12/23/2017
Dream Wedding Planners Business Plan
Hafiz Usman M. Usman Aamir Hussain M. Dawood
2014-IM-06 2014-IM-11 2014-IM-14 2014-IM-42
.Wedding Planning Business Plan – Executive Summary Dream wedding planers (DWP) is a standard and licensed professional wedding planning company that will be based in Lahore City – Pakistan. We have been able to secure a standard and well – positioned office facility in the heart of the city. Dream wedding planers (DWP) will handle all aspect of wedding planning such as wedding coordination, wedding shower / Bachelor’s eve, manage client’s time constraints, manage client’s budget, day-of-coordination services, conceptualization and design, full coordination services, and month of direction et al. We are aware that to run a standard wedding planner company can be demanding which is why we are well trained, licensed and equipped to perform excellently well. Dream wedding planers (DWP) is a client-focused and result driven wedding planner company that provides broad-based services at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients. We will offer a standard wedding planner services to all to our clients at local, state, national, and international level. We will ensure that we work hard to meet an d surpass our clients’ expectations whenever they contract their wedding planning to us. Our client’s best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professionals who are well experienced in the Wedding Planners industry cum event planning industry. Dream wedding planers (DWP) will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible. We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients. Our plan is to position the business to becom e the leading brand in the professional wedding planners’ line of business in the whole of Lahore city- Pakistan, and also to be amongst the top 20 professional wedding planner companies in Pakistan within the first 10 years of launching the business. This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely come to pass because we have done our market research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that Lahore City- Pakistan is the right place to launch our wedding planner company before spreading to other parts of Pakistan. Dream wedding planers (DWP) is a private registered business that is owned by Mr. M. Usman and his group members, M. Dawood, Hafiz Usman and M. Amir.
Our Services Offering
Dream wedding planers (DWP) is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the Wedding Planners industry in Pakistan. Our intention of starting our wedding planner company
is to favorably compete with leading players in the Wedding Planners industry both in Pakistan and in the world at large. We are well prepared to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in Pakistan to achieve our business goals, aim and ambition. Our business offerings are listed below;
Wedding coordination Wedding shower / Bachelor’s eve Manage client’s time constraints Manage client’s budget Day-of-coordination services Conceptualization and design Full coordination services Month of direction Wedding planning consulting and advisory services
Our Vision Statement Our vision is to build a professional wedding p lanner company brand that will become one of the preferred choices for about to wed couples in the whole of Lahore City- Pakistan and every other city where our services will be advertised. Our vision reflects our values: integrity, service, excellence and teamwork.
Our Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide professional and trusted wedding planners services that assist our clients in achieving their personal goals as it relates to their wed ding event. We are going to position the business to become one of the leading brands in the wedding planner line of business in the whole of Lahore City- Pakistan, and also to be amongst the top 20 professional wedding planner companies in Pakistan within the first 10 years of launching the business.
Our B usiness Structure
Normally we would have settled for two or three full – time staff members, but as part of our plan to build a standard professional wedding planner company in Lahore City- Pakistan, we have perfected plans to get it right from the beginning which is why we are going the extra mile to ensure that we have competent, honest and hardworking employees to occupy all the available positions in our organization. The picture of the kind of professional wedding planner company we intend building and the business goals we want to achieve is what informed the amount we are ready to pay for the best hands available in and around Lahore City- Pakistan We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, cu stomer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).
As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;
Chief Executive Officer / Principal Partner Wedding / Event Planning Consultant Admin and HR Manager Business Developer / Marketing and Sales Executive Accountant Customer Care Executives
Roles and Responsibilities Chief E xecutive Offi ce / Principal Partner:
Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities. Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy. Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals Responsible for providing direction for the business Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy. Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company Evaluates the success of the organization
Wedding / E vent Planning Consultant
Organizes wedding and other events from start to finish Responsible for interviewing and hiring vendors, selecting and ordering materials, negotiating rates, coordinating the sequence of w edding events, following up with guests and vendors and producing full-scale events. Plans, designs and produces wedding events while managing all project delivery elements within time limits Liaises with clients to identify their needs and to ensure customer satisfaction Conduct market research, gather information and negotiate contracts prior to closing any deals Provides feedback and periodic reports to stakeholders Propose ideas to improve provided services and wedding event quality
Organizes facilities and manages all wedding event’s details such as d ecor, catering, entertainment, transportation, location, invitee list, special guests, equipment, promotional material etc. Ensures compliance with insurance, legal, health and safety obligations Specify staff requirements and coordinate their activities Cooperate with marketing and PR to promote and publicize wedding event as requested by our client Proactively handle any arising issues and troubleshoot any emerging problems on the wedding event day Conducts pre- and post – wedding event evaluations and report on outcomes Research market, identify wedding event opportunities and generate interest.
Admin and H R Manager
Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products. Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs. Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process Carries out staff induction for new team members Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations. Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
Marketing E xecutive / Business Developers
Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects. Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy Responsible for handling business research, marker surveys and feasibility studies for clients Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales Documents all customer contact and information Represents the company in strategic meetings
Helps to increase sales and growth for the company
Accountant
Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization create reports from the information concerning the financial transactions recorded by th e bookkeeper Prepares the income statement and balance sheet using the trial balance and ledgers prepared by the bookkeeper. Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions. Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis. Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties. Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies Responsible for administering payrolls Ensures compliance with taxation legislation Handles all financial transactions for the company Serves as internal auditor for the organization
Client Service E xecutive
Welcomes guests and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries. Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the compa ny’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries Receives parcels / documents for the company Handles enquiries via e-mail and phone calls for the organization Distributes mails in the organization Handles any other duties as assigned by the line manager
Wedding Planning Business Plan – SWOT Analysis Going by our vision, our mission and the kind of business we want to set – up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business consultant to help us conduct S WOT analysis for our business. Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias in start – ups in Pakistan to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating other business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in the Wedding Planners industry. As a company, we look forward to maximizing our strength and opportunities and also to work around our weaknesses and threats. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Dream Wedding Planners (DWP).
Strength:
Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team that are considered experts in the industry, a team with excellent qualifications and experience in the Wedding Planners industry. Aside from the synergy that exist in our carefully selected team members and our strong online presence, Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) is well positioned in a city with the right demography and we know we will attract loads of corporate and individual clients from the first day we open our doors for business.
Weakness:
As a new professional wedding planner company in Lahore City- Pakistan, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from top profile clients in the already saturated Wedding Planners industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. So also, we may not have the required money to give the business the kind of publicity that we would love to give the business.
Opportunities:
The opportunities available in the Wedding Plann ers industry is massive considering the number of wedding and other events that takes places on a daily basis in Pakistan. As a standard and licensed professional wedding planner company, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.
Threat:
Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as a professional wedding planner company operating in Pakistan are unfavorable government policies, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operations and global economic downturn which usually affects purchasing power. There is hardly anything we can do as regards these threats other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for our good.
Wedding Planning Business Plan – MARKET ANALYSIS
Market Trends
The Wedding Planners industry is in a continuous state of evolution and as such, ground breaking strategies and ideas that are once highly successful are no longer as productive as they were in time past. Close observation of the trend in the industry reveals that the past few years have seen the rise and proliferation of social media and new tech tools. The trend also extends to increased attention paid to engagement and new market segments, adopting eco-friendly measures and sustainability when planning wedding events, and of course increases in demands from wedding event sponsors. Although operators in the Wedding Planners industry are increasingly investing in computers and software to engage members and market their organizations online, the industry remains highly labor intensive. The research further states that wed ding planner companies rely much more heavily on labor than technology to conduct their operations. As a matter of fact, social media has now become one of the most important tools wedding event planners leverage on to disseminate information about their wedding events, interact with attendees, solicit feedback, and create year-round engagement with their target audience. Furthermore, new software apps and emerging technology have made it easier for wedding planners to gather all the needed data and information that will help them plan and project for the future. In recent time, mobile event apps are becoming more popular; wedding cum event planner can now successfully market their services via social media platforms / on line platforms. In the United States for example, there several vendors providing mobile apps with more wedding cum event planners patronizing the apps. Over and above, increased internet usage has made wedding planners more accessible to clients, decreasing the industry’s marketing costs and boosting profit margins. These trends will offset the impact on the industry of changing social norms that have led couples to postpone marriage longer. No doubt, as the economy continues to strengthen, the growth in the Wedding Planners industry is expected to accelerate.
Our Target Market
Even though Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) will initially serve clients within the location where our business is, but that does not in any way stop us from growing to be able to compete with the leading professional wedding planner compa nies in Pakistan. As a standard and licensed professional wedding planner company, Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) offers a wide range of services as it relates to w edding planning hence we are well trained and equipped to services a wide range of clientele base. Our target market cuts across people of different class and people from all walks of life, local and international clients as well. We are coming in to the industry with a business concept that
will enable us work with the highly – placed people (celebrities and public figures et al) and at the same with the lowly placed people. Below is a list of the people that we have specifically design our products and services for;
About to wed couples Bachelors Spinsters Religious organizations Celebrities and public figures who are still singles and are getting set to wed
Our Competitive Advantage No doubt, the Wedding Planners industry is indeed a very prolific and highly competitive industry. Clients will only hire your services if they know that you can successfully help them organize their wedding events and take away the stress from them. We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the Wedding Planners industry means that you should be able to deliver consistent quality service, your clients should be fell less stress or no stress at all and you should be able to meet the expectations of your clients at all times. Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) might be a new professional wedding planner company in the Wedding Planners industry, but the management team and the owner of the business are considered gurus in the industry, professional who have w hat it takes to grow a business from scratch to become a top brand within the shortest time possible. They are people who are core professionals; licensed and highly qualified, people that can successfully help their clients organize successful wedding events. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us. Aside from our robust experience and expertise of our team of experts, we have a very strong online presence that will enable us attract clients from any part of the world Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups wedding planner comp anies in Pakistan) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives. We will also engage freelance marketing agents on a commission level to help us market our services.
Wedding Planning Business Plan – SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competitions amongst professional wedding planner companies in Pakistan; hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developer to handle our sales and marketing. Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the Wedding Planners industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.
We will also ensure that our excellent job deliveries speak for us in the market place; w e want to build a standard professional wedding planner bu siness that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients (both individuals and corporate organizations). Our goal is to grow our professional wedding planner company to become one of the top 20 professional wedding planner companies in Pakistan which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the Lahore City- Pakistan, but also in other cities in Pakistan. Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;
Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, religious organizations, households and key stake holders in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan. Advertise our business in relevant business magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station. List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories) Attend relevant international and local expos, seminars, and business fairs et al Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality wedding planning services to them Leverage on the internet to promote our business Engage direct marketing approach Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of networking and marketing our services
Sources of I ncome Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the Wedding Planners industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract clients on a regular basis Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) will generate income by offering the following services to individual clients and for corpora te organizations;
Wedding coordination Wedding shower / Bachelor’s eve Manage client’s time constraints Manage client’s budget Day-of-coordination services Conceptualization and design Full coordination services Month of direction Wedding planning consulting and advisory services
Sales F orecast One thing is certain, there would always be about to wed couples who would always need the services for professional wedding planners and also there would always be parties and events in
Pakistan and as such the services of professional wedding planners come event planners companies will always be needed. We are well positioned to take on the available market in Lahore City- Pakistan and of course throughout out Pakistan and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base beyond Lahore City to other cities in Pakistan. We have been able to critically examine the professional wedding planner market space and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projections are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Lahore city. Below are the sales projections for Dream Wedding Planners (DWP), it is based on the location of our business and the wide range of wedding planning services that we will be offering;
F ir st F iscal Year-: Rs.150,000 Second F iscal Year-: Rs. 350,000 Third F iscal Year-: Rs. 750,000
N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major e conomic melt down and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same additional services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.
Our Pricing Strategy
Just like in consulting business, hourly billing for wedding planning / event management / training services is also a long – time tradition in the industry. However, for some types of professional wedding planning services flat fees make more sense because they allow clients to better predict the overall service charges. As a result of this, Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) will charge our clients both flat fee and hourly billing as long as it favors both parties. At Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) we will keep our fees below the average market rate for all of our clients by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to our clients from time to time especially when they recommend clients to us. We are aware that there are some clients that would need regular access to professional wedding planning consultancy and advisory services and assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such clients’ needs.
Payment Options
The payment policy adopted by Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them b ut at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of Pakistan.
Here are the payment options that Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) will make available to her clients;
Payment via bank transfer Payment with cash Payment via online bank transfer Payment via mobile money Payment via check Payment via bank draft
In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our professional wedding planning services without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to c lients who may want to deposit cash or make online transfer for our professional wedding planning services. Wedding Planning Business Plan – Publicity and Advertising Strategy We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to take the Wedding Planners industry by storm which is why we h ave made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our company. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Dream Wedding Planners (DWP);
Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and events related magazines) and electronic media platforms Sponsor relevant community based events / programs Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around Lahore City. Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas Contact corporate organizations and religious organizations by calling them up and informing them of Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) and the services we offer List our professional wedding planning firm in local directories / yellow pages Advertise our professional wedding planning company in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site. Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our schools’ logo et al.
Wedding Planning Business Plan – Financial Projections and Costing Starting a professional wedding planner business can b e cost effective; this is so because on the average, you are not expected to acquire expensive machines and equipment. Basically, what you should be concerned about is the amount needed to secure a standard office facility in a good and busy business district, the amount needed to furniture and equip the office, the amount
to purchase the required software applications, the amount needed to pay bills, promote the business and obtain the appropriate business license and certifications. However, this is what it would cost us to start our own standard and world class professional wedding planner company in Pakistan;
Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, pens and pencils, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – Rs. 10,000 Acquiring an office space that will accommodate the number of employees we intend employing for at least 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – Rs. 35,000. The budget for liability insurance, permits and license will cost – Rs. 3,500 The cost for accounting software, event planning apps, CRM software and Payroll Software – Rs.30,000 Other start-up expenses including stationery – Rs.10000 Phone and Utilities (gas, sewer, water and electric) deposits – ( Rs.9,500 ). Launching an official website will cost – Rs. 3,500 Amount need to pay bills and staff members for at least 2 to 3 months – Rs.90,000 Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – Rs. 5,000 Miscellaneous – Rs. 50,000
Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need about one hundred and fifty thousand 3,00,000 Pakistani Rupees to successfully set – up a medium scale but standard professional wedding planner company in Pakistan. Please note that the salary for the payment of staff members for the first 3 months is included.
Generating F unds / Startup Capital for Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) is a partnership business that will be owned by M.Usman and his group members. They are the sole financial of the business which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources. These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;
Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).
N.B : We have been able to generate about Rs 100,000 (Personal savings) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of Rs. 100,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited. Remaining Rs. 1, 00,000 will be borrowed from the family members.
WE DD I NG PLANNI NG BUSI NE SS GR OWTH : Sustainability and E xpansion Strategy The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the cap acity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop. One of our major goals of starting Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running. We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our professional wedding planning services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while. Dream Wedding Planners (DWP) will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy. As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.
Check List / Milestone
Business Name Availability Check: Completed Business Incorporation: Completed Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various ba nks in the United States: Completed Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: I n Progress Application for business license and permit: Completed Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed Leasing a standard office facility in a good location plus reconstruction: I n progr ess Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed Generating part of the start – up capital from the founders: Completed Writing of Business Plan: Completed Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed Drafting of Contract Documents: I n Progress Design of Logo for the school: Completed Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed Recruitment of employees: I n Progress Purchase of the needed furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: I n progress
Creating Official Website for the business: I n Progress Creating awareness for the business in Other cities: I n Progress Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: I n Progress Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in various industries: I n
Progress
