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8. Are you ready to market your business? The wedding professional's guide to sound business practices
Before you're ready to offer your services to the public, it's essential that you take several important steps to get your business established. Even if you're going to operate a part-time, home-based enterprise, you need to do so on a business-like basis. We've divided our pointers into several categories, roughly in the order you need to take care of them. Legalities Incorporation, licensing and taxes, regulations, zoning and insurance Business type Should you incorporate, form a partnership, or go it alone as a sole proprietor? There are tax consequences, so it will pay you to do some research so you understand your options. Ideally, you should consult an accountant, and possibly an attorney, before making your decision. Here's one example of how this decision can affect you. Imagine that a client's guest is injured during a wedding and you are found liable. If you are operating as a sole proprietor, you could lose your personal assets -- including your car and even your house -- to satisfy a judgment. But if you're incorporated as an LLC ("limited liability corporation") your personal property is shielded from liabilities your business incurs. More information on incorporation is available from the N.C. Secretary of State's office, which registers all corporations and LLCs.  to Corporations listings.Privilege License Just about every business operating in North Carolina is required to obtain a Privilege License and pay a $50 annual tax. Corporations and LLC's pay this when they file their annual reports with the state. Some business categories are subject to a higher state privilege license tax. Some types of business must also obtain a local privilege license from the city and/or county where they operate. Health and safety regulations Caterers must operate from commercial kitchens inspected and licensed by their county Health Department. Limousine companies must meet special vehicle licensing, chauffeur's license and inspection rules set by state and local governments. Serving beer and wine can require Alcoholic Beverage Control licenses from the local ABC Board. Even home-based cake bakers must obtain approval from the NC Department of Agriculture before they're allowed to sell their goods. Here are links to articles with details about some of these regulations: to health rules for caterers. to rules for home-based bakers.
to N.C. liquor control rules.Zoning Every county, city and town in the Cape Fear region has a land use ordinance that restricts where businesses can operate. These zoning rules usually allow "home-based" businesses to operate in residential areas, with a few important conditions. The most important is that the business doesn't generate a large amount of traffic or require customer parking. A photographer or disk jockey who meets with clients in a home studio should have no problem with these regulations. But a caterer might easily run afoul of a municipal zoning rule if he builds a commercial kitchen in his back yard and parks a fleet of vans in his driveway. Local planning and zoning departments are the best sources for information on what types of business are permitted in residential areas. Insurance If you're providing a service or product to the public, you need business liability insurance. Most homeowner liability policies won't protect you against accidents or illnesses caused by your business activities, though some may offer an optional business rider. Some venues require vendors to show proof of liability insurance before they're allowed to work on the premises. And don't be surprised if savvy brides and grooms ask you about your insurance coverage, too. Return to top of file Your professional image Phone messages, websites and email domains Telephone tips Not every small entrepreneur can afford a separate business phone. Many don't have a "land line" at all, relying on a single cell phone for business and personal use. That doesn't have to be a problem -- if you're smart about it. We're constantly amazed at the business wanna-be's who seem determined to drive away potential customers. There's the "robo" greeting: a default mechanical voice that drones "Please ... leave ... a ... number" without a clue whose phone it is. Ever suffered through a garbled recording by a 3-year-old that someone thought was cute? Or tried to decipher a message so rushed or muffled you can't be sure it even mentioned the business? These messages say one thing, loud and clear: I'm not professional. And: You'd better call somebody else to handle your flowers or photography or music. This is simple. Write a script for a clear, friendly but professional greeting. Rehearse it. Re-record until you get it right. Pick a quiet time so no distracting background noise can be heard -- unless you intend to play a specific piece of music. Take your time and speak clearly. If you have a shared line, there's nothing wrong with a greeting like this: "Thanks for calling DJ Denny of ABC Entertainment and the Andrews Family. To leave a message for DJ Denny, press 1. For Angela, press 2." Your website It's vital, especially for a new business, to have at least a simple website to answer the most basic questions: Who are you? What products and services do you sell? What are your qualifications and credentials? How can you be contacted? It's also a low-cost way to show examples of your work, outline your pricing if you choose, and deliver a targeted sales pitch. The time has passed when any serious entrepreneur or manager can get away with excuses like "I'm no good with computers," or "I prefer to do business the old-fashioned way." That's something like saying "I'm no good with telephones" or "I don't believe in mail." The web and email have become essential business tools. Your potential customers -- especially 20-something brides and grooms -- aren't interested in "old-fashioned ways of doing business" if they waste time or make it inconvenient for them to contact you. It doesn't have to be expensive to get your own domain name and set up a simple website. There are lots of options, including online do-it-yourself services and local designers, that can fit any entrepreneur's budget. Anybody who's serious about business should invest in a functional, attractive website (and we don't mean a MySpace page) before spending money on advertising. That's right: Before you buy an ad in Cape Fear Wedding, we strongly recommend that you get your website working. These days, most customers won't give serious consideration to an advertiser without a website. Branding your email Most people in business own a domain name for their website. But far too many don't extend their brand to their email address. If your website is "ClassyCaterers.com," what message are you sending by asking brides to email you at "buster5683@hotmail.com"? An address on a generic domain such as aol.com or bellsouth.net suggests a business is more than a little behind the cutting edge. Worse yet are free accounts on the likes of yahoo.com or hotmail.com, which make a vendor look amateurish. There's no good excuse for not having your email use your business's domain name. If you prefer a personal touch, "buster@classycaterers.com" is fine. Or for a more neutral feel, "info@classycaterers.com". Any web host worth doing business with should be able to get you an email address in your own domain name. It shouldn't cost any more than you're already paying for your website. The lowest-cost national hosting companies make it easy, with do-it-yourself set-up pages. Return to top of file Finances Bank accounts, credit and debit cards, managing bills Banking This is related to the question of incorporation, above. If you are in business as a sole proprietor, you can use a personal bank account for your business checking. It's important for tax purposes to keep careful records so you can keep business and personal transactions separate. But if you're incorporated, you'll have to have a business checking account, as well as a federal tax ID number. Your accountant or your bank can help with the checking account. The IRS will issue your tax ID number when you incorporate. Every so often, we're surprised to encounter a wedding vendor who doesn't have a checking account! Don't expect to inspire confidence in your business standing if you use money orders to pay your bills. Credit & debit cards Whether it's issued to the business or in your own name, a credit card is almost indispensable to doing business in the 21st century. It's the only practical way to do business online, and it's necessary for many other types of transactions. (For example, Cape Fear Wedding requires a credit or debit card for our monthly payment option for advertisers.) Either type of card can be dangerous if used irresponsibly. It doesn't take long for careless spending, or sloppy record keeping, to cause serious damage to a business person's credit. If your card is being routinely declined for relatively small purchases, your reputation with your own suppliers and peers can be damaged. Financial responsibility When a bride is deciding who to entrust with her most special day, she's entitled to want evidence of a vendor's financial stability. Will deposits be honored? Will expensive products like bouquets, photo albums or wedding cakes be delivered? Savvy consumers routinely check on such matters through the Better Business Bureau and similar sources. Bridal couples also rely heavily on referrals from other wedding vendors. Responsible business people don't steer their customers toward vendors they know have a bad reputation for reliability. It's one of the requirements for membership in our regional trade group, the Cape Fear Wedding Association. Members must be in good standing with all of their business relationships. Bottom line: If an entrepreneur isn't diligent about honoring financial commitments -- and disciplining himself about how he uses his available cash and credit -- he's not going to succeed. In hard times, it can be difficult to make every payment on time. Most creditors would much prefer to renegotiate a payment schedule and keep a client in good graces, than to be ignored. This is certainly true for us at Cape Fear Wedding. Return to top of file
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Published by Cape Fear Images, Inc. | 5621 Athens Lane | Wilmington, N.C. 28405