Hello everyone! I have a question...

MoniMoni

Has anyone here started an errand service? Reason why I am asking, I am
currently interested in starting one early next year (January to be exact). If
anyone did, how did you get started? I want to create a wedding concierge/
errand service for brides/grooms who do not have money for a planner, but
still need someone to get items they need for their wedding. Any advice
folks?

BTW, I love this website and subscribe to the podcast. This site rocks!
MoniMoni2007-9-14 14:34:20

MoniMoni

Thank you Craig.

I will check out fourms. If anyone else has info, pass it on! MoniMoni2007-9-17 0:33:48

arose

Your idea sounds great! Have you looked for other businesses in your area that are offering the same services?  I am trying to start an errand running/ concierge service as well and found that researching the competition is the best place to start.  Try to offer something that they dont.  Find your niche, with weddings you can do SO much.  I have friends and family getting married right now that would pay for this service, wedding planners are overpriced and sometimes too opinionated, you can offer the same services except the bride/groom can choose what they want you to help with and what they would rather do on their own.  I can help you come up with ideas if you want....
email me: [email protected]</A>

Fred333

Very interesting niche that you trying for. So I am guessing you will be very local. If that is the case then I would go for a nice website, but then you could focus on going after the wedding forums and try to listing in the local papers.

MoniMoni

From what I can tell, no one in my area seems to offer this service...but I
have one problem. My car just died on me. So running around would be
a bit of a problem. Which is why I said I wanted to start this during the
beginning of next year.

I have missed most of the bridal expos for this year, but I also know that
many start in January. I have even checked websites for "Wedding
Concierge, or Wedding Errand Service". Most errand services add
"wedding events" as a list of their services. I just want to run errands for
weddings only.

I completed a wedding planning course in June and quickly realized that I
did not want to become a planner. I believe shows like "Bridezilla" made
me realize that I did not want to deal with a person who was more into
what the wedding looks like (as well as being "a bitchy diva" than being
happy that they are spending their lives with the love of their life.

BUT -- At the same time, from watching that show, I realized that much
of the drama concernd the bride running around getting wedding items.   
The wheels started clicking. if a person did not want a planner, but
ordered everything herself, if she had someone to pick the items up, that
would make her life easier.

Right now, I am reading this book on how to run your own errand service.   
I am also moonlighting like crazy to get money for a new car (used). I
intend to get this up and running as soon as possible.MoniMoni2007-9-22 22:58:18

MoniMoni

First, thank you all for your responses...

Second, I said the same thing. A coordinator or planner sees everything
from start to finish. As I said earlier, I don`t want to do that.

Maybe I should be more specific...there are people who cannot afford
wedding planners. Acccording to the course I took, a $50,000 wedding is
considered small potatoes (I kid you not, that`s what the planner said to
us). Typically, planners and coordinators are to charge 10-20% of the
cost of a wedding.   So that`s $5,000 - 10,000 right there. However 2006
figures show that the average cost of a wedding was 26,900.

But what about a Bride who does not want all of that? Some people do
not want the hassle. And quite frankly, I don`t have one girlfriend who
paid for a planner and their weddings were beautiful (complete with
caterer, baker and great location). But they still needed to take of things
(picking up invitations, getting bridesmaids gifts etc) while still holding
down jobs.

I`m telling you....there`s a market out their for this. TV shows like
Bridezillas, Whose Wedding is It Anyway and now, MTV has My Big Fat
Wedding show people who are spending OUTRAGEOUS amounts of money
for a wedding. Well, I`m sure I can help bride who want to spend their
money on down payment on a house and still be able to have a great
wedding.

I also read an article about business owner Jung Lee who runs a wedding
consulting firm called "Fete". She actually has contacts with vendors and
she has the couple come in for a "free" consulation. They come in, tell
her what they want and she then gives them a list people who can put
together the wedding bride wants. Now of course, she gets her cut from
the vendors.

The wedding business, according to the statistics I found is a 7.9 BILLION
dollar industry.

I`d like to take a crack at it!
MoniMoni2007-9-23 3:51:48

johnqh

First, recent research shows the median (not average) wedding costs more close to $15000, much lower than the numbers people used to throw around.
And since you are targeting the low end of the market (couples who cannot afford wedding planners), let`s assume the average wedding cost of your market is $5000.
How much fee do you charge? If a couple`s total budget is $5000, maybe they are willing to spend $500 to $1000 on your errand service.
Then, you need to figure out the number of wedding in the geographical area which you want to cover, and again, since you target the low end, use 20% of the total number as your potental clients. What percentage of those can you really reach? My best estimate is that you can get business from 5% of the total weddings in the area, maybe much less because of your target market.
You also have to factor in how many you can handle. If you have a full schedule and average 2 weddings per week, you will have 100 weddings per year. At $500K per client, you are only making 50K/year before expense.

MoniMoni

The research that was given to me wedding consultant course was as
follows:

"Wedding Statistics & 2006 Wedding Market; 2.3
Million Weddings and Wedding Cost of $26,800"

and according to Money/CNN that figure can go up to 30K

http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/20/pf/weddings/

Honestly in the Tri-State area, (NY, NJ & CT) anyone who has a wedding
here spends more than 15K.   Location & transporation alone will break
the bank. Most people here spend over 20K.MoniMoni2007-9-23 14:10:4

johnqh

09-07_3P6SLBK.dce612.html
 

MoniMoni

Another report that confirmed the "average cost", as well as how
consultants were pushing the industry:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/fashi ... anner.html?
_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all


It figures that the media would have conflicting reports regarding the
wedding industry.

What is clear, selling the "Princess Wedding" is big business. Countless
books, television shows and wedding expos, somebody is buying into
this.

As I also stated, in the tri-state area, 20k is more like it.

It was stated to me during the Wedding Consultation/Planner course that
it is a tough market, if you are planning from the planner perspective.
What was once a small profession has now become a booming market.

And as I said earlier, based on the research I am doing, I`m going to take
a crack at the market.   

It would not matter to me if the salary was only 50K, that`s what I`m being
paid currently. I would prefer to make that working for myself than with
the corporation I`m working for now. If I was looking to do this to get
rich it would be one thing. I enjoy events but I know what it is to plan
and to also get what you need to acquire just to pull something off. As a
former assistant, I constantly had to get whatever was required for
executive staff on a daily basis, so I am familiar with getting the
impossible. But running a service is a different entity.

$50K today could mean $100K the next year...have to start somewhere.
MoniMoni2007-9-23 19:57:33

johnqh

To make that 50K, you would have to handle 2 clients per week average, and according to you, you are targeting the low end market, which is much tougher to crack.
I am not saying there is not a need. However, as a business person, the objective is to be profitable and make as much profit as possible.
I just think if you can get 100 clients per year from the low end market, you as well can get into the full wedding planning business, handle 20 clients per year and make 2X more.
Let me put it in another way -
You want to get into a business to run errands for people. How much do you think the errands are worth to your target market? $15/hour? $30/hour? You are not really running a business. Instead, you are your own boss for an low paying errand job. If you want to do service for people, why would you pick a "job" which pays for $20/hour instead of one for $50/hour?

MoniMoni

johngh,

point taken, thank you for your input. MoniMoni2007-9-24 0:29:36