Editor's note: This story is part of a series called “Small Business, Big Mission,” which documents the struggles of small-business owners affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the third installment of the project, which has involved all 44 of The Business Journals’ newsrooms across the country.
Click here to read more Chicago stories from the project.
The most troubling moment of 2020 for Julie Roth Novack was the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March, when she realized she needed a Plan B for her event-planning startup.
“From a business perspective, we had created a plan to triple in size and were on that path,” said Novack, the founder and CEO of PartySlate. “But all of a sudden we needed a Plan B. That was a scary moment.”
PartySlate, which Novack launched in 2016, is a photo-rich online platform that connects users to event professionals and venues in dozens of cities across the U.S.
But as the pandemic caused most events to be postponed or canceled, PartySlate rushed to figure out a way to remain useful to its paying members. That meant hosting virtual events to educate party planners on how to host their virtual weddings, birthday parties, panels and more.
Early on in the pandemic, PartySlate imposed salary reductions and cut its team by a few employees to trim $1 million of expenses to extend its runway. The startup, which employs 32 people, was also granted a small Paycheck Protection Program loan for $391,700, according to data from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Since pivoting to weekly virtual events in the spring, PartySlate has hosted about 40, most of which Novack has appeared in. Every Tuesday, event industry professionals tune into PartySlate’s webinars to receive tips, best practices and information on how the industry can use digital marketing platforms and technology to build their brand during a time of isolation.
“It’s almost like redesigning your house while you have the time,” Novack said. “They’ve tuned in week after week and not only listened, but took our tools, like our Google Sheets and our planning assets, and actually put them into practice, which really makes me feel proud.”
Now, what was initially Plan B is becoming Plan A. In 2021, and even once the pandemic is over, PartySlate will continue hosting virtual events in addition to its normal in-person events, Novack said. Though membership initially dropped at the onset of the pandemic, PartySlate membership is now up 10% for the year, which Novack attributes directly to the company's regular online events.
Looking back on a year that no one could have predicted, Novack says the most encouraging moment of 2020 was the first piece of feedback she received on PartySlate’s virtual events, which was really positive. It was one of the key moments that let her know PartySlate would endure.
“We’re feeling pretty good about where we are,” Novack said. “We’ve really persevered through this crazy time and our goal is just focus on customers and adding value.”
