Are you wondering how a niche business like Princess Parties manages in today’s environment?.
None of us have experience with these types of conditions. It would have been easy to drown in fear.
As a small business owner you rely heavily on predictability, but most everything has been disrupted in some way or another.
Sorry, Not Happening
As someone who practices what I preach, I’m not one to find myself saying “Yes I’m going to do something”…and then do absolutely nothing.
When it comes to protecting my family or the business that I’ve worked hard to create and nurture for all these years there is no fading away.
If you’re reading this, I know that you share the sentiment.
Some Perspective
Lisa Rose Dollhouse and Tearoom, my brick and mortar Princess Party business, has been in operation for 22 years. Over the years it has become an institution of sorts in Honolulu, serving multiple generations of kids and parents as the “go to” place for “Stress-Free” Fabulous Dress Up Princess Parties.
It has also proudly played one small part in helping local kids find their way in the world by steering them in the right direction through the Etiquette and Social Skills Training we offer for girls and boys.
Rewards
Seems like wherever I go in town, I encounter someone who’s recalling the wonderful time they had at their party, or telling me the good news about the progress their child has made since they completed their Etiquette session.
Good News
I’ve always said there were at least five (5) ways you can successfully go about Princess Parties and Etiquette, and I’m moving ahead with all five (5) plus a couple of new ones. With seven ways to reach your market you have a lot of advantages and a great chance to overcome obstacles that appear, seemingly out of nowhere.
For 22 years I’ve operated out of the same storefront offering parties and etiquette training. Now, as you’ll see from the list below, I’m branching out to reach my market in ways which reflect the flexible nature of the business.
We’re more than able to work with most challenges such as new limits on the size of parties, remote participation for etiquette sessions, and requests for at home parties, to name a few.
A Good Service Keeps its Market
What I’ve discovered about my business from the past year is that there are more ways to deliver the service than I had previously considered.
When you’ve built trust in your brand your clientele rolls with changes in it’s delivery.
There is opportunity in hardship, and if you have the drive and creativity to push it’s limits you’ll end up just fine.
Darn Right We’re Essential
Last year was tough. It brought all sorts of uncertainty, hardship and adaptations to changing circumstances. Many businesses were hurt. More than I can bear to know had to slow down, stop and start, or be gone for good. We don’t know yet what this year will be like.
But I’m here to say that Lisa Rose is still quite an essential service in my town as far as my customers are concerned. We had to hunker down early on like everyone else, and we’ve made our adjustments to deal with local ordinance.
But, I’ll tell you this, my clientele has not lost their enthusiasm for the services we offer.
One more thing. My Princess Party business caters to a certain niche. It can’t be replaced by a “big box” retailer of birthday parties. No matter how they might try, it just isn’t the same. The kids know it and so do their parents.
Maybe Now More Than Ever
I have parents telling me that they are booking a party simply because their child deserves it. They’ve been parked in front of a computer screen all day long at home, away from friends, their classroom, the playground, and just about everything else in their daily routine.
Not to mention how a couple hours of of downtime for mom, away from trying to keep them focused or occupied around the house can seem like a vacation on the beach somewhere.
We all need a break right now and everyone loves a party!
When it comes to Etiquette, some kids may have actually forgotten how to behave in social situations. Sorry to say it, but some bad habits can develop when it’s remote learning at home with mom or dad around instead of a teacher and a peer group in the classroom.
With schools potentially reopening soon, parents will look to some social skills sessions for their kids to make sure they are focused and able to easily re-adjust to a normal routine outside the house.
It will take a little time to return to my normal volume, however in the meantime it has continued to deliver an income and now I’ve made some changes in response to current circumstances that will likely grow my business for the future.
What’s Important
So my point is, while my venue was not technically on the list of essential businesses when all this started, it has proven to be beyond essential, as a near necessity. What allows me to say that? The relief in a parents’ voice when they book a party knowing their kid can get out of the house and have some fun, and the happiness on their child’s face when they arrive.
How is that non-essential?
We held our own during the peak of uncertainty and expect to return to normal. My overhead has actually decreased because of cooperation amongst landlords, vendors and so on. So, if it had to happen, a high profit margin business like this is best suited to navigate the waters.
Birthday celebrations are an important human event in what an anthropologist would term “social equilibrium.” They keep things real, it’s how we mark time, and they’re not going anywhere. Ever.
We’ve Adapted to Change
Here are 5 No Cost Services I’ve Added to Adjust to Changing Times. Even when things get back to normal I expect to keep offering them. It’s a net gain.
Mobile In Home Princess Parties
Party Service Contract with 3rd Party Entertainment Venues
Smaller Parties at Slightly Higher Pricing
Offering Interactive Virtual Etiquette Sessions
I think all of these are going to be a winner, adding to the bottom line while costing practically nothing to bring on board.
What a flexible business this is!
I hope you learned that you too can Do Hard Things!
As a Special Thank You and For a Limited deadline of 72 hours, take 20% OFF each of my Etiquette Training Kit and The Princess Party Business Kit!!
Use Code:blog20
Etiquette Training Kit
Princess Party Business Kit
