The new year has arrived and I’m starting my annual things to get done list. I’ve never been big on New Years resolutions, maybe because I’ve been guilty of blowing so many off in the past.

So a while back I re-branded: now it’s my New Years Master List! Resolutions I apparently have no problem ignoring, but a MASTER LIST...Hell, that’s serious enough to keep my attention!

The list this year has a combination of personal and business goals, as usual, but this time around I’m putting a little bit more intention into areas of conservation. No, I’m not talking about being a good sport and recycling my empty tuna cans, I’m talking about saving some money.

Who doesn’t like to save? Every buck you save is a buck earned (well. not always, but that’s a different topic.)

I believe EVERYONE has an expense in their life that could be dumped with out any real hardship. Finding these funds to free up isn’t very hard; it just takes a little focus. I have no doubt that there is somewhere you are pissing some cash away. Time to plug the leak!

Here are a couple of moves that will net us some easy savings this year...

Since it’s only Steph and I signed up for health insurance and we’re pretty darn healthy, I had our annual deductable raised to $1200.00.

Savings = $200.00 per month

I called our insurance agent who handles our home, car and business insurance and did a few minor tweaks in our policies.

Savings = $ 50 per month

I’ve never really used my phone for much more than calling, since I work from home and use the internet on my computer. I went back to a “dumb” flip phone. This one I’m not completely sure of yet, but its pretty easy to upgrade if I just can’t live with out it!

Savings = $40 per month

That's $290.00 per month or $3480.00 per year saved.

Wow! Not bad and I didn’t even break a sweat. It’s like I just found a vacation or money to put away for a rainy day. My mom would be so proud.

Where can you save?

You and I both know you can. There are opportunities all around you.

Do you really need all those premium channels? How often do you eat out? P.S. It’s probably not doing your health any good anyway. Take a look at where you bank. They might be nickle and diming you to death with fees costing you hundreds or even thousands. We changed banks a few years back and saved a ton.

All it takes is opening your eyes and taking a little action. Not only could you open up some funds for something that will have a real impact on your life, but you will be creating a new habit that will result in a fortune over a life time.

So, what are you willing to cut this year? I would love to hear some of your ideas. Please leave a comment below and help your fellow wedding vendors bottom line.

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You just met the nicest bride on the planet, only she is on a tight budget and you let her talk you into giving her a reduced rate. The next day is when reality sets in, and the disgruntling fact that you won’t be making enough to make it worth your time.

Just because you initially agreed to the lower price doesn’t mean you should stick with it, as long as you resolve the issue quickly and haven’t signed a contract with her. Go ahead and punch the numbers and figure out the approximate cost of doing her wedding, plus what you need to make it worth your time. Then give her a call or even better meet with her again in person and explain that the cost of expenses ended up being too high to give the initial reduced rate, but make sure you still discount it. For ideas on how to approach the conversation make sure to read the article by Lisa Gates.

What do you think? Would you be willing to change the stated rate if you realize you’ll lose money on doing a wedding?

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Most brides will go into the wedding shopping experience with absolutely no idea how much a wedding can cost and with the ideal that there is no price limit on their wedding. It will only take them one or two stores however before they realize that they have to set a budget and figure out about how much they want to spend on what. What they haven’t realized though is that sometimes they are going to have to rework that budget if they are going to get what they really want.

This budget is something that all wedding businesses deal with and it can be frustrating to say the least when a bride sets an unrealistically low budget for what she wants. Instead of letting her talk you down in price the better tactic is to find what your business has that she won’t find elsewhere. Why is your product or service worth the price you are asking, and what would set it apart from the competition in her mind? Geoffrey James explains in his article that when it comes to something that a client needs if you have something that your product or service offers that others don’t it will make the client realize that the price isn’t quite as important as getting the thing that will make their day special.

What do you do to deal with price challenges with your brides?

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Getting started in the wedding industry sounds easy and like something that will let you play around in something that you love. However, just like anything else, it is still a business and requires the same strategies as any other business to make it successful.

Business ihub talks about the importance of getting the right strategy in place to get your business headed in the direction of success from day one of the launch. You need the right foundation and framework for your business to run smoothly. To get started you have to set up your business strategy starting with making sure you have a building, license, etc. and moving into getting your operation strategy in place to make sure that you know how your business will run to achieve your goals.

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