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.

from STARTplanner - News https://startplanner.com/blogs/news/no-plan-survives-first-contact-with-the-enemy-1

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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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