What exactly is The Simple Plan workshop?

The Simple Plan is Sage Wedding Pros’ 2-day workshop which teaches wedding and event professionals not only how to write a business plan but also how to think strategically about their businesses. Let’s break it down:

• Our days are split into presentations and conversations that cover the four cornerstones of your business: company vision, marketing, operations, and finances.
• We present the strategy of each of these cornerstones.  Much like on this blog, we present the business nuts and bolts.  We share success stories from inside and outside the wedding industry.  We then turn to you and ask you what you think.
• This is highly interactive.  We share with you, you share with us, we all share with one another.
• We take breaks of ~10-15 minutes so that you can work on writing your own business plan and thinking of ways that you can take your business to the next level.

Why is it “Simple”?

Well – quite frankly – Kelly and I just like to break things down to the easiest level.  We just think this way and so we teach this way also.  Why make things difficult?  This doesn’t mean that we don’t get our heads working hard and that this is something for only start-up businesses (see below).  What we mean is that we invite you to sit down and knock out your plan in 2 days with us in a fun collaborative environment.

We are not kidding at all when we say that we make this SIMPLE.  See why Broke Ass Bride’s Dana LaRue thinks that the workshop simply rocks.  And find out why Catie Ronquillo says that it’s a “sneaky way of getting us to write a business plan.”

We don’t want to complicate your life.  We want to make it easier.

Is this something that only a start-up will benefit from?

We have had people who have attended this workshop that have been in business for 1 month, but many have been in business for 2, 5, 10+ years.  HERE’s THE THING: this is NOT a “how to start your business” workshop.  No no.  This is a “Hey, I have a business and I want to take it to the next level” workshop! The way we teach and the way that we’ve structured the curriculum allows people at all levels of experience to benefit.

Your business plan is never dead. When you stop planning, you stop being in business.

Do you really walk out with a completed business plan?

You will walk out with a plan that is ~80-85% complete.  You will need to go home and tweak some parts and clean some pieces up, but you will have a plan that you can use.

But, let’s be real here: You get as much as you give.  If you come to the workshop and don’t put in the work, you will not walk out with a business plan.  But, if you come, ready to learn and ready to do, you will walk out with a plan.

How is The Simple Plan different from other workshops?

We are the ONLY workshop (or conference) completely devoted to business planning and business strategy for the wedding and event professional.  This is not an inspirational workshop and this is not a workshop to teach you the craft of your field.  This is a workshop about business strategy.  We don’t talk AT you.  We give you TOOLS to use in your business every day.

Will my business be changed after I attend this workshop?

YES.  We don’t like to toot our own horn… so we’ll share with you what our graduates have said:

• A number of people had set out a goal to leave their day-jobs and focus on their business full-time.  We’ve received some fabulous emails with great pride expressing that some of our participants have been able to do this or are on track to do so in a given timeframe.
• We’ve received several emails from graduates saying that they were able to achieve their sales goals for 2010 and 2011.
• All of our participants have left the workshop with a stronger understanding of their target market, their niche, and how their branding marries the two.
• Many of our participants have told me that the finances presentation helped them gain control of the numbers.  They now understand how to make decisions by reading their financial reports.
• Some of our graduates have gone on to hire assistants and staff.  Others have outsourced some of their tasks.  Learning about hiring and training has empowered people to not solely carry the burden of all these responsibilities.
• Most of our participants leave with a plan to raise their pricing.  By better understanding all the cost and expense components of running a business – and, by better understanding the value of their craft – they are better able to find that “pricing sweet spot”.

Again, you get what you give.  The participants who put their business plans into action have gotten the most rewards from it.  Because it’s critical that our graduates do this, we continue to create a culture of achievement by having monthly chats, monthly educational newsletters, and just checking in on a one to one basis after the workshop.

But, I’m concerned about the cost.

The truth is that we’ve had graduate after graduate tell us that they would have easily paid twice for this workshop.  $399 is such a small investment in having a business plan that will take you through the next year of business (at least).  $399 to take your business to the next level.  Think about it… it adds up to $33/month over a year.

And, here’s the kicker… we GUARANTEE it.  If you don’t feel like this workshop served you any purpose, we will give you your money back.

How does The Workshop differ from The Exclusive?

Workshop:

Over 2 days you will learn from Sage Wedding Pros and other wedding pros.  You will also work on your business plan during this time. You get the collaboration of others in your community and build those relationships. You are given time to work on your business plan as we teach you the concepts.  You learn from others as much as you learn from Kelly and Michelle. You learn from the collaboration here with less 1 to 1 focus. You work off of a workbook that has everything you need to do your business plan (and you can write in your laptop if you want.) You are not given the electronic worksheets that we have in the Exclusive. You walk out of the workshop with your business plan – in hand.

The Exclusive:

Over 6 calls, we focus very specifically on YOUR business. The material covered (the topics) are the same as the workshop: business planning. However, you work one on one with us and we focus only on your business. You get a much more focused look at what you: the good, the bad, the ugly.  We follow a checklist of topics and exercise each week to ensure you are getting the most from this program.  You learn from the coaching aspects of working with someone 1 to 1 but don’t have the “learning from a group” aspect. We get very detailed into your marketing, operations, and finances… building your business one block at a time. (The templates and tools we offer electronically are not given in the workshop.) Your business plan is written after the calls, on your own time, taking from what you’ve learned on the calls.

When are you coming to my neck of the woods?

While we’d love to visit every city in this fine nation of ours, we simply cannot.  We go where the demand takes us.  Squeaky wheel gets the grease.  We love it when people start movements!  {hint, hint}  So, let us know if you want us to come to your town: Click here to take our survey.