HOW TO MAKE IT IN THE WEDDING INDUSTRY.

Posted on May 5, 2020 by thelittlelendingco

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Ok so I have no idea if I have really ‘made it’ but 7 years on I am still here, still loving what I do and making money (so its not just a hobby) so that for me means I am happy, content and still passionate about the future…despite the world right now because people will always celebrate love with their friends and family in one way or another and I cannot wait to get right back to working for my couples and creating their days.

(Also have I just totally just got away with the fact that I haven’t written a blog post for a 2.5 years! Life, eh!?)

I remembered I had actually written a post about starting a hire company and it was actually 5 years ago. I feel it’s still a good little read all these years later with some of my initial thoughts on ‘Could I run a wedding hire company from home?’

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But I want to share much more here today for those of you who have been reaching out to me about working in the industry and specifically setting up and running a wedding hire/styling company. I stand by everything in my previous post, please don’t quit your day job, it takes several years to build your brand and establish yourself, well at least it did for me and I have seen a lot of local prop hire companies come and go over the years, it is not easy. The hours are of course seasonal, very long and incredibly intense but if you cannot wait to get stuck into something new and also very rewarding with the most brilliant community of people this is a career move for you.

CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

First and foremost you won’t get far in this industry without working really hard to build a network of suppliers that are likeminded and have a similar vision as you. These people will become your friends, cheerleaders and help bring in so many recommendations and grow your business in the best ways through working together.

Work on getting to know local venue owners too and reaching out to them to share what you’ll be offering and how you can help their couples. Personally I will always work locally because its where I have grown my base and brand and don’t feel the need to travel to lots of far away venues.

FINDING YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER

I have an ideal bride in mind when I write and post images or share advice for. She is my ideal customer and over the years I have worked out who she is, what she loves doing, where she loves to shop, dance and drink and what she wears. This so helps in keeping me focused and everything I do is then for her purpose. (I should have an ideal groom too but I don’t generally work with as many men directly with my communication)

I honestly believe if you work out your ideal customer you’ll become so much more successful as you’ll know which wedding blogs and magazines she’s reading, the venues she’s viewing and the type of product she’d love to hire.

YOU ARE YOUR BRAND

So many people ask about how to grow a range of products you know will hire out well. The biggest advice for this is remember you are your brand, if you really love a piece and could imagine it at your wedding/in your home its a good bet your ideal customer will too (if she’s anything like you, which parts of my ideal bride is a younger, cooler version of me!)

SAYING NO IS OK

Everyone says say yes to everything at the start of business, but honestly there is alot to be said for saying no. Anything that isn’t a good fit for you or your brand isn’t worth your time. Research suppliers involved with shoots before agreeing to them and don’t be afraid to not share images that aren’t fitting with where you want your business to be. Getting the right set of images out there at the start with a clear message of what you do will keep you leaps ahead and pushing in the right direction. At the start I fought alot with taking orders that we’re ‘bread and butter’ money orders to realising I needed to think bigger to get the right couples coming through.

BE PRESENT

Being present on social is so, so important at the start. Start networking and just keep showing up. It will feel like people aren’t seeing you but being consistent really is key.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Initially I didn’t have the right pricing at all and my time just wasn’t covered properly for deliveries, admin and the fact you don’t get paid out of season. This has all come with time for me but always reflect and adjust, sadly learning from mistakes and realising how many hours were spent on an event can help to grow and move forward.

STAFFING

In the beginning there was just no way I could afford staff but eventually you realise how vital they are. Rather than investing into more range pieces (my range is actually not vast at all, you’ll notice how many of the same pieces are featured in my weddings) I really advise getting admin assistance and more behind the scenes help with prop prep. This year was going to be a big year for me to step back from day-to-day in some ways and have more staff here to help so I am left to push and develop the business more. I am beyond grateful for all my freelance staff and the role they play each week.

OTHER SERVICES

I added sign writing and styling services after just a few years. I knew I had to branch out into more than just prop hire as I only offer small props. Offering big furniture pieces have much bigger return but having a large storage space with rent every month, large vans and paying two men to go to each delivery wasn’t something I wanted to have the responsibility of. I like working at home, all my stock is here and I have no external costs, this works best for me and has hugely helped in me having a full salary from Little Lending and means I can fit in work around my growing family.

DON’T LET DOUBT IN

Over the years doubt will of course set in; if you will make it, make a profit, finally work for a proper wage, be recognised in the industry, but only if you really want to succeed then you will. There will always be people out there who seem to have it all together (trust me behind the scenes they won’t) but all you need to do is keep visualising your end goal.

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Would love to know your thoughts on starting out in the industry, if you have experienced lots of stumbling blocks or if you are just loving the ride of growing something new?

Images Darina Stoda (Old office, new office is not ready for images yet!)

Penny x

DECOR DETAILS AT THE GEORGIAN TOWNHOUSE.

Posted on January 27, 2016 by thelittlelendingco

One of the best things about running this little company is when I’m sent the professional photos of how our little props we’re used. Every lender always creates something a little different with our pieces so it’s always such a joy to see our props in their fullest glory. So when one of our lovely Summer brides sent these through I just beamed.

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I absolutely love the simple wild florals on our log slices by Bramble and Berry and little succulents by The Little Leaves. The dark and moody wall colour in The Georgian Townhouse just makes everything pop.

Simple rustic cake with pressed flowers by Buns of Fun is a firm favourite too, something so wonderful about a cake wrapped in greenery. The couple also used our blackboard clipboard for their table plan and numbered water bottles as table numbers. Perfection right?

Thanks so much to our lovely lenders K & A for sharing these with us. If any of our 2015 lenders have any awesome professional images you’d be happy to share we’d love to see them too.

Photography by James Powell. You can see more of this gorgeous wedding on James’ blog here.

The Little Lending Co. X

COULD I RUN A WEDDING HIRE COMPANY FROM HOME?

Posted on September 16, 2015 by thelittlelendingco

I’ve been deliberating over wether to write this post or not. It’s definatley my most honest post yet and will mean me talking about some of the less positive sides to running LL.

So many of my Lenders tell me you’d love to do what I do, so I thought I’d let you in on what’s involved back here at LL HQ** and yes there is blood, sweat and occasionally a few tears. And I’m going to be totally honest when I say it’s really not the money that is motivating me to create my Little Lending Vision and to keep doing, most of the time, what I’ve been doing, unpaid. I’ve even been called up by total strangers the other side of the country asking me if the business is lucrative and should they quit their day job! The answer is no. I still work 2 freelance jobs too, so this is why sometimes there is a little wait on your replies because it’s a big juggling act this side of the computer screen. You’ll need to be prepared to hold down your job for a while yet while you build your enterprise. (this is of course if you’ve not got loads of disposable cash sitting under the bed!)

**Of which these office snaps are of, please note my office rarely looks like this!

If you’re completely and utterly determined to succeed you will. No guts, no glory. But I don’t want this post to frighten you off, I want to encourage my lenders to set up if it’s all you can think and dream about doing and if you’ll pour love and passion into it as much as you did the big day then you totally need to set up. I never thought getting married would mean becoming a girl boss, yes I have huge bags under my eyes but my gosh, am I having a brilliant time…

A FEW THINGS I WISH I’D HAVE KNOWN WHEN SETTING UP.

Some of these points may sounds totally obvious, but here are a few things that would have helped me to know before setting up a hire company.

– A large, dry, free (or super cheap) storage space. Not in your actual home, it will begin to drive you crazy, trust me! Even though mine spills out from under the sofas, I still have a garage and little show shed to keep most of the hire outside. I’m lucky enough to have a large kitchen to wash and re-pack items after the weekend.

– Do you have a large car, or access to a van? I set out driving hire round in a mini, what was I thinking!? My van is now my car which can be a pain when I need need more than 2 seats! You need to be a fairly confident driver too, I’ve still not mastered having no back window when reversing!

– 90% of your time is uncreative. It’s not all shoots, styling and looking round pretty venues you know… The majority of my time is spent behind the wheel, packing orders, writing emails and invoices late into the night or blogging and updating the site on days off.

– There are a few initial costs to get up and running and do register asap that you’re trading; public liability insurance, electrical PAT testing costs, get yourself an accountant too they’re totally worth every penny, domain name and branding materials…The best thing I did at the start was to get myself booked onto a local wedding fair, it gave me the deadline I needed to be ready to share LL with the world. (Keep an eye on our FB page for dates we’ll be at local wedding fairs this Autumn)

– Don’t hire out anything too precious or personal, from your own wedding day, that you’d be gutted about loosing! Sadly, your stock will be lost or returned damaged, its just part and parcel.

– When you first set up please don’t worry about ‘competition.’ There may be other hire companies doing something similar in your area but strive to create a brand that is all about you and your creativity. Creativity can never be imitated. Introduce yourself, you’ll most likely end up working together and sending couples to one another.

– It will become everything you think about. It takes over your life, weekends and summers fly by because you’ll be delivering and collecting and tapping out lots of quotes. If you’re prepared for it to be your everything then go for it all guns blazing. My family are the backbone of this company, they’re behind me washing and ironing, helping with picks ups, hunting in charity shops to replace missing items (this becomes a weekly occurrence!) I couldn’t do it without them, it will literally change yours and their lives. Talk it through.

Photos by DSPhotography

Have you been thinking about setting up a wedding hire company? We’d love to hear your plans and see your wares!
Penny @ The Little Lending Co. X

A WONDERFUL LITTLE YEAR.

Posted on December 22, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

A GREAT BIG THANKYOU

Woah, here we are at the end of the year again. For me it was a total whirlwind of a year. I don’t know about you but as the year draws to a close it’s always a time I think about just how far I’ve come in those 12 little months.

Just yesterday I counted up all the lovely little lenders we’d had during 2014 and there were 92! An incredible bunch of people we got to meet and work with in our first full year of trading. I just loved helping each and everyone of you create your wedding day vision. Our dream of running this company isn’t possible without you, so thankyou for your support of our little company – The kind words, the comments, the likes and shares on social media, they all make you the best bunch of followers a girl could ask for. Your wedding excitement just makes us smile each day, and I know I have definitely found my calling.

Images via http://elizabethloisphotography.co.uk

LOCAL LOVE

To the local, creative ladies in this industry that have supported and believed in us this year, (you know who you are) you’re all wonderful. I love that we all share the same vision for this wedding world we’re in. Let’s make 2015 even more creative, together we can achieve so much and I can’t wait to work with you all again on more stylish ideas.

Images by Tatum Reid Photography.

WE GOT LUCKY

This year I got lucky – Like really, super lucky when I won an unbelievable prize to attend a wedding academy with We are Flourish and Prosper. It was beyond inspirational. I learnt a lot to help my little company grow into something much bigger (not without a lot of hard work of course) but I feel more energised to keep striving to make my dreams a reality. Since the academy I’ve already made some small but significant changes, and got a whopping great big confidence kick that I needed from some amazing women in this industry.

Image source We are Flourish and Propsper.

I was also asked to join the B.Loved contributors network. I’ll be working on some rather exciting collaborations and submissions for the most luxe and lovely blog on the internet. Beyond excited to be a part of their community and such a huge honour to sit along side some of the most creative and exciting companies in the wedding sphere.

FABULOUS FEATURES

Some highlights of the year have to be seeing our styled shoots featured online and in print. Back in April I worked with Tatum Reid Photography on my first collaborative shoot ‘A Modern Fairytale’ that was featured on B.Loved blog. Full of pretty, whimsical details I brought antlers, books, candles and log slices to the table quite literally.

It was in May I had a fantastic ‘Loved by Coco’ feature on Coco Wedding Venues with the first of my own styled shoots. A ‘Beautiful Boudoir’ shoot, that had all the charm of an English rose Garden with a modern twist.

Images by LP Photography.

Festival Brides featured something a little different in July, an Earthy dessert table, modern and fresh succulents and cactus we’re the focus for this concept. And our first full styled shoot hit the internet on Whimsical Wonderland Weddings in August. Country Manor esq and full of intimacy and opulence, I was as proud as punch to have this featured.

Images by DS Photography

Coco Wedding Venues asked us for some top styling tips for styling a Rustic venue and the shoot was featured in September. It was a great opportunity to get out some of our most treasured pieces and show how to use them to make the most of your relaxed spaces.

Images by Summer Love Photography.

And finally, ending the year on a huge high in November we we’re in print with our Rustic Glamour dessert table in a top national magazine, ‘Wedding Magazine.’ That’s the stuff of dreams for a small wedding prop hire company like ours.

We’ve been featured in some fab local press to, Your East Anglian Wedding featured our Rustic Dessert table shoot too and Norfolk Brides shared our Woodland Picnic styled shoot form last year and our ‘To the Manor Born’ shoot just last week.

Pop to our pretty press page to see all the features.

2015 AND BEYOND

We’re going to be developing more skills for our little business in the new year. We’ve enrolled on a digital photography course with Tatum Reid Photography, a modern calligraphy course with Lamplighter London and we’ve booked our spot on the Flourish & Prosper styling workshop too. This is all to work towards bringing more innovation and creativity to the table and to you, our little lenders through our blog posts and styling collaborations. I can’t wait to see the new year in, there will be more big plans for Little Lending range too of course, I think you’re going to like what we’ve got up our sleeves!

We’d like to wish you all a very merry christmas and a wonderful new year ahead!

See you on the other side,
Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

DIY ANTLER TABLE PLAN.

Posted on December 3, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

At The Little Lending Co. I’m a real believer that Antlers are for life and not just for Christmas so I wanted to create a table plan with our little stash that would stand the test of time long after all the christmas left overs have been munched.

This is the easier table plan I think you’ll find on the internet, if you can tie a knot you’ll have this nailed. And only took me about 30 mins to put together too.

YOU WILL NEED :

Antlers
Wire grid Frame
Arrow Chalkboard
Brown Luggage tags
Coloured Number tags and ties (Ours are from Ikea, but you could stamp your own for this look)
Black or Dark thin twine
A selection of foliage and flowers – We have used Eucalyptus, Ferns and Chrysanthemums for a simple mix and fresh palette.
Scissors

#1 Tie on the arrow chalkboard at the top. Write your message on with a white chalk pen, available from Rymans or other stationers.

#2 Hand write your guests names on the larger brown luggage tag. If the tag at the back is larger it will encourage your guests to swing the number tags out of the way to find their seats. Use one tag tie to loop both the luggage and number tags together.

#3 Using dark twine/string attach the antlers on to the wire grid, the more randomly spaced the better.

#4 Tie on the name tags onto the antlers in a semi-logical order, either across or down the grid.

#5 Cut the flowers and foliage down leaving a stem of approx 8cm so you can then weave them through the wire grid easily. You could also wire them on with craft/florists wire for extra security. Think about the choice of flowers as after a full day without water some may start to brown or wilt. That’s why foliage is just so fab.

Told you it was simple right!

Would you love to add Antlers into your day? What are you planning for your table plan?

Penny @ The Little Lending Co. x

DIY DREAM CATCHER.

Posted on October 15, 2014 by thelittlelendingco

I’m sure you’ve never sat and thought about turning an old bike wheel into a beautifully simple ceremony dream catcher back drop right? Well this may make you think on…

A DIY dreamy post for the boho bridal babes who are looking for something a little different for their back drops as they make those all important vows.

BEFORE:

£7.00 to hire.

YOU WILL NEED:
Our Bike wheel
White thin cotton tape/binding – Approx 2 meters
A mix of white cotton lace tapes and pompoms
Scissors
White feathers
Gold Spray paint
Cotton or glue gun

1) Start by knotting off the end of the tape into the centre. Weave and wind in a circular pattern around the bike spokes. The more tape the more intricate this can be. (Beware of extra long strings as it does take a while to feed through each spoke. Tie off at the end onto a string. You could easily add more vertical strings that also knot onto the strings going around in a circle if you wanted.

2) Line up some features onto some newspaper. Take a piece of card and cover the ends. Spray gold spray paint onto the tips and allow to dry. Peel the feathers off the paper.

3) Add some tails of mixed laces and pom poms loosely tied on. Tuck the feathers under the string joins and secure with either hot glue or a little white cotton. You could plait strings or add feathers onto the tails to finish too. Could it be more simple?

You could use this with yours and your fiancees names tied on to make more personal, turn into a boho table plan with names on cardboard cut feathers or as a photo back drop for guests strung in the trees.

You can hire the bike wheel for just £7.00 and can drop us a line here.

Fancy DIYing this? Do show us your results,
The Little Lending Co. x