Maintaining Good Vendor Relationships

Maintaining a good relationship with your vendors is crucial to your business. Some ways to maintain good vendor relationships are described below:

Explain your business goals

It’s critical at the start of any vendor relationship to communicate your goals, business vision, and your expectations. When a vendor understands how important customer service is to you, for example, they will be encouraged to work harder in that area. Knowing your goals will help them make the best decisions in your favor.

Assign a dedicated manager

Select a team leader or project manager to keep track of each vendor. This manager should check in with frequent phone calls and site visits to solicit feedback from the vendor. Remember: phone calls are more personal than e-mails, while site visits will go even further to bolster your confidence in the vendor and let them know that they are an important part of the team. This person should respond to any vendor questions and concerns promptly and make sure to keep the lines of communication flowing.

Request progress reports
Schedule periodic and detailed progress reports from the vendor. These reports will give you a clear insight into how the business is growing, bring to light any glitches or problems early on, and allow you to resolve any issues before they become big problems.

Plan in advance

It’s important to respect your vendors’ time and resources. Delays on your end or last minute alterations can affect their profit margins and strain the relationship. Similarly, pay on time and if you can’t, explain to the vendor why, reschedule the payment, and don’t flake out again.

Train vendors to meet your needs

Don’t assume that vendors know your company’s unique needs. Determine if training might be necessary. The additional expense will be worth it.

Be reasonable
Low balling your quotes and expecting something for nothing is a bad way to maintain a good vendor relationship.

Show loyalty
When you’re loyal to your vendor by consistently giving them business and sticking with them through mistakes, misunderstandings or miscommunications, they may return the favor by offering discounts and incentives. If you are considering alternative vendors, under no circumstances should you let your current vendor know that. It may seem like a good way to negotiate for lower prices, but you risk your vendor feeling slighted.

Show some goodwill
Don’t get into the habit of asking for outrageous requests or favors from your vendors. But when you do occasionally, show some good will by offering some easier jobs, throwing them more business, giving them referrals, and understanding that they may not always be able to accommodate immediate or unexpected requests.

Be chummy

Don’t be afraid to be friendly with your vendors. Try not to make every communication with them a serious one. The more you get to know their team and the more they think of you as a friend, the more good will they’ll be willing to show you when you need it.

Put It Down In Writing

Put down everything in writing- responsibilities, expected sales volume, payment, mode of payment etc. Anything you think may cause misunderstanding and strained vendor relationships later must be put down in writing beforehand.

Vendors represent your business to customers in various regions. Therefore, it is important that you maintain a good relationship with them. More than that, a good vendor relationship will see you through in a bad situation. The goodwill the vendor has for you will translate to business growth, as the vendor will work hard to attain your business goals.

Establishing Good Vendor Relations

Having a solid relationship with your vendors can make you more efficient as an event planner. Imagine not having to take the time to choose floral arrangements because your floral designer is always spot on in her creations. Picture a relationship with your caterer in which you can choose a menu without scheduling a tasting because his cuisine is always magnificent. Developing your vendor relations will save you stress and time, both of which you can save for planning more events.

The Vendor Cast of Characters

Your vendor list will vary depending on your field of event planning that you specialize in. When shopping for a vendor, ask your colleagues and other event planners for their recommendations. You can also ask the company for referrals from other clients in the industry. Be sure to fully vet and qualify your prospective vendor before you decide to hire them. As with event planners, vendors rely heavily on their reputations to be successful. The following vendors are staples to have within you arsenal when you begin your career and as you continue in your career.

• Caterer
• Florist (Floral Designer)
• Baker (Specialty & Custom Designs)
• Purveyors (companies selling produce, seafood, meat products, and beverages)
• Wine and beer companies
• Liquor distributors
• Labor companies (electricians, general contractors, carpenters, and painters)
• Photographers
• Videographer
• Graphic & Web Designer
• Specialty stationery designer and/or printing company

 Creating Goodwill among Your Vendors

Your goal is to develop a healthy and profitable relationship with a vendor; you have to make a conscious effort to show your appreciation. Below are some suggestions that you can use to create goodwill and cultivate your vendor relationships.

• Offer a beverage to your delivery people. Keep coffee, sodas, and bottled water on hand for company drivers. They do not always get to stop and grab something; they get thirsty to.
• Provide vendor meals. Remember your staff is not the only people working to set up an event;  but there are always several vendors who may be working to set up an event. This simple act encourages staff relationships and builds a sense of community.
• Have a volunteer day. Choose a charity and get your company, vendors, and staff involved.
• Invite vendors to events. When it is appropriate, put your vendors on the guest list of an event your company is hosting.
• Offer your services. If your wine representative is planning his wife's 50th birthday party, offer to plan it at no charge.
• Extend an invitation to company parties. Holiday staff parties are a great way to integrate vendors into your company.
• Don't forget the special touches. Event planners often receive perks such as concert tickets from clients, so remember your vendors if you cannot use the tickets yourself.

Vendors represent your business to customers in various regions nationally and internationally. Therefore, it is important and critical that you maintain a good relationship with them. More than that, a good vendor relationship will see you through in a bad situation. The goodwill the vendor has for you will translate to business growth, as the vendor will work hard to attain your business goals.

Your Career or Your Wedding

Guest Blogger Series

Your Career or Your Wedding

By Sharon Patrice of Simply Perfect Peace Events

Everyone knows that planning an event of any size can be an overwhelming task when you don't have the TIME to dedicate to it. Wedding professionals estimate that planning a wedding can take 250+ hours, therefore, life as a bride-to-be is overwhelming on steroids. From flowers to what should you give out as favors depend on your nah or yah. What am I saying? Planning a wedding can be a full time job, and if you´re already a busy professional, guess what? Your work week doubled before you put the S on the Y.E (yes). Now the question is how to balance your professional and personal life while keeping your sanity.

Organization

This is the best way to avoid headaches. Having an appointment book is essential in organizing your work and personal life. Now you can see every appointment for the day, week or month. Create a wedding checklist you can stick to and use this same method for your work day.

Now & Later

Asking your boss to hold while you speak with your florist is probably a bad idea. Instead, divide your day into time slots (as indicated in your planner) and have work slots and wedding slots. Be firm with yourself and don't let one flow over into the other; this will do nothing but slow you down and add to your frustration. Use your lunch and breaks wisely! Consider arriving early or staying late so that productivity isn't jeopardized.

All Work No Play

So the statement of "work hard, play harder" is out the door for YOU! Use that "play" time to knock off some things from your to-do-list. Those times when you'd be relaxing on the couch catching up on your DVR - addressing save the dates can done without missing a beat.

Get Some Help

Delegate, delegate, delegate. Since you're sharing this moment with someone else, divide wedding planning tasks evenly between you and your fiancé. After that, take it a step further by giving small tasks to immediate family members or bridal attendants (small – don´t turn friends into full time wedding planners, they'll resent you later). Finally - consider hiring a professional.

Enjoy the process ~Peaceful Planning

Sharon Patrice is the Owner and Lead Consultant of SimplyPerfect Peace Events. She invites your contact at info@simplyperfectpeace.com or via Twitter at DesignsByShay Facebook at Simply Perfect Peace Events. Her personal blog is DesignsByShay

Making Your Message Multicultural

Guest Blogger Series

Making Your Message Multicultural

By Suzanne Deliscar of Treasures Translations

“There are few efforts more conducive to humility than that of the translator trying to communicate an incommunicable beauty. Yet, unless we do try, something unique and never surpassed will cease to exist except in the libraries of a few inquisitive book lovers.” – Edith Hamilton (American Educator and Author; known for popularizing classical Greek and Roman literature. 1867-1963)

At some point or another, organizations, businesses and individuals may find it necessary to have documents translated from a foreign language into English, or vice versa, whether it is for an international business transaction, publication of a book in another country, or providing marketing materials to prospective clients from a foreign language group. Clients or colleagues who do not speak English well, or at all, may also require the services of an interpreter in order to effectively communicate with others. In order to make the translation/interpretation process a pleasant and beneficial process to all involved, the following advice should be followed when working with a language professional:

When Working with Translators

• It is essential that exact documents/or portions of documents to be translated are communicated to the translator. At times, there may be a significant amount of duplication within documents that do not need to be translated.
• Ascertain whether the translation requires certification, which is common for translated documents to be used for government (e.g. immigration) or court purposes, and communicate this to the translator.
• A well-equipped translator will have access to a variety of language tools in order to complete the translation work, as well as a breadth of education. If there are particular glossaries of terms from previous translation projects that should be used for the current translation in question, provide it from the outset to the translator.
• Agree on a reasonable timeline, keeping in mind that tight deadlines may make it difficult, or impossible to deliver a thorough and accurate translation.
• Communicate to the translator the purpose of the translation, i.e. who will be reading it, so that the translation can be completed accordingly. As a rule, translations follow the same format as the source document, but for informal internal purposes, for example, the translation buyer may only be concerned with the words, not with the format of the target document.

When Working with Interpreters

• Speak clearly and slowly. The interpreter needs to be able to understand what you are saying, preferably the first time, in order to accurately communicate the statements to the other party.
• Be prepared to clarify or restate words if requested. This can only help the interpretation process.
• When contracting an interpreter, indicate from the outset whether a particular dialect of a language is required. In South America, for example, where Spanish is the predominant language, there are variants between both different countries and within each nation, which could affect the way in which the non-English speaker speaks with the interpreter selected. Furthermore, the Spanish spoken in Latin American is different from Spanish spoken in Spain.

About The Author

Treasures Translations (www.treasurestranslations.ca) is headed by Suzanne Deliscar, a Canadian lawyer-linguist who decided to combine her dual interests and qualifications in law and languages to provide a unique service to fellow lawyers and business corporations.

Translation and interpreting services are provided in both French and Spanish, primarily in the subject areas of legal, business, marketing and religious translation. Other languages, including Russian, German and Mandarin Chinese, are available upon request.

Committed to the community, Treasures Translations supports charitable work abroad by assisting youth in the nation of Haiti with goods, as well as offering material and programs that will be of encouragement to them.

Making The Groom Feel Special!

We all know how easy it can be to get carried away when planning a wedding.  It is one of the most important days of your life, after all.  But sometimes all the running around, planning, and shopping can leave your main man feeling left out.  Here are some great tips on how to include your groom and make him feel special. After all, it’s their special day, too!

• Have a sports-themed shower for the groom and a few of his best friends and male family members, packed with beer, chips, pizza, sandwiches and Buffalo wings. The gifts should be exclusively for the groom.
• Make the groom’s cake a must at the wedding, and incorporate the groom’s favorite hobby into the design.
• Let him pick some of his favorite songs for the DJ or band to play at your wedding.
• Have snacks and drinks for him and the Groomsmen before the ceremony.
• Send a gift to his hotel room the night before your wedding.
• Let the groom walk down the aisle or enter the venue to a song of his choice.
• Incorporate the groom’s favorite color into the reception. For example the groom likes purple; you could incorporate it into the table linens or use it as the font color on menu cards.
• Send the groom and his groomsmen to get pampered (haircuts, massages or even the Spa – Men like the Spa too!)
• Get the groom’s opinion on male-geared favors for the reception.
• For the Cocktail hour surprise him with some special appetizers that he would love – Buffalo wings, mini corn dogs, etc . . . or even a fun childhood favorite dessert – like a cotton candy machine at the reception
• Stock his ride to the ceremony with his favorite tunes.

Planning A Themed Wedding



Masquerade Themed Wedding

When making plans for a wedding many couples may choose to go with a theme of some sort. A wedding theme is a great way to share something special about yourselves with your guests. In a way you are letting your guests know a little more about what you like and your personal style. Your theme can be anything that is special to you, whether it is a fairytale theme or a chocolate theme. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. The theme that you choose for your wedding can be incorporated into every aspect of the ceremony from the colors, to the decorations, to your wedding attire.

The first step in planning your theme wedding is to decide on the theme. A helpful tip in this process is to sit down and make a list of different things that are important to you. In that list you can include activities that you like to participate in, as well as colors and holidays that you like.

Once you have your list, you want to create your wedding budget, as this will play a big role in what type of theme you are able to go with. With your wedding theme list and budget in hand, you can now begin the process of narrowing down your list. The date of your ceremony also plays a role in which theme you decide on. Do any of the themes on your list require items that are seasonal? If so, you may end up paying more for certain items that are out of season.

Some popular themes for weddings include; fairytale weddings, tropical weddings, and holiday themed weddings. Below are some tips on how to plan weddings with the above themes.

Fairytale Theme Weddings

Fairytale weddings are beautiful, and can be planned for almost any location. Think about the classical fairytales like Cinderella and Snow White for a little inspiration. Pretty much anything glamorous will work with this theme. Bubbles and confetti are fun to add to the reception. If your budget allows, you may even want to check on renting a carriage to take you and your groom to the reception after the ceremony.

Tropical Theme Weddings

Tropical weddings are extremely fun to plan. There are so many options as far as color and floral arrangements. Almost any bright, vibrant color will work. Tropical weddings do work best for the summer time months, and if at all possible outside ceremonies are the best choice. Butterflies and leis can be fun additions to the reception as well.

Holiday Theme Weddings

Holiday weddings are great, and can easily be done on a budget if you start planning well in advance. Christmas and Valentines weddings are very popular among this group. If you start planning a year in advance you can usually find all of your decorations, and even things that can be used as favors at the after holiday sales. Although holidays are usually a busy time of year, they do work well for weddings.

Whatever theme you may be considering, remember to keep an open mind and an open eye. You never know when you may run across something that will work wonderfully in your wedding.

Tips for a Green Meeting or Event

Have you ever thought about what environmental impact your meetings or special events might have? Hundreds of invitations, plastic cups, utensils, plates, napkins, and food go in the trash during just one event.  The impact from just one event, especially large gatherings, can be pretty significant.

What if you could do it better? What if you could make it greener? Global warming aside, it just makes sense to reduce waste. It’s good for the world, and it can be good for your business. Now, that doesn’t mean if you hire us, you have to go green, but if you choose to do so, you’re in good hands.

For specific suggestions on how to make your meeting or event green, call us at (678) 937-6647.

Here are some tips both guests and the Earth will enjoy:

General

• Establish a green team to brainstorm ideas and practices to green your events.
• Establish detailed environmental policies and a strategy to implement them.
• Document and track successes, problems and failures of green event initiatives.
• Consistently communicate the policies in internal publications, event print material, and even at the podium.
• Work with or encourage your event venue to donate leftover food, floral and greenery.
• Ask your vendors about their green policies, and support those who share your green objectives.

Food Service

• Provide local, organic and vegetarian food and beverage options.
• Provide water in pitchers or bulk coolers.

Exhibitors

• Ask exhibitors and contractors to reduce their waste – use less packaging (provide a storage area for re-usable packaging) – and to follow the recycling program. Ensure information is provided to them in their exhibitor pack and conduct an exhibitor briefing to provide further information.
• Create a ‘green’ booth for exhibitors – ask your supplier to design a more environmentally-friendly option.
• Promote the use of custom stands that can be reused at other events.

Print & Promotion

• Promote your environmental initiatives as a marketing tool. Use this as an opportunity to explain your initiatives and educate your delegates.
• Reduce printed material by using electronic communication wherever possible – eg, websites, email, electronic presentations, broadcasts, podcasts, online video, USBs, SMS etc.
• If printing is unavoidable, use recycled paper. Aim for at least 50% post consumer waste recycled paper and print double sided with vegetable inks.
• Ensure printed material is produced in a reasonable size and quantity and include a request to recycle after use.
• Consider SMS to provide confirmations, seating and registration details.
• Ensure your event communication includes a green message reminding people to think before printing.
• Submit proposals and quotes electronically and limit handouts in meetings.
• If you need to print information as well, using recycled paper and an environmentally-friendly printing process can help reduce the environmental impact of your event.
• Look at environmentally-friendly options for delegate satchels – instead of plastic bags offer hemp or calico bags or something that can be used again.
• Avoid printing programs, delegate handbooks or collateral – provide this information online, via email, CD or even on a memory stick. If you need to print, make sure you use recycled paper and that the printing process is also environmentally-friendly.
• Collect and reuse name badges if possible.