2. 2
Hillview Wedding Center
I. Descriptionof establishment,organization,business,ordepartment
a. It will be anoutdoorlandscape withflowersanda manmade waterfall andpondfixture
withenoughspace toseat 200 guestsfor a weddingceremony.There will be abuilding
not far awaywhere a reception couldbe held.It’llbe a60 x 80 ballroomwithhigh
ceilingsandenoughspace toaccommodate 300 people fordinner. Thiswouldbe like a
one stopshop forall weddingrelatedservices.Iwouldhave the facilitiesmentioned
above to holdthe ceremonyandreception,andIwouldalsohave a photographer,
florist,baker,chef,andDJservicestooffercouples.
b. My momand stepdadhave land onW7247 Hillview Road inGreenville andtheyplanon
retiringsoon,soI wouldbuildmybusinessonthe farmland.Iwouldonlyhave toplant
grass where Iwant itto be,and there wouldbe plentyof space tobuildawaterfall and
have enoughspace forseating.Hillview Roadisonlyaboutahalf mile longandtheyown
mostabout half of the landonthe road,so I wouldprobablybuilditbackoff the road a
little wayssoit’soff onits owna little bitandwe wouldn’thave toworrytoo much
aboutnoise.There’salsoatreeline surroundingthe fields,sothatisa more aesthetically
pleasingbackgroundthanmore fieldsorhouses.
c. The purpose of the businessistobe a one-stopshopforall weddingrelatedneeds.
Servicesprovidedwouldinclude:floral,bakery,photography,musical entertainment,
and foodservice.Coupleswouldhave the optiontoworkwithouremployedflorist,
baker,photographer,DJ,andchef or bringin a differentvendorof theirchoosing.
d. We wouldmarkettoengagedcouples whoare lookingtogetmarriedinthe Fox Valley
area.The priceswouldbe aroundaverage forthe serviceswe offer,sowe wouldmarket
to a middle classaudience whowouldwantanice weddingandbe able toaffordprices
that wouldbe aboutaverage fora weddinginthatarea.Most people are getting
marriedintheirmidtwenties,sowe wouldmarketmostlytopeople intheirtwenties.
e. Competitionwouldinclude otherwedding vendors suchasthe RadissononCollege,
BridgewoodinNeenah,andHomesteadMeadowsFarm;winterswouldbe the off
seasonwhere we probablywouldn’thave asmanyweddingsso we couldhold other
eventsinthe ballroom. Anothercompetitionwouldbe people wantingtodoit
themselves,asfaras decorationswouldgo.It’ssoeasyto findwaysto docool things
online suchasPinterestorEtsy,so we wouldhave tokeepourselvesuptospeedon
whatis out there forthemto findandbe able to do it ourselvessowe can doit for them
insteadof themdecidingtojustdoit themselves.
II. Planning
a. MissionStatement:Toprovide engagedcoupleswithaneasyandstress-free wayto
plantheirwedding.Everycouple will havetheirperfectweddingdayandrememberit
forever.
b. Core values:Ease – we wantthe couple to feel likeweddingplanningcanbe easy
Understanding–we want the floristtounderstand the atmosphere theywantandthe
photographertounderstandthe kindsof picturestheyare hopingforetc.
3. 3
Value – the couple needstofeel like they’re gettingwhattheywantforwhatthey’re
payingfor.
c. SMART Organizational goals
i. Long termgoals:
1. Afterabout5 yearsof businessIwouldlike toexpandandcreate
anotherceremonysite onthe otherside of the buildingandhave the
focusof that one be treesandthe natural beautyof the foreston the
land. Thiswouldallow me topotentiallyhave twice asmanywedding
ceremonies. Mygoal wouldbe tohave the numberof ceremoniesheld
at my businessincreaseby60%.
2. After2 years of buildingupmyoptionsof florists,bakers,DJs,and
photographers,Iwouldlike tohave 85% of the weddingsheldatmy
locationtouse all of the serviceswe offer.
3. AfterI have beenestablishedandhad 3 seasonsto doplentyof
weddings,Iwouldliketobe nameda Bestof the Bay winnerforat least
one of the servicesmycompanyoffers. A seasonwouldbe fromApril 1
throughSeptember30.
ii. Short termgoals:
1. I will forsure wantto have one baker,florist,photographer,andDJ,but
I wouldlike tobe able towork withmultipleoptionsforflorists,
photographers,bakers,andDJ’ssothat coupleswouldbe able towork
withthe one that fitsthembest.My goal wouldbe to have at leasttwo
optionsforeach withinmyfirstyearof business.
2. Anothergoal wouldbe togo to weddingshowsandbringin30% more
reservationsforthe seasonfrommeetingcouplesatthe weddingshows
for everyseason.
3. Get at least20 reviewsbackfromcoupleseveryseasonsoIcan see
whattheythoughtwe didwell onand whatthingswe couldimprove on.
III. Organizing
a. Organizational chart
Me The Couple
Photographer 1
1
Photographer 2 Florist DJ ChefBaker
AssistantAssistants CooksServers Bartenders
4. 4
b. Organizational culture
i. The culture will encourage creativitysince everyone wantstheirweddingtobe
one of a kind,sothe employeeswillbe encouragedtoalwaystrytocome up
withnewideasornew waysto do thingsto make theirjobseasierorto figure
out somethingtomake the bride andgroomhappy. On weddingdaysthe
employeeswill be expectedtohave a goodtime doingwhatthey have to
because weddingsare supposedtobe funcelebrationsandif the employees
aren’thavingfun,itwill show throughandthe guestswill nothave as muchfun
either.People feedoff of otherpeoples’energiesandif myemployeesare
radiatinga bunchof energy,the guestswillfeelmore energizedaswell andthey
will have more fun.Whenworkingwiththe bride andgroomorparentsor
whoeverwe will be workingwithtoplantheirweddingday,we will show them
that we can have funbut that our priorityisto make sure that everythinggoes
smoothlyforthemsotheyhave nothingto worryabout.
ii. Before everyweddingwe do,we will roundupthe employeesbefore theyget
too intotheirshiftsandexplaintothemwhatthe couple isgoingforso
everyone isonthe same page.Witheveryone understandingthe goalsof each
specificwedding,there willbe noconfusionaboutwhatthe couple expects
frommy companyand wheneveryoneknowswhatisgoingon,theywill be
more free to have funinsteadof worryingaboutwhattheyshoulddo.For
example,if anemployeeisdecoratingbutdoesn’tknow if the couple isgoing
for a more eleganttheme ora more rustictheme,theymighthave ahard time
decidinghowtodecorate something,butif we give the employeesan
explanationthatthe couple wantsanelegantfeel,theywillnothave tostress
aboutfindingoutwhatwouldbe bestand theycan just have funputtingoutthe
ideastheythinkbestfitsthatstyle. Anotherthingwouldbe toencourage
creativity.We wouldencourage employeestospendtime atthe companyto
playaroundwiththingswe have there andto work togethertocome up with
newideas. We wouldhave asubscriptiontothe magazine Oriental Trading
Weddingsothat the employeescanhave a constantincome of ideassotheycan
betterpersonalize everyweddingtheydo.Employeeswill be encouragedtotalk
withthe couple asmuch as is necessarytofullyunderstandwhatitistheyare
lookingfor.Tomake sure the employeeshave funwhile preparingfora
wedding,we willallowthemtoplaymusicinthe buildingsokeepthemupbeat
and havinga more funattitude.Thiswouldbe okto dobecause no guestswould
be there duringsetup,thenonce a predeterminedtimeforthe membersinthe
weddingcomes,the musicwouldhave tobe shutoff sothe moodcan shiftto
more romanticfor the couple.We couldstill playfunmusicinthe kitchenand
floral stagingroomthoughto keepthe employeesenergeticandhavingagood
time.
IV. Leadership
5. 5
a. Personal StrengthsandGrowthAreasInventory:
i. My strengthsinclude beingfaithfulinfulfillingobligationstopeople,work,and
ideasthatI’m committedto. AnotheristhatI am capable of great
concentrationandoutputwhenfullyengagedinaproject. Somethingthatthe
Meyers-Briggstestsaidof mypersonalitywasthatone of my weaknessesisthat
routine workisdifficultforme todo if itdoesn’thave muchmeaningtome. I
realizedthatthatwas spoton and if I don’treallyhave aninterestinsomething,
I finditdifficulttofocusonand getdone as efficientlyassomethingI’m
passionate about. AnotherweaknessisthatI can start doubtingmyself and
othersundergreatstress,and if there’saweddingcomingupandI get stressed
aboutsomethingnotgoingrightand havingtomake sure theirday still endsup
perfect,itcouldpotentiallyreflectpoorlyonmywork.
ii. I thinkthat beingfaithfulinfulfillingobligationswouldbe beneficial tome
runningmybusinessbecause thennoone wouldfeel letdownbyme.Ireally
like toplease people,sonomatterif it’sthe bride andgroom or the employees,
I will strive todoeverythingIcanto keepthemhappy.Ithinkthat once I’d get
wrappedupin doinga wedding,itwouldbe easytoconcentrate onitand come
up withgreatideasto do; I wouldbe able to be veryproductive since I’dbe
enjoyingwhatI’dbe doingandI couldbe as creative as I want.EventhoughI
wouldbe doingweddings,all weddingsare sodifferent,soIthinkIwouldbe
able to mix itup enoughwhere Iwouldn’tgetstuckintoomuch of a routine
where Iwouldgetbored.I wouldbe constantlyworkingwithdifferentcouples
and familymemberswhowill wantdifferentthingsforthe weddingsandhave
differentideasof how theypicture theirday.Asforthe part about getting
stressed,IthinkIwill have tomake sure to delegate tasksif Ifeel overwhelmed
so that everythingcango as smoothlyaspossible.If necessary,I mayfindthatI
mighthave to hire onmore people if Ifindmyworkloadtobe too much.
iii. To make sure I don’tget boredina routine,Iwill make sure to keepuponmy
researchof newtrendsand alwaysstayopento new ideasfromanyone.It’sso
easyto customize awedding,andit’sverydifficulttohave themall the same,
but I will doeverythingIcan tomake sure I’malwaysbringingnew ideastothe
table to share withcouples.Icouldsee myself gettingstressedif something
goeswrongwhenthere’sa weddingcomingup,soI will have tomake sure that
I have plentyof backup optionsforthingsandpeople Ican trust to make sure
theywill getthingstoworkout inthe end.Iknow that a weddingisvery
importantto a couple,andI wouldnotbe able to live withmyself if itwas
ruined.Iwouldmake sure tohave people Icoulddelegate taskstosothat I can
still deal withmyworkandnot become overwhelmed.Iwouldalsomake sure
that those people are trustworthysothatI have peace of mindknowingthey
will take care of itand I will be satisfiedwithwhattheycome upwith. Iwould
alwayswantto bettermyself,soduringthe off seasonswhenI’mnotsobusy
doingweddings,Icouldtake some managementorbusinesscoursesjustsothat
6. 6
I couldrun my businessmore efficientlyandIcouldalsobecome abetter
managerto my employeesandkeepthemashappyasI can.
b. MotivatingandDevelopingEmployees:
i. Everytime we get7 perfectreviewsfromawedding,we will have anemployee
appreciationday.Thiswill motivate the employeestomake sure everything
goessmoothlysothe couple hasnothingtocomplainabouton the review (9).
ii. Everyemployee thatbringsinacouple thatdecidestohave the weddingatour
locationwill geta$50 bonus (9).
iii. We will have anendof the seasongettogether everyyearandwe will have
awardsfor differentthings.Iwouldprobablykeepthe awardsgeneral suchas
mostpersonable ormostpersonal complimentssince all the positionsare so
different(9).
iv. Givingspecial verbal recognitioninfrontof the teamto employeeswhogo
above andbeyondwhatisexpectedfromthemtokeepthemmotivatedtokeep
doingit(9).
v. Everyonce in awhile orderpizzaorsubsor somethingtothe facilitytoshow
theirconsistentworkisappreciated(9).
c. SurvivinginaFlat World:
i. My businesswouldsurvive inaflatworldbecause of location.Although
destinationweddingsare becomingmore popular,mostpeoplestillwanttoget
marriedclose towhere theylive sofamilydoesn’thave totravel far,or other
people mightnotbe able toaffordto travel to getmarriedsotheyhave to do it
close to home whethertheywantedtoornot.People willnotstopgetting
married,sothe conceptof marriage will alsostayina flat world,soI won’thave
to worryabout havinga shortage of people whowanttoget married.Also,since
there aren’tmanyweddingsduringthe winter,Icouldalsouse the reception
space for othereventstoo.Companieswill alsonothave the optionof travelling
far if theywantto throw somethinglikeaChristmaspartyforall the employees
and theirfamilies.
ii. Thiscompanywill require atonof creativity.Iwouldneedtocome upwitha
newcreative waytodecorate the ballroom or designthe cake forevery
wedding.Iwouldhave tobe able to envisionwhatthe couple wantseverything
to looklike ontheirweddingdaysoIcan helpmake ita reality. Daniel Pinktalks
aboutdesigninhisbookA Whole New Mindandhe mentionshow everything
has to lookappealingtothe eye,butalsoshouldserve afunction.Iwouldhave
to use designinmybusinessall the time because Iwouldhave tomake sure
that the ballroomalwayslooksbeautifulbutithasto work withthe couple’s
theme andstill allow the employeestobe able tofunctionanddotheirjob.
Anotherwouldbe makingsure the foodhasexcellentpresentation,butitalso
still tastesamazing.Pinkalsotalksaboutthe importance of playinthe
workplace.Iwouldbe able toincorporate playbyplayingmusicwhile the
employeesare there gettingreadybefore aweddingsotheycouldfeelmore
7. 7
free toletideasflow andso the silence doesn’tseemsouncomfortable.The
employeeswouldhave alotof time whenthey’re workingwheretheyare doing
somethingwiththeirhandsandwouldhave time to talktoeach other,so
allowingthemtohave goodconversationswithcoworkersallowsthemtobuild
goodrelationshipswiththeircoworkersandtheirbusyworkwill gobyquicker
than if theyjusthad to sitthere alone workingonit.
V. Work flow
a. See nexttwopages.The firstpage showsthe whole propertyandthe arrowsshowthe
flowof people.The secondpage showsadetailedpictureof the receptionhall andthe
arrows showthe flowof food.
b. There will be aconcrete path that leadsfromthe building/parkinglottothe ceremony
locationsothat wheelchairwill be able tosmoothlyride onitandpeople withcrutches
or caneswill have a smootherand more stable groundto walkon. The path leading
fromthe parkinglotto the ceremonysite andfromthere tothe ballroomwouldnot
have a grade of more than 8.3% (6).The doors that connectthe ballroomtothe outside
and the bathroomdoorswill have automaticdooractivationcontrols thatcan be
pressedtoopenthe doorsautomatically (7).We will alsohave apolicythatallows
service animalsforpeoplewithdisabilities (7).The animal wouldnotbe allowedinthe
kitchen,butguestsaren’tallowedinthere either,sothatshouldn’tbe aproblem.
c. Serverswouldhave differentaspectstotheirjobsotheywould have a lowerriskof
injury.Theywouldbe puttingplatesof foodontotraysandcarrying the trays outto the
tables,whichcouldcause injury,buttheywouldonlybringoutacouple trayseach and
all the tableswouldhave food.Theywouldthenbringbackdirtydishesasthe guests
finishtheirmeals,sotheycouldprobablyuse abusbinto putdishesinandcarry that
back to the dishroom.A couple serverswouldthenalsobe expectedtostayandrun the
dishesthroughthe dishmachine andputdishesaway.Thisjobrequiresmanydifferent
tasks,so the employee isn’tdoingthe same thingrepeatedlythroughoutthe whole
shift. If employeeswouldliketobe trainedinmore thanone job,we couldtrain themin
it andthenbe able toofferjobrotation.For example,if acookwantedto learnhowto
serve too,theywouldn’tbe standingaroundastove mostof the shift,andtheywould
be able to mix itup on differentdays.Aftersettingeverythingupandgettingfood
cooked,we wouldhave everyone take fiveminutestostretchoutor take a shortwalk
before the receptionwouldactuallystartsoeveryone canfeel refreshedand
rejuvenatedbefore divingbackintothe work.
VI. Marketing
a. One way I will getmycompany’sname outto the publicwouldbe gettingaspace at a
weddingshow.Atthe weddingshows,the onlyaudience thereisare coupleswhoare
gettingmarriedandpeople theybringwiththem, butthe purpose istofindthingsfor
theirwedding.Thiswouldbe agreatwayto be able topersonallytalktocouplesand
establishapersonal connectionthattheywill remembermore thanseeingsomething
online.
8. 8
b. I will use bundlingtomake potential customersmore attractedtothe servicesIhave to
offer.The more servicestheyuse throughus,the betterthe deal theywill geton
everythingandwhenitcomestoweddingplanning,gettingthe same amountof service
or goodsfor lessmoneyishuge.Thistacticwill markettothe cost-consciouscouples
whowant to getthe most fortheirmoney.
c. I will alsohave afacebookpage where couplescanshare itwithfriendswhomightbe
gettingmarriedandtheycan write testimonialsonthe page.Iwantmy businesstobe
spreadthroughthe word of mouthand I want itto be easyfor people tohave accessto
informationwe have online.
9. 9
VII. Staffing
a. Jobdescription (10):
i. JobDescription:Server Employee Name ___________________________
Qualifications:
Must have at leasttwo yearsexperience inarestaurantor similarfoodservice
Must be at least18 yearsor older
Must have reliable transportationtoandfromwork
Expectations:
Employeeswill be expected toplate foodbefore itgoesouttothe guests and
thencarry trays of food outto the ballroomanddistribute the mealstoeach
guest.Theywill be expectedto make sure waterpitchersatthe tablesstayfull
and theywill clearthe platesandsilverware off the tableswhenthe guestsare
finishedeating.Afterthe meal,serverswillhave tostayand cleanthe dirty
dishesandpolishsilverwareforthe nextuse.
Employeeswill be expectedtoworknightsandweekends,since mostweddings
occur on Fridayand Saturdaynights.
Physical Requirements (pleasecheck the necessaryjobfunctionsyouare able to
complywith):
□ Standing
□ Walking
□ Liftingupto 20 lbs
□ Carryingup to 30 lbs
□ Balancingtrays
□ Repeatedbendingwhenplacingfoodontables
□ Oral communication
□ Hearing(communication)
□ Exposure toloudsounds(DJ)
OSHA bloodborne pathogens
□ No riskfor bloodorbodyfluidexposure aspartof job expectation
Protective Equipment
□ Wearinggloves
Manager Name ________________________________________
Manager Signature ________________________________________ Date _____________________
Employee Signature _______________________________________ Date ______________________
10. 10
b. InterviewQuestions:
i. ClosedQuestions:Doyouhave experience servingtables?Will yoube able to
performall necessaryjobfunctions,includingcarryingtraysof food (12)?Are
youavailable toworkweekends?
ii. OpenQuestions:Whatqualitiesdoyouhave that youfeel wouldbenefitthe
company?Please describeyourpreviousjobduties (12).Whydoyouwant to
workfor thiscompany?
iii. P.A.R.Questions:(1) Tell me aboutatime youwere unhappyaboutsomething
at work,didyou talkto a manager?What didtheysay and didyoufeel like it
was resolved?(2) Tell me abouta time youhad an unhappycustomer,whatdid
youdo to make themfeel better? How didtheyfeel whentheyleftthe
establishment?(3) Tell me aboutadutyyou didn’tlike toperform, how didyou
make sure it got done?Whatwas the outcome?
c. RecruitmentAdvertisement:
11. 11
Servers Wanted
Hillview Wedding Center is looking for a few talented
servers
$3.00/hour plus tips
Must be 18 years or older, have reliable transportation, and at least 2
years experience serving tables.
Employees would need to be available to work nights and weekends
If interested stop by for an application at W7247 Hillview Rd. Greenville, Wi, 54942 or contact
Rebecca at (930) 258-3340.
12. 12
I wouldhangthisup at Lawrence UniversityandFox ValleyTechnical College since
college studentswouldbe agreataudience of people whowouldneedweekendjobs.I
wouldalsoputit online sothatI couldreach people whoweren’tnecessarilyincollege
and were lookingforajobservingtables,maybe single parentslookingforextraincome
on the weekends.
d. Orientation:TaylorEngelkehelpedgiveme some ideasabouthow towrite upan
orientationchecklist.
13. 13
New Employee Orientation Checklist
Employee Name ____________________________________ Date of Hire _______________________
Position___________________________________ Manager _________________________________
Day 1 Employee will be trainingtodaywith_________________________________________
□ Give employeeuniform
□ Give employeeanemployee handbook
Policies
□ ReviewPoliciesandProceduresfoundinthe employee handbookwithemployee:
Vacationandsick time Dresscode
Harassment Employee termsandagreement
Payroll agreements Workplace safety
Probationaryperiods Legal disclaimers
Drug testingpolicies Hiringpolicies
General WorkInformation
□ Introduce employee tocoworkersandmanagers
□ Showemployee howtoclockinandout
□ Reviewgeneral workassignmentsandtrainingschedule
□ Reviewjobdescriptionandexpectations
□ Reviewschedule andhours
Legal Work
□ Fill outnecessarytax papers(I-9,W-2, andW-4) and collectidentification(SScard,Driverslicense,or
birthcertificate,etc)
Tour ofFacility
□ Where to park □ Restrooms
□ Fire extinguishers □ Cleaningsupplies
□ Emergencyexits □ Storage rooms
14. 14
□ Telephones □ Personal belongingstorage
Employee Signature_____________________________________ Date __________________________
Manager Name ___________________________________
Manager Signature ______________________________________ Date __________________________
15. 15
e. Performance ReviewForm (8):
Satisfactory Unsatisfactory
Showsupon time for shifts 5 4 3 2 1 0
Works well withotherteammembers 5 4 3 2 1 0
Will reliablydowhatisasked 5 4 3 2 1 0
Uniformisneat andclean 5 4 3 2 1 0
Performsall jobduties 5 4 3 2 1 0
List the areasyou feel youexcel in:
List the areasyou feel youcouldimprove on:
Areasfor improvement:
Additional comments:
Employee Name ___________________________________________
Employee Signature______________________________________ Date _____________________
Manager Name ____________________________________________
Manager Signature _______________________________________ Date _____________________
16. 16
f. PolicyandProcedures:
i. Vacationandsick time,dresscode,sexual harassment,employmenttermsand
agreement,payroll agreements,workplace safety,probationaryperiods,hiring
policies,legal disclaimers,drugtestingpolicies.
ii. In orderto demonstrate professionalismandpropersanitation,all employees
will complywiththe dresscode.Thisestablishmenttakespride inbeing
professionalandsanitary,soall employeesmustweartheir clean, assigned
uniformforthe jobtheywill be performingaswell ashavinglonghairpulled
back. Wearingdirtyclothesorhavingloose haircould affectthe qualityof the
foodservedtothe guests.Anyemployeewhodoesnotfollowthese guidelines
will receiveaverbal warningandbe askedto correct the problembefore being
allowedtocontinue working (11).
VIII. Productivityandfinancial management
a. I wouldbe able tomeasure mysuccessby the number of referralsIget fromprevious
customers.If I get5 referralsina season,thenthatmeanspeople are sayinggoodthings
aboutmy businessandit’sgettingaroundtopeople whoare givingme more business.I
couldalsomeasure mysuccessby how manyweddingsuse all of the serviceswe offer.If
there aren’tmanyweddingschoosingtouse one of myDJs or something,Iwill know
that particularDJ may notbe providingthe couple withthe qualityof service they
expect.Inthatcase I wouldprobablyhave to stopusingthat DJ andfindanotheroption
for couples.Ialsothinkthatthe numberof vendorsIwouldhave willingtoworkforme
wouldbe a goodindicationof how successful mybusinessis.Noone wouldwantto
workfor an unsuccessful business,sothe more vendorsthatshow interestinbeinga
part of mycompany,the more I will be able tosee that it looksgoodto otherpeople as
well andtheywantto be a part of the success. If I start to lose vendorsorI don’thave
any that are interestedinworkingwithme,Iwillhave toreconsiderthingssuchas:how
much theymake off of a weddingatmy company,the numberof hoursthey’re working,
or if there’sanotherproblemsothatI can figure outwhat iswrongand correct itto
keepvendorsinterestedin workingwithme. Iwouldtrackthisbyhow oftenI lose
vendors.If the average time avendorworkswithme is1 year,I wouldknow I would
have to make some changesso vendorswouldwanttostill workwithmycompany.
b. Budget:
Budget for the month of June
Income Projected Actual Variance
Ceremony 8,000
Ballroom 40,000
Photography 12,000
Flowers 14,400
DJ 11,200
Cake 4,000
Bar 20,000
17. 17
Total 109,600
Expenses Projected Actual Variance
FoodCosts 12,000
Hourlywages 3,480
Utilities 2,000
Propertytaxes 333
Independent
contractors
33,280
Liquorcosts 14,400
LiabilityInsurance 500
My salary 10,000
Total 75,993
c. I put the price of holdinga ceremony at$1,000 because Ihave seensome placeswhere
youcan have the ceremonyfor$200 andI’ve seenthemgoup to $2,000. I wantto be
able to coverthe cost of runningthe fountainbutstill nottooexpensive.Forthe
ballroomcategoryIwoulddowhat mostpeople doandwaive the roomfee if theyhit
the minimumfoodpurchase amountwhichwouldbe $5,000. There wouldalsobe tax
5% and gratuity 18% thatwould be addedontothe price,sothat wouldtake care of
those coststoo. I wouldhave the photographer charge $1,500 for 8 hoursof
photographyandthe couple wouldgetthe copyrightsotheycouldprintoff the pictures
theywant.I have foundphotographersrange from$1,000 up to around$3,300 andI
wantto keepitat a reasonable price,especiallywithbundling. Ihave seencakesrange
from$100 to almost$1,000 dependingonhow bigitis,the amount of detail andtime
that needstobe put intodecoratingit, andhow manypeople it’ssupposedtofeed.I
figuredif I average the weddingscakes,theywouldcome toan average of $500, which
wouldbe $1.67 per slice fora 300 personwedding.Anaverage price of apiece of
weddingcake is$1.50-$2.00, so figuringabout$1.67 perslice isnot unreasonable,and
some people will have more expensive cakesandsome will have cheapercakesthat
aren’tveryintricate. Iwouldofferdifferentbeverage packagesdependingonhowmuch
alcohol the couple plansonpurchasingandlettingthe guestsdrinkforfree andwhat
the guestswouldhave topay for themselves,soIwould guessthe average amounta
weddingbarwouldbringinwouldbe about$2,500 fora weddingof 300 people. Asfor
costs,I thinkthe average meal wouldcostabout$5.00 to make.It costsabout $1.32/lb
for chickenbreast (3) and $4.99/lb for sirloin (2),andeachplate wouldget¼ of a pound
of meatand a varietyof side possibilitiesincludingvegetables,salads,rice,potatoes,
and others.Asfor hourlyemployees,Iwouldhave the cooksmaking$9.00/hourand
serversmaking$3.00/hour plusgratuity. Iwould have eachserverbringoutfoodfor
three tables,andif eachtable ina 300 personweddingcanseat10 people,Iwouldneed
10 serverson.I wouldhave myheadchef incharge of the meals,andI wouldhave a
18. 18
cook workingonsalads,a cookdoingthe vegetable side,acookdoingthe potatoesor
rice,a cook bakingthe bread,and twoor three chefscookingthe mainentrees
dependingonif the couple decidedontwoorthree optionstoserve the guests.Sothat
wouldbe 7 cooks making$9.00/hour and theywould probably needtobe there cooking
foodat leastfourhours before the meal getsserved,pluscleaningupwouldprobably
make 5 hourshifts. SoI wouldhave tospendabout$315 for all of the cooksto work one
wedding. Serverswouldhave tobe there about anhour before tosetup place settings
and thenstayafter the meal tocleanup so probablyabout4 hours.I wouldhave to
spend $120 plustheywouldgetthe 18% charge forgratuitysplitupamongstthemand
the bartenders. Idecided toestimate the costof utilitiestobe about$2,000 dollars
because Iwouldhave to payto run the waterfall outside atthe ceremonysite,runa
kitchenandbakery,have enoughelectricfora DJ and theirlights andIfeel like those
thingswouldtake upa decentamountof money,especiallywithadecentlylarge
facility.Iknowof a 2,000 sq.ft. buildingwhoseutilitycostisabout$800, but withthe
kitchenandaboutdouble the space,IthinkI shouldestimate about$2,000. As for
propertytax,I lookedupa receptionhall onthe countywebsite and foundoutthat
anotherreceptionhall inthatareapays about$333 per month,sothat’s whatI’ll use for
mine (4).I lookedupthe average costof liabilityinsurance(13) of receptionvenuesin
the area, andI used$500, since itwas inthe ballparkof what I found. Iwouldtake 20%
fromthe pricesof the independentcontractorstogo towardsbuildingcostssince they
are able touse thisbuildingandtheywouldgetthe restof whateverprice theysetwith
the couple.ThiswouldmeanIwouldget$1,040 of the $5,200 broughtinand I would
have to pay outthe $4,160 to them. Ifigure itwouldcostme $100 per½ barrel of beer,
and if the couple wanted2 barrelsat their wedding,itwouldbe $400 (1).If bottlesof
wine were anaverage of $15, and it servedabout200 people,thatwouldcost$1,400
(14). Addingupthe liquorcostswouldequal about$1,800 that I wouldhave to spendto
buyit, butI wouldcharge themabout $2,500, whichis a little lessthan50% mark up.
There wouldbe 48 FridaysandSaturdaysduringmy seasonthatI wouldhave available
to have weddings.IpickedJune,soIcouldhave 8 weddingsduringthat monthforthis
budget.
d. If I take 109,600 - 75,993 I wouldendupwitha bottomline of $33,607 profitin one
month.Overthe seasonof 6 months,I would make aprofitof $201,642 if all of the
weddingsusedall of the services.Evenif theydidn’t,itwouldonlytake about$360 out
of the profitsince the independentcontractorsgetmostof the moneyanyways. Iwould
be able to save that up andstill be able to paymy propertytaxesthroughthe winter
months whenwe mightnotopenand I wouldhave plenty of moneytohire onmore
helpif I foundIneededit.
