 Nicole Hill is the woman behind Lucky You Events. This well-known Harlem native is the socialite to connect with when you want your event to be a success and full of exclusivity and style! Read on to gain insight into the event planning industry and also to learn more about her company.
1.Tell us about your business Lucky You Events.
Lucky You Events is a lifestyle event marketing company. I started my company after having years under my belt in music and television. I specialize in producing Lifestyle parties. (Lifestyle Parties: A group of like-minded people gathered together for pleasure.) I also do Event Marketing for lounges that prefer not to enlist the assistance of "promoters" but rather a person who can identify and maintain events in their venues on an on-going basis. As an Event Marketing Director, I create events from concept, casting talent, promo ideas, etc. I also plan events from company retreats, release parties or opening receptions to dinner parties, children's birthday parties or even dinner for two! The events are produced under the belief that each patron will walk away from a 'Lucky You Event' feeling privileged for having been invited.
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2. What motivated you to start your business?
Recognizing not only my passion for producing unique events for friends and colleagues but recognizing my unique creativity in the process.
3. What's your best business advice for someone starting out?
Stay persistent. Accept that the road to acquiring success in your business venture is going to be as challenging as reaching any other goal you've reached before. Remember the behaviors you relied on during your path to acquiring previous success and apply those to the growth of your business.
4. What tips do you have for getting ahead and staying ahead?
Stay current with the market trends in your area of business. Create alliances with other proven professionals in your area of business; doing this will open up your network greatly. BE NICE TO PEOPLE. As simple as it sounds, it is the number one tip to remember in ANYTHING that you do. You'll be surprised how far being nice can take you.
5. When transitioning from steady job to starting your own business, how do you manage the stress of no longer having the security of paid vacations, sick days, etc. ?
Honestly, I don't feel stress from losing out on sick days or paid vacations. In exchange for having these "great" benefits, I can show up in the office in my pajamas if I choose to, conduct conference calls in the nail salon and hammer out eight hours worth of "corporate"' work in four hours and have time to hang out with my daughter and puppy in the park.
6. What is your favorite marketing tactic?
Being personable. For the type of events I do, I much rather prefer not only knowing the names of many of my ‘Lucky You Friends' (or attendees), but knowing a little about them on a professional and personal level. This makes it a no-brainer when introducing ‘new friends' to each other. This has also proven to be valuable pairing resources together within my ‘Lucky You Circuit'.
7. What is you favorite promotional idea for an event?
I did an on-going weekly event last year which was a password party in Harlem. In order to circulate the password, one of my lists was a phone list where callers would get a phone call from me personally telling them what the password was for the night, since it changed every week. Those who received my call (or message) really felt connected to the event on a personal level. They felt like they were truly a ‘part of' something. And they were!
8. How do you manage the time constraints and stay organized?
I don't over extend myself. It's easy to over extend as a business owner. I keep everything in time blocks. I tell people the best time to reach me online, or the best time to reach me directly on the cell or in the office, etc. I also conduct meetings during certain days and times, when possible. Structure is everything.
9. How do you balance the other aspects of your life?
I try to maintain my weekends as the time for quality time with my daughter and friends. As I'm in the business of producing fun and exciting events, it's easy for business and pleasure to blur. I've also learned how to turn my cell phone off after a certain time. (It's been about a month and a half since I've cut down on being accessible 24 hours a day!)
Would you like to contact Nicole Hill? Email her at luckyyouevents@aol.com
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Email Marketing Do's and Don'ts by Simone Kelly-Brown
E-mail is consistently rated as the number one online activity, next to search engines and electronic greeting cards. In the early days [in my Internet years that's about 93-97], we all couldn't wait to get an e-mail. We'd brag to our friends that we are Internet savvy and give out our e-mail address to just about anyone else who knew what the Internet even was. Ok, I'll admit it. I still get the shakes if I don't check my e-mail daily! LOL!
Well, it's 2004 and to be honest, I'm quite pleased that you made it this far in my newsletter! We all get e-mails from everyone now, people we don't know and don't care to know, advertisements for this credit card, that contest, a great new virus to crash your computer, and lets not forget the college girls who are live, nude, and waiting to talk to YOU! Ok,you get my drift. It's outta control! Some e-mail marketers have taken advantage of this wonderful technology and sent you unwanted junk mail affectionately referred to as SPAM.
So, you say, "What's your point, Simone?" My point is to let you know that it's not all down hill with e-mail marketing. There is a bright side to it all, because e-mail is an excellent marketing tool when not abused.
Here are some pros and cons of e-mail marketing:
Do The Right Thing:
• Stay in contact with customers on a weekly, biweekly, or on a monthly basis. Hint: Less is more so set up a schedule. You'll retain current customers and possibly gain new ones by referrals.
• Don't just copy and paste the same old info each week. ~Yawn~ Get creative; come up with something valuable to your audience. Don't know what they want? Ask them!
• Inform them on special promotions, contests, and events to drive repeat visits online and off.
• Add your own personal touch. If done correctly, you'll stay on people's minds, so even if they don't need you today, they might need you soon.
• Can't afford a website just yet? HTML emails are a simple solution for the time being! It's also very affordable to do an HTML version letter that is not just plain boring text. The design aspect makes them highly effective, because you can reinforce your brand identity with your logo and colors.
• Use a professional newsletter program(Bcentral or Constant Contact are you going to link to their site?) to avoid mass e-mailing issues.. When you send a mass e-mail through a newsletter program you don't have to show other people's email addresses. You can check the statistics on how many bounced, how many people opened it, how many links they clicked, and also offer surveys and contests! Evaluating the success of your letter helps you make improvements for the next time around.
Definite No-No's:
• Don't spam folks, it's annoying and just plain stupid.
• Stay away from boring subjects titles, no one will open it.
• Don't steal e-mail addresses from others. People can usually figure out who on their list was stealing once they get a complaint. It's quite tacky so don't embarrass yourself!
• Use an e-mail newsletter service or BCC addresses if you have a smaller list to prevent e-mail address thieves.
• Let people know if you plan on sharing their info or if it's private.
• Stay away from attachments. Due to all the virus scares, people don't like opening them.
Just from doing the GTHI Marketing Tips newsletter, I'm proof that e-mail is a great way to stay in touch with clients or potential clients. I've met with people who might have not known who I was unless a friend forwarded my newsletter to them. Online newsletters could be one of the driving strategies to help build up YOUR company's client base.
A Tale of Two Event Planners by Lena L. West
Big Corporation just called and their event planner folded at the last minute. They want you to submit a proposal for their upcoming two-day conference in Hawaii. Yee-hah! And you're just the event planner to do it. You've got experience and the know-how (the only good thing to come out of that dead-end job in Corporate America) and let's face it, you certainly could use the capital infusion (ahem: moola).
There's only one problem. Evelyn's Events is submitting a proposal for the same project. Normally you wouldn't worry about competition but last month you put in some comp-intel(might want to spell this out in case people don’t understand what that means.) work and you attended an event organized by Evelyn. You don't want to be a hater so you have to admit – the girl is GOOD.
But, how does she do it?
Let's take a peek:
When Evelyn gets the call from Big Corporation she's not in the office to take the call so the calls automatically roll over to her cell phone. But, she's unable to answer her cell phone. However, as soon as Big Corporation leaves a message, her voice mail system sends an alert to her text pager. Evelyn returns the call to Big Corporation within 15 minutes. (Smooth, eh? It gets better.)
They ask her to submit a proposal and shoot her an e-mail outlining all the project specs. Thanks to her wireless Internet service, she gets the e-mail a few minutes later on her PDA. She's able to get their e-mail so quickly because she's previously researched wireless Internet hotspots in her local area and she knows that Carl's Coffee Café is a tried and true hotspot. She slides into a booth, orders a double-latte and uses her PDA's month-at-a-glance feature to check her schedule. Pulling her wireless mini-keyboard out of her vintage Fendi clutch, she plugs in her portable memory stick and opens her proposal template. She changes the details on the proposal according to the specs for Big Corporation's event, tacks on an extra $5,000 just to see if she'll get it and then creates a PDF file online. She emails Big Corporation the proposal with a contract and blind carbon copies her virtual assistant. Sipping on her double-latte, she dials Big Corporation from her mobile phone to ensure that they received her e-mail. They did. They like what they see. She's got the gig. They didn't even blink at her fees. She logs onto her online project management tool, creates a new project area, sets up a log in ID for Big Corporation and sends them a thank you e-mail with their log in ID and password.
Beep! That would be Evelyn's PDA again. Who can it be? This time it's her online fax program with a signed contract from Big Corporation attached. She logs onto her favorite Internet travel website and in a few clicks, she's booked her round-trip ticket to Hawaii for the conference- with a couple extra days tacked on at a local spa for a little R&R.
Oh, that's right (insert exaggerated tone here)…you're wondering what happened to you? You're still leafing through your DayTimer to see if you'll have any scheduling conflicts. It's time to get with the program before Evelyn puts you out of business, no?
Lena L. West is the Founder & CEO of xynoMedia Technology, a technology consulting firm that specializes in helping small business take the pain and guesswork out of their technology decisions. Lena can be reached at LWest@xynoMedia.com © 2004 Lena L. West. All rights reserved.
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Give ‘N Take Network for WOMEN
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ABOUT US:
Simone Kelly-Brown is the President and CEO of Gots To Have It Marketing, Inc.. For over 10 years, she has been working with small business owners who are just starting out and want to get their businesses off the ground with innovative marketing.
GTHI is a firm that specializes in marketing and empowering entrepreneurs with a series of workshops and networking events.
For further information view:www.gotstohaveit.com
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Until Next Month!
Own your power and have continued success,
Simone Kelly-Brown
CEO/PRESIDENT, Gots To Have It Marketing, Inc.www.gotstohaveit.com
If you want it, you Gots To Have It!
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