How to Start an Event Planning Business in Kenya

Events have been on the rise, making the event planning business a promising business idea. Starting an event planning business will help you earn profits and grow your business. People do not have time to plan for events, while others want to avoid hardships that come along when planning an event.

For these reasons, if you are planning to start an event planning business, you are on the right track. In this article, I will show you how to start an event planning business in Kenya.

Write an Event Planning Business Plan

The first step to start event planning business is to write an event planning business plan. A business plan is a road map that shows business goals and strategies. It should have the following:

An executive summary
Company overview
Key competitors
Marketing plans and operations
Startup costs
Sources of startup capital

The amount of startup capital differs from one country to another. It also depends on the size of the business you want to start. However, as a rule of thumb, the best way to start a business is to start small and keep expanding.

Responsibilities of an Event Planner

An event planner has the following duties:

Event planning, identifying and delivering services
Contact clients to understand their needs for customer satisfaction
Manage events and ensure they stay within the allocated budgets
Carry out market research, contract and negotiate for deals with other service providers
Offer additional ideas to customer plans and ideas
Ensuring event compliance with legal and health safety

Get Business Permits for an Event Planning Business

Before you can launch your business, you need to register the event planning business with the authorities. Pay for licenses and business permits. Ensure that the business is compliant with business regulations in your country.

Also, understand the tax laws within your area. It will help you pay your taxes efficiently and avoid having your business disrupted. Also, buy a business insurance policy to protect your business against losses such as theft.

Also read: How to start an outside catering business in Kenya.

Work on Your Skills

To start an event planning business in Kenya, you need to first develop skills in this field. You may need to have done a course in hospitality, management, or public relations. Some of the skills you need to in this business include time management, attention to detail and negotiation skills.

What Do you Need to Start an Event Planning Business?

You will also need an app to manage events. You can get overwhelmed by the number of events and fail to plan well for others. Luckily, there are many events and project management software available.

You will also need to develop marketing strategies for your business. You can create social media profiles for your business. You can make use of Facebook, Instagram, website and email marketing.

Another important strategy to improve your services is to collaborate with other businesses like photographers. When planning an event, you can always consider their services. This way, you will have a vast pool of resources and get customer referrals from a business you collaborate with.

Also read: Wedding planners in Kenya.

Partner With Other Businesses

One of the ways to excel in the event planning business is by partnering with other businesses. Suitable business partners for an event planning business include:

Caterers
Event decorators
Photographers
Videographers
Designers
Entertainment businesses

Identify a Category of Events

There are different types of events in Kenya and you can decide which one exactly you will be organizing.

Some of them include:

Personal events like family get together, weddings and birthday parties.
Educational events like conferences, meetings and seminars.
Promotions like political parties, product launches and political rallies.

How Much Does it Cost to Start an Event Planning Business in Kenya?

The cost of starting an event planning business in Kenya depends on the size of the business you want to start. To start a small event planning business, you need at least Ksh 100,000.

The following is startup capital breakdown:

A computer or laptop – Ksh 25,000
Printer – Ksh 10,000
Business licenses – Ksh 10,000
Marketing and branding – Ksh 20,000
Rent – Ksh 15,000
Employee – Ksh 20,000
Office supplies – Ksh 5,000

Is Event Planning Business Profitable in Kenya?

The event planning business is profitable in Kenya. There are many events held every week and people need professionals to help them plan. Therefore, investing in the business idea will give you high returns. Make sure to market your business so that you have many clients.

Set Prices for Your Event Planning Business

Setting prices for your services is very important. You need to set prices that are fair to your customers and ones that will help you make profits. You also need to consider how much your competitors are charging. Do not overcharge customers.

When starting, it is best that you start by charging lower prices compared to your competitors until customers build trust in your business.

Market Your Event Planning Business

Marketing is a critical factor in the success of any business. You must be creative to market your business. It can be through social media, business cards, websites and collaboration with other companies. Customer referral is also effective, especially when you are offering high-quality services. Your customers will refer other clients to your business.

Also read: Best event planning companies in Kenya.

Summary of How to Start a Party Planning Business in Kenya

Event or party planning businesses is one of the most trending and in demand businesses in Kenya. Party or event planning in Kenya requires great experience. You need to be aware of the event you are planning for, the expected number of guests, estimate food for the expected guests, and a lot more. You also need to have excellent event decoration skills. With this, you can get lots of people to hire you for event and party planning.