that would come into contact with your target audience. For example, a jewelry store that sells engagement rings is going to be in constant contact with people that are about to propose. Reach out to them and let them know you are a Proposal Planner. Ask them if you can bring some cards by or offer them a special rate if they refer clients to you.

Utilize Social Media

Correctly utilizing social media can get you clients fast. For example, if you post a photo of a proposal and use a hashtag that is popular (but not so popular that your post will get lost quickly), you will instantly be put in front of perspective clients that are searching for that hashtag. Don’t have a photo of a proposal you have planned? No worries! You can use a stock image and give proposal advice in the post. Or you can create an ad about your Proposal Planning services in Canva so when they search for that hashtag, they will find your services.

Remember, the hardest part is getting your FIRST client. But once you do get that first client and you start having proof of your work, it can really spiral for you there. Download my FREE Checklist For Your Proposal Planning Marketing Strategy here.

I have a couple more FREE resources for you below.

Top 3 Clients From Hell

After planning marriage proposals for 11 years now, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have any clients that were a royal pain in the you know what. But there are a few that stand out and belong in my secret “wall of shame.” So why am I sharing this with you? Well I am sharing these hellish client stories for 3 reasons. 1, If you are a seasoned planner, I know that you have had your own clients from hell and I want you to know you are not alone. 2, if you are new to Proposal Planning, I want you to know that these things WILL happen and you should never let it get you down or make you question yourself. 3, I believe that the worst client experiences help shape you as a professional and help you define your future business practices. So without further ado, here are my top 3 clients from hell.

Why Don’t You Answer My Calls Guy

This client hired us on Friday late in the afternoon. We emailed him to let him know we looked forward to working with him and that we were getting right to work. Immediately upon hiring us, he started calling us non-stop without leaving a message. He would call, hang up, and call right back over and over. On the weekend, he would call all day and night and not leave messages. On Sunday we received a text message that he couldn’t believe that he paid us “this much” and we don’t return his calls. On Monday we called him and addressed his text message. We explained that we do keep normal business hours and that if there was something urgent going on and he left us a message, we would have gladly made an exception. He informed us that he expected call backs right away, day or night, weekday or not. We politely offered him a refund and told him we probably aren’t a good fit.

We felt he didn’t respect or value our time or the fact that we also valued our own family time which that is something very important to us. So we learned that if a client shows signs of that early on, we would rather not take the booking at all.

I Want A Refund Guy

You may know this guy all too well, but this particular client was extra special! He booked a rooftop in NYC for an hour proposal and it turns out his girlfriend said no. However, there is more to that story. He had proposed 3 times before and she had said no each time. So after enjoying the rooftop, even running over his time by a whole hour which we didn’t charge him for because we felt bad for his situation, we were shocked to receive an email where he was requesting a full refund. His reasoning was even crazier. He wanted a refund because there were water spots on the rooftop. NYC is a very old city and midtown is an old area. A true rooftop is exposed to outdoor elements and could obviously have water spots. Also, we include photos of the space and the water spots are not even noticeable unless you are looking hard to find something to complain about. His second reason was that he didn’t like that there were offices in the building on his way up to the rooftop. Tenants in high rise buildings constantly change and he wasn’t renting the building, just the rooftop. We politely declined the refund and he did a chargeback through his bank. We fought the chargeback and provided evidence that it was a frivolous claim. We eventually won!

We learned that it is important to always stand your ground. I would 100% offer a refund in any case that my service was lacking. But not for things I can’t control.

Indecisive & Cheap Guy

We were hired to plan a New Year’s Eve proposal for a guy with 4 days notice. The client did not appreciate the time restraint we were under, that we were planning a proposal on a holiday, and planning an event during a pandemic. He wouldn’t make any decisions and he wanted multiple scenarios presented for every option before he could make decisions. He didn’t even end up finalizing until a day and a half before. He changed his mind so much that the violinist ended up pulling out because they just couldn’t deal with all of the changes. His proposal ended up being a success but that wasn’t the end of it. After the proposal he requested that we return all props that he had used for his proposal to get a refund. After our service had ended, he continued to text us asking to help him return the used items.

Be sure to put a clause in your Proposal Planning contract that if your client causes delays in the planning, you can’t be held liable.

Although these clients were a bit of a nightmare, most of my clients are amazing. My clients generally are very appreciative of the fact that we are there to help them through one of the most stressful moments of their life. They typically send me heartfelt emails, cards, and sometimes gifts as they are so grateful for our service. If you want to be a part of an amazing industry, check out my free resources below. In my Proposal Planning school you will learn all about being a Proposal Planner and how this profession can change your life.

Pros & Cons To Being The First Proposal Planner

I was doing a Facebook Live this week and one of my members asked if there were any other Proposal Planners in their area. At first, I was confused at the question because in my mind, I didn’t see why this would matter. But as I talked to her, I realized that she was asking because she was hoping to be the first Proposal Planner there.

Now, I get it. I understand the excitement that comes along with being a trailblazer in your industry. However, along with that excitement comes a lot of pressure, uncertainty, and stress that you might not be aware of. I decided to write a blog today and go over the pros and cons of being the first Proposal Planner in your area.

Pro: Bragging Rights

It goes without saying that there is a special feeling that comes along with being the first to do something. You can brand yourself as “The Original Proposal Planner in …” or tell people that inquire about your services that you were the first planner in your area.

Con: You Have To Do Everything Yourself

If you are the first Proposal Planner in your area, you have to do everything yourself. You have to educate the market that Proposal Planning exists, convince vendors that they should partner with you, and drum up your own customers.

Pro: You Set Pricing

Probably the most exciting thing about being the first Proposal Planner in your area is that you make all the rules. One of those rules will be about pricing. It is awesome to be able to set your own pricing and be able to charge whatever you want for your services.

Con: You Set Pricing

But as EXCITING as it is to be the one to make all the rules, it is MUCH easier to follow them. If you are NOT the first Proposal Planner, you can simply do market research and find out what other Proposal Planners in your area are charging.

Pro: You Never Have To Bend

When you are the only Proposal Planner in your area, you never have to bend if a client asks you to lower your rate or to something off-brand because there is no competition.

Con: It Won’t Last

Proposal Planning is an amazing idea, and others in your area will see your success and want in on it too. So enjoy being the first Proposal Planner but don’t get discouraged when others move in. That means your idea was awesome, keep doing you.

Pro: You Set The Bar

When you’re the first Proposal Planner, you set the bar for your area. You could come in the industry planning over the top, amazing proposals and then anyone coming in after you will have to compete with that.

Con: It Can Take Longer To Be Profitable

When you are the first Proposal Planner in your area, it could take a little bit longer to get your name out and be profitable. Be patient, it will come. But it is good to set realistic expectations in the beginning.

Are you interested in adding Proposal Planning to your wedding business? Download my FREE resources below and find out why adding Proposal Planning is a must!

PSA: Stop Judging Your Competitors

Most everyone keeps an eye on their direct competitors, and I think you should. When you watch your competitors you can keep a pulse on trends in your industry and be motivated to stay on your game. But what happens when keeping an eye on your competitors turns into an obsession? What happens when you start watching everything your competitor does and it even starts making you upset?

I remember when I started my proposal planning company 11 years ago. I had a client instruct me to wrap boxes in Tiffany blue colored paper and to stack those presents next to a table for 2 for his proposal. I did exactly what was asked of me. But to my surprise, when I posted photos of the proposal later, one of my competitors accused me of copying their idea! The thing is, I hadn’t copied their idea, I was taking the direction of my client.

And that is what leads me to the topic of this blog. I urge you, not to judge your competitors and here’s why:

You Don’t Have The Whole Picture

When you see a photo of your competitors work, you may think, “they copied me,” “that is ugly,” or some other negative thought. But the reality is, you don’t know what the client asked for. You don’t if the client came to that planner with an existing vision and the planner was merely executing the vision. You don’t know if the client had a specific budget and the planner had to substitute things to accommodate. You simply don’t know any parameters that the event planner was working under.

You Don’t Know What Information They Had

With Wedding Planners, they are allowed to work with the bride AND groom to create their vision. A Proposal Planner has a serious challenge in that we are ONLY allowed to work with the Proposer yet our goal is to satisfy the Proposee. It may be easy to look at a proposal and think it was missing or lacking something, but sometimes the clients do not provide correct or ample information and the event planner doesn’t have much to go on. We have to assume that the information they provided about their partner is thorough and accurate.

We All Start Somewhere

Proposal Planning is a relatively new niche that is expanding and growing by the day. New Proposal Planners are entering the industry on a daily basis and they aren’t going to be the Dave Tutera of Proposals coming out of the gate. We all start somewhere and you may see a proposal and think “meh” but remember, the newbies are learning and fine tuning their craft too. We should be supportive and remember, we all started somewhere.

It Is Negative Energy

Hating on someone else is a non-productive habit. We should be lifting each other up and not tearing each other down. So keep these things in mind next time you think about your competitors. And hopefully they will do the same!

Proposal Planning is an amazing niche in the Wedding Industry and completely changed my life. Do you wonder if Proposal Planning might be right for you? Looking for a Proposal Planning school? Download my FREE resources below to learn more.

How I Went From Proposal Planning To Pop-Up Weddings

pop up wedding planning
pop-up wedding planning

I am most known for starting one of the world’s first Proposal Planning companies, The Heart Bandits. But what you might not know is that in 2016 I launched Pop The Knot™, one of the first pop-up wedding planning companies. Now you might be wondering, how did you go from Proposal Planning to planning pop-up weddings?

After spending 6 years on creating The Heart Bandits you see today, I felt like I had taken it as far as it could go. And just like many of you entrepreneurs, I wanted more. I started wondering, “what’s next?”

I started to get that craving like so many of us do and started thinking, “how can I diversify my income?” “what else can I do that is new?” etc. I noticed that there were a lot of really outdated elopement packages, a lot of amazing traditional and high-end wedding services, and not a lot in between.

So I created Pop The Knot to fill that gap. Since then, my company has been featured in New York Times, Brides Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Fortune and much more. And more importantly, I added another 6 figure income to my bottom line JUST by creating and selling pop-up wedding packages.

What is a pop-up wedding?

A pop-up wedding is a quick and easy 1 hour experience that allows up to 25 guests. The ceremony is about 15 minutes and the rest of the time is for fun and photos. Other similar experiences are microweddings, elopements, and minimonies.

Whether you are new to the wedding industry or you have been in it for years, you should consider adding pop-up wedding packages to your services.

Reasons you should plan pop-up weddings:

1) Pivoting during the pandemic

The sad reality is that the event industry took a big hit during the pandemic. We don’t know when full-scale weddings will be back in some cities so having pop-up packages readily available can be just the cash injection you need to maintain your business. And the good news is, once the packages are up and running, even if things go back to normal you will have this new stream of revenue.

2) Diversify Your Income

Maybe you live in a city where full-scale weddings are already back. Creating pop-up wedding packages is still a great way to diversify your income

3) Earn Additional Revenue With A Lot Less Work

Creating the pop-up wedding packages does take some work on the front-end. But once they are up and running, they require a LOT less work than coordinating a full wedding. In fact, I have 3-4 email templates I send out and then one final itinerary. Easy peasy.

In a couple weeks, I am holding a FREE Masterclass called, “3 Simple Ways Selling Pop-up Wedding Packages Can Increase Your Revenue, Decrease Your Workload, & Diversify Your Income.” Grab your free spot here or click the link below.

Mistakes To Avoid When Creating All Inclusive Packages

With both my Proposal Planning and Pop-Up Wedding businesses (The Heart Bandits and Pop The Knot,) I sell all inclusive packages.  These packages are responsible for a considerable part of my multiple six figure income, so I know a thing or two about creating them.  
Yet I see so many wedding professionals doing it wrong.  So I thought today I would talk about the mistakes that you should avoid when you are creating all inclusive packages.
1. Offering Too Many Items
My business mentor told me years ago, “a confused mind doesn’t buy,” and it is so true.  While you might think that the more things you add, the more money you can make; too many choices can actually be a turnoff to the buyer.  So you want to be cautious of offering everything and the kitchen sink.  
2. Not Charging Enough
Another mistake I see is that people don’t charge enough for the packages.  When creating the packages, wedding professionals get nervous when they start tallying up all the costs and so they cut back on their profit to make the package “more affordable” to the client.  However, your job isn’t to make the packages “more affordable.”  Your job is to provide enough value that your fee and the overall cost of your package is worth the price you are charging.
3. Overcomplicating The Offering
Some wedding professionals spend a lot of time creating these really grand ways of showcasing the package.  But we all know, sometimes less is more.  The client really just wants to know what you are selling and how it will benefit them. You don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles to explain that, just keep it simple and straightforward.
Are you thinking about offering pop-up wedding packages or proposal packages?  If so, download my FREE resources here.  
Free Download, “3 Reasons You Must Add Proposal Planning Services To Your Business Now.”
Free Download, “The Ultimate Guide to Selling Pop-Up Wedding Packages.”