The views expressed by the business participants are their own.
My 26-year-old daughter just got married. I’ve been to many weddings and enjoyed them, but this was the first time I was involved in planning a wedding. In the months of planning this week with my wife, I learned seven important non-business lessons.
We thought about having a traditional wedding, so we looked for a wedding venue where we could have a party. However, we had a problem. Our guest list included about 500 of our closest friends – most of whom were my daughter’s network of fans, friends, students and others.
Paying $50-$150 per plate at the lobby was out of our budget for most people. We had a choice: We could cancel this list or organize the wedding ourselves. We both did.
We got the guest list down to 300 people, and to save as much money as possible, we did the wedding ourselves. My wife was a wedding coordinator, I am her assistant.
What does a DIY wedding look like? Well, we bought custom stickers and put 400 bride and groom stickers on 400 water bottles. We borrowed vases from friends and have had many of our own at previous events. One of our friends is a design hobbyist, so she made a bunch of table settings and flowers with real and fake flowers. I can continue.
However, what was MOST important about planning this wedding were the lessons I learned while doing it:
Related: 8 Key Lessons From Top Entrepreneurs
1. Communication is important
We have several WhatsApp groups to facilitate communication. We had regular meetings to review the situation and plan various aspects of the wedding. My wife and I communicated regularly. We went to the place, to our church, many times to prepare and plan.
Poor communication is one of the biggest obstacles to success. Miscommunication and misunderstandings will sink your business.
Maybe my wife asked me to “put the vases on the table,” but I didn’t ask which vases. This can lead to the wrong vases being on the wrong tables.
Your business is the same. Communicate clearly – in fact, the more important the job, the more you should talk.
2. Be specific about the goals you are trying to achieve
As the weeks passed before the wedding, we kept in mind the important goals we needed to accomplish. We knew that the bride and groom had to get married – that was very important. Other goals we had were good food and a fun environment, among other things.
Your business is the same.
Clarify what goals you want to achieve in your business, including the various projects and activities that are part of your business. If you are not clear about your goals, it will be very difficult to know what success looks like and how to succeed.
3. Get help
Although my wife bore the major responsibility of planning the wedding with my support, we could not do the wedding alone. We had friends and family helping us in different stages of the wedding.
Another couple helped us weeks before the wedding. Some friends also offer help on the day and weeks before the wedding.
Managing your business is the same. It is very difficult to serve your customers and grow your business when it is just you. Seek help with team building, and seek help from friends, mentors and your family. You will need help in different ways from different people.
Help can take the form of paying a lawyer to help you draft a legal agreement correctly. Help can take the form of a good business friend giving you advice on new hires.
Don’t be afraid to get help starting and growing your business.
4. Who you work with is critical to your success (or failure)
My wife and I were partners in ensuring a successful marriage. We trust each other and do our best to work together. It’s the same in business.
For a relationship to be successful, you must understand what is important to your partner. Understand how they interact with their work styles.
A partner can be a powerful asset to your business as they can help bring out the thinking and real work that needs to be done to grow the business. However, the wrong partner can be detrimental to your business.
Related: 25 Lessons Business School Will Never Teach You Again
5. Prioritization is important — Don’t focus on the small, and don’t underestimate the big things
Prioritization is important, especially as the complexity of your project increases. There is only so much you can do in a given day. Time is limited. Therefore, being able to prioritize is important. When preparing for the wedding, we always had to prioritize. For example, today, we will set the tables. Tomorrow, we will set up the vases. As we got closer to the wedding, we had to “let go” of some things and come back to other things.
You will need to do this in your business as well.
What should be done TODAY? What can wait until later? What MUST be done this quarter, and what can be done another day?
As you work with others, also understand that YOUR priorities may not be theirs. Therefore, having shared goals and understanding what is important to you, your partner and/or your team is important.
6. Who are the participants?
For marriage, we knew there were a few important people or groups of people to consider. The bride and groom were very important. The groom’s parents were also important, so we had to consider their needs and concerns. We also had to think about our church service and their concerns and needs for marriage.
Your business is the same. You are NOT alone in your business. There are you, your employees (or team members), your customers, possibly government agencies, vendors and others.
Consider the key stakeholders in the success of your business, and think about their needs and concerns.
Related: 5 Lessons From The Most Successful Entrepreneurs
7. Get advice from others
Key to the success of the wedding was our team of wedding planners. This team is made up of my sister, my daughter’s best friend, my wife, my daughter, my daughter’s fiancé and me!
We had regular meetings with this group to get their ideas and help with most of the wedding planning – cake, dresses, props and much more.
You also need mentors in your business. You can get advice from fellow business owners you work with. You can get advice from books and podcasts. You can join a teaching community. You can also hire a consultant to guide you through certain aspects of your business.
My daughter’s wedding was a success, and now you know why. A wedding is a one-day event. However, your business can take years to grow and become successful. You can’t build a successful business on your own – it takes guidance, purposeful planning and a bit of luck.
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