Welcome to Ask Jen, a weekly Q&A with the “career doctor” herself
If you would like to submit a question, please e-mail askjen@ysn.com and she’ll do her best to get to them all. Oh, and don’t forget to register on YSN.com – Your Success Network and fill out your profile so we can link back to it!
YSN member geminisuga86 asks: How do you get your feet wet in the wedding industry?
Jen responds: Breaking into the wedding industry should be real piece of cake (ha!) simply because it’s such a big industry with tons of media, resources, products, services (etc.), not to mention that it affects people from all walks of life, every background, every age, and from every corner of the planet.
To figure out the best way to break into the wedding world, start by thinking about what you actually want to do in it. Produce events, design dresses, sell invitations, publish new media? Even pick a few related options. Then start scouring the market to see what’s out there. Assess your competition.
Think about whether you want to try to build a national or international business from the start (easier if you’re an online business, of course) or a local business. If you go with the local angle, start to visit all of the local vendors. Ask them if they know of anyone who has the service or products you’re thinking of specializing in. Then, try to find your niche. What can you do that no one else is doing? Or what can you do that’s cheaper, more high end, more customized, more turn-key, less hassle… pick your angle and make a go at it.
Look for the industry trade associations online. Devour whatever info you can find like a butter cream topped piece of cake. Sign up for the newsletters or other publications of interest. Attend their events. Join their membership once you’ve vetted the more prestigious ones out. That will also make you look a little more official when you start marketing yourself.
My only other advice would be, if you’re totally unfamiliar with a new industry, start by dipping your toe in it first. Take baby steps. See how you can provide samples or one-offs of your product or service. Maybe even give it away for free a few times, just to get people talking… and make sure you get plenty of pictures, endorsements and raving fans out of it!
There’s really so much to say here, but hopefully that will give you a few good ideas to get you started!
Best of luck!
Jen
