http://www.partyideasforyou.com/free-party-planning-tools/
Organization is the most important aspect of party planning. One of the best tools I like to recommend to people I work with is party planning software. With it, you can schedule meetings with caterers, track budget information, and prioritize. But what if you don’t have the money to invest in this must-have tool?
Clients of mine have pushed back when I suggest purchasing party planning software. The number one reason I get from these people is because they don’t want to spend money for something they may only use a couple of times.
They really should use it any time they entertain, but realistically, people are lazy. They don’t want to go through the whole process of organizing and making everything perfect for every party. They generally only talk to someone like me, and go the whole nine yards when they’re celebrating milestones like anniversaries (25 years, 50 years, etc.), retirement, weddings, and certain birthdays (70 years and up).
I’m the type of person who can’t wing a party; I can’t not throw all of my planning finesse at it. That’s why I think it’s extremely important to have some sort of party planning software to help you out. If you don’t want to purchase something extra, adapting the tools you already have is the best alternative.
The best option is Excel. A lot of computers these days come with Excel loaded on them. With this software, you can create charts, graphs, and calendars. The multitudes of mathematical functions available on Excel make it an especially good budget tracker.
If Excel isn’t already loaded on your computer, you can make due with Word. It doesn’t have anything close to the functionality of Excel, but you have some of the same abilities as Excel; you can format data into Word tables and use some of the basic addition and subtraction functions. I’d like to caution you, however, that the learning curve is pretty steep for getting the Word tables to look and act similar to Excel tables.
For a calendar, you can use the application that comes with most cell phones. With it you can schedule and track your appointments associated with your party planning. You can also schedule reminders about payments and dates when you need to complete various phases of your planning.
Is all of this talk about Excel and Word over your head, and do computers tend to freak you out? If so, you really should devote some time and catch up with technology. There’s only going to be more coming in years to come, so you may as well start learning now. Okay, enough lecturing…
Your easiest solution for organization is purchasing party planning software. All of your options are integrated and work in conjunction with one another to help with all phases of your planning, including scheduling meetings with caterers, tracking budget information, and prioritizing tasks. But, if you can’t afford it, you have the option of using tools you already have like Excel, Word, and your cell phone.
Hanna Johanson is a party planning enthusiast and author. She lives in Chicago and spends her time teaching others how to plan the perfect party. To learn more about party planning software, and to sign up for her free Party Planning Secrets mini-course, visit http://www.partyplanningsuccesstips.com.
Radical cost cutting party planning idea.
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