Sage Wedding Pros

Photo Courtesy of Karina Marie Diaz

Amy Nichols Special Events is a full-service event and wedding planning company based in San Francisco, California.  What I love about Amy is that she has really taken her time to learn the ropes.  So many people want to start businesses in this industry and want to know how.  Take cues from Amy: go get as much experience as you can!

Amy first started working in financial services in New York. (Yay! A numbers buddy for me!)  Soon, she traded in number details for event details.  She interned and trained with high profile wedding and event planners in New York and LA.  Amy also worked in corporate event planning (working for companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Lazard Freres, and Credit Suisse First Boston).  These are all amazing experiences which paved the path to where she is today.  Read more about Amy and learn from her journey…

Amy Nichols
Owner, Amy Nichols Special Events
www.amynichols.com
San Francisco, CA
Established 2005

Why did you start your business?

My friends and family for years had been telling me I should start a wedding planning business because I was the go-to friend on wedding ideas and tips and ultra-organized.  I had some experience working on weddings from a few stints helping wedding planners in New York and Los Angeles in between jobs and on evenings and weekends. But beyond that, I had worked in financial services for 8 years in the “corporate world” so becoming a wedding planner sounded like a huge leap. I started my business in late 2005 after being laid off – which gave me that push I needed. I was fortunate that I didn’t need to work for a few months, which provided me the time (and money) to work solely on my business. Many people start a business while working full time, so having those first few months to focus was very helpful.

What book do you recommend to new business owners?

A day after I got laid off I bought a copy of “What Color is Your Parachute” which I’d heard about, but hadn’t read. A couple points really stuck with me – the concept of a “life-changing job change” which basically was saying you could get a new job, or you could embark on a life-changing job change where you’re outside of your comfort zone and this really resonated with me.  I knew that I definitely wanted a “life-changing job change”.

I’m a super pragmatic person and wanted to do everything by the book in terms of setting up my business properly and getting all of the correct insurance, so I also read several books about starting a business in California and would recommend finding books like that for your respective state. Books on public relations and marketing were really helpful to me too.

Do you have any cool goal-setting tips to share with us?

I wish! In terms of goals I am probably not as much of a hard/fast goal setter as others out there. I feel very fortunate with the success I’ve had to date; my business has been so much more than I ever anticipated. I am especially grateful for all of the media coverage I’ve received which I know is key for getting my name out there and the best way for future brides to find me.

What do you find to be the biggest challenge as a business owner?

My biggest challenge is ending the work day. I used to check my blackberry in the middle of night if I’d wake up to see if I had new emails from brides (current or existing) and I have thankfully broken myself of that habit. I realized a few months ago that I really come from a family of entrepreneurs – my dad is self-employed, my brother runs his own business, and my mom has had various businesses over the years. As a result, we all seem to be people that are challenged to set firm work hours. I remember reading a good piece of advice from wedding planner Mary Dann who said something along the lines of “set your own hours for yourself – you can choose to work on a wedding until the wee hours of the morning, but save the draft of the email and then send it to your bride/vendors during office hours.” I think the point of this was to also educate brides and vendors on your availability so they don’t think they can call you at 10pm! Thankfully I have yet to have a bride do that!

If you were starting your business all over again, what would you have done differently?

Very very little. I had tried to start a business in 2002 when I moved back to California from New York City and I realized pretty quickly that if you don’t have some money saved up that you can dedicate to your business, it is impossible to get started! Thankfully by waiting until 2005 when I had the time and resources (both personally and financially) I found the process much easier. It is crazy how quickly the costs add up – developing your logo and identity, a good website, etc. As I mentioned above, do your research – know legally what you need to do to set up your business (get a DBA and EIN if needed, a business license, a sellers permit) and make sure you get insurance! I think many people forget this step – depending on your type of business, you’ll probably want a general liability policy and also an errors & omissions policy.  If you have a store-front, you’ll want to make sure you’re insured against any accidents that might happen on your property (i.e. someone tripping or falling).  Early on, I chose to avoid costly things like print advertising. I also highly recommend becoming a member of any local bridal networking groups or national associations (I’m a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants). They’re a great source of support and information. Even if you’re not planning on starting a business for a while, these are great organizations to learn about the industry.

Editorial Note: Amy wrote a FANTASTIC article on “How to Be a Wedding Planner” for Style Me Pretty’s Backstage.  It’s a great read for all of those new to the biz.

Thanks Amy!

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