Going self-employed

Going self-employed as an event planner?

Pulling off a flawless event is one thing; sort your pricing, supplier paperwork and payment schedules before you take on your first corporate brief, launch or milestone party.

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Instant digital downloads · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.

The work is one thing. The setup is another.

Pulling off a flawless event is one thing; running the business behind it is another. On your own you're not just planning and coordinating on the day, you're pricing the job, deciding fee versus percentage, juggling supplier and venue agreements, taking deposits and tracking a client's budget against a dozen separate costs. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides designed to help you think through that setup side and get organised from the first enquiry. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.

  • Pricing the spread of work you take on, from corporate functions to product launches and milestone birthdays, without a flat fee, percentage or package quietly underselling your time
  • Putting client and supplier agreements in place that set out what's included, deposits and cancellation terms, including the purchase orders and sign-off corporate clients expect
  • Taking deposits and staged payments so you're not out of pocket while you're booking venues, caterers and AV and entertainment suppliers
  • Keeping a client's budget tracked against quotes and invoices from venues, caterers, AV, staffing and the rest so nothing creeps past the number you agreed
  • Managing a client's expectations and last-minute changes on a tighter run-up than a wedding while still chasing the paperwork and the final balance

What to sort first

Your get-set-up checklist

  1. 1

    Decide how you'll price

    Work out whether you'll charge a flat fee, a percentage of the budget or set packages, and what each needs to cover across corporate functions, launches and milestone parties before you quote a client.

  2. 2

    Get your client agreement sorted

    Have a clear written agreement covering scope, deposits, payment dates and cancellations, including the purchase-order and sign-off route corporate clients work to. It's a starting point to think through, not legal advice.

  3. 3

    Set up your supplier paperwork

    Organise the quotes, booking confirmations and agreements you use with venues, caterers, AV and entertainment suppliers so nothing slips through the cracks on the run-up.

  4. 4

    Plan deposits and payment stages

    Decide upfront how you'll take the booking deposit and staged payments so you're paid as the costs land, not all at the end, even on tighter corporate timelines.

  5. 5

    Build a budget you can track

    Set up a simple way to track the client's budget against every supplier quote and invoice so you always know where the money is.

  6. 6

    Make yourself easy to find and book

    Plan how companies, agencies and party hosts will discover your work, see your portfolio of events and send you an enquiry.

Suggested starter stack

A sensible order to build up

The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.

Start with

Best first step
Startup Guide£4.99

Your map for the practical setup steps before you take on your first client and venue.

See what’s inside

Add next

Business Documents — Premium£19.99

The client agreements, quotes, invoices and supplier paperwork you'll use on every event.

See what’s inside
Pricing Calculator — Premium£14.99

So your fee, percentage or package pricing genuinely covers your time and the work involved.

See what’s inside

Useful later

Financial Forms Bundle — Premium£19.99

To keep deposits, staged payments and supplier costs tidy as you take on more events.

See what’s inside
Social Media Content Kit£4.99

To help you show off your events, stay visible and turn followers into enquiries.

See what’s inside

Common questions

Before you buy anything

Do I need to buy everything before I start taking clients?
No. Most event planners start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add client agreements, invoices and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.
Are these legal or compliance documents?
No. They're downloadable templates and guides to help you get the business side organised, whether you're running corporate functions, product launches or milestone parties. They're not a substitute for professional advice, and the client and supplier agreements are a starting point to think through rather than legal documents.
Can I use these if I'm already taking on events?
Yes. Plenty of event planners who are already trading pick these up to tidy up their pricing, agreements and budget tracking rather than starting from scratch.
How do I receive the files?
They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.
Which should I buy first?
With corporate and party work often booked on shorter lead times, a good starting point is the startup guide, then the business documents for the client and supplier agreements you'll need quickly, and the pricing calculator to set your fee, percentage or package rates. Add the other tools as you need them.

Start with the right tools

Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for event planner businesses.

Start with the Startup Guide See all event planner tools

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