Business At A Glance
- Startup Costs: $2,000 – $10,000
- Home Based: Can be operated from home.
- Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
- Online Operation? Yes
Business Overview
If you delight in the showmanship of arranging events and you like theenergy and inspiration of a fine seminar, then this is the business foryou. As a seminar promoter, you’ll locate talent–speakers withsomething interesting and exciting to impart–then line up attendeesand make all the arrangements to provide your guests with a memorableexperience.
People who enjoy your first seminar will come back formore. In addition to the fees you earn from the seminar itself, you canmake additional tidy sums by selling audiotapes or videotapes of eachprogram. You’ll need the nose to sniff out terrific speakers, peoplewho can amuse, inspire and teach others and infuse the program with ahealthy positive energy. You’ll also need sales and marketing skillsand the ability to plan and organize events.
Previous experience inevent-planning jobs is a big help but not an absolute necessity. Ifyou’ve produced community theater shows or charity fund-raisers, you’vegot what it takes. You’ll also need good writing skills to deviseintriguing brochures and sales materials.
The Market
Your customers will be the people who attend your seminars.
The bestway to attract them is to come up with a niche, a range of topics bothunique and trendy in your area, and fill it. Another good way to startis by hosting seminars in a field or hobby you already know; you’llknow just what others in your interest group will want to learn. Starta direct-mail campaign. Send brochures describing your seminars tolists of prospects. You can purchase these from a list broker, or youmay already have access to mailing lists of people in interestedorganizations or associations.
Place ads in local publications.
Needed Equipment
You’ll need a computer with a laser printer, a color printer, ascanner, the usual office software, database software to maintainmailing lists of attendees, and a desktop publishing program fordesigning brochures and fliers.