Birthdays Bring In the Dough

Parents nowadays are busy and don't have time to plan elaborate birthday parties. You, as a birthday party organizer, will step into this role, for a fee, of course.

Kids have short attention spans and their parties should be coordinated to provide non-stop fun. You will be required to schedule games, shows, cake, and ice cream into the time slot given you by the parents.

Most parties will be around 2-4 hours long. They should be on the shorter end of the spectrum for young children, and longer for older celebrators. If you feel the time slot given by the parent is too long, suggest a more suitable length. You will earn a little less, but will save on tears from over-stimulated kids and hopefully get some repeat business.

Although custom parties should be available, you will want to preplan several popular themes. This saves time later because you already have the template for each party and need make only minor adjustments. Check out a local party store to research the most popular themes, such as Barbie, Dinosaurs, X-Men, etc. Or take a look at www.birthdaypartyideas.com. They have a huge list of great ideas for kids' parties.

As the organizer, you will be responsible for everything from start to finish. This includes invitations, food, cake, games, any performers and decorating. If the party is to be held somewhere besides the child's house, you need to arrange a location as well. Start with the Yellow Pages and recommendations to make a list of caterers, bakeries, and performers. You will eventually narrow this list down to a few reliable contacts, but try different ones to begin with and check pricing carefully.

When planning a party, try to include some unique activities or decorations. For example, instead of having a magician or clown perform, why not offer a workshop on magic tricks or a clown makeover? 3D cakes and cookie invitations add a twist.

Place ads in the local paper, hand out flyers, anything you can think of to bring attention to your new business. Later, word of mouth will be one of your best ways to market.

Pricing may be handled several ways. An hourly rate is possible, but since your time will be broken up, it isn't very practical. Instead, offer a set fee, either by length of the party or number of guests or both. This fee can
include all expenses, or you may wish to charge less and bill expenses to the parents. The choice is yours.

For those of you who like the party idea, but aren't into screaming, hyper kids, why not go into the adult party business. Hold specials for anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and other special events.

Resources:

http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/

http://www.ezpartyideas.com/