Sapna is a content writer at Sprintlaw. She has completed a Bachelor of Laws with a Bachelor of Arts. Since graduating, she has worked primarily in the field of legal research and writing, and now helps Sprintlaw assist small businesses.
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Planning a party takes time, effort and dedication. This is why many people are happy to leave the planning to a professional. A good party planner is able to handle all the big and small details while bringing their clients' vision to life. If this is something you’re passionate about, then starting a party planning business might be for you.
Just like planning a party, starting a business requires research, preparation and organisation. If you get this right, you’ll be able start your party business off with a bang.
Keep reading to know more.
Starting A Party Planning Business
The first step to getting your party planning business off the ground is to get it registered. Before you start the registration process, you’ll need to assess the legal structure that will be right for your business. You’ll need to think about matters like liability, legal compliance and costs. It’s useful to put all your thoughts and ideas into a Business Plan. When everything's clearly written out, it can make it easier to make the right choices.
Ordinarily, most businesses adopt one of three common legal structures: company, sole trader or a partnership. Let's take a closer look at them.
Company: Business comes with risks and rewards. If you’re looking to manage the risk, then you might consider registering your party planning business as a company. When you Register A Company, it becomes separate from you- legally speaking. A company is recognised as its own legal entity. Therefore, things like debt, liability and profits all belong to the company. Setting up a company is an intricate process. It requires compliance with regulations and making sure you tick all the boxes (there’s quite a few boxes). Your best bet is to have the help of a legal expert, so you can be assured everything is done correctly.
Sole Trader: If you had envisioned your party planning business to be just you, your business and your hard work then you might be more comfortable starting out as a sole trader. As a sole trader, your business isn’t separate from you so you’ll be entirely responsible for it. Registering as a sole trader is pretty simple, you just need to go online and get an NZBN (although, this is optional). Make sure you let Inland Revenue know you'll be operating as a sole trader too.
Partnership: Got someone in mind to start your party planning business with? Having two minds working together can be a great strategy, it allows you to share the load and focus on your individual strengths. However, it's important to be on the same page as your partner so business operations can run smoothly. Plus, it’s always better that both partners stay protected while running the business together. The best way to do this is to have the right legal documents in place, such as a Partnership Agreement or a Founders Term Sheet.
It’s worth talking to a Legal Expert about getting the right documents for your business and have them professionally draft one up for you.
How To Start A Party Planning Business From Home
Starting your party planning business from home can be very cost effective and convenient. However, it’s important you’re in compliance with local council regulations and laws. The first thing you will need to do is check your zoning requirements to see if you’re permitted to start a party planning business from your residence. If it all looks good, then your next step is to see if there are any local council permits or certifications you'll need to attain. When you’re going through this process, there can be a lot of information to walk through. Talking to a Regulatory Compliance Lawyer can help you gain an understanding of exactly what you need to do.
What Legal Documents Do I Need For My Party Planning Business?
When you start your party business, you’ll need to get the right legal agreements in place to help protect your business. Legal documents help define things like ownership and responsibilities which can help prevent disputes and other legal issues. Having strong, well drafted legal agreements can keep your business operations running as seamlessly as possible.
We’ve listed a few legal agreements you might want to look into getting for your party business.
Employment Agreement: If you plan on hiring staff, it’s important to be clear on things like responsibilities, pay, leave and termination right from the start.
Privacy Policy: If you’re going to have a business website that collects information from your clients, then a privacy policy is essential in order to be legally compliant with the New Zealand Privacy Act and its principles.
Service Agreement: When you provide a party planning service to others, it’s important to manage expectations so everyone can be on the same page. A service agreement will do this as well as help control risks, liabilities and secure your revenue streams.
Trade Mark: Technically, this isn’t a legal agreement but it is a legal process. If you’re thinking of creating a brand identity for your party business through a special logo, phrase or anything else then you should look into getting it trademarked. Registering a trade mark can help you retain almost exclusive use of that symbol, so you don’t have to worry about others imitating your business.
What About Starting Other Kinds Of Party Businesses?
Maybe starting a party planning business isn’t what you had in mind but you would still like to work in the same industry. This is totally fine- in fact, there's a lot of different sectors to the party industry that don’t necessarily need to be party planning. We’ve jotted a few of them down below, plus some additional legal documents you may need to consider getting for these party business.
How To Start A Party Rental Business
Parties require a lot of gear that people don’t often have laying around. From tables to jumping castles, a party rental business can help supply others with the equipment they need to throw a memorable shindig. When you’re renting out your things, having Wet and Dry hire Agreements can make sure your business is protected while you allow your equipment to be hired out by others.
How To Start A Party Supply Business
If supplying party goods is more your cup of tea, then a party supply business is probably what you’re daydreaming about. Your party supply business will need to be fully stocked so you can be ready to sell what your customers need at a moment's notice. The best way to ensure you’re always prepared is to have a solid Supply Agreement with your supplier. A supply agreement covers things like
How To Start Your Own Kiddies Party Business
Kids parties are a popular niche. After all, no one has fun like a child. Working with children requires more care and consideration. For example, if you’re going to be sending out children's entertainers, you need to make sure they have any obligatory police and working with children checks. You also want to make sure any play equipment has met all the safety requirements. There can often be a long list of things to tick off. A Regulatory Compliance Lawyer can help you sort out your legal obligations so you can make sure you’re doing everything necessary to run a legal kids party business.
Next Steps
Starting a party business is an exciting new business venture but it’s important to carefully plan ahead and take care of all the little details (as you would with a party) so everything can go as planned. To summarise what we’ve discussed:
- To kickstart your party planning business, register by first choosing a suitable legal structure
- Common legal structures include a company, sole trader or partnership, each with its benefits and responsibilities
- When starting a party planning business from home, comply with local regulations and council requirements
- Essential legal documents for a party planning business include Employment Agreements, Privacy Policies, Service Agreements, and Trade Marks
- Different party-related businesses, like party rental or supply businesses, have unique legal needs, such as Wet and Dry hire Agreements or Supply Agreements
- Niche businesses like kids' parties require additional considerations, including compliance with safety requirements and legal checks
- Proper planning, adherence to legal requirements, and well-drafted legal documents are essential for a successful party planning business
If you would like a consultation on your options moving forward, you can reach us at 0800 002 184 or team@sprintlaw.co.nz for a free, no-obligations chat.
Sapna Goundancontent writer
