You probably back up your computer everyday because you don’t want to lose information about your wedding planning business, the weddings that you plan, or your brides.

But have you backed up your website? Do you regularly back up your blog? How about your Facebook profile?

You spend a great of time and energy writing content and posting photos online to market yourself, so you need to make sure you have copies of your sites. If a site comes down because of an error made by your web host, your site gets hacked or hit by malware, or, like me, you try to add a plugin to your blog and you crash it, you need to be able to get up and running as soon as possible!

To back up your website you can download a free copy of FileZilla and download all the files to the hard drive on your computer. If you can’t do this yourself, your web host can tell you how to back up your site or ask your webmaster to help you. (I always call my webmaster, Toolie, she has helped me out of many jams.) 

Regarding your blog, if you are on Blogger, you can go into “Settings” and “Export your blog” and download a copy to your computer.

If you have a Wordpress self-hosted site, there are many plugins you can install that will automatically back up your files according to your schedule.

For Facebook, you can request a download by going to Account then Account Settings using the top right menu.

Scroll down to Download a copyof your Facebook data and click on it. On next page, read the information on the page and click on the Start My Archive button.

Facebook will send a download link to the email address associated with your account. You click on the link, enter your Facebook password, and click on the Download button to download a zip file that has all of your Facebook profile information.

You can also use a service such as Backupify that allows you up to back up three social media accounts for free.

Don’t risk losing your hard work, make and keep updated versions of all of your online information.

If you are new to wedding and event planning, you are probably just realizing how busy the holiday season can be for you. You may be planning and organizing holiday events, working with brides on their early 2012 weddings, meeting newly engaged couples to talk about your services, planning a booth for the January bridal shows, and working on business goals for the new year. All of this in addition to planning your own family holiday celebrations.

Here are 5 helpful hints for staying sane during this season:

1) Keep track of what you must do

The hectic holiday season isn’t the time to rely on your memory. Keep a notebook or journal handy to jot down a list of to-dos or speak them into a voice recorder, most smartphones have this feature, and refer to it often.

2) Schedule your tasks

Take your to-dos and fit them into your calendar. This way you know if you actually have the time to accomplish all you want to do or if you need to delegate or delete some items.

3) Take breaks

When you are busy, it’s tempting to grab a meal at the drive-thru and eat in the car between appointments or sit in front of your computer for hours at a time while you do something such as create a timeline for your bride. However, you will actually work better when you take breaks several times a day. You will come up with more creative ideas after you spend a few minutes taking a walk, listening to music, or just relaxing.

4) Get plenty of sleep

Eight hours a night is best. Sleep deprivation can cause memory loss, lessen your attention to detail, and make you feel overwhelmed and depressed. You need to be at your best when you have a great deal  to accomplish, so get the amount of sleep you need each night.

5) Think before you commit

As wedding and event planners, we have a natural desire to take care of everyone and make sure they are happy. But as a result of doing favors for people, we often find ourselves staying up late to finish our own projects or neglecting to do something that was important to us. Help others when you can, but don’t give up all of the valuable time you need to run your business and have a satisfying personal life.

As a wedding planner there will be many times when you will make appointments with potential clients and new vendors whom you have only “met” via email, the Internet, or a phone call. You will also find yourself running errands at different times of the day and night in unfamiliar areas in order to do business. While most people you meet with are good and most places you will visit are perfectly fine, it doesn’t hurt to take the steps necessary to keep yourself safe at all times.

Here are 5 tips for staying safe:

1) When meeting a bride or any potential client for the first time, do it in a public place

Don’t invite strangers to your home office and don’t agree to meet in theirs. Arrange to meet at a potential wedding venue or other public place that allows you to be seen by other people but also has a quiet place for you to talk privately.

If you have an office, make sure you are not the only one in the building. If you must meet after hours, ask someone to join you and wait in a nearby room so you are not alone.

2) Tell someone your schedule

Before you head out the door, let your assistant or family member know where you are going and how long you might be gone. Check in with them if meetings or errands take longer than you thought they would.

3) Prepare your car for your busy schedule

Keep you car in good repair and always have plenty of gas in your tank so you don’t have to stop at a gas station in an unfamiliar area.

Use a GPS to guide you when you drive or check directions before you head out so you don’t get lost.

Keep an emergency kit in your car that includes a pair of walking shoes, in case you need them. 

4) Carry a fully charged cell phone

Almost everyone has a cell phone but not everyone keeps theirs charged and ready to use, be sure you do. You need it not only to keep in touch with brides and vendors while you are on the road (of course, don’t text or talk while driving), you also need it for emergencies. Invest in a charger that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter if you spend a great deal of time on the road.

5) Resist the urge to broadcast your whereabouts

Don’t go on Twitter and tell everyone where you will be and when you will be there. You could be putting not only your personal safety at risk, but also the safety of your family and personal property, if the information is seen by the wrong person.

Be safe!

As a wedding planner, the best time of year to meet potential clients is now through Valentine’s Day. Many engagements take place during this time (“engagement season”) and you have the ability to meet these newly engaged couples and their friends and relatives at holiday parties and networking events in December. Also, if you can keep your blog or website up-to-date during this time, the new brides in your area will easily find you when they search the Internet to get wedding planning help.

Unfortunately the holidays can also be filled with personal responsibilities and commitments.You might be considering putting aside working on your business “ for now” because the tasks you want to accomplish, such as building up your website or blog or putting together a marketing piece, seem too daunting.

But don’t put your business aside!

Each day that you delay working on your business leads to you delaying another day and another. Eventually you might not even be motivated to do the work you need to do to have a successful wedding planning business in 2012.

Take your tasks and break them up into small, manageable steps that can be done in 15 minutes a day. In 15 minutes you can do things such as brainstorm new ideas for your website, find and select a photograph or testimonial to use in your marketing, Tweet wedding planning tips that will help brides find and recognize your expertise, or write a list of the benefits of your services that you want to speak about when you meet a potential client.

Completing at least one short task every day will  help you stay connected to your target market and give you the sense of accomplishment you might need to help you stay motivated.

Can you learn about having a successful wedding planning business from a dealer of Chinese antiques? I think so, if that antique dealer was my father. He owned and ran a successful antique store in San Francisco for over 60 years, closing only when his doctors told him it was no longer a good idea.  

He then set up shop in his home and continued to work for the next 5 years, until he went to heaven a little over a week ago.  

Here are 5 lessons I learned from him about having a successful business:  

Lesson 1 – Don’t worry about your background  

My Dad was born in China and came to America as a young teenager without his family and without any money. He learned that people respected people who were well-educated and presented themselves professionally. He taught himself to read and write in Chinese and English and to speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and English. He dressed in a suit and tie everyday. 

He counted famous fashion designers, a few movie stars, and politicians among his clients, and his business was featured in an article in Architectural Digest.  

If you have a passion to work with brides of different backgrounds than your own, and I know from your emails that you do, then do some research and find out what they want in a wedding planner and work to be the person they would seek out and hire.  

Lesson 2 – Clients aren’t necessarily looking for the lowest cost items  

My Dad originally sold a lot of books on Chinese culture and art. They were, of course, priced much lower than antiques but he realized customers weren’t coming to him for books, they came to him for antiques.  

Do you know what brides want from you? It might not be your lower priced packages that interests them the most. They may be willing to invest more in you if you offer them customized services that they can’t get somewhere else.  

Lesson 3 – Never stop learning   

My Dad constantly read the latest books and magazines about Chinese antiques. He knew what was being discovered in archaeological digs, seen in museums, and sold in auctions. He could speak to customers with authority.  

Even if you’ve gotten your wedding planner certification and have planned numerous weddings, keep studying and learning more so you can bring the latest information and new inspiration to the weddings that you plan. Study floral design, theater, architecture, history, art, food, and fashion. Become an expert in your niche and be able to speak with authority.  

Lesson 4 – Your business can be successful in any economy  

Unbelievably, no matter what the economy of the country, there were always people ready to invest in Chinese antiques.  

By the same token, there will always be brides who are willing to hire wedding planners. Make sure you have done your research and determined what they are willing to buy and have marketed your services appropriately.  

Lesson 5 – Do what you love   

My Dad had unmistakable passion for his business so he was willing to work hard and persevere and do what it took to make it a success.  

If you truly have the passion to be a wedding planner, you need to be willing to study, get the experience you need, and work hard so nothing will stand in the way of your success. 

My Dad instilled in me a desire to follow my passion and be the best that I can be. I invite you to follow his lead.

As a wedding planner, you want to be seen as someone who can creatively plan a wedding, manage a diverse group of professional wedding vendors, stay calm under pressure, and give couples the wedding day they dream of having. You can be friendly, but you also want to be professional.

To make sure brides respect you and value your services as a wedding planner, don’t share this information with them:

1) Personal details about your life

While reality television allows us a peek into the lives of people we don’t even know, don’t feel you need to offer similar information to clients. Respect your relationships and family life by keeping details private.

2) The state of your business

Despite the fact that you see wedding planners in realty television shows fighting with their brides and their staff, this isn’t information you should be sharing. Nor should you share information about your financial circumstances. (A planner once told me she told her bride she needed to be paid right away so she could pay her mortgage, that’s way too much information.)

3) Gossip about other wedding vendors

Maybe you heard that a particular vendor’s business isn’t doing well. Or you heard that a competitor had a fight with one of her brides. Take the high road, don’t gossip about anyone else, even when asked.

4) Private details about another bride and her wedding

Gain permission to share photographs from weddings you have planned. Don’t give away secrets you might have learned about a couple and their families during the course of planning their wedding. Be respectful and keep their personal information secret.

Remember, a bride needs a professional wedding planner to help her with her wedding day, she isn’t looking for a best friend.

Are you in a position to make the most of the money that you earn as a wedding planner? The current issue of “Success From Home” magazine listed the best practices to follow for people to be financially successful. I found that these 5 practices would be most helpful to wedding planners:

1) Spend less than you earn

When you first start you wedding planning business, set a realistic budget and stick to it. Carefully investigate business opportunities before investing. Don’t get swayed into buying a lot of advertising and marketing that you can’t afford thinking it will help you jumpstart your business.

Once you start earning money, spend wisely and don’t let yourself or your business get burdened by heavy debt.

2) Read the fine print

Now that you are in business, you will not only be helping brides review contracts, you will find yourself signing contracts with vendors when you do things such as take certification courses, buy advertising on wedding websites, and exhibit in bridal shows. These could be for large sums of money so read each document thoroughly before signing so you are clear about your commitment.

3) Protect your business and your family

Talk to your accountant to find out which business entity; sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation, would best protect your assets and work for the type of services you will be offering.

Have clients sign contracts before you work together, so you are both clear about what is expected of you and them.

And, of course, you should invest in the business, home, auto and health insurances that protect your business and personal lives.

4) Practice giving

Sharing your wealth helps you feel happy, successful and appreciative, and that attitude helps you attract more abundance into your life.

5) Pay yourself first

If you don’t set aside some of the money you earn, you’ll soon have none. Make it a point to save a percentage of your earnings each time you get paid.

Don’t allow yourself to get so caught up in planning weddings that you don’t take are of your finances. You can hire someone else to help you do this, if you wish, but you should always know how your business and you stand financially.

Sometimes you have a bad day. You don’t get the client that you want, the bride you are working with blames you for problems that are not your fault, or all of the wedding planning you are doing today seems to be difficult. Your self-confidence goes down and you start to feel that maybe you aren’t cut out to do this. STOP! Don’t allow yourself to go down the path of low self-esteem.

Here are 5 ways to beat those blues:

1) Take a break

Listen to music, take a walk, dance, meditate, or read an uplifting book. Do something that will help you shift your your mind into a more positive state.

2) Ask yourself if all of those bad things you are thinking about yourself are really true

Haven’t you already helped brides and been successful? Haven’t you had days when planning has really gone smoothly? Or, other days when things didn’t go well and everything came out great in the end? In other words, shift your thinking to the times when you had success.

3) Remember the unique qualities that you offer your brides

You are one of a kind, no one can offer brides the same combination of skills, knowledge, and intuition that you offer. There are brides out there who are looking for someone with your talents.

4) Spend time with people who support you

You should only have friends who are supportive, help you think positively, and are a positive influence on you.

5) Fill your mind with positive information

Television and the Internet can be filled with news and images that are depressing and make you think that nothing is right in the world. Stay away from all of that and instead look for things that affirm positive beliefs about life and people. It will actually help you feel better about yourself.

As a wedding planner, you probably write and follow a lot of “to-do” lists. The October 2011 issue of Inc. magazine suggests that business owners learn the importance of having a list of things you “don’t do” and asked business leaders to share their “don’t do” lists. I’ve selected 4 “don’t do” items that make sense for wedding planners and added some explanations:

1) Don’t meet with a potential client and say, “here’s what I’m selling”

When you meet with a bride, don’t just repeat what is in your brochure and on your website. Listen to her, learn about her wedding, and find out why she wanted to meet with you. You’ve got to get her talking before you can figure out how you can help her and get her to hire you.

2) Don’t close the door if a potential client doesn’t hire you right away

It could be that the timing may be wrong or a bride might not believe she has the money right now. Stay in touch with your her through your ezine or an occasional email or postcard that includes some wedding planning tips so that she remembers you. She may decide to hire you later, or give your name to a friend to is ready to hire a wedding planner.

3) Don’t try to follow everyone’s advice

When you start your wedding planning business, a lot of people are going to give you their opinions and feedback, many of whom have never been in the wedding and event planning business. Some of whom have never even had a business. Listen to experts in your field and do your own research. Then follow what you believe will work for you.

4) Don’t put off evaluating how your business is doing

When your business is up and running, don’t keep doing the same things over and over if they’re not working for you. Take the time to figure out different ways to be successful. For example, if you run ads on wedding websites, take a look at your statistics and see if your investment is really working for you. If it is, you might want to find other sites that can bring you similar success. If it isn’t, you might want to spend more time and money exhibiting at bridal shows, keeping up your blog, or finding new wedding professionals to network with.

To read all of the “don’t do” lists, visit the Inc. magazine website.

When you are a new wedding planner, you will be doing many things for the first time. In fact, even when you have years of experience, there will be many times a bride will ask you to provide services you haven’t done in the past. It’s part of the excitement and challenge of being a wedding planner.

But when you are new, and don’t have a lot of experience, be cautious about what you agreed to do for a bride. If you can’t deliver on your promises, you could ruin her big day.

Here are 3 questions you should ask yourself before you promise a bride you can carry out her vision:

1) What does the bride want and what details are important to her?

 A “small, simple wedding” could be 30 guests at home or 200 guests in a ballroom, depending on your bride’s point of view. And there are many ways to interpret themes, colors and concepts. Ask questions and get detailed information so you know what you might need to do in order to carry out the bride’s vision.

2) What are my strengths?

Be honest. Know if you have the knowledge and skills it would take to help your bride have the wedding she wants.

3) Who is in my vendor network?

You don’t have to do everything alone. If you feel like you may not be able to do what the bride asks, but can manage and coordinate a team of people who can, make sure you have a network of high-quality, creative, wedding professionals to work with.

It can be very tempting to accept every bride who comes to you, no matter what she wants. But if you promise her you can carry out her dream, then can’t deliver what she wants, you’ll run the risk of ruining not only the bride’s wedding day, but also your reputation and your business.