What Planning My Wedding Taught Me About Small Business (What to Look for When Hiring a Service Provider)
Photos by Cast + Forge Photography
Would you believe me if I said that planning my wedding taught me about small business and outsourcing to fellow service providers!? Having to navigate a dozen vendor relationships over a year’s time was an equally challenging and incredibly rewarding endeavor. From my personal experience wedding planning and working with hundreds of clients over the past 8+ years, there are some red flags you’ll want to keep your eyes open for, as well as some key behaviors you should be looking for when hiring a service provider like myself to ensure a successful working relationship:
What to Look for When Hiring a Service Provider
Congruent philosophies and outlooks.
Arguably most important in the service provider search is to find an individual whose philosophy of work and unique outlook compliments or matches your own. In my work, I say that I love working with “heart-centered” business owners who understand that intentional, long-term success takes time to cultivate - these individuals aren’t looking for a “get rich quick” scheme. When I was in the middle of my vendor search, I ended up hiring one or two providers that just weren’t similar enough to my own vision and if I could change anything looking back now, that would be it! Ultimately, you want to be striving for a common goal and all will fail if there’s no congruence.
Harmony of personalities.
Similarly, you want to make sure that your personalities are in harmony. They don’t necessarily have to match, but I certainly had one or two awkward encounters throughout the wedding planning process where I would respond in my enthusiastic, bubbly tone, and I would get incredibly dry, almost too-polished responses that didn’t feel very human. That doesn’t make a bride feel very thrilled about the planning process, in my opinion! Each marrier likely experiences the planning process differently, as does every business owner when looking to outsource, so ensuring that you find the right match for you can avoid any conflict when it comes to agreeing on project plans. If you’re looking to hire a web designer or content marketer like myself, this will greatly impact the content that is produced due to the unique way that you view and process the world.
A willingness to explain their approach.
One thing that can become a little taxing on a service provider is having to explain their approach and the why behind each move they make to Every. Single. Client! Believe me, I feel this hard. Especially when you take the time to write so many informative articles and FAQs on your website that go unread. That being said, this is just part of the process of business ownership, and it’s a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate your skill and form greater trust with your client. My favorite vendors were the ones who came with lengthy welcome packets + questionnaires, and were never rude when I requested a bit more information about their process. Great customer service matters!
The ability to acknowledge mistakes and try not to repeat them.
Humans are humans and humans are flawed! We all make mistakes, and sometimes in high pressure situations they’re bound to happen more frequently. I definitely ran into situations of oversights and glaring errors during the wedding planning process, and unfortunately there were a couple moments where I felt like I had to repeat myself on multiple occasions before something got fixed. I am able to give a service provider grace to an extent, but ultimately the same mistakes just shouldn’t be repeating at the end of the day. Any freelancer you hire should be able to acknowledge when they made a mistake, provide an explanation for it, and do their best to not repeat it.
That extra special touch (going the extra mile).
Some of the most special memories I have from my wedding are the stories of vendors going the extra mile to make sure our day was incredible, whether this was our photographer staying later in the night, our event designer also staying past her timeline and getting up early in the fall morning chill to pick individual leaves off trees just to make our place setting design even more magical, or our videographer helping the groom fasten his boutonniere, etc.! When it comes to my projects and clients, I am known for going the extra mile and ensuring their ultimate satisfaction, throwing in an extra hour or two to ensure they are set up for success with all components, or refusing to accept compensation if something didn’t go as planned. I believe the best business people do so.
Timely communication and organized workflow.
For me personally, I’m an organized gal and need someone who matches my vibe. The most common complaint I come across from my clients is that they were working with another company and were unhappy with the outcome due to their ghosting/lack of communication or follow-through. Even if you aren’t as Type A as I am, it’s reasonable to expect your service provider to show up and do what they say they will by a deadline, and if not: communicate! As a fierce Type A, I also most enjoyed working with vendors who used task management systems and gave me a rough timeline so I knew what to anticipate. These practices are the mark of a serious business pro!
Throughout the process of wedding planning, I learned so much and truly grew so much as a person and a business owner. Sure, I’ve hired a few folks over the years and actively work closely with collaborators offering complimentary services, but it wasn’t until I had to hire a dozen at once that I fully grasped just how much goes into outsourcing and leaning on fellow service providers for overall success. It makes me feel that much more grateful to my clients for entrusting me with their brands. With open communication and a good amount of trust, you can cultivate a fulfilling and healthy working relationship, free from any conflict or resentment.
If you’re currently on the market for digital marketing, web design, or brand design for your small business and you’re not quite sure who to turn to, I’d love to hop on a complimentary 1-hour consultation call and see if I can answer some of your questions, perhaps about the things I listed above!
Side note: I hope you enjoyed seeing these little snapshots from our wedding day by the marvelous Cast + Forge Photography! :) This post was a good excuse to share some of my favorites.
