Today marks 3 years since the birth of my brand, Never Ending Ideas. I could tell you all the good things the brand experienced in 2015 just as I did on our 2nd year anniversary, but I am not going to. Instead I am going to tell you a little about how I started and how I run this colourful brand.
I contemplated the idea of starting Never Ending Ideas 3 years ago, as I wanted to provide event-planning and styling services in Singapore and Malaysia. I felt the industry could use a full service planner like me.
Admittedly I lacked formal event-planning experience and had no clue of what the event industry was like in this part of the world. All I had was ambition and drive. I knew it was something I could do and I was going to succeed.
First I thought it would be wise to get experience by interning in an event planning company. I would take whatever job I could get whether or not it paid. I sent out my resume to almost every event company in Singapore but did not get a favourable response. There may have been many reasons for the rejections but I could never be certain of them.
Paper Qualification
Upon conducting some research I learnt that paper qualifications in the relevant field matters in this part of the world. I had a law degree and was qualified in England and Malaysia. That was not enough. So I took a course with the Australian Academy of Wedding and Event Planning and graduated with a Diploma. I did not expect much from the course, so was surprised with how comprehensive it was. I learnt a great deal especially when it came to industry research and psychology of a client. If any of you contemplated doing a course in wedding and event planning, I would really recommend the Australian Academy.
The industry research part of the course was useful in understanding what Singapore and Malaysia were like when it came to events, target markets, average event costs and who the key players were.
Type of Planner
Next I started to think about the kind of planner I wanted to be.
Being a very detailed person, I wanted to be a dream planner*
* A dream planner (more commonly known as a full service planner) is one that would be there every step of the way in organizing an event for you. You would feel like you are the only client of the planner.
I dislike packages. I believe going above and beyond your call of duty is necessary especially when providing a service. The idea of service is to help. Why put a limit to it? If your guest-seating chart was in a mess at the eleventh hour, don’t start pulling your hair out. I would sit and help you sort it out, no matter how late it gets. If it is important to you, it is important to me.
I also want to help you brand your event with something extraordinary. Something personal. An act, a sentiment that guest would never forget. I have never met a person who wants a run of the mill event. I believe everyone dreams and has ideas of what they want their event to be like. They just need a little help framing it the right way, someone to believe in their idea and take it up a notch. Many of my ideas stem from something a client said.
Running the brand
So I started this colourful brand.
Everyday since has been a learning curve. When I first started, I found myself doing more than just planning. Besides being a full service planner I had to do admin, accounts, marketing, advertising, sales, networking, social media management, website management, etc. I was blessed that my amazing husband was there to advise and support me where required. It was full on.
Support
It is important to have support when running a business or an event. I won’t lie. I’ve thought of cloning myself many times. I would not have come this far with the brand without support from family, friends and interns. I am very grateful for this. It is all of you that make this brand what it is.
Loyalty
Partners and clients who have worked with me know that I am extremely loyal.
I was told that my loyal nature is a weakness when it comes to running a business in this industry. I disagree with that statement. I believe loyalty is a strength. Being loyal makes you trustworthy and reliable. Clients appreciate that.
Stay Inspired and Keep learning
As the name of the brand says, it is important to stay inspired. Providing a service that promises something out of the box requires constant new ideas. When someone talks to me about an idea, my first thought is how can I make it even better. Whilst I’m typically a bucket full of ideas, I do go through some dry days with no fresh ideas. I usually bounce out of it by taking sometime out of routine.
I hate the words “it can’t be done”. You will never catch me saying that. Even if it is impossible, I’ll find a way to do it. If you do not know how to do it, learn. That is how I got into event styling.
“It’s impossible. But I’ll do it!” – Phillipe Petit
New Year
So as I embark on this new year I look forward to new partnerships, welcoming new clients and coming up with some juicy ideas.
I take this opportunity to thank my husband, all my event partners, clients, family and friends for your continued support in Never Ending Ideas. You keep the brand colourful!
