One of the very early decisions I had to make when planning Celebrate was choosing the presenters for the event. I wanted to choose speakers who were experts in their field. However I didn’t want CEO’s of large corporations – I wanted speakers who could understand small businesses and mum’s in business.
I wanted presenters who I knew could relate to the Celebrate attendees and this industry and would provide knowledge and inspiration. I also wanted high value speakers – if business owners were going to make the effort to spend the whole day at Celebrate – I wanted to ensure they heard from incredible speakers.
Tickets for Celebrate close in just 2 weeks so I wanted to share more about the amazing presenters chosen and below I have shared more about them and what they will be presenting on!
Wendy El-Khoury – Wedded Wonderland
“Celebrate your digital voice”
“Digital marketing in event wonderland”
Do you want to flourish your business in the event industry? Are you struggling with how to market yourself well on social media? Are you looking for marketing and business tools which will work in your industry?
Founder of Wedded Wonderland – one of Australia’s most respected online wedding magazines and portal. Wendy has developed Wedded Wonderland to excel in Events, Social Media, PR and Blogging with over 950,000 followers across Social Media, and over 600,000 visitors onwww.weddedwonderland.com with 150,000 being unique per month. Wendy is established as one of Australias’ leading wedding bloggers and influencers and has built her hugely successful business in a short period of time. She is a mum of 2 and passionate about building up business owners in this industry.
WENDY’S SESSION IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF:
You are wanting hot tips and insider information from a well-respected professional on:
:: Navigating social media and making it work for your party/event business
:: Growing your business in this industry
:: How to market your business via instagram and facebook
Nikki Clarke
“Celebrate your niche”
“Discovering your niche and creating your brand identity!”
After 15 years experience devising branding and marketing strategies for some of the worlds biggest brands (think Nike, Levis and Nokia) – Nikki Clarke is a branding expert. She assists business owners to help uncover their niche and unique strengths and attract their perfect clients
NIKKI’S SESSION IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF:
You are wanting the inside scoop from an experienced professional on:
:: Building your brand
:: Discovering your niche and attracting your ideal clients
:: Setting yourself apart in this industry
Tessa White: Down That Little Lane
“Celebrate your brand”
“No money? No problems! Build your business and get your brand noticed on a limited budget”
Tessa started Down that Little Lane 3 years ago, on her own with a very limited budget and no help at all for the first 18 months. What Tessa doesn’t know about getting yourself noticed for free, how to get PR and networking your way to the top is not worth knowing. DTLL has over 240k followers on Pinterest, 75k on Facebook, 64k on Instagram and growing so it’s fair to say the proof is in the stats!
TESSA’S SESSION IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF:
You are wanting the secret keys from a well known professional on:
:: Getting your brand noticed without spending money
:: Growing your business on a limited budget
:: showcasing your business on social media & building a connected audience
Julia Bickerstaff, The Business Bakery
“Celebrate your worth”
“Am I working for me or working for free?
Pricing for profit in this creative and competitive industry”
The founder of The Business Bakery, a school and a community which helps women make a Healthy Income from their handmade, home based or other intentionally-small businesses. Julia understands small business and the challenges many business owners have in knowing how to price their service and create a healthy income!
Julia has a wealth of business experience including appearing regularly as the finance expert on Channel 7s Kochie’s Business Builders and as the small business expert on ABCNews 24’s Finance Quarter. She writes for Smartcompany and Flying Solo, and also works privately in a coaching capacity with medium sized businesses.
Unsure how to price your services? Reluctant to charge for the time you put in? Julia will provide you with the tips on pricing for profit in this industry!
JULIA’S SESSION IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF:
You are wanting valuable advice and all the answers from a knowledgeable professional on:
:: Knowing how to price correctly in this industry
:: Developing a healthy income in your small business
:: Managing your business and prices in this competitive market
Leanne Ambrogio: Sweet Style
“Celebrate your unique brands’ look”
Creating share-worthy images. Photography tips with styling secrets
As a former dessert stylist Leanne of Sweet Style discovered a passion for taking beautiful images of the gorgeous treats she was serving up to customers which led her down the path of photography. What started out as a hobby soon turned to a business when her clients started asking her to photograph their events and food for them.
With her knowledge of both photography and styling Leanne will give you the inside scoop on how to setup and photograph share worthy images of your products and work – so vital for anyone in this visual industry!
LEANNE’S SESSION IS PERFECT FOR YOU IF:
You are wanting to learn some fantastic tips from a respected industry professional on:
:: taking share-worthy images you can use online
:: how to style and stage your products or work for fantastic photos
:: using images to create your own unique look and brand in the party industry
Celebrate attendees will be able to hear from all 5 of these wonderful ladies and besides their value packed presentations they will also include some Q and A time for you to ask any burning questions you have!
If you haven’t yet secured your ticket, you can book your seat easily here as tickets close in just 2 weeks!
See you there!
So delighted to announce that tickets to Celebrate #celebratebizbash- the business bash for party makers and confetti shakers – are now officially on sale!
You can take advantage of the early bird price only until the 30th June (just in time for the end of the financial year!) – just remember to choose the “Earlybird” ticket option!
This special one day conference day is specifically for business owners in the party, baking and event industry!
Are you wanting to connect and network with others in your industry?
Are you ready to learn business tips and advice specifically for this industry?
Are you wanting to learn from inspiring speakers on topics such as social media, branding, PR, pricing and photography?
If so – this event is created especially for you.
I am passionate about business owners in this industry connecting with each other to build a positive community! I want to see small-medium businesses in this industry flourish!
Celebrate will provide you a day away at the beautiful venue The Deckhouse at Woolwich to hear from 5 inspiring speakers giving you tools for your business. You will be able to enjoy food and connect with other business owners just like yourself! At the end of the day you will leave with a gorgeous swag bag filled with an array of items for you to enjoy!
More details on speakers and Celebrate can be found here
Earlybird tickets are available at $255 ($245 for LLC partners) and will rise to $275 ($265 for LLC partners) after the 30th June so now is the best time to secure your seat!
To purchase your tickets please head to the ticketing site HERE where you can purchase your tickets easily via paypal (don’t worry if you don’t have a paypal account – you can still checkout using your credit card)!
Please choose the “earlybird” option and if you are currently advertising on the LLC website choose the “earlybird LLC partner” option
I look forward to seeing you at Celebrate!
I’m so excited to invite business owners in the party, events and baking industry in Australia to this premiere conference day in Sydney presented by Life’s Little Celebrations! More details on the Celebrate page but for now – save the date!
Don’t miss this special event on August 14th in Sydney – specifically for business owners ! Receive time to network with others in your industry and hear from some amazing speakers on how to flourish your business before the busy spring/summer party season – all while enjoying a beautiful venue and day out!
All the details can be found on the event page HERE where you can also sign up to receive updates on the news and ticket sales!
You can also join the Facebook event page here to ensure you don’t miss any announcements
Find out more here!
If you’re a mum in business it is fantastic to be inspired by and learn from other entrepreneurs! This week I am introducing you to LLC partner Louise from Illume Partyware! The Life’s Little Celebrations directory is filled with many amazing entrepreneurs and it is wonderful to hear their story and advice!
Enjoy this Q and A as you find out more about this gorgeous online party boutique:
Describe your business in 1-2 sentences:
Illume Partyware is a stylish high end fashionable partyware brand, every product is design by us in Sydney, Australia. We offer everything you need for your next birthday, wedding, kids party or any other fancy festivity.
When and how did Illume Partyware come about?:
When I was putting together my sons 1st birthday party. I found there was a lack of fashionable and stylish party products out there in the market. I wanted to style a party and have everything co-ordinate together from the tableware to decorations. There was plenty of partyware out there but I couldn’t find any items that where high end, high quality and up with the current fashion trends.
How has your business evolved over the years?:
I started out back in 2007 originally designing personalised wedding and christening invitations. In 2011, I decided to move on from personalised invitations and launch Illume Partyware. A stylish high end fashionable partyware brand, that launches a new collection every year.
What did you do before starting your business?
I started my design career designing ceramics and home-wares for Australia’s large department stores it was the first job I had after graduating from Graphic Design. A few years later I was recommended to a contemporary digital art company that contracted me to design a whole range of digital artworks for canvas and perspex. I worked together with them for 1 year developing their new range. I was then recommended to Bauer Media (formerly ACP magazines) where I became the advertising Art Director for ‘Australian Gourmet Traveller’ magazine. I worked there for a few years before I launched Illume Partyware.
What is one of your business achievements you are most proud of?:
Being able to make a living in this extremely competitive party industry. I have spent many years building the brand Illume Partyware and we are finally being recognised world wide. I am so proud to have a brand that is now known across the other side of the world. And that customers still call or email me with excitement that they have found our products.
What do you love about running your own business?
I love that I am able to design and create products that I believe in and I can share them with others all over the world. After working for many years with other companies to their design briefs I love that I now have the freedom to create and design products for my own brand Illume Partyware.
What is one thing you would like to achieve in 2016 for your business?
Illume Partyware is fast going global, so this year we are hoping to get more distributors onboard in countries all over the world.
What advice could you offer to other small business owners?:
Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, be yourself, do what you do best and what you believe in. Get a business mentor, someone you can talk to for advice. When it comes to running a business you don’t have to re-invent the wheel. Ask for help in areas you are struggling in.
Thanks Louise for sharing about your business! Visit Illume Partyware here and see their gorgeous range of partyware and tableware!
Launching a new business in the party industry can be quite daunting – so I thought I would share a few helpful tips for anyone starting out in this industry particularly in relation to social media.
Now I’m no expert however I do connect with a lot of small business owners within the party industry online (especially with my vendors from the children’s party directory) and it is from conversations with them that I am offering a few tips which may help you out as you start up. This is by no means an exhaustive list of tips – you can find much more online with general business tips, marketing tips, social media tips etc
However here is my 2 cents worth and I hope it helps as you launch out into this exciting industry! If you’re interested in finding out more about joining up to the Directory here at Life’s Little Celebration’s then send me an e-mail at lifeslittlec@gmail.com and tell me more about your business x
1) Connect!
It’s important to connect with other’s in the same industry as you. Both online (and if opportunity presents itself – in person as well). Facebook and Instagram are huge in this industry – like/follow others in the same industry as you. They may not be the same type of business – for example if you’re an event stylist then don’t just link up with other event stylists. Connect with other businesses who may be cake makers, graphic designers, event photographers, party bloggers etc.
Step back and observe the social media etiquette that is taking place on these Facebook pages and Instagram accounts between other businesses.
Don’t just “like” – genuinely comment on images posted by your peers in the industry and interact with questions they may post. This helps to build connection and relationship with others in the industry and get your business name known as well.
Quote from the Content Warfare book
2) Choose Collaboration
You will soon notice that there are some in this industry who aim to be quite competitive and others who are very supportive and collaborative. I have observed in the private facebook group I’ve set up for vendors on the Life’s Little Celebration’s directory how supportive everyone is of each other – everyone collaborates, answers questions, gives advice and praises each other’s work! That is how it should be!
So choose to be collaborative more than competitive. Praise other’s in your industry, support them, share their work (with correct crediting!) – you will soon find that other’s will do the same for you and you will make great connections which is essential in this industry!
Quote by Erica Cook of Moth Design
3) Credit!
It is wonderful on social media to share the work/products of other’s who inspire you ! You will often find me sharing my Directory vendors work/products on facebook and instagram. However it is so important to correctly CREDIT images when shared.
Crediting and tagging the business also lets that business know that you are sharing and promoting their work – which they will also appreciate. Not crediting images can give the wrong idea to others viewing your page (making them assume it is your own work/products) and will provide you a bad reputation with others in the party industry. NOT the best way to start out with your business.
Some tips with crediting –
If you share an image on Facebook or Instagram from another business – tag that business in your comments.
IE: Love this inspiring blog post by @lifeslittlecelebrations on party supplies for a mermaid theme!
Your followers will also love you tagging the original source as they can then go to view more pics/images from that original page!
Hashtags are NOT credits. For example:
“Love this inspiring blog post on party supplies for a mermaid theme”! #mermaidparty #partysupplies #lifeslittlecelebrations
This is not the right way to credit because the original business needs to be tagged and mentioned in the main comment. People cannot click onto a hashtag to be taken to that business page compared to when you tag the business.
Stating your source as “pinterest” is also not correct crediting. Most images on pinterest can be traced back to a source. Make the effort and put in the time to find the source for an image you wish to share.
I cannot tell you enough how strongly other’s in the party industry feel about correct and incorrect tagging and sharing of their work! So do it right and it will give you a much more positive reputation amongst your peers.
4) Confidence
As nervous as you may be starting your new business it is important to also have confidence in yourself. Set your own standards high as far as professionalism and customer service is concerned – and don’t lower your own standards just to get a booking! It can be tempting to offer the lowest prices when starting off – but it’s important to price your work/products to what they are worth. In time the right customers will find out and will pay the money if it is worth it!
Image by: Marie O’Neill Design and Illustration
5) Get professional
Now I know when you are starting out you have to be careful with money – however with the budget you do have – it’s important to get yourself a professional look. This is a very visual industry and presenting yourself professionally visually in your marketing is important.
This includes getting your logo designed – your logo will be seen on your Facebook page, Instagram account, business cards etc – so it is important!
I would also suggest strongly to have some images taken professionally (unless you are skilled yourself in photography/editing etc) of your products or your work. You could book a photographer and set up a little shoot with numerous of your products, dessert tables etc all setup so various pics can be taken all in the one photo session.
These professional photos can then be used in your Facebook cover image and any other marketing you need to create (magazine adverts, fliers etc). I know a photographer can be expensive but the one photography session can provide you with images to be used in so many ways.
6) Don’t compare
Quote from Bo-ho weddings
My last tip is to run your own race. In this industry – you will be bombarded DAILY with amazing and beautiful images on facebook and instagram of cakes, dessert tables, decorations, parties etc – all of which could make you feel overwhelmed when you are just starting out
You need to stay focused on YOUR business! Let everything you see inspire you – but don’t ever feel you need to copy another business in order to succeed.
What work’s for one business may not work for you. What DOES work and what makes a business unique is YOU. Your customer service, your passion, your talents. Every time your industry peers bring in a new range of products – don’t feel you have to bring the same items in your store. Every time your industry peers design printables in a particular theme – don’t feel you have to introduce that same theme into your own range! Don’t let your business decisions be based on what other’s are doing – I’ve seen it too often in this industry and it will not help you. Lead – do not follow!
From ‘We Heart It’
I hope these tips help you in some way if you’re starting out in this party industry. Feel free to e-mail me at lifeslittlec@gmail.com if you need any other assistance!
