Articles tagged 'Building Your Business'

Shiny things are everywhere we look. Newer cars, bigger houses, Tori Burch wedges, boats, Kelly Moore bags, jewelry from Tiffany’s, hair extensions, iPads, and my personal favorite: Lululemon workout clothes. Current statistics say that the average American household credit card debt is $8,000.00 – and that doesn’t even count mortgages, car payments, student loans or personal loans! In our household, we have made a concerted effort to be free from any debt – except our mortgage – but it certainly hasn’t been easy! Owning a business isn’t any different than controlling your personal finances except that you might find it.. - Continue Reading

In reading various for-photographer websites, I've found that a common complaint is that photographers are often expected to work for free - for close friends, family, worthy causes, and a number of other groups. This has been something that has been addressed by photographers in various ways and I've read some great responses to why that simply isn't realistic. Elizabeth Halford recently posted a vlog entitled, What is a Professional Photographer? She made the (excellent) point that a professional photographer is one whose profession is photography. By definition, we make an income taking pictures. Yes, it’s something we do for.. - Continue Reading

Its really dificult two read thru a post that the awthur hasnt korrected. Its like their knot even tryng! That sentence was painful to write, much less read. My retinas hurt. I want to talk about having a standard of excellence in all areas. In your photos, posts, on your business website, Facebook page, anywhere you have a public space for marketing your product. We live in an age of Shortcuts and Textese. And, as business people, time is money. Yes, we want to capitalize on every minute, cutting our time wherever we can. However, excellent content and format isn’t.. - Continue Reading

When I first started my photography business, my ducks were not in a row. I had ducks in South Africa, Belize, the Queen’s castle, Shanghai, Tucson. I didn’t even know I had ducks that needed proper row placement, much less that they were globe-trotting feathered fiends. I had owned my first DSLR for 6 weeks (stop laughing), taken some good pictures, gotten some good feedback, started a Facebook page, and decided I’d launch my business (seriously, stop laughing). I figured I’d work all the “business” stuff out as time went on. Which is code for, I-hope-the-business-fairy-visits-my-house-at-night-because-otherwise-tedious-paperwork-makes-me-need-to-hyperventilate-and-I’d-rather-not. I picked my prices.. - Continue Reading

Reason #9: Your Social Media Efforts are Not Effective This is the 9th post in a 10-part series called "10 Reasons Why You Aren't Getting More Clients."  Here's a link to the rest of the series in case you missed it.  I don't even want to know how much time I spend on Facebook every day.  Certainly more than I watch TV, edit, or do almost anything if I'm honest.  And yes, it helps me grow my businesses. Yes, it helps me connect with people. But more often than not, I'm simply wasting my time.  In fact, if Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or.. - Continue Reading

Reason #8: You Aren't Making the Most of Your Website This is the eighth post in a 10-part series called "10 Reasons Why You Aren't Getting More Clients." Here's a link to the rest of the series in case you missed it. So, you've moved away from an amateurish website and finally got a professional looking website up and running. (You have, right? Don't put this one off! Go back and read that post if you haven't yet!) I'm proud of you. But now we've got to make this awesome new website of yours start bringing in the clients! Most.. - Continue Reading

I recently traveled to Costa Rica to photograph a wedding, and I quickly realized that traveling with all of my camera gear is a monumental undertaking. Below are a few tips that made my travels go smoothly, and a few suggestions for you to take into consideration before you travel with your camera gear.  Packing This sounds like a no-brainer, but how you pack is one of the most important elements of traveling with your equipment. If at all possible, try to get your most valuable equipment into your carry-on luggage, just to be on the safe side. Even if.. - Continue Reading

Your Low Prices are Hurting You, Not Helping You This is the fourth post in a 10-part series called "10 Reasons Why You Aren't Getting More Clients." Here's a link to part 1 of the series in case you missed it.  One of most common things I hear photographers who are struggling to get clients but are still underpriced from where they need to be is that their market simply won't support higher prices. They're afraid to raise their prices because they have heard time and time again that they are too expensive, yet they're not even coming close enough.. - Continue Reading

Your Work Isn't That Good This is the third post in a 10-part series called "10 Reasons Why You Aren't Getting More Clients." Here's a link to part 1 and part 2 of the series in case you missed it. Our images are like children to us.  We love them. We put lots of time and effort into producing them, and we're proud to show them to the world. We swell with pride when we read all the lovely Facebook comments people leave about how amazing our images are!  Unfortunately, just like with our children, we tend to gloss over the negatives.. - Continue Reading

Your Website Screams "Amateur"! This is the second post in a 10-part series called "10 Reasons Why You Aren't Getting More Clients."  Here's a link to part 1 of the series in case you missed it.  Your website is often the first impression that people get of your business. You only have a few seconds to convince them that they should dig deeper and show that you are the right photographer for them. So if your blog screams "Amateur!!!!" at a glance, they'll simply click away and look at someone else. Here's two big places where I see photographers consistently failing to get the.. - Continue Reading

  Your client called, they think your business is closed!  Even though you may not have a sign out front of your door, your activity on your blog is saying that either you are opened for business, or closed for business.  Which one are you?  If you are wondering why no one is calling, then you might want to look at your blog.  If you have only posted one time in the last 30 days, I suggest that your clients think you are totally closed for business, and that there is not even a pulse!   If you have blogged twice in.. - Continue Reading

Remember back when you were a pre-teen? You weren't really a kid anymore, but you weren't quite old enough to be a teenager, and everything was awkward. You'll go through this exact same phase as a business. It's that awkward moment after you've decided to become a professional photographer, but still don't have an established client base. You've taken photographs of every family member and friend that will let you, and now you're looking for real paying clients that treat you like the business you want to be. This can be a frustrating time for your business. It can seem.. - Continue Reading