Shaadi Mubarak! With the onset of the wedding season, it’s time for all wedding businesses to pull up their lehengas and get down to well, business.
Indian weddings are a chaotic, colourful affair. Wedding apparel, footwear, jewellery, photography, catering, logistics, and event management are only some of the businesses that will find themselves scrambling with bookings. I mean, it’s no surprise that in India alone, the wedding industry is worth Rs3. 78 lakh crore!
Indian weddings are not easy to organize, so how do you make sure your business survives this celebration explosion? How do you get the orders and deliveries done on time?
We know you want to keep your wedding business in top shape, so what do you need to watch out for?
Here are some business hacks for the wedding season:
After all, we all need to get paid.
Be aware of last-minute bookings
Heard of last-minute panic shopping? It happens with weddings too! Businesses often face last-minute bookings for clothes, jewellery, and even the wedding venue! Weddings are a perfect platform for drama, so be prepared.
Anticipate a last-minute call and keep some space in your itinerary, your stocks and of course, your personnel. Train your staff to handle requests that may seem challenging given the supply situation.
Whichever industry you may be in, prepare for such orders by making adequate arrangements with your vendors and having your staff ready to face the heat.
Insist on advance payments
Without timely payments, your business suffers. But given the situation, it’s perfectly plausible that some of your customers will ask for a credit or simply delay payments. You can solve this issue by insisting on an advance (at least some percentage of the total bill).
If you have an online business, use a trusted payment gateway that quickly generates a payment link for you and then share it with customers to receive payments.
Don’t choose platforms that levy a huge transaction and maintenance fee. Even if you aren’t digital yet, handle the wedding season and grow your business faster with online payment support.
Forget the age-old cheque system, simply insist on a safe and secure, quick online payment.
To avoid late payments coming in for an order, you need a trusted payment gateway. You can use Instamojo payment link to ensure safe, secure and quick payments. With the new Instamojo Smart Links feature, Instamojo makes online payment a little easier for you.
Bring out the cash
With hundreds of orders pouring in, you need to have enough cash in hand to pay suppliers and other vendors. In the mad flurry of things, it isn’t uncommon for businesses to face a cash crunch, especially when payments don’t come in on time. Keep an accountant and watch your finances.
Start with a realistic forecast based on past trends to allow your business to take on wedding orders.
Related read: How to prepare your online business for the festive season
Be ahead of your time
Literally. When hundreds of weddings fall on a day, transportation difficulties often arise. Bad weather and traffic could well prove to be a logistics nightmare – if your shipment doesn’t arrive on time, it could potentially disrupt the wedding.
Rest assured, keep ahead of schedule. If the last-minute order comes in, check the possible challenges and communicate that to the customer. Check the forecast, and the traffic reports and know your city routes well.
Ensure you have a way of tracking your delivery agents and keep a customer care team handy for any issue.
Related read: 8 Shipping Factors to Consider When Choosing a Courier Partner
Gear up for changes
This is the most important day of someone’s life, so they want everything perfect. Expect your customers to come to you with requests on re-doing the decoration, changing the photoshoot venue or asking for a new set of garments.
Be prepared for final touch-ups and changes that a customer may want for an order. Make sure you communicate re-work clauses and extra charges before you accept an order. Ensure you include final changes in the bill at the time of payment.
Everything must be accounted for.
No Cancellations!
A last-minute cancellation is a problem, but only if you are not prepared. Write up a contract that asks customers to pay a non-refundable advance payment for the product or service they demand from you.
In the event of a cancellation, you are monetarily taken care of and your business need not take the burden.
Bargain back
Be prepared for bargains and discount requests. Indians are professionals at bargaining, so set the bar high and keep your sales game on point. Allow the customers to put their offers and requests, but draw the line when you feel they could put your business in jeopardy. You are here to sell, not offer freebies.
While the wedding season definitely spells good news for your business, it can also be an exercise in stress and panic if you don’t prepare well. Make the right provisions and arrange for backups and alternatives should calamity strike.
Unpredictable as situations may be, it’s important your business quickly responds and handles problems with grace. So arm yourself with the right systems and processes and face the wedding season with finesse!
If you are interested in entering the wedding industry, you can easily set up a free online store on Instamojo in quick, easy steps. With Instamojo mojoXpress eCommerce shipping, you can get your products shipped, anytime, anywhere.
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how to get this intamojo account
All you need to do is log on to http://www.instamojo.com and sign up.