Geeta Gosain has always been inspired by love stories so she used this passion to launch her own wedding planning company – Adore! Events|Weddings. Client satisfaction is the ultimate goal when Adore! takes on planning any event. Geeta’s love for travel and learning about different cultures makes her the perfect choice to plan any event, whether it be a sweet sixteen birthday party or a large scale wedding where two different cultures come together to celebrate their special day. She was one of the first wedding planners to provide virtual planning services for her clients in order to help plan events worldwide. Geeta’s attention to detail and ability to stay calm when she needs to, ensures that events will go off without a hitch and makes her the perfect fit as the CEO of Adore! Geeta is always on top of the new trends in the event planning industry and always has a blog post idea in the works.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
There were two things that inspired me to start my own business. First, the notion of being my own boss, being able to push my limits, my creativity, and work towards building an empire was extremely appealing. As much as it was scary and completely crazy – it was equally as exciting to think about! I have worked in a corporate office for the past 7 years, which has given me experience in some areas that I can incorporate into my business, but in terms of the hours, creativity and pushing myself outside the box, it was extremely limiting. The second reason was to be able to make a difference, even if it was a small one. My goal as an entrepreneur is to eventually be able to provide resources for young women from countries where opportunities are taken away from them. Many women are stripped of their rights, widowed and often don’t have a form of income to support themselves or even their kids (depending on their family dynamic). I wanted to be able to provide support and help them start a small businesses or help them find ways to be independent (if not for themselves, for their children).
Tell us about your business.
I am the founder of Adore! Event|Weddings, which is an event and wedding planning company that specializes in all cultural weddings and events. We provide support on a face to face platform, as well as a virtual one. When I first started to think about the overall objective of the company and how to provide efficient service to my clients, I put special emphasis on where we are in the world today, especially with our generation and advanced technology. Everything we do is “on the go”, we are consumed within our devices. With that logic in mind, I thought to include virtual service as an option was a great way connect with any bride/client from anywhere in the world.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Adore! is offering an exclusive 20% off our Month of Coordination Service Package (only available for 2017 bookings) to all LadyBossBlogger readers and brides-to-be.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
To start the year, we were featured in an Indian bridal magazine for their spring and summer issue. We have also been featured on a few other social media platforms. I am very proud of these accomplishments thus far and looking forward to many other opportunities that have yet to come.
Where is your business based?
Adore! Is based out of Ontario, Canada however, being available virtually allows me to go where brides need me, this functionality of my business has given me the opportunity to connect with couples/clients nationwide and internationally.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
Starting anything is always a challenge, and a brand new business with a hard service to sell in this lucrative market was definitely stressful. I started by creating a plan, where my business degree came into good use. I created a business plan, went through the objectives and conducted market research: how my business was going to stand out from the rest of the competition, price points, and trends in the wedding industry. I also had to decide who I was going to advertise to and how. Once I had that foundation, I started to build one thing at a time starting with the name, website, what technology I was going to use, what marketing tools I would use, etc.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
There are two methods that have been the most effective, one has been through referrals/networking and the second has been through the use of social media, in particular Instagram. Client feedback from an event is important not only for referrals and positive validation of your service, but also to understand how you should improve for next time. There is always room to improve! Social media is really what today’s world revolves around and it’s really important to be active to reach out to your audience on a larger platform. It’s been a real learning curve, especially learning how to properly use Instagram, Twitter, and may other platforms which are popular among our generation.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
As a female entrepreneur, the biggest challenge for me has been having people take me seriously, which has led me to feel the need to constantly prove that I do have a business sense. I have also had to educate the public (aka couples) on why my services are important and the benefits of it. There have been times where I have been looked at as an extra cost that can be avoided and not needed. I need to remind myself to keep believing in myself, and that can I run a respectable and valuable business practice. I continuously find ways to promote my service and provide value to my brides and grooms so they view me as more of an investment versus a cost!
How did you overcome these challenges?
There have been times where I have been close to pulling the plug, but after planning/executing a few events and realizing the amount of support a bride and groom need on their wedding day, have showed me that I added value to their special day and has kept me going! Once I felt my services were validated, I quickly found ways to promote my services and started to look at different avenues such as blogs, vlogs, daily posts, Adore! Quick Wedding Tips, and a few other ideas. Couples/people need quality information, and that’s what the different avenues of my brand provides. It’s really about educating your clients and through the quality of your work, clients will always support your brand.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
Every day I wake up and remind myself that I have the opportunity to do something great and that every morning is a blessing. It’s really easy to give up, especially when things fail to go your way, so I like to remind and ask myself “what can I do today to improve my brand and grow personally?” I’m an avid believer of using vision boards. My current vision board is on the desk in my office and constantly reminds me of what I would like to achieve. Every day I tell myself, “Keep smashing it! Everything will be okay. I am my own boss and if I don’t do it then no one will!”
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
The wedding industry is extremely competitive, but what makes Adore! stand out is the quality of my brand and being virtually available to my client’s. Additionally, I not only provide amazing service on the couple’s big day, but also provide value through my tips and written blogs/vlogs. Being available virtually gives couples that convenience to be able to ping me for support really from anywhere they are.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
The best advice that I have received was actually at a young age that has stuck with me until this day which was to “keep it simple and always stay true to who you are” – not just in the event/wedding planning world, but also in everything in life. Today’s world is so consumed with the noise from social media that we often forget who we are! Also to not to let failure and disappointment discourage me to lose focus of my objectives.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
My advice for new entrepreneurs is to create a plan of action before you dive in. Remember in high school where they made us complete those at the start of the year for every grade and we thought it was a complete waste of time? Honestly, I will be the first one to admit that they are actually useful and do help you organize your thoughts and goals. Also, identify what you are an expert in and areas where you need help, because then you can find what resources you need in order to build your brand successfully. You don’t need to know everything, but knowing those who do is key to your future as a bossbabe! Finally, there’s no right solution for every entrepreneur, you just have to dive in without hesitation. If you truly want it, you will do anything to achieve it!
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
My favorite business tools are my blog and Instagram. I started blogging about a year ago and have been able to connect with brides at a level where my content is able to not only help them on an individual level, but also provide a good read filled with valuable information. Instagram is another tool that has helped me and my business. When I first started to use this tool, I had to ask someone who knew this app well on the do’s and don’ts. Once I started to be an active user, I started understanding what worked and what didn’t – specifically for my brand. From that point forward, I was able to build a following that I never thought was possible.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
I love reading articles and often find myself reading articles from Facebook, Twitter and other social mediums – most of them are about young successful entrepreneurs and how they got to where they are today. I just finished reading two books (I always get caught with two different reads, lol). I read “Modern Romance” by Aziz Ansari and the other was “How to be a Bawse” by Lily Singh. In the book, Lily outlines the struggles she went through, how she went from a nobody to becoming this successful ‘Bawse’. She also talks about how to continue even when you face rejection and failure. I was able to relate to a lot of what she talked about and have been finding her experiences as learning lessons and inspiration to keep going no matter what comes my way. Nothing will ever be perfect, but I have the skills, the drive and determination to do everything that I want. Aziz Ansari’s book was also something I was able to relate to. He talks about modern day dating and his perspective on how our generation approaches dating. A lot of the couples that I have meet through my business have a similar story of meeting online. He touches upon what used to work pre-social media and mixed it with what our generation is using with the online world. I would highly recommend both books!
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I learn something new every day, if you are not learning something new every day, then that’s a problem! I am constantly trying to find better ways to utilize SEO. I ask questions and speak to those who are experts in certain areas such as bloggers, SEO users, social media gurus, etc. I associate with other entrepreneurs who have been in the industry and know the business well. I try to associate with people who I know can add value to my life and who give me an opportunity to learn from them.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
There are a few things on the horizon. In November of 2015, I started writing a workbook titled “Adore! Planning Guide & Workbook”, which is expected to be available a bit later this year. I have a few other projects scheduled such as quarterly newsletters, vlogs, a YouTube channel (currently working on a storyboard for this) and a webinar to support new women entrepreneurs.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @adoreeventsweddings
Twitter @adoreplanning
Facebook www.facebook.com/adoreeventsweddings
Website www.adoreevents.website
Email info@adoreevents.website
Hashtage #adorebeyondborders #pinklove #adore
samantha says
I love hearing others success stories. It really is so admiring & gives me more drive. These tips are incredible too! Thank you!
Geeta says
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so much for your comment above. There’s still lots of work to do, but extremely proud in where I am today. There is a lot of work to be done and a lot to achieve. Please feel free to reach out to me and would be more than happy to support your venture even if it’s virtual!
Punkafoo Crafts says
Such inspirational for other people thinking about setting up businesses. Well done for your success so far.
Geeta says
Hi Punkafoo,
Thank you so much, we must stick together, learn from each other – there’s a lot intelligent people and if you don’t leverage or help yourself from their experiences and expertise than I’m not sure what will!
jiselle jones says
I always like hearing and reading what others have done to get to where they are its usually a reminder of things you know and always a new way of looking at something. Thanks for sharing!
Geeta says
Hi Jiselle,
I appreciate you reading through my story and taking the time to connect with me. I find inspiration from people around me and also realize that we have so much potential to do great things, we are our own worst critics! With determination anything is possible!