Chatting With Doug

As we move through the series of questions on becoming an independent meeting planner in the hospitality industry, I want to answer the two I receive most often on why this has been the right career choice for me.

1. Why I decided to leave the safety and security of a corporate job
2. Why I am affiliated with a brand versus being on my own.

There are many reasons that individuals decide to break out on their own in the hospitality industry. For me, I had the good fortune of getting exposed to the advantages of entrepreneurial life as an intrepreneur (a person within a large corporation who takes direct responsibility for turning an idea into a profitable finished product through assertive risk-taking and innovation).

This showed me that it was possible and reinforced the dream within me to one day be on my own. As my friend and fellow entrepreneur, Andy Glick, says: “If you want to control your destiny and create wealth, you need to own something. You can make a decent living as a salaried employee – no complaints here – but if you have the nerve and you think big, starting a business offers the possibility of significant rewards.”

Based on this belief, I went searching for facts. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), there are approximately 36.2 million small businesses in the U.S., which accounts for 99% of all U.S. businesses. Additionally, the SBA estimates that small businesses account for 39% of the U.S. private sector payroll – and 82% of those businesses are owned and operated by a single person.

So independent business owners are an important part of the economy and can be proud of what they do every day. More importantly, it confirmed my belief that if all these other small businesses can do it…we all can do it! Once I made the decision that I wanted to be on my own, I evaluated all my options:

• Start my own meeting planning company
• Affiliate with an established brand
• Buy an existing business

I chose to affiliate with an established and respected global brand in the industry for the
following reasons:

1. Turnkey Start-up – established and proven systems, processes, and procedures
2. Brand Recognition– established relationships/numerous networking opportunities
3. State-of-the-art technology is available for conducting site searches, registration, and housing services.
4. Full-service resource for customers – conference management, registration, housing, site selection, contract negotiation, strategic meeting management
5. Corporate office staff for training, support, back up and dedicated collections support.
6. Marketing Collateral such as business cards, letterhead, brochures, email, and a website already created.
7. Assigned a Team Director – a personal mentor, coach, and advisor – to make sure success is achieved.
8. Hotel Contracts offering pre-negotiated terms with major hotel chains and independent hotels.
9. Dedicated Global Sales Organization (and often on-property) representation for the brand.

In addition, it met the criteria I had in place to evaluate my career options. I graded everything on the 5 P’s that I am highlighting below:

• People – you need to believe in the people that you will be working with and make certain those who will be leading and mentoring you are a good match with you and committed to helping you succeed.
• Processes and Systems – the systems and processes to enable effective sales and service for your clients must be in place.
• Product / Services –make certain they offer a product or service that you will be passionate about representing.
• Prospects – it is important for them to offer resources for what their ideal customers look like and where you can find more of them.
• Practices – make certain they have modeled the ‘best of class’ within their organization and industry and can help you become one.

I know a career change can be scary, but all things in life worth achieving come after making the difficult decision to act toward our dreams. There is no doubt that I work hard as an independent meeting planner, but every moment I spend on my business is my choice.

Are you ready for the change that will improve your future?
LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbaarman/
Email: doug.baarman@conferencedirect.com
Team Baarman: https://teambaarman.com/