Whether your event business is your full-time job or a beloved side hustle, one of the side effects of the pandemic is that more and more people are working remotely. With the rise of apps and other tech tools that allow event pros more ways to be productive virtually, you may be asking yourself—do I really need an office?
Old Is Becoming New
When the wedding and event planning industry began gaining traction, many planners worked from home. For many, wedding and event planning was a side hustle. Whether you were a stay-at-home parent working out of a home office or planning weddings out of your garage on a contract basis after your corporate full-time job; being at home allowed for lower overhead cost and more flexibility.
In this current moment, many wedding planners are choosing to work from home because it is the safest, most affordable option. This may be especially true in the beginning stages of launching an event business, when you may be severely limited in funds. Before 'breaking even', working at home on your own or in a home office/garage space with your small team, and meeting with clients in public places or at their chosen venue can be a great option (socially distanced and with masks of course).
Being Flexible
This year's 'Safer at Home,' sheltering in place has caused a great shift in thinking about how everyone works from home. From Fortune 500 companies to online doctor's appointments, people have changed the way they do and interact with business. With the uncertainty of what the future may hold regarding pandemics, natural disasters, and the like, being able to transition from working in an office to working at home is now vital to any business, large or small.
Now even the least tech-savvy people are learning how to use technology to their advantage, allowing for more people and teams to work remotely. That's where tools like Aisle Planner come in. Most of us already had online business tools at our disposal in the office, that often went unused and neglected. Platforms like Aisle Planner are becoming vital to how we interact with business partners, clients, vendors, and the like. Communicating to reschedule and even re-envision smaller weddings with clients and pros, all working from home, has been made easier with tools from Aisle Planner.
The Case for Brick and Mortar
Your tech tools can travel with you. Though, not all planning can be done virtually. There are some elements of this business that require hands-on labor—and laser-focused dedication. There can be a need for open workspace, studio areas where you and your team can be creative, as well as areas for collaboration and colorful water-cooler-conversation.
Working from home has challenges. The lack of privacy certainly hits high on the list for most planners. Meeting clients and other pros at home or even virtually leaves the door wide open for major invasions of privacy. Several planners with home offices have even had potential clients show up at their houses unannounced because of a change in their published business address.
Keeping our homes and property 'show ready' is simply unsustainable—and beyond that, your home might not be centrally located for most of your clients or the venues where you are often working.
Meeting in the Middle
Another office space option gaining popularity over the past few years has been shared or concierge meeting locations.
In many major cities, resourceful event professionals have constructed their own flexible shared spaces. In some cases, these workspaces are large areas partitioned off—creating multiple low-cost offices and studio spaces for professionals. These shared spaces may include flexible lounge-style conference rooms where professionals can reserve spaces for meeting(s) as needed.
These shared spaces offer full-time spaces for day-to-day work and space for meetings. Beyond that, some shared office spaces provide merely a business address in a trendy neighborhood for face-to-face meetings. The choice is solely based on your business' needs and budget.
Looking To the Future
Events will come back, and life will get back to something that looks somewhat 'normal.' Whatever that new normal is for the wedding and event world will be determined by an ever-changing multitude of factors. That said, some event pros will be returning to a commercial office or studio space. Others will embrace working from home and return to face-to-face meetings only as necessary. They may choose to have meetings in public spaces or the client's event venue.
If you are deciding to open a brick-and-mortar location, upon the world's return to normalcy, retail and office spaces will be readily available in many areas and potentially even at reduced prices.
Looking into the future, what do you feel is best for you and your event planning business?
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