Annual Event

Business Checklist
THE STRENGTH CHECK OF YOUR BUSINESS SET-UP
EVENT BUSINESS GUIDE

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ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST

Welcome!

Hey! I’m Rachella Thomas - Founder of award-winning event consultancy,

Event Kit. I started this agency because I believe there can be an easier and less
stress-inducing way for all event planners. Here you can learn from me, and use
our agency-designed templates and resources to help you plan your best
events, with ease and confidence.

To get you started, we provide sample event planning items and prompts. Every
event is unique, so please make sure you review the tools against your own
event needs and add/edit/delete what you need to make it relevant for your
event and business.

This guide will help you:

Assess how you are set-up as a business operator

Identify issues or gaps you may need resolve

Build your capacity to be your own boss and successfully run your

own event agency!

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ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST
It may be time to get things
sorted. Ask yourself this:
Do you plan your business as
well as you plan your events?
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Business
Structure
The Annual Event Business Checklist should form part of your
overall event business strategy – and as the name suggests, it
is best completed every year.
This annual business set-up check covers a range of different
areas depending on the nature and complexity of your
business - this list is designed to provide a broad overview of
the most common areas.
In order for your event to operate smoothly (and maximise
opportunity), you need to make sure your event is always
legally compliant and operates with professionalism. As
business owners, you must do the same with your business.
Whether it's your full-time gig, or just a side hustle, you want
to create a business you’re in control of every step of the way.
Let's start with the basics - the business structure.
The ideal business structure will suit your exact needs and
take into consideration:
Your personal liability
Asset protection
Tax payment obligations
Insurance requirements
Flexibility to introduce partners or shareholders, and
An ability to raise capital, if required.
QUICK CHECK
Has your business grown since you first established it?
Perhaps your business structure needs have changed too?
Are you familiar with the common business structures,
and of how the tax and legal obligations differ with each
structure?
It is really common for freelance event professionals to not
operate properly as a small businesses, and while ideally
we’d all set up the most appropriate business structure
from the very beginning, often we don’t. Not sure what
that means for you? Maybe it's time to seek professional
advice!
ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST

Do you have
everything ready to go?

Event
Business
Documents
Event business documents are the strong backbone you
need to take your business to the next level.

In the events industry, we know all about the importance

of thorough and accurate documents. The set-up and
running of your business is no different.
Here we've got you covered to help you audit your core
business documents. Once again, we want to ensure you
are operating in a legally compliant and professional way.
Business administration doesn't have to be difficult or
time-consuming. Once you've set yourself up with quality
templates, you can easily run your business tasks
alongside your event management.
Let's dive into the business documents that are central to
the way we operate our event agency.
QUICK CHECK
Do you have a pricing strategy and rate card?
Do you require Director Guarantees when dealing with
corporate customers/clients? If you do, this needs to be
clearly set out on your documents.
Does your business comply with the Consumer Law?
If you are selling goods or services to consumers, then
you need to comply with relevant Consumer Law. Do
you know your obligations?

Are your Terms & Conditions for your customers/clients

SERVICE AGREEMENT AND TERMS compliant?

Do you have a ready-to-use Service Agreement

Depending on the nature and type of your business, these
template that is easily updated with the specifics of each
may also be referred to as Event Services Agreements,
client or do you start from scratch and create a new
Event Service Contracts, or Terms of Trade.
document for each new job?

Your Service Agreement and Terms should set out:

Do you have a payment schedule that protects you in
the likelihood that the event is postponed or cancelled?
Your client/customer expectations
Your expectations
How do you deal with a client that changes the scope of
Fees/ charges
works or adds on additional tasks or responsibility?
Payment terms
What is included in your service
Not sure what that means for you? Maybe it's time to
Cancellation terms and dispute resolution process
seek professional advice!

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ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST

WEBSITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Yes, you do need this document if you have a website. It
doesn't matter if it's a very basic site with just a couple of
pages showcasing your services and great event work. We
are all required to communicate terms and conditions for
visitors to our website.

QUICK CHECK
Do you operate a website that shares information
(written or visual) with customers and clients?

Do you sell products or promote your services on your

website?

If you answered “yes” to the above then you need a

website terms & conditions page. While most customers
don't bother to read them, they are a necessary part of
your business documents.

PRIVACY POLICY
Does your business collect personal data (e.g via a Contact
Let's check what needs to be Us page, Google Analytics or a Subscriber List)? If yes, you
must be transparent with your privacy policy and disclose to
done. customers and clients what type of data you collect, how you
store it, and when/how you will share it.

Each Country has its own laws and requirements about the
data you can collect, what you can do with it, and how you
communicate your privacy policy - ensure you're up to date
with requirements of the country your business operates in.

EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS

QUICK CHECK
Do you know the difference between employees and
contractors? This is for yourself as a freelancer, and for
anyone you engage to work with you and your business.
Are your employment contracts current and up to date?
Have your employees’ circumstances changed, and do
these need to be updated?

Are your contractor/sub-contractor agreements current?

Do you understand the different tax, insurance and

payment obligations for employees and contractors?

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ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST

EVENT BUSINESS ADMIN TEMPLATES

We all want to be confident and in control of our business,
so that our mind is free to get on with what we do best:
PLANNING EVENTS.
DEBT MANAGEMENT

The most effective way to stay organised is to have ready-
to-use templates that require minimal effort to use. Quality
templates are all about time-saving and stress-reduction -
which is exactly why we created a unique Event Planning
Business Kit for you.
Do you need to upgrade your event business admin?
Audit your templates with our Quick Check below.
Cash flow is the cornerstone of every business. Don’t let it
hold you back.
Are your payment terms clear and enforceable in your service
agreements? What steps do you have in place to follow-up
clients who haven't paid you?
Do you know which jurisdiction will apply for these
proceedings, if you find yourself in that situation? Not sure

QUICK CHECK what that means for you? Maybe it's time to seek professional
advice!
Do you have the following documents:

Client Income Tracking spreadsheet COMMERCIAL LEASE / HOT-DESKS

Client Reverse Brief
Where do you work? Your business premises are extremely
important, and shouldn’t be underestimated.
Event Services Contract/ Agreement
If you are a home-based business, be sure to check out your
Event Services Pricing Guide
entitlements regarding tax deductions for work-related
expenses at home. Also be sure that your home insurance is
Event Services Quote
appropriate and covers your work activities.

Event Services Tax Invoice

Alternatively, you may have moved into a co-working space,
or be considering moving into an office and taking on a
Team Meeting Agenda
commercial lease. We know how exciting that can be!

Team Meeting Minutes

Wherever you work, you should have a secure space to
work, with clear rights and responsibilities.
Event Vendor Contract

Post-Event Debrief Report

QUICK CHECK
Project Planner Calendar
High-Level Project Management Plan
Event Services Pitch Deck/ Presentation
UPGRADE YOUR BUSINESS ADMIN
You can get your own kit of ready-to-use and 100%
customisable templates and tools in our purpose-built
Event Planning Business Kit.
Do you lease your office? Has a lease or sublease been
entered into? Do you have a fully-executed copy of it?
Do you have a written licence agreement for your chair/
hot-desk or another arrangement? Are outgoings
payable? Do you have a signed copy of the agreement?
Do you have options to renew your lease? When does
your lease/option expire? Have you provided a personal
guarantee, bank guarantee, or a bond?

GET IT NOW

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ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST

RISK MANAGEMENT / INSURANCE

As the saying goes, ‘expect the unexpected’. Learn from
experience, and get your business prepared.

You are probably an expert in forecasting potential risks

for events, and hopefully you are experienced in preparing
risk mitigation strategies for your events. Considering
potential risks is the best way to prepare for them, and
ideally, avoid the worst possible outcome.

it's no surprise that we then say you must do the same for
your own business.

Think about how prepared your business is for

unfortunate incidents and emergencies. Thing to think
about include yourself and your wellbeing, your
professional reputation, your business equipment, and of
course, your working relationship with clients and events.

QUICK CHECK
Do you have adequate insurance for your business?

Do you know what insurance policies you have? Are

you covered for public liability? What about
professional indemnity?

Have you read the policy documents to understand

what they cover?

Have you had the policies checked against the

insurance requirements of your clients?

Are you required to note the policy with third party

interests in your policy?

If your business scope has changed recently, have you

notified your insurance broker?

Have you considered Income Protection insurance, in

case of accident or injury?

And finally, what is your professional contingency

plan? In the scenario that you suddenly can't work,
what will happen with your event projects and your
client work? Do you have a network of trusted
professionals to whom you can hand-over your Ready to build your event
projects?
agency empire?

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ANNUAL EVENT BUSINESS CHECKLIST

Disclaimer

The information provided in this document is for your guidance only and does not
constitute professional or business advice. It is the sole responsibility of the user to
seek independent professional advice specific to your needs. Event Kit bares no
responsibility for use of Event Kit tools and templates including, but not limited, to
incorrect or missing data and or formulas.

Additional Support

FREE RESOURCES
Jump over to our website for more guidance and tutorials
www.eventkit.co

1:1 CONSULTING
Perfect for you, if you’d like some direction, need specific advice or you’d like a
professional opinion. This Consulting Call is a 45-minute video conversation with
Rachella Thomas, Founder of Event Kit, to go in-depth into a particular aspect of
your event to discover what you’re doing well and what you need to improve on. At
the end of the call, you will walk away with 3 actionable steps to get you back on
track so you can hit the ground running.

Book your consulting call through our calendar system here.

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 WHAT NEXT?

Shop All Templates

You can now create your best events with ease and confidence. Our
time-saving event templates will help you plan like an event agency.
Ready-to-use and 100% customisable, our event planning
templates and how-to guides are expertly-packed to give you an
event that feels almost effortless.

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f i n d u s o n s o c i a l s

@eventkit @eventkit

www.eventkit.co

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