Business Help Archives - Page 2 of 8

Should You Close Your Photography Business?

Yesterday I sent out an exclusive email to my email readers about a disturbing trend I see happening more and more in the photography business.

The response was overwhelming.

I got three main types of reactions to it.

First, people were emailing thanking me for the insight, saying that it made them see that they can’t keep competing for the low-end of the market and that they are finally ready to take the steps towards profitable pricing. Totally makes all the tips I share worthwhile.

Second, people were thanking me for all the daily nuggets that I share for free that never end up here on the blog. (If you’re not on it, you’re missing out big time. Sign up for them using the form at the end of this post).

Third, lots of people shared how they were thinking about throwing in the towel and closing down their business, because no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn’t get the clients they needed or make the money they were hoping to make even after several years sometimes.

If this is you, you’re not alone.

I just want to sit down with these people, give them a hug, and then do a brutally honest business consultation. We’d dig into each aspect of their business and help them create a plan to turn their businesses around.

Unfortunately, my schedule just won’t allow it right now. There’s just not enough time at the moment.

So instead, I’m writing this post to share at least the first few things you need to be thinking through if you’re considering closing your doors. It’s not everything, it’s not even close to touching all the aspects that it could, but they are some of the most common mistakes I see photographers making that could turn things around.

So let’s dive right in.

[Click to read more]

3 Places That You’re Wasting Money & Time in Your Photography Business

When you run a photography business, it feels like your to-do list is never-ending.

Besides all the client work you have to do, there’s all the business stuff as well. From essentials like paying taxes and updating your finances to brand development, planning, and visioneering, it’s hard to know what has to be done now and what can wait.

Too often, we waste our money and time in areas that aren’t actually helping to grow our businesses simply because we want to or because we think it’s what we need to do.

So today I want to share with you a few common places that you may be wasting your money and time so that you can focus on what’s really going to help you grow instead. [Click to read more]

Just Say No! 7 Ways to Tell When Buying a New Product is a Mistake

The number of products available for photographers right now is downright overwhelming.

With lots of people promoting products all the time, it’s hard to know what is worth buying and what is simply a waste of money.

I’m a huge proponent of learning and of buying educational products because they are a great way to grow your photography business faster, giving you more money sooner.

However, there are several instances when buying something is a mistake, even if it’s an awesome product.

So I’ve compiled a list of 7 tips to help you know when you should buy and when you should “just say no” and save yourself some money. This is a list you can use for all business purchases, not just educational ones. [Click to read more]

Are You a Successful Photographer?

When I first decided to pursue photography, I had visions of grandeur in mind.

Similar to my teenage dream of becoming a famous recording artist, I somehow imagined that I would become a world renowned photographer.

I could just see it in my mind: getting published in magazines, traveling the world because I was in such high demand, maybe even winning a Pulitzer for my amazing photojournalism.

What I’ve learned in the years since is that the world is full of mind blowingly talented people and compared to them, I’m just not that good.

Lucky for me, talent isn’t the only factor to consider when defining success.

How do I know if I’m successful?

Good question! What is the recipe for success? Just like there isn’t one single recipe for chocolate cake, there isn’t one single recipe for success. You can bake the cake differently and still get a yummy chocolate confection.

After all, how many amazing chefs can you name? I’m certain that Paula Dean and Wolfgang Puck have completely different recipes for chocolate cake but I’m equally certain I’d scarf down either!

Photographers define success differently as well and follow different recipes to achieve the success they’re after. If you want to be successful, you need to begin by figuring out what success looks like.

Define what success means for you.

What are your ultimate goals with your photography business? Do you have a set financial goal you’re trying to meet for the year? Are you portfolio building? Is your ultimate goal to get published in a magazine? Are you planning to quit your day job and focus on photography full time?

If you haven’t taken the time to write out a business plan, then I would highly encourage it. Seeing your goals on paper somehow helps to solidify them and setting yourself a deadline takes it a step further. It’s part of the recipe. You need both the ingredient list and the step by step instructions to make the cake.

How many bookings do you need to meet your definition of success? If photography is your full time job and/or your sole source of income then your definition of success will be a lot different from someone like me who works only part time.

Successful for me at this point in my business is one session per month. It would be silly for me to then compare myself with someone who boasts booking three sessions a week. We have different goals and different definitions for success.

If I’m really not that talented, how can I become successful?

Well first off, not being as talented as someone else doesn’t equate to not being talented at all. I have a beautiful singing voice but I sure don’t sound like Carrie Underwood!

Secondly, if I spent all my time comparing myself to Carrie Underwood, I’d never have the courage to utter one note. Don’t waste your energy comparing yourself to other photographers. You’ll go a lot farther if you focus on you and what you can offer.

Discover your strengths.

I’m not the best photographer in the world. Heck, I’m not even the best photographer in my city! I am, however, good at things that many others in my field struggle with.

While some people stumble through client interaction, I’m a people person and flow effortlessly through conversation. I’m also a good writer, very organized, have attention to detail, etc.

What things are you good at? Don’t focus on photography related skills only. Think of all your strengths and write them down. There’s a reason we so often hear the term “starving artist.” Talent alone doesn’t pay the bills. You’re not only a photographer. You’re also a small business owner.

The End Result

Maybe you will be an award winning, world renowned photographer. Maybe you are talented enough and disciplined enough. But don’t focus your business on the assumption that talent alone will equal success.

Talent is only a jumping off point. Becoming a successful photographer requires hard word, discipline and focus. These are the things needed to help you achieve your dreams.

What area of your business do you feel is holding you back from becoming successful? Leave a comment and let’s chat!

Photos in post by Lea Hartman.

How To Keep From Screwing Up When Photographing an Important Wedding

This is a guest post by wedding photographer Laura Novak.

How many of you tend to feel nervous the morning of a wedding? Do you check your batteries and chargers at least a dozen times, or panic trying to remember if there is gas in your car? Maybe you second-guess yourself on your start time, frantically searching for your paperwork to make sure? Truthfully, even after photographing hundreds of weddings, I never stopped having at least a little twinge of nervous energy in my stomach the morning of a wedding.

But there have been some times where it was more than just some butterflies. There have been a few weddings where I can remember being a complete wreck! Usually this is the case when I feel like it is going to be a great opportunity for my career; where I know I not only have to get great images for the bride and groom but network with someone very important at the same time.

So today I’m going to share some tips I learned from shooting a potentially career-changing wedding (the good, bad, and the embarrassing) and how you can make sure it goes as well as possible for you. [Click to read more]

How To Make Money In Photography

You recently finished a shoot. The client hired you, and paid your nominal session fee (somewhere in the range of $50 – $250, most likely). You spent hours editing the 125+ images you shot.

You showed them the images, and, as you were flipping through your beautiful work, they told you they were on a tight budget. At the end of the meeting, they decided to purchase a few 8X10’s totaling $100.

You thought to yourself, “I’m never going to make money in photography.”

Here’s why you thought wrong, my friend.

Making money in photography is something every single new photographer lies in bed thinking about. It baffles us, limits us and keeps us from breaking out of a fear-laden state destined for failure.

So I’ve put together a few pointers on how to make money in photography. [Click to read more]

Top 10 Must-Read Blogs for Pro Photographers in 2013

As a photography business owner, you don’t have the time to search the internet high and low and find the best photography blogs out there.

With more blogs starting out every day, I wanted to present you with a list of the best photography business blogs with the best advice, products, and the ones worth subscribing to and reading each time they post. This is the third annual list, and I’ve used a super-secret rating algorithm to give you only the best.

This year, I’ve decided to only include blogs in the Top 10 list that specifically help you grow your business. If they don’t talk about the business of photography at all, they weren’t considered. And while I think this blog (The Modern Tog) is the best, I thought it’d be biased to include myself on the list, ha! So only other blogs were considered.

It was incredibly hard to narrow it down to just 10 photography business blogs, but I’ve painstakingly done so to bring you only the best. These blogs will help you make more money, get more clients, and learn how to best run a photography business. [Click to read more]

3 Tax Audit Tips Every Photographer Should Know Before Ever Being Audited!

How would you feel if you found out you were getting audited tomorrow?

When most people think of going through a tax audit, panic sets in. They fear a scary government agent coming to steal from them or find some costly mistake that will cause lots of stress and anxiety for them or their family.

Here’s the thing: a tax audit is not scary. And it’s not a shakedown.

If your books are clean, you have nothing to fear.

An audit is just a formal examination of the business records. You should be doing that normally anyway, so letting someone else look at them shouldn’t be a problem.

In fact, many large businesses have audits each year to make sure everything was accounted for properly and to be make sure there isn’t any internal theft.

In other words, tax audits are a good thing.

However, if your books are a mess, an audit could be a very unpleasant experience and cause immense stress on you and your family.

So here are 3 Tax Audit tips that you should know before ever being audited. They won’t prevent you from being audited, but they will make your tax audit go as smoothly as possible. [Click to read more]

3 Easy Tips for Stress-Free Photography Accounting

A psychologist teaching a stress management course raised a glass of water and inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “The stresses in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

We All Have Our Own Glass of Water

I tend to put off things I don’t like to do. It’s true.

The longer I put them off, the less I want to do them.

But as time goes by, the stress builds up and starts to impact me, my other work, and my personal life (as I steal time away from my wife to work more).

How about you? What is your “glass of water”?

Do you procrastinate doing your business finances and get totally overwhelmed by the time tax season comes around? You’re not alone.

When you put off doing updating your books, you have no idea where they stand during the year and will have to spend a few hectic days preparing anytime you owe the government money. It’s just as important as doing any of these other tasks that help you grow your business.

I want to show you how to overcome this ugly cycle and be free from the stress it brings. Not only that, but you’ll be able to make better business decisions when you know exactly how your business is doing. Here are 3 easy tips for stress-free photography accounting! [Click to read more]

Creating A Photography Experience They’ll Love

I’ve been there. Have you?

Client complains.

Stomach sinks.

“Obviously I didn’t make that detail very clear, did I?”

(I didn’t even think I had to.)

If you haven’t ever been in this situation, consider yourself eternally lucky. If you have, then you know the feeling. You would do anything to go back in time to tell them everything you meant to.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a situation where you’re getting bitten for not setting client expectations correctly, you want to take a trip with Michael J. Fox back to when you had the opportunity to set the client’s expectations correctly.

But sadly, your imaginary DeLorean is fresh out of a flux capacitor.

So rather than try to figure out time travel, let’s work together to come up with a few ways to better set photography client expectations from the onset. Ultimately, this is an effort toward creating a photography experience, and one they’ll love.

Here are 5 tips on creating a better photography experience for your clients so you can avoid these sticky situations.

[Click to read more]

Nailed It! How to Be a Fantastic Second Shooter

I remember my first gig as a second shooter for a wedding. I laid in bed the night before, dreaming up all the disastrous situations that could possibly occur that would surely prove my incompetence as a photographer.

What if I drop my lens? What if the lead photographer asks me to do family portraits? What if I reformat my card and lose all my images?!

I stared at the ceiling while running through scenario after scenario until my brain finally conceded and I passed out for the night.

Now, a year and a half later, and I’m the poster child for having “it” together. I know what to bring, how to act, and nerves no longer steal my precious sleep (I’m a monster without at least 9 hours).

So if you’re feeling clueless about second shooting, where to find second shooter jobs, or just want to know how to be better at it, prepare to be educated until your brain fills up. I’m going to give you a glimpse into my super stellar Second Shooter Handbook (not a real thing… please don’t Google it).

[Click to read more]

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