Company Party of One
Welcome to your go-to guide for creating your own #CompanyPartyofOne.
To get started, just follow the templates and lists below. Yes, throwing a party for your one-person company is a little unorthodox. But so is leaving a full-time job with benefits to follow your heart.
planning
The more time you put into planning your Company Party of One, the more you’ll be able to relax on the day of your event. Like any good party, you’ll need an invitation, food, drinks, and activities. But don’t sweat it. This quick, simple list will help get you started.
town hall meeting & State of the union google slides template
This is the part of the day where you get to quantify your new quality of life. In preparation, you’ll want to dig through you calendar from the last year and ideally the year before for comparison. Next, you’ll create a slideshow of what you’ve found.
I’ve created a Company Party of One template in Google Slides to get you started. (Shout-out to Slides Carnival for the design template.) To use, just open the link, choose File > Make a copy. You’ll also want to make a copy of this folder of Google Sheets to create your charts and link them into your presentation.
team-building FIELDTRIP
If you worked on the planning committee for group bonding—inducing activity, what would you do? Bowling? A sightseeing tour or cruise? A city-wide scavenger hunt? Escape room?
For my Company Party of One, I chose to attend The Ride. After all, if it was good enough for Anderson Cooper’s team, it was good enough for mine.
happy hour & raffle
Now that we’ve gotten through the numbers and some team bonding, this transitional hour is to get you in the mood for tonight’s celebration and give out some prizes before your plus one joins you. Serve your favorite drinks (bonus points for hiring a bartender for your one-person happy hour). Bust out some appetizers and pastries. Make a photo booth. Whatever will get the party started.
One of the best benefits they don’t tell you about when you go solo is you have amazing odds if you hold a company raffle. Take advantage of it. Buy some items you been needing/wanting recently and raffle them off. (I’m no tax expert and this is not tax advice, but surely some of this can be deducted?)
EVENING ACTIVITY
Chances are, you didn’t create your success on an island. An evening activity is a great chance to include someone special who has supported you on your journey. Plan an extra special activity and invite a guest. It could be a fancy restaurant you’ve been eyeing, a dinner cruise, or performance.
In the spirit of the Dundies, bring your own certificates or trophies to dinner. If your guest is up for it, have them open envelopes and announce the winners of each category. (They’ve followed you on your freelance journey, so chances are they won’t be surprised by these unconventional antics.)
SHARE YOUR PARTY WITH THE WORLD
Working solo can feel isolating at times. Just because you’re celebrating solo, doesn’t mean you have to keep it to yourself. Share your pride for the freelance life you’ve created on social media using #CompanyPartyOfOne so we can all cheer each other on.