Celebrate good times: an idea to bring all the ingredients of a party to office events and gatherings gave this pair something to celebrate

Entrepreneur,  Oct, 2005  by James Park

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WHAT: Made-to-order office parties

WHO: Leanne Mumm Pardo and Christopher Hughes of Day Perks

WHERE: Seattle

WHEN: Started in 2001

When Christopher Hughes heard his clients singing "La Bamba" in anticipation of their Cinco de Mayo party, he knew he was onto something. Hughes, 34, had recently co-founded Day Perks with business partner and friend Leanne Mumm Pardo, 40.

As co-workers at a branding and design firm, Hughes and Mumm Pardo saw a need for a service to take care of office events and parties. Armed with just $500 and plenty of corporate contacts from past jobs, the two left the firm, incorporated the company and set about creating a pilot program to test the party-planning waters. They lined up five clients, including Alaska Airlines, CoinStar and Washington Mutual, and for about six months worked with client feedback, incorporating reviews and suggestions into their business plan. "We kept hearing, 'We want it to be quick, we want it to be really creative, and we want it to be affordable,'" says Hughes.

Today, Day Perks offers one-hour parties (think parties-in-a-box that include snacks, beverages, plates, napkins and so on) and basic food services (taco bars, pizza, breakfasts and desserts) for everything from simple ice cream socials to office holiday parties. Clients can mix and match as they see fit, or they can consult with Hughes and Mumm Pardo to create their own theme parties. Prices range from $2.95 to $3.95 per person.

"The things we're good at are listening and branding. We completely rely on our customers to guide us and, to this point, have relied on them to guide the business's direction," Mumm Pardo says.

Now with more than 100 corporate customers in the local Seattle market, Day Perks expects $250,000 in 2005 sales. Their success has prompted Hughes and Mumm Pardo to take a serious look at franchising the business.

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