How To Plan A Business Dinner Party [Like A Lady Boss]

How do I throw a business dinner party? Have you been asked to throw a get together for your office? Need a bit of help planning it out? Don’t worry. We got you. 

Much of its success will rest on how well you plan it. Follow these steps and you’ll be able to plan the perfect business dinner party.

1. Figure Out the Purpose of the Party and Who You’re Inviting

Are you throwing a business party to celebrate an important company event? Or is this a meeting with potential clients? The reason for the party will help you determine who you should invite – if it’s a celebration, you’ll probably want to invite everyone from the office, whereas if you’re looking to land a client, it is best to limit the part to a few people from your company and the client’s company.

2. Select a Few Potential Locations

Restaurants are the most common choice for dinner parties, and for good reason. When you have the party at a restaurant, you don’t need to worry about cooking anything, and there will be little, if any, cleanup on your part after.

Make a list of a few places that will work so that you have backups ready if one isn’t available or can’t accommodate you. Contact locations, give them an idea of what you need, and choose the one you like the most.

3. Send Out the Invitations

You can send invitations to guests by mail or email. Make sure to include the location, the date, and the time of the business party. It’s best to send invitations about two weeks in advance, as this will give your guests time to plan. You should also provide instructions on how guests can RSVP and the deadline for doing so, as you’ll need to know how many people are coming.

4. Finalize the Location

After you’ve gotten the RSVPs back, contact the location that you chose to confirm the number of guests. If you only have a small number of guests, you may be able to make a reservation at your restaurant of choice instead of reserving the entire dining area. On the other hand, if you have quite a few confirmed guests, you’ll need the entire place.

You may want to set the menu with the restaurant in advance. Make sure that there are options available for guests with allergies and dietary restrictions. You wouldn’t want your guests that can’t eat gluten to have no meal options available.

5. Set Up a Seating Chart

For large business dinner parties, you’ll want to set up a seating chart so there’s not chaos when people get there. A seating chart will keep the proceedings organized. If there are any guests of honor, seat them at the head of the table.

6. Get There Early

You should be at the venue at least 30 minutes before the dinner party starts so you can confirm that everything is going according to plan. It’s also important that you’re there so you can greet guests when they arrive, and there may be guests who arrive early. As people show up, encourage them to mingle and make introductions between those who haven’t met before. Once everyone has arrived, you can relax and enjoy the party.

It’s tough to keep every step of the planning process in your head. To keep your planning on track and ensure that you don’t forget anything, use a daily or weekly planner from STARTplanner. You can find one that fits your needs and your style. When you write down your business dinner party plans, you’ll know what you’ve already done and what you need to do before the date of the party.

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Best Gifts for Wedding Photographers To Give The Bride Before the Wedding

As a photographer, it is always good business to present a bride and groom with some type of gift before their big day. This is a great way to thank them for their business and also helps to keep you in their minds when they are ready to take future pictures. They will also be only too happy to recommend your services to their other friends who may be getting married in the future. Some great gifts to offer to the happy couple could include:

A Discount for Future Bookings
One of the most appreciated gifts a photographer can give his wedding clients is a gift certificate or coupon for future use. The expiration date should be at least a few years from their wedding date to be truly effective. The pictures taken then can be of their first anniversary, their first child, or even a family reunion photo. Whatever the case, this will entice the happy couple to book their wedding photographer for more great pictures of other important milestones.

A Frame for the Main Wedding Photo to be Displayed In
After the large, main photo that will be displayed next to the guest book is developed and ready, choose a beautiful, matted frame for it to go in. Attempt to get an overall picture of the preferences of the happy couple. If they seem to like a modern look, give them a modern, streamlined frame. If they are more traditional, a carved wooden frame would probably be most appropriate.

Tabletop Easels
An array of tabletop easels will allow them to display all types of photos of the two individuals all over the reception area. They can show photos of themselves as small children, teens, and especially pictures of the couple after they met and got to know each other. These easels can then be re-used in their new home.

A Family Photo Album
Another great gift that will just go on giving is a large family photo album. The beginning pictures can be of their courtship and marriage, followed by honeymoon photos, pictures of their new home,and then photos of babies and children as they are added to the family. These are pictures that even you as the photographer can place within the pages. Be sure to have the bride’s and groom’s names stamped on the outside cover. This will be a favorite conversation piece in their home for many years to come.

Wedding Picture Frames
An assortment of large and small frames will also be appropriate. Again, keep the personal tastes of the happy couple in mind when selecting. For a more personal touch, have the names of the happy couple and the wedding date inscribed onto the new frames. One large wedding frame that holds several smaller photos is also a great gift idea.

Happily Hitched Planner

Wedding Photographers are loving our Happily Hitched Planner as the perfect wedding gift. They help the bride stay organized and sane, so she can walk down the aisle knowing that she knocked this wedding planning out of the park.

These simple gifts do not have to be expensive, but they should reflect the business relationship you have with them. Veer away from inappropriate items or items that are too personal. Being considerate in matters such as this will provide you with ongoing business and great relationships for years.

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Why I Love My Planner

Every day we are constantly encouraged by our users and how they are taking strides to live a more purposeful and balanced life. With hard work, perseverance, clear action steps, and a little organization, you will be crushin’ those goals in no time! 

    

We love when people share with us how their planner is helping them achieve their goals. YOU are why we do what we do! And your WINS are what keep us going and we love to celebrate with you. We just couldn’t keep all these wins to ourself though! We hope these testimonials will encourage you today as much as they have encouraged us:)

      

“My planner has helped me prepare, organize and launch my small business! I call her my partner in HUSTLE! 😉 #pillowswag #bossbabe” - Wendy Ledesma-Fragoso

My name is Vanessa Moody and I am officially in love with the Hustle start planner! The Hustle has helped me keep my busy life in order. I am a wife, mother, nurse, student, sister, aunt, friend, etc. The list goes on. There is no way that I could keep it all straight without a planner.

     

Between doctors appointments for the husband & daughter, I care for my mother in law newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she has many appointments and finishing a second degree in nursing I need to write all things down. The Hustle allows me to focus one day at a time, but I can also plan things out throughout the year. The Hustle has it all, I plan everyday life, family vacations, write grocery lists and do my daily devotional and gratitude blurb- in one place. I love the Hustle!! I love the Start planner company and the acknowledgment that they show to customers! You guys ROCK!! Thank you for being great!

So my planner has been incredibly helpful getting my kiddo’s 4th birthday party pulled together. I have not been anywhere near as stressed this year using the “Let’s Party” worksheet and my Daily Hustle. I’ve been able to plan out when I need to do what instead haphazardly throwing it all together last year.

     

The monthly budget sheet has also helped me to see where I’m throwing money away, which is important to me because I’m a single mom and a grad school student. So what little money I have needs to be well managed. Since I got my Hustle in January, I’ve found myself stressing less about money because it is so easy to see what is going where and where I need to cut my spending. This has helped me to save up the extra money I needed to give my kiddo a great birthday party without being worried about being able to afford it.

     

I’m still working on finding a groove for making it work for school, but we are getting there. It has helped me to see where I’ve been wasting time. Being a stay-at-home mom and full time college student makes it rough to always have a set time to do what I need to get done, but I would sacrifice my “To Do” list to spend some time with my minion any day because she why whole world. She’s my motivation for going to school and bettering myself so she knows she can do anything.

     

(P.S. Yes, I still have the box it shipped in. It’s where I store my Hustle when I’m not using it to help protect it from the frequent spills and anything else that might damage it.)

My Hustle Business Planner has been such a valuable daily tool in structuring my time and tasks.

     

For several years I had been using two separate planners. One for home and one for business. This year I decided to find a business planner that was not only elegant in design, but one where I could organize my goals, daily, weekly, and monthly activities, finances, and business schedules, as well as home organization all together in one planner.

    

I found what I needed with Start Planner’s Hustle Business. I also love all the added extras of planning vacations, shopping lists, projects, etc. All the essentials we need to keep the vision before our eyes.

    

Time Management has been a huge challenge for me, but since using my planner throughout each day, I have really noticed a big difference in my productivity.

The page layouts and design are so inspiring, it’s encouraging just to sit down every night to review and plan the next day, week and month.

    

I appreciate all the time and effort that went into creating these beautifully structured planners. Jenny, Kristy and Staff….Thank you all, for being the blessings you always are!

These are just a few of the many stories we receive from our users. We would love for you to share with us in the comment section below what you love most about your planner and how it’s helping you achieve a more balanced life: )

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Top at Home Workout Programs for Those of Us Who Hate to Work Out

We all know that exercise is good for us. But if you’re like me, then sometimes that knowledge just isn’t enough to get you out of your house and onto the hamster wheel of exercise machines—the treadmill. Exercise classes are equally unappealing. Who likes the thought of getting red-faced and sweaty in front of a bunch of strangers? You do? Oh ok, well this post isn’t for you I guess.

Fortunately, there are at-home workout programs for those of us who hate working out. Whether traditional workouts are too boring for you or far too advanced, one of these three programs could be exactly what you are looking for. All three of these workout programs are through Beachbody and are available on DVD or by streaming through Beachbody on Demand.

Cize

The first program I came across is Cize by Shaun T, and the tagline says it all: The End of Exercize. Most people know Shaun T from his Insanity workouts, but Cize is much more low intensity. Instead of presenting itself as an exercise class, each Cize workout feels like learning the choreography to a music video. For 30-plus minutes you learn and reinforce the moves, and in the last 3 minutes you put it all together and dance to some of your favorite songs.

You don’t have to be a professional dancer to enjoy Cize because it is actually geared towards beginners. During the first week, you learn some foundational moves, with each new workout building on what you have already learned. The best part is that you are working out in the privacy of your own home, so you can really throw yourself into the moves without being afraid of looking foolish. As a bonus, you can also do the 8-minute ab workout at the end so that you know you are getting a full-body workout.

Country Heat

 

If Top 40s music isn’t your speed but you still want to get your dance on, another fun option I came across is Country Heat by Autumn Calabrese. Each routine is preceded by a Breakdown video in which Autumn breaks down the foundational moves that will be utilized the most throughout that particular workout, though each successive workout will build off of the previous one. To keep the workouts from getting boring and repetitive, each routine features a different country music track list.

Though Country Heat is perhaps the more beginner-friendly of the dance workouts, that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective. While the majority of the routines are cardio intensive, you can also work on your strength with the Dance Conditioning routine, which uses your own body weight to tone up your abs, legs, and arms. After all, you don’t need weight machines to get a strong, toned body and there is no reason you can’t have fun while achieving it.

3-Week Yoga Retreat

If dancing and cardio aren’t really your speed, you can work on your balance and flexibility with 3-Week Yoga Retreat. Yoga can be intimidating for a lot of people because not many of us have the strength and flexibility for headstands and pretzel shapes. But 3-Week Yoga Retreat isn’t about headstands and crow poses. Instead, it takes you back to the very basics of yoga. The very first thing you learn is how to sit upright and breath!

With each successive week, you gradually add to your yoga practice, though you aren’t required to progress to a new week if you don’t feel you have mastered the current week yet. Through 3-Week Yoga Retreat, you learn balance, flexibility, and core strength at a pace that you can tailor to your own comfort level.

In short, working out doesn’t have to mean boredom or public humiliation. With one of these three at-home workout programs, working out can be fun and uninhibited! Many of our STARTplanner fans use their planners to keep track of workout results. All STARTplanner products have goal setting, fitness tracking and nutrition sections to help you achieve your goals whatever they are. Food prep help? Yep we can help with that.

You do CrossFit or Beachbody workouts that want you to track your PR’s? STARTplanners do that.

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No Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy

To continue our theme of battle style quotes for April, we thought it fitting to add this one as well. The title is a phrase that has been spoken by many military leaders over recorded history, but it doesn’t apply to just battles, it’s also an important rule for life. While planning is essential to maximize productivity and stay on track towards your goals, you can’t become so attached to your plan that you are unable to adapt.

Never Rely on Your Plan

Wait, what? STARTplanner says don’t rely on your plan??!!!?? Note, that there’s a huge difference between not having a plan and not relying on a plan. You should always set goals, including both short and long-term goals, and then plan out steps to accomplish those goals. A plan is a useful tool, as when you make your plan, you assess your goals and find possible issues. You can then use it to guide you moving forward. There’s a reason why investors who are considering financing a business will want to see the owner’s business plan first.

Once you go from the planning phase to the execution phase, you must be willing and able to adapt to the challenges that life throws at you. This is what separates those who succeed from those who fail. It’s extremely rare for everything to go according to plan. If you’re able to create a plan that is 100-percent accurate, you could just make a living as a fortune teller.

Here’s an example – let’s say there is a small business owner who is planning to launch a new product. He maps out the market research he’ll do, the product development, the focus group evaluations, how he will sell the product, and how he will market it. He has done everything right by planning this out in advance, so he’s off to a great start, but odds are none of these phases will go as he planned.

Product development could be costlier than he estimated. He’ll need to either adjust the product to cut costs, or set a higher price for the product so he still has a suitable profit margin. The focus groups could provide negative feedback on the product. He can’t just stick to his plan if that happens, because he may be launching a product that turns out to be a dud and loses him money. It would be smarter to use that negative feedback to modify the product, and then bring in focus groups again to see if the changes result in a better-received product.

Being Adaptable

How can you be more adaptable to ensure that you succeed at your goals? The smart approach is to always keep your end goals in mind, and make whatever adjustments are necessary to get you closer to those end goals. People who are set in their ways typically make little if any progress in life because they’re unwilling to change. But the world is constantly changing. Just look at how technology has advanced in the past few decades. A business that decided it wasn’t going to adapt with these technology changes would get left behind.

When you deal with an unexpected challenge, accept it and find a way to handle it. Keep track of your results so that you can see what’s working and what isn’t, and adjust accordingly. A planner is a great way to do this. You can write your goals in your planner, and then note your results as you work towards those goals. Instead of planning rigid steps on what you’ll do, go with a more general plan that allows you plenty of room to improvise when needed.

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No Plan Survives First Contact with the Enemy

To continue our theme of battle style quotes for April, we thought it fitting to add this one as well. The title is a phrase that has been spoken by many military leaders over recorded history, but it doesn’t apply to just battles, it’s also an important rule for life. While planning is essential to maximize productivity and stay on track towards your goals, you can’t become so attached to your plan that you are unable to adapt.

Never Rely on Your Plan

Wait, what? STARTplanner says don’t rely on your plan??!!!?? Note, that there’s a huge difference between not having a plan and not relying on a plan. You should always set goals, including both short and long-term goals, and then plan out steps to accomplish those goals. A plan is a useful tool, as when you make your plan, you assess your goals and find possible issues. You can then use it to guide you moving forward. There’s a reason why investors who are considering financing a business will want to see the owner’s business plan first.

Once you go from the planning phase to the execution phase, you must be willing and able to adapt to the challenges that life throws at you. This is what separates those who succeed from those who fail. It’s extremely rare for everything to go according to plan. If you’re able to create a plan that is 100-percent accurate, you could just make a living as a fortune teller.

Here’s an example – let’s say there is a small business owner who is planning to launch a new product. He maps out the market research he’ll do, the product development, the focus group evaluations, how he will sell the product, and how he will market it. He has done everything right by planning this out in advance, so he’s off to a great start, but odds are none of these phases will go as he planned.

Product development could be costlier than he estimated. He’ll need to either adjust the product to cut costs, or set a higher price for the product so he still has a suitable profit margin. The focus groups could provide negative feedback on the product. He can’t just stick to his plan if that happens, because he may be launching a product that turns out to be a dud and loses him money. It would be smarter to use that negative feedback to modify the product, and then bring in focus groups again to see if the changes result in a better-received product.

Being Adaptable

How can you be more adaptable to ensure that you succeed at your goals? The smart approach is to always keep your end goals in mind, and make whatever adjustments are necessary to get you closer to those end goals. People who are set in their ways typically make little if any progress in life because they’re unwilling to change. But the world is constantly changing. Just look at how technology has advanced in the past few decades. A business that decided it wasn’t going to adapt with these technology changes would get left behind.

When you deal with an unexpected challenge, accept it and find a way to handle it. Keep track of your results so that you can see what’s working and what isn’t, and adjust accordingly. A planner is a great way to do this. You can write your goals in your planner, and then note your results as you work towards those goals. Instead of planning rigid steps on what you’ll do, go with a more general plan that allows you plenty of room to improvise when needed.

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Hosting Spring Cookouts And Making It Look Easy With Planning [Guest Post]

It is Spring (Yeah!!), and the weather is perfect for cookouts and get-togethers. The warming weather gets us out of the house more often, making us go out more and meeting new friends. The kids are also growing, and so is their own list of friends. How do you keep tabs of everything when it is your turn to host spring parties? 

Organization is the cornerstone of success. When you can put all your thoughts, ideas, wishes and needs all in one same place, what comes out of it is a perfect map that you can follow to achieve your plans.

Products (and my favorite planner, ever)

The START products come in 4 lines, which are Fancy Pants, Hustle, Legit, and Recently Hitched (which is a complete wedding planner).

I personally love the Fancy Pants solid color design, which comes with perfect organization templates that allow you to take full control of the size of the binder. Speaking of size, this planner has a perfect cut, which fits anywhere you take it. It is perfect for travelers, teachers, business people, and busy moms just like me.

Mom-friendly features

My absolutely favorite features include:

1. sticker packs- The “Social Butterfly” sticker pack features icons that go with the party planning theme, friends names, contact information, birthday icons, gift giving, dates, and much more.

The other sticker pack is the “Nitty Gritty” which is more for specific tasks, such as cleaning reminders, medicine taking, emails, contact information and more. I use both and my planner looks like a rainbow. It is so useful, though. Visual reminders are everything.

2. “Legit” Snap-In bookmarks- These awesome bookmarks have enough space to write impromptu lists of names, items, phone numbers, or anything you can think of.

3. The Bling Line- This is an add-on collection of notebooks, pens, and other writing products that come with full color and shiny paper. I love them because I can scribble away party ideas, shopping lists, and design plans. They are very attractive to look at and it is a joy to carry them around.

My secret weapon

Out of all the START products I own, the one that works best for me is the “Master Plan” paper pack. This is a list-making organizer for step-by-step planning. This is great for you to have your road to successful party planning right at your fingertips.

There is also a paper pack titled “Delegate” which is something we moms fail to do all the time, as we want to do everything ourselves. This is meant to be a list maker of human resources, also known as “people who may be able to help out”, that I can keep to remind myself that I do have support around me, to whom I can turn for assistance.

Why get an organizer?

If you are as busy as I am with everyday issues, the idea of getting people together for sharing may seem daunting, even problematic for your schedule. However, without these times to share, life would turn into a very lonely and stressful daily event. You need to make the room and take the time for activities such as cookouts, parties, and get-togethers.

START products work as your “first-mate” support to keep all ideas and information together. All you need to do is follow the “roadmap” that a good organizer provides. START will do the thinking for you, all you need to do is fill in the blanks and let the organizer guide you.

About The Author:

Cari Samalik is a Co-Found of Livnfresh, a Michigan Clothing Company. Cari founded Livnfresh with her husband Dave and their two kids were along for the ride.

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Win Before You Begin- Work With The End In Mind

Do you ever reach the end of the day and wonder where the time went? It’s always frustrating when you haven’t completed all the tasks you wanted to, and you look back and think about all the time you wasted by procrastinating.

If you’re like most people, your problem is with your planning, or more specifically, your lack of planning. You go into the day with a rough idea of what you want to get done in your head. Then you end up forgetting things as you get busy, or you underestimate how long certain tasks will take you and you’re left without enough time. That’s why taking the time to plan is the key to maximizing your productivity.

How Planning Boosts Your Productivity

When you plan your day in advance, it’s much easier to stay on track and remember all the goals that you have for the day. Instead of wondering what you should do next, you can consult with your daily planner to see what’s on the schedule. You’ll be much less likely to start slacking in the middle of the day, because you have a schedule already, and if you don’t stick to it you’ll fall behind.

Planning also helps you align tasks with certain periods of the day to improve your efficiency. Our energy waxes and wanes over the course of the day, and no one can perform at their best whenever they want. If you try to push through during your sluggish periods, it will just take you longer to complete tasks, and you’ll do lower quality work.

So, take that into account when you write your plan. Let’s say that you know that you hit a wall around 2 in the afternoon. Schedule a less intensive task for that time frame, or even a 15-minute period of relaxation or meditation. You could take some time at 2 to clear your head or get some reading done. Timing is everything when it comes to productivity. You only have so much mental and physical energy, so make sure that you’re getting the most out of it.

How to Plan Your Day

Planning your day doesn’t need to be some arduous process. Start by getting a daily planner. STARTplanner has quite a few options available, so you can find something that fits your own personal style and your needs.

There are two good times to plan your day: the evening before or the morning of. Which one you choose comes down to your schedule and personal preference.

Write down all the tasks that you want to accomplish for the day, and approximate how long each one will take you. Once you know everything you need to do, fill in your planner, assigning a specific time frame for each task. Make sure that you don’t overload yourself with too many tasks. Include breaks so you can keep your mind sharp and avoid burning out halfway through the day.

If you find that you don’t have enough time to get everything done, you’ll need to determine which tasks are high priority and which you can push back to another day. You may also want to consider outsourcing or automating certain tasks. The most productive people in the world, such as CEOs, outsource and automate as much as they can so they can focus only on what’s most important.

Planning can make a dramatic difference in how much you get done every day. Grab a daily planner from STARTplanner and see for yourself.

 

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If You Fail to Plan, You Plan to Fail

No matter what your goal is, if you want to give yourself the best chance of accomplishing it, you need to plan. Without a plan, your goal is just a pipedream. You may want to accomplish it, but you aren’t taking it seriously.

Why are you much more likely to fail at your goals if you don’t plan them and write them down? There are several reasons.

Planning Your Goal Solidifies It

Once you put your goal down on paper, that goal immediately becomes more serious to you. It’s a simple action, but it works. It goes from something you’re thinking about doing to a legitimate goal that you’re focused on achieving.

It also helps you clarify your goal and enables you to remind yourself of your goal at any time. When you don’t have a goal written down, it’s easy to change it halfway there. It’s all in your head at that point, anyway, so what’s to stop you from deciding that you’re close enough? Writing it down will help you keep your eyes on the prize.

Planning Your Goal Gives You a Path to Follow

With a long-term goal, such as losing weight, finding a new job, or finishing your degree, you’ll need planning so you know which steps you should take to accomplish it. When you plan your goal, you can break down the process that you’ll need to follow.

Let’s say that your goal is to get your bachelor’s degree in business. If you just set that as your goal and start taking classes, you’re less likely to succeed, because you probably don’t know off the top of your head which classes you need to complete and what the prerequisites are for each one. With planning, you can figure out the graduation requirements and then put together a plan for which classes you’ll take and in what order.

Planning Helps You Find Potential Issues

Going after a goal is rarely as simple as going from point A to point B. There are obstacles along the way that can throw you off track, especially if you haven’t prepared for them. It’s much easier to handle an issue when you’ve already anticipated it than when you haven’t, as in the latter scenario, you’ll end up scrambling to find a solution.

Planning Helps You Prioritize

If you’re like most people, you probably have quite a few goals that you want to accomplish, with some that are far more important than others. When you start planning your goals, you can decide which ones matter most to you, and which ones aren’t a priority right now. If you don’t want to take the time to plan a goal, it’s a safe assumption that it isn’t very important to you, and you should put it on the backburner so you can focus on goals that are.

Planning Boosts Productivity

Want to get more done during the day? Then you need to plan. People who don’t plan often wonder where the time went at the end of the day, as they didn’t get much done. When you plan, you know what you need to do, so it just becomes a matter of execution.

How much do your goals matter to you? If they’re important, then they deserve your full attention, and that means you need to plan them. One excellent tool to help you plan your goals is a daily planner STARTplanner. There are plenty of different options available through STARTplanner, so you can find one that fits your style and needs.

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Planning a Stress Free Wedding -How To Do It

While a wedding is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, the planning and time leading up to the big day can be one of the most stressful times of your life. Enjoying the planning phase of the wedding is sometimes as rewarding as having a great wedding day. Here are some helpful tips to make the planning of your wedding less stressful and more enjoyable.

After the engagement has been announced, the planning will begin. The very first thing you should do is purchase a Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. This can be purchased online at www.startplanner.com. This will be your best friend during the wedding planning. You should write everything down in your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner and keep it with you at all times. You never know when you will need to refer to your planner.

It is important to remember that the day is about you and your fiance. Wait, no its about you the bride…This is not about the likes and dislikes of your family or friends. This is about you. While we all want to please everyone, we can’t. The opinions of your close family and friends may be helpful.

However, these are just opinions and suggestions. You should only use these as helpful suggestions and not requirements. To make sure you know what you want for your wedding, you can write down some notes in your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. There are different sections for each aspect of the wedding so that you can keep your thoughts and ideas organized. If you have your ideas written down then you can be clear in what you want. It will then be easier to stick to what you want and not give in to the opinions of your family and friends.

To help make family and friends feel important and involved in the wedding planning, you can assign them projects to do. There will likely be many different projects going on during the planning phase. You can keep all of these projects organized in your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. You will be able to write down each step of the project, when the project needs to be completed, and who is completing the project.

A very stressful aspect of wedding planning is finances. Often times a family member will be contributing to the cost of the wedding. It is important to be very clear on your finances from the very beginning. The Happily Hitched Wedding Planner is going to be a great asset for finances as well. You can use the planner to make your budget as well as to keep track of who is contributing what. This will help to ensure that you stay on or under budget throughout the planning process.

While planning any big event can be stressful, it is important to keep the ultimate goal in mind. For your wedding, the ultimate goal is a special day for you and your fiance to celebrate your love and to start your life together. Make sure to make the day about you, remain calm, and stay organized by using your Happily Hitched Wedding Planner. By following these steps, the planning will be enjoyable and your special day will be all you ever wanted it to be.

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How Do I Get More Done At Work? Plan Your Business Week Out In Advance

It is common practice for business professionals to rush to the office first thing Monday morning to get a jump on their activities and plans for the week. Diving head first into your projects and activities may seem like a smart idea that would lead to improved productivity, but a better idea may be to plan out your week by creating a daily schedule.

It only takes a few minutes to plan out key to-do items, special meetings and more for the week, and this effect can result in significant benefits. In fact, you can enjoy each of these benefits you when you spend a few minutes planning out and visualizing your week in advance.

Reduced Stress

For some people, stress levels are high at the beginning of the week when you think about everything you need to get done during the work. There may be a mad cramming session for the first few days of the week to get everything done followed by a lull of relative inactivity. On the other hand, some people may ease into their week by taking it easy on Monday, but you may pay for this day of inactivity later in the week when you have mountains of to-do items pending and less time to complete them in. You can easily reduce your stress level throughout the week by planning to do a little each day and by prioritizing the most urgent items first.

Greater Productivity

As you might well know, when you rush through projects either at the beginning or end of the week, there is good chance that you will need to revise the shoddy, rushed work that you did. This means that you may take more time to get the project done than it would have taken if you had done it right. In addition, you have down periods when you do not schedule your time when you have very few things to do. These are all factors that can impact productivity. By planning your week out, you can ensure that you are productive each day. 

A Balanced Life

Many people have both personal and professional responsibilities and activities that demand their attention. By planning your week out, you can pencil in doctor’s and dental points or other personal items so that they are not crammed into an already busy workday. You can also reduce the chance that you have to stay at work playing catch-up when you really should be at home with your family and friends in the evening.

Fewer Last Minute Activities

When you fail to create a schedule for the week, there is a good chance that you will overlook important to-do items. For example, you may get swamped working on a project you left until the last minute, and you may entirely forget about an important meeting. This can create a great deal of stress, rushing around and the need to re-schedule some items if possible. This ultimately can cost you time and can make your life miserable.

Scheduling your activities for the week on both a personal and professional level can help you to stay organized. This effort may be completed Friday afternoon before you leave for the weekend or first thing Monday morning for the best results.

It can ensure that you are productive rather evenly throughout the week rather than feeling excessively burdened on a specific day. It also helps you to avoid overlooking important tasks that demand your attention and can help you to balance your life. If you are not currently scheduling your life in a daily planner, make an effort to bring this change into your life. 

Want to crush it? Pick up our Fancy Pants, Hustle Or Legit Planners to get you on the right track.

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Everyone Has A Game Plan.. Until They Get Punched In The Mouth

The title of this article will likely sound familiar to anyone who followed boxing in the 80s or 90s, as it was one of the most famous quotes of one of the most famous boxers in history, Iron Mike Tyson. When Tyson said it, he was referring to how a boxer could come in to a fight with a plan, one hard punch was all it took to make them forget about that plan and go into survival mode. This was especially true for Tyson’s opponents, as he ranks among the most powerful punchers of all time.

That quote doesn’t just apply to boxing; it applies to life. Things rarely go according to plan, but one way you can roll with the punches is by writing down your goals and referring to them when the going gets tough.

The Power of Written Goals

Writing down your goals serves multiple purposes. The first is that just by writing something down, you give it more importance in your mind. You make it a priority in your life, so you’re more likely to follow through on it. Otherwise, it’s just a daydream.

Where written goals really come in handy, though, is when you experience setbacks that threaten to take you off course. Fortunately, you aren’t going to be getting in the ring with Tyson, but there are still going to be challenges along the way that stand in the way of accomplishing your goals.

Let’s say that your goal is to lose 15 pounds and run the mile in under seven minutes. Ideally, the plan is for you to gradually drop the weight and decrease your mile time until you reach your goals. But then you sprain your ankle and can’t run for the next two weeks. You’re off track, now, and it would be easy to forget about your goals.

When you have those goals written down, you can look at them every day and keep your eyes on the prize, even if you aren’t able to follow your original game plan. By staying focused on your goals, you’ll find ways to adjust and continue going after them. Maybe you find that you can use an elliptical machine or ride a stationary bike in the meantime, until you heal. Looking at your written goals can be a great motivational tactic when the going gets tough.

How to Set And Write Your Goals

There are plenty of great options to write your goals at STARTplanner. Not only can you set goals, but you can also record your progress every day, ensuring that you stay on track. You want to keep track of your fitness goals, nutrition goals as well as your work and lifestyle goals.

The key with writing goals is to make them specific. Notice how in the example above, the goal wasn’t just to “get in better shape.” Better shape means different things to different people, and it’s hard to go after a vague goal.

You won’t even know when you’re there, because your standard could easily change. If your goal is to make more money, how much more do you want to make? Will you be happy if you find an extra dollar, or do you want to bump your salary up $10,000 this year? Make sure every goal you write is specific and you’re clear on how you can reach it.

Start with setting your main goal, and then figure out how you can achieve that goal, step by step. If you experience setbacks along the way, adjust your plan so you can handle them and continue making progress. To find planners that are specifically designed for writing goals, check out the STARTplanner Hustle collection.

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Pen and Paper for a Better Digital Strategy

In order to be successful with social media and blog content, setting up a routine can keep you on track. Running a blog and social media account uses multiple tasks, and it’s easy to get lost when trying to maintain each. A strategy can organize multiple platforms along with the date, time and item to post.

We exist in a digital world where there’s an app for everything. It’s assumed that the pen or pencil and paper are no longer useful when planning. However, people still find these tools useful today. They even integrate a paper planning method with an onscreen calendar app to keep track of their goals and to-do lists.

With the correct printable social media planning tools, the essential tasks can be listed and keep you ahead in the social engagement game. The perfect product will centralize each task for the week in one visual spot. In addition, it will include an area for goals, posts, and platforms. The START Content and Social Media Planner happens to address all these needs. All you need is a printer and pen to get those tasks organized.

Content for The Day Already Planned

An effective social media campaign requires a day-to-day strategy. Each day must be filled with unique content that conveys your message as well as inspires and entices your audience. Whether it’s a video, meme or article, all content must be assigned for the day. This takes the guess-work out of the equation. By planning ahead, you free up time to use towards other tasks.

Setting Monthly and Weekly Goals

Successful implementation of a campaign takes advanced time and thought. Meaning just posting as the day comes will not contribute to your social media and content. Instead, think of the top goal of your blog and social media accounts. These goals should include content, audience and platform type. Once you’ve developed that, it’s easier to lay plans for each month and week that stay true to your main goal.

Keep Track of Special Content and Events

Not all content is the same. Each blog post serves a unique purpose in furthering your social engagement goals. You must also plan for special types of blog and social media posts, like giveaways and partner content. With a suitable strategy, you can develop the content and prizes all in one place. The START Content and Social Media Planner even has a section that keeps track of such posts from start to finish.

Adapt to Your Needs

The sheet is versatile and can be part of more than one type of planning method. If you’re solo or part of a team, it can be used in various ways. It’s easily readable and searchable for anyone who uses it. This printable PDF can either be used as a collaborative tool or be a part of the brainstorming process.

A proper strategy will make your social media and content goals run smoothly. A content planning printable, along with a pen or pencil, can help organize your posts and content. With this one page PDF, you are able to stay ahead with the START Content and Social Media Planner.

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Start Organizing Your Life with STARTplanner

Life is busy. Most of the time it’s too busy. Whether you are a mom, a career woman, both, or something else entirely, it is hard to keep all of the balls in the air. STARTplanner has a fabulous solution to help organize your life and keep you on track. The Hustle weekly planner is filled with specialized material for every aspect of your daily, weekly, and monthly needs.

Goals and Plans
At the beginning of your planner are sections to define your goals and plans. These can be lifetime, yearly, monthly, etc. This is an area for you to lay out some guidelines for yourself to have a place to start the planning. There are helpful sections that give you tips on goal planning as well. Do not be overwhelmed! You can jot down a few broad ideas then go back anytime and fill in more. Also, each month features mini-goal sections to help you stay on target.

Monthly Overview
In this section, you get the entire month’s calendar in one larger view. This is helpful when looking at bigger picture planning, like trying to decide a good time to take a vacation or see when your child has Spring Break. If you are a business traveler, you may need to check times when you are out of town. The monthly overview gives you a good look at the whole picture.

Weekly and Daily Breakdown
Every month has it’s own tab where there are breakdowns for each week and the individual days. On the spread you will see columns for Sunday through Saturday. You have a section for all of the daily activities, notes, goals, water intake, meal planning, budgeting, and more. It’s hard to believe you have so many tools in one space.

Other Fabulous Features
The Hustle weekly planner has a budget section designed to keep you financially in check. You write in the goals for each month and then the actual expenses and savings for each month. This makes it very easy to see where any spending is happening that needs to be curbed or lets you know if you are staying the course. Another great feature is a spread that details mini-goals, health check, grocery list, and card/gift list. This is a monthly inclusion to continue to keep you organized and following the goals you have set. It is also a place to jot the items you need to pick up from the store and to quickly see who has upcoming events that require cards or gifts. There is even a handy pocket in the front of your planner to hold that birthday card until you get to the post office to mail!

STARTplanner has thoughtfully designed the Hustle weekly planner to meet every need in organizing your life to decrease stress and increase efficiency. As a bonus, the planner is as beautiful as it is functional. Start your planner journey today for an easier tomorrow.

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How To Stay Sane While Planning Your Rescue [Happily Hitched Wedding Planner]

We’ve all heard the blissful engagement stories: rose petals scattered in the sand, romantic starlight adding to the atmosphere of the occasion, a hired photographer catching the memories and the exhilarated smiles of the couple lighting up the venue.

On the other hand, we’ve all cringed at the distressing stories that can shatter such a special time: wedding planning begins, chaos ensues, stress levels rise, patience is tested and the bride and groom arrive at their wedding feeling nothing but relief that the horrid planning period is over. However, you can stay sane and enjoy your engagement thanks to STARTplanner’s Happily Hitched Wedding Planner.

First, this quality wedding planner keeps you sane with its beautiful design. The cover boasts a modern and sophisticated white and gray pattern accentuated by embossed gold type. Each divider matches in pattern, color and embossed font. Additionally, its size is perfect to carry in your hand, bag or purse and weighs just over one pound. Its sturdy construction and quality materials allow it to stand up to the most intensive wedding planning. Not only is this a useful tool, but it’s trendy and cute, too!

Next, keep your sanity thanks to the Happily Hitched Wedding Planner’s layout. Four embossed tabbed dividers condense the details into simple, manageable categories: Goals, Projects, Financials and Plans. What’s more, each divider features a pocket to keep relevant clippings, articles or samples handy. No more losing the business card of your seamstress or wedding singer! The 122-page planner also features a Quick Reference Guide which is an easy-to-find place to write the finalized location, address and time of your rehearsal, ceremony and reception.

When you take a more in-depth look at just how those tabbed categories can help keep you sane, you find they are full of useful tools. For instance, the Goals section helps you and your loved one set your expectations and dreams for the special day. One checklist suggests you set a budget and create a wedding website 12 months before your wedding date; it continues through a timeline to help you make sure you are not late in scheduling anything for your big day.

The Projects category includes a place to delegate helpers to make DIY projects or to complete other must-have projects by specific due dates. In the Financials division, breathe easily as the guide helps you stay on budget. It includes an estimated and actual cost of each wedding detail. Use the Plans section to organize everything from an engagement party and shower to your well-deserved honeymoon and changing of your last name. Throughout the four sections, checklists and timelines keep you organized.

Please do not be one of those brides who resorts to hysteria or anger as she strives to plan a perfect wedding. Rather than driving your loved ones away during this special time, draw closer to them as you make preparations for your happily ever after. Allow the Happily Hitched Wedding Planner to help make your engagement a joyous and fun-filled time, full of memories and keepsakes.

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