TIPSY TUESDAY | The Importance of Contracts for Sponsorship Work - Bud + Bloom
So you’ve started your own business and you’re excited. You’re out there hustling to establish yourself and before you know it, people are excited about your business too!
Photo | Nicole Constante
So you’ve started your own business and you’re excited. You’re out there hustling to establish yourself and before you know it, people are excited about your business too! This is all fantastic until you notice a trend – people are excited enough to try your product or service but have a good understanding of the way the saturated entrepreneurial world works so they’re asking you to provide your expertise for exposure rather than income. At this point you need to do three things.
1) Research the heck out of this client. What kind of exposure are they offering? Will this exposure reach your target market? Is that reach going to create new leads or direct people to your sales funnel?
2) Figure out what it will take to balance the value of your product/service with the value of their exposure.
3) Put it all into a contract.
Like most entrepreneurs, this is a lesson I had to learn the hard way. When I first started up my boutique floral design studio, Bud + Bloom, I was thrilled when I was asked to do a number of centrepieces for a private outdoor event. The client stated their needs and wanted to keep everything local so I foraged for four hours the day before the event, processed all the materials for two, drove out an hour and a half to where the event was being held, and spent another two hours assembling the centrepieces on site. They were big, beautiful, and an excellent addition to my portfolio. They were also taken down about twenty minutes into the event because the weather turned and they had to disassemble everything to put up tents. I was devastated. It was the first time I had put in a day’s work and had nothing to show for it. Including no contract. Why? Because the clients were my friends.
Photo | Corinne Kutz
Read this and re-read this, then re-read it again:
FRIENDS AND FAMILY SHOULD NOT BE EXEMPT FROM CONTRACTS
While it may feel a bit awkward to get into the practice at first, it will get easier with time and you will gain a better understanding of your worth and your targets as a result. Plus, it doesn’t compare to the awkwardness you may feel when it comes to negotiating that contract.
If you do the above steps and hit a wall at step two because you realize the value just does not balance out, you have two options.
Adjust what you’re offering to better match the exposure value.
Ask for more. Whether that’s more social media mentions, tickets to the event so you can network (I always include this), better recognition/signage, accommodation coverage etc.
The awkwardness you may feel is likely stemming from fear and self-doubt because you don’t want to offend anyone, be rejected, or potentially lose a client down the line. However, knowing your worth and being able to assert it does not do that. To the contrary, it makes people take you more seriously because you’re showing that you take yourself and your business seriously.
Photo | Jessica Storm Photography
If you do end up losing them and your requests were reasonable, don’t stress! Instead, ask yourself what the likelihood of them paying for your product/service later on would be? Unfortunately, some people really do want something for nothing. The good news is, those are not your people.
Which brings me to my final point:
only provide sponsorship services once per client
I think this speaks for itself. Within the first year of business, exposure is incredibly valuable. However, if you continue to do things for exchanges other than adequate pay, you are unintentionally defining your value as such.
As far as what that contract actually looks like, or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at budandbloom.yeg@gmail.com. I truly hope this helps all the business babes out there better realize their worth and better claim their boss title.
Nora Salem
MAD LOVE MONDAY | Megan Renner - Styled By Tangled
Hello! I am Megan Alexandra, a girlfriend, dog mom, sister, dreamer, hairstylist and the creator of Styled by Tangled, and I am so passionate about love, family, charity, design and of course the beauty industry. I am so excited to be able to establish a project and wrap it all into one and to be able to share it with you, beautiful.
Photo | Kristen Huggett @kmhforte
Photo | Kristen Huggett @kmhforte
Hello! I am Megan Alexandra, a girlfriend, dog mom, sister, dreamer, hairstylist and the creator of Styled by Tangled, and I am so passionate about love, family, charity, design and of course the beauty industry. I am so excited to be able to establish a project and wrap it all into one and to be able to share it with you, beautiful.
I've decide to create and build Styled By Tangled around, Be your own kind of Beautiful. To me, this is such a strong, powerful statement, in fact it is how my business came to be. There were a few times along the way building Styled by Tangled that I thought to just give it all up, that the market already has multiple, local handmade scrunchies, however I had to do some soul searching and it resonated with me, Be your own kind of Beautiful. Sure, there may be many amazing local babes who have their own scrunchie line, however we have each individually made our own, unique lines that is special to us in our own way. Beauty comes from near and far, big and small, in different shapes and sizes, but at the end of the day if you can appreciate yourself and be proud of the person you are and continue to become... that is beauty.
From a very young age I took interest in the Beauty Industry. I was forever painting my nails or bugging family members to let me style their hair but becoming a hairstylist was much more to me then just cutting or styling hair. I wanted to be able to build meaningful relationships and truly make a positive impact on those who sat in my chair. I've been so blessed in this industry where I have had the opportunity to do just that, in particular pampering those from our local Bissell Center. Now, it was time for me to take it one step further.
My hope for Styled By Tangled, is that through this brand it becomes more than scrunchies and accessories, my hope is that together we can create a safe space for women to uplift and empower one another. To create a community where we encourage each other, guide each other, cry and rejoice with each other.
So here is to you beautiful, thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this amazing journey with me. I hope my scrunchies allow you to create styles that you feel confidant in and celebrate the woman that you are.
Megan Renner
Photo | Kristen Huggett @kmhforte
Photo | Kristen Huggett @kmhforte
Photo | Kristen Huggett @kmhforte
MAD LOVE MONDAY | Jamie Guzovich - Zulula.ca
After being a stay at home mom for the past six years, I had this burning desire inside me to finally make my lifelong dream a reality, to be my own boss without compromising on the responsibilities of motherhood.
After being a stay at home mom for the past six years, I had this burning desire inside me to finally make my lifelong dream a reality, to be my own boss without compromising on the responsibilities of motherhood. I knew I had to create a business that would allow me flexibility to work outside the normal hours of an 8-5 job and I wanted to bring something brand new to the northern American market. It all started when I went shopping for a pair of sneakers and a handbag soon after arriving on Canadian soil in 2019. I just couldn’t find what I was looking for, I missed some of my favourite South African brands and there was just nothing similar around. We decided to create an online platform that would offer something extraordinary with a product range that displays a piece of my heart and South African heritage, and so Zulula.ca was born.
Photo Credit | Karen Mackridge
The first hurdle was coming up with a name that did not already appear on a search engine. The name Zulula comes from ‘Zulu’ which is the largest ethnic group of Southern Africa and the ‘la’ is taken from ooh-la-la, which is said when you think that something or someone is surprising, unusual or very attractive.
We started to carefully select suppliers that focused on immaculate workmanship to ensure that we could offer exceptional products. All our products are handmade in South Africa from genuine leather and bring a new sense of luxury to northern America. We also chose to include an exclusive fabric range, which we are growing with exciting new fabrics over the coming months.
We wanted a range of products suitable to women, men, children and even babies with our gorgeous diaper bags. We are currently also working on our travel collection and adding a business executive range for all the hardworking men and women.
I live by a motto written by Jay Danzie that says ‘Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark.’ My aim is to ensure that this is displayed to each and every person that has an interaction with Zulula.ca. We designed the logo for the business with a pineapple, which is seen as the queen of all fruits because it has a crown. For centuries, the pineapple held the symbolic meaning of luxuriousness, friendship (and family) and good vibes amongst others.
These expressions build the foundation on which Zulula.ca was born. My journey thus far has been one of extreme excitement, from shopping for new products, becoming part of a new community to a Hollywood actress following us on instagram; sometimes I have to pinch myself that it is all real. I do, however, have to continually remind myself about patience and that building a business takes time. I am finding I spend more time in the gym than ever before, as it forces me to take time out, really helps my stress levels and head space.
I am so grateful to have found the YEG BOSS BABE community and look forward to interacting with like minded women in the industry. I have a whole new market to learn about, along with a new way of working. I believe the YEG BOSS BABES deliver such a high standard of principles, I cannot wait to get involved.
Jamie Guzovich
Video content is essential to growing your online presence, but creating videos that truly connect with your audience requires more than just hitting record.