>> event planning articles > Budgeting, a bit like accountants, dull but important

Budgeting, a bit like accountants, dull but important

It’s the end of the marquee season, your cash flow should be at a reasonable level and in a few weeks there’s The Showmans Show where all of us cunning marquee suppliers will dangle fantastic new products for you to buy ready for next season. Much as I’ll happily sell you any marquee you really need to do some planning before coming to the show.

Here’s what we used to do back in the days I was a visitor not an exhibitor:

• Calculate our costs for the next 6 months. Includes wages, tax bills, vehicle bills etc
• Calculate the likely income for the next 6 months (if it’s anywhere near the figure from the 1st step you’re doing very very well)
• Work out the minimum amount of equipment we’d need for the next season – including essential repairs/renewals etc
• Work out the equipment you’d ideally like to expand the business – things that customers have asked for or equipment that you’ve turned away business for. For example if you turned away 4 bookings for a 9x12m marquee last summer then if you can afford it it’s probably worth buying one for next year (in which case definately visit our stand, we should have something of interest for you!).

So in a nutshell we’d come to The Showmans Show knowing exactly what we wanted to look at and exactly how much we had to spend. I strongly recommend you doing the same otherwise you’ll get crafty salesmen (stand 269 ave E) convincing you to buy enough marquees to cover Wembley football pitch! We’re one of the few companies that could do that from stock too..

Thanks for reading

Spencer