From Social Work to Socials

LaQuana helps customers inquiring about services at Events Made Beautiful.  Photo: Kimberly Hunter.

By Kimberly Hunter

We are living in a day and age where conventional jobs are no longer “cutting the mustard.”

People everywhere are deciding to no longer postpone their dreams of entrepreneurship. Women, men, youth, seniors, families, and singles are stepping into the world of entrepreneurship and loving it.

I recently caught up with an Asheville native who is new to the entrepreneurial world. LaQuana Edwards, owner of Events Made Beautiful in South Asheville, is a full-time wife, mother, community leader, and, now, entrepreneur. Mrs. Edwards offers sound advice and business savvy to those who are thinking about starting their own businesses. For those of you considering a new career, this up-and-coming business guru has a lot of sound advice for the taking.

Kimberly Hunter (KH): What products and/or services do you provide?

LaQuana Edwards (LE): Rental equipment for parties and events – tables,
chairs, linens, dinnerware, glassware, tents, catering equipment,
wedding & special event décor, and party equipment such as popcorn
machines.

KH: How did you get started in this business?

LE: I started out planning events as a hobby for friends and family
about ten years ago. While doing that, I realized the need for a rental
business that offered quality, well-maintained equipment and good
customer service regardless of the dollar amount spent.

KH: What is your personal background?

LE: I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with
a BA in Sociology and a minor in education. I worked for eight years
with the Department of Social Services before leaving to start the
business. My husband relocated to Asheville from Chicago, IL. He is
currently employed with Old Dominion Freight Lines as a dock
worker/forklift operator. Prior to his work with Old Dominion, he
worked with similar companies in their shipping/receiving departments
and has worked for hotels doing banquet set-ups.

KH: How long have you been in business?

LE: I officially opened the doors of Events Made Beautiful on August 6, 2007. I have been in business close to seven months.

KH: How has your business grown since its inception?

LE: Our marketing efforts have created more awareness of the business.
As a result, we have seen an increase each month in our rentals, calls
and website inquiries. We have also been able to expand our equipment
inventory.

KH: How will your business grow over the next year?

LE: I feel the business will grow in several ways. First, awareness of
the business will increase through our marketing efforts. Second, as
our rentals increase, so will our ability to serve our customers, as we
become more familiar with the ins and outs of the rental business.
Lastly, our inventory will expand as our revenue increases and as we
get better at determining the needs of our customers.

KH: Has the talk of recession caused you to do anything different or change your goals over the next year?

LE: No. Since I have been in business for such a short period of time
it has been hard to measure whether or not the business has been or
will be impacted by a recession. To date, we’ve been able to accomplish
most of the goals that were set for our first six months. The revenue
for each month has exceeded what was forecasted, and our rental calls
and inquiries continue to increase. Over the next year, we will
continue to carefully evaluate our goals, budget, and operations on a
monthly basis as any new business should. The first three years are
very critical for a small business, whether our country is in a
recession or not.

KH: Is it challenging to be building a new business in an economy that is on the verge of, or in a recession?

LE: Yes. It is already difficult to make a yearly forecast when there
are no prior figures to refer to. Being on the verge or in a recession
makes forecasting even more difficult because I am not sure if I
getting an accurate picture of what I should expect in revenue. I have
to determine if rentals are at a certain number because I am a new
business, or if it’s because the economy is slow. Do my customers wait
a couple of weeks before an event to reserve equipment because they are
operating on a tight budget, or is this typical? Will I have a huge
increase in spending for inventory next year because customers are only
renting the bare necessities based on the economy?

KH: What type of parties or events do your clients have that require the products and services you provide?

LE: Corporate meetings, customer and employee appreciations, banquets, weddings, festivals, family reunions…

KH: How do you stay up on trends in your industry?

LE: I subscribe to several magazines such as Rental Management, Rental
Pulse, Special Event Magazine and The Knot. I consult with caterers,
florists, and event planners about the trends they are seeing with
their clients. I visit the websites of other rental stores to see what
new inventory they have introduced. Most importantly, I track requests
for inventory from our rentals and inquiries because national trends
are not always representative of local trends. Building your inventory
based on national trends doesn’t amount to much if it’s not inventory
your customers want on the local level.

KH: What excites you most about your business?

LE: I have the opportunity to be a part of some of the most memorable moments in a person’s life!

KH: What is your biggest obstacle in business?

LE: Financing. I have to be very careful not to spend to quickly on
inventory. It’s critical that I have enough working capital until I
start to break even.

KH: What recommendations would you give to someone who is interested in working in or starting a business in your industry?

LE: Do your homework. Make sure that you have a solid business plan,
that you reach your market to make sure there is a need for your
product/service, get a good understanding of the business you would
like to start and acquire adequate financing.

For more information contact LaQuana Edwards at (828) 650-0847, or fax
(828) 650-0848, or visit www.eventsmadebeautiful.com. Events Made
Beautiful is located at 38 Rosscraggon Road, Unit D, in Asheville, NC