Business graduate launches party planning business

BLOOMINGTON – Ivy Tech Community College alumna Maggie England has launched All Wrapped Up Btown, a party planning business, after she placed second in Ivy Tech’s Duke It Out Business Pitch competition in April 2018.

“Being a busy single mom of two children, I know how much it would help me if someone in town offered a party planning service,” said England. “All Wrapped Up Btown saves you the time and hassle of shopping for themed party decor and favors and delivers everything to your door. Additional services such as event setup, balloon delivery, activities, handmade decor and crafts, and photo collage boards are also available.”

England earned her associate of Applied Science and Technical Certificate in Business Administration from Ivy Tech in 2015. She made the decision to enroll at Ivy Tech after her daughter was born. She completed her courses online while expecting and caring for her infant son.

“Ivy Tech has been a wonderful support for me over the last five years,” said England. “I really found my niche with the online classes that Ivy Tech offered. This allowed me to move forward with school while staying at home taking care of a newborn and the complications that came from an accident that caused an injury for him. Every professor and adviser that I had during that time helped me stay on track for graduation.”

After graduation, England utilized Ivy Tech’s career services and found employment as an office manager for several companies, and frequently traveled. She also started a small event planning business that focused primarily on weddings. Planning her daughter’s seventh birthday gave England the idea to focus on smaller-scale party planning. England participated in Ivy Tech’s Duke It Out Business Pitch competition in 2018 and won second place.

“Because of the competition, I was able to kick-start my marketing plans and really start building my business,” said England. “Ivy Tech helped me realize a new-found love of event planning and hospitality. Speaking with the advisers and program chairs really helped me square up that I really want to own my own event planning business and continue my education in hospitality.”

England recently started a new full-time position as Department Secretary for Indiana University’s Eppley Institute of Parks and Public Lands to allow her to work closer to home, so she can spend more time growing her business. She is also working toward her bachelor’s degree in hospitality management at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Ivy Tech’s Gayle & Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship offers business consulting for entrepreneurs, and England says she plans to take advantage of those resources.

“I truly attribute Ivy Tech with the success I have had after graduating, not only because of the career services but because of the foundation in success they build with their students,” said England. “I continue to believe that All Wrapped Up Btown will be successful enough for me to focus on it full time one day and I continue to make strides working in business administration professionally in the meantime.”

Contact All Wrapped Up Btown at www.facebook.com/allwrappedupbtown or www.allwrappedupbtown.com.

Ivy Tech Bloomington offers associate degrees in business administration, hospitality administration, business operations, and a technical certificate in entrepreneurship. For more information visit ivytech.edu/bloomington. For information about resources for entrepreneurs through the Gayle & Bill Cook Center for Entrepreneurship, visit ivytech.edu/entrepreneurship.