RE-BLOG | The Top 8 Essentials for a Successful 2015!

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This is a RE-BLOG - and by no means MY work.  It is great to share their great work with other photographers. All Materials belong to Zack & Jody © 2014-2015

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The Top 8 Essentials for a Successful 2015!

BY ZACH & JODY | DEC 30, 2014 | BUSINESS, MARKETING, MISC | 10 COMMENTS

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we create them.“

- Einstein

A friend of ours had the best year ever in his business, ever.

The reason for it was talked about on this blog by the Business Insider. That post is about the top tips Andrew Carnegie used to become one of the wealthiest men of all time and was documented in the book by Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich.”

We used the exact same tips back in 2007 and it completely rocked our business and set us up for an amazing 2008!

We want to share with you our top 8 tips that took us from making $4,000 profit in 2007, to making 100 grand in 2008! These are the same tips that we now use each and every year that have helped us continually build our business and make it better time and again.

If you choose to use these simple tips, you will have a better business in 2015, so only read on if that is what you want!

1. Define your purpose.

Hill says to, “Create a plan of action and start working toward it immediately.” The way we did that was to create a vision statement for our business. We wanted to “impact couple’s marriages through photography that is relationally based, with a focus on marriage, not just their wedding day.”

Having a defined purpose (or vision) gives you a reason to get up and work at it every day. When you are working toward something that is bigger than yourself, you have purpose in your life. Now you need a Mission, or a “how” and that is where you start to create an action plan and start working toward it NOW!


2. CREATE A “MASTER-MIND ALLIANCE.”

Contact and work with people “who have what you haven’t,” Hill says.

Create a small, tight network of people that are doing what you want to do is what catapulted our business just when we needed it. We found wedding planners, photographers and a few brides that were doing the gigs we wanted (not the ones we had at the time), and demonstrated value to them.

We gave them every reason to refer us and our business exploded and we were booking like crazy. Someone already has a network, and YOU need that network.


3. GO THE EXTRA MILE


“Doing more than you have to do is the only thing that justifies raises or promotions, and puts people under an obligation to you,” writes Hill.

Use this in every aspect of every single thing you do for anyone, ever. When you do, those people will feel reciprocity and will want to do something in return for you. They will want to refer you, help you, or buy your products and services.

4. INDULGE YOUR IMAGINATION.

Dare to think beyond what’s already been done.



When we changed our business model in late 2007, I remember looking at the top 5 wedding photographers in the country and deciding we would do what they were doing, only better.

You have to allow yourself to think big, and believe big if you want big things to happen. You are what you believe so don’t think small.

5. EXERT ENTHUSIASM.

A positive attitude sets you up for success and wins the respect of others.

The more positive we thought about situations, the more those situations worked out for our good. The way you choose to think will determine the outcome of your circumstances. (Tweet this out!)


6. Concentrate your effort.

Don’t become distracted from the most important task you are currently facing.



Focus + Intensity + Time creates Momentum according to best-selling author Dave Ramsey. You need to concentrate your business, your effort, and your time into to doing what matters most and close out all other distractions.When we did this in 2007 it gave us powerful momentum that took our small city by storm. It gave the perception that we were everywhere and that made us more valuable. You can’t do that if you are not concentrating your efforts in one direction.


7. PROFIT FROM ADVERSITY.

Remember that “there is an equivalent benefit for every setback,” Hill writes.



We all fail, and we have had plenty of set-backs in our career. Use those set-backs and as opportunity to learn, adjust and more forward with more knowledge than you had before.


8. PRACTICE “APPLIED FAITH.”

Believe in yourself and your purpose so fully that you act with complete confidence.



If you don’t believe yourself, than your clients won’t either. A lack of confidence is very apparent to everyone around you and when you don’t think you are good enough, then everyone starts to believe it. Guess what? You ARE good enough. Hear that from us. Hear that you are good enough and that you CAN do this. Don’t listen to anyone else that says otherwise.



Your Chance To Respond!

Which one of these 8 Tips do you need to do the most? Start the Conversation by making a comment and let us know!We know that you are going to have an amazing 2015 and we will see you after the first of the year!!!

This is a RE-BLOG - and by no means MY work.  It is great to share their great work with other photographers. All Materials belong to Zack & Jody © 2014-2015

My Best Wishes For You!

My Best Wishes For You!

A little something to get you started...



Perhaps a bit long... But, this e-mail evoked the stimulation of emotions such as "New Year’s Resolutions"

It has become a tradition that sometimes I like to hold on to, here are a few pieces for everyone to appreciate. I try to every year select out a few things to work on and keep that list in my Tiffany Blue Book by my bedside.

2014 has finally come to an end and I recently looked at my little book and I did pretty well with my 2014 goals {Both business wise and personal}

Oh, now... This year, I've had a few challenges - it is harder coming up with a new set of daring matters that will be part on my 2015 plan. However, I enjoy doing these and here is quick questionnaire that perhaps may assist you decide on your resolutions for 2015.

Let's see...

Here are my New Year’s Resolutions for 2015

Bad habits I’m going to break:
Start my days earlier, and attain a normal schedule - I definitely need more rest!


Where do I want to travel:
DO my normal US route - But, I want to conquer new places.


I will make a better effort at:
- Creating more availability to help more in my community.
- Develop a program locally to provide printed memories to those who cannot afford to have my services such as less fortunate individuals.{ Charitable work}


What Project to finish:
- My Bridal Sketches and other illustrations
- My Sketch table - Canvas painting studio set up

What I want to do more of:
- Offer Educational Opportunities to beginner photographers
- More YOGA and walk more often.


Food-wise, what would I do:
Prepare in advance... So, I can eat better and frequently


What to wear:
Although, I have always been the pony tailed with jeans gal, I will attempt to be more-formal, more often


Work/Business Wise
Indulge in creativity for my clients and myself while continuing to grow and assist conventions/workshops , continue to inspire other and meet new clients as well as to continue developing my Commercial Division!

So, there it is.... Now it is your turn...

What are your plans and resolutions for 2014?

"How to avoid getting burnt from the latest wedding photographer trend" Re-Blog - written by Mike Allebach via Brandmash *

Re-Blog - written by Mike Allebach via Brandmash *

Ding – the email sounds an alert of an incoming message on your client’s computer. A ransom note appears warning 7 days to upgrade their gallery – or else. For less than $30 they can save their photo gallery from expiring. A short few weeks with all those cute pixels but now a strange company has taken them hostage and is demanding money. Pay up or these photos are taking a ride to the river in a beat up Cadillac to go for a swim with cement boots. And we all know pixels can’t swim. Especially after they’ve been shared, shot, sprayed and prayed at 11fps.

Thousands of photographers have used the system which boasts sharing freely and giving up on physical products in order to serve clients. Or does it?

Who does The System really serve?

In the beginning the concept of sharing photos freely sounded good. Sprinkle a little Jesus juice – as Michael Jackson called it – with words like serving and sharing and caring and loving. You’ve got something that sounds like an idyllic hippie community. Sign me up - I’d love to live in rainbowville and ride my unicorn and share photos everywhere. But then I’m reminded of M Night Shyamalan’s “The Village,” a perfect ye olde village living in harmony until it’s elders can’t maintain control. Suddenly, monsters and carcasses of dead animals start appearing everywhere. Spoiler alert. It’s a cult. Don’t mess with the village elder of a hippie commune built on sharing, eating organic food together & caring. Ugh. I digress. Just. watch. the. movie (or the trailer )

So back to ransomed pixels. No sensible business model would allow another company to step in and ask for a sale. Sure $30 isn’t that much but it is $30 your business isn’t getting. So what if a client wants to purchase a real life picture to place in a photo frame? They can buy that at rock bottom prices and you’ll get credit. It’s like those tokens you get from Chuck E. Cheese, you can put those tokens towards…paying off ransom notes for your clients!!! I’m not kidding.

How can we really serve our families?
Although we all love photography and many of us would take photos for free if we could, we all need to make a sustainable living. We might have a furry pet counting on our income or a spouse or a few bambinos. The idea that artists must be starving or freely share their art has…well…expired. I mean to earn the distinguished name of “professional photographer” and not hobbyist, you actually have to make $, right? Whether you have a high volume studio or luxury brand, each photography business can benefit by serving clients through tangible products.

How can we serve our clients?
The first step is to find out what your client really wants. The first answer usually will be “high resolution files” or something like that. Drill deeper and you’ll find out whether they want art for their walls or an album heirloom to pass down. In 10 years will they really just want those photos on a website? In 100 years, will finding a hard drive in the attic get the grandchildren excited to look at a spinning harddrive platter on a hunk of metal? Of course not. Our clients want more than digital. Our clients want mementos of love that celebrate milestones on display in their homes! Our clients already have 2,000 photos on their cellphone and a million websites they can pin, share and tweet. Give them physical items they can touch, feel, see and smell (I love that new leather album smell)!

So here is a next step…

If you haven’t tried In Person Sales (IPS) or Projection Sales. I dare you to give it a try. Shake things up. Host a viewing party. The best tool I’ve found has been Salesographer. Honestly, I’m still new to In Person Sales and Projection Sales and have gone through the material several times. It taught me the process to get out of the mindset of shoot & burn and into a more profit minded and truly client serving approach.

Let’s start treating our photography businesses like a business (not like a charity) and go back to taking pride in our work and pricing it accordingly. The best way we can serve our clients is to give them products they will cherish 10, 20…30 years from now.

Until next time, I’ll pass on this new trend and hope that making an honest living comes in vogue.

As for this article, remember…

Sharing is caring

-ma

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Mike Allebach: Founded Brandsmash as a marketing resource for small business owners with his mantra “Your story changes everything.” Communications & Marketing Director turned Photography Business owner he hosted 4 episodes of a failed webisode called brandsmashTV and writes this blog thingie. Hailed by a Rock n Roll Bride as “the Original Tattooed Bride Photographer”

This site is sponsored by lots of wonderful companies as shown in the side bar. Click on the affiliate links. Support them and you support me with $ which is better than credits or Chuck E Cheese coins. Of course you don’t have to click on a dang thing. The comments are for hate mail and love notes. Leave some.
POSTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY, UNCATEGORIZED

Cheaper is not always BETTER.

Cheaper is not always BETTER - KNOW the difference! 

Had to re-post this - while I discussed this with friends this a.m and they could not agree more with me.. 

Although they do not live here, this is their story: 

Parents had a 'friend' do their photography as a 'gift' for their day - Photographer was someone who was not a seasoned, full time 'wedding photographer - That said - the pictures were just snapshots.. no editing.. just pictures - The bride's words: Looked like pictures were taken with a point and shoot" Well as a result my friends have no canvas {pics resolution were too low} - NO Wedding Album - The 'friend" had no idea how to put one together and the pictures did not have the 'quality' for an album.

They, however did get a disc and they printed most of their pictures at 'Costco' - they were not happy with the quality of the paper. All I can see in their faces was sadness and a sense of 'We wished we had invested in a good photos" look.

Well - I guess SOMETIMES - 'CHEAPER' is not better 

Here is my little article on this topic...

Your Wedding Day.. Ahhh {bliss!} - You have waited for this moment almost all of your life... And now, here comes the planning... And along with all preparations, it is a good time to start shopping for a photographer - after all you do not want to trust those images to some hobbyist who "loves to take pictures" or someone in your party with a point-n-shoot {usually a good hearted friend}, right? 

If you are reading this blog, you have probably landed here and the title has caught your eye - I am so glad you've decided to check out this article, because finding a wedding photographer can be a bit overwhelming. 

I know, prices range from almost nothing (friends with cameras, the hobbyist) to prices as high as $30K-50K dollars!! And no! This figure is not a typo. I can let you in a little secret, since you got this far - 

Good wedding photography is not cheap, but it is the most important investment you will make on your special day.. It is not an expense {key word} you are investing a lot into your big day. In easier terms, when your wedding venue is over, the food will be eaten, the transportation will be returned, tuxes taken back and the dress and decorations packed away (possibly will never worn or used again - my gown is pretty in a box). Now, your photos, Ah {Smile} - these are usually the only remaining evidence of all the hard work you put into your wedding day. 

What we are saying is, that If you are hiring a wedding photographer, just make sure you hire a photographer that you are comfortable with and feel like you can actually trust to take on your day personally.\Even if it is not our booked wedding, just make sure you are truly confident they can handle the work load, the day, the guest, the lighting {that their gear can handle most lighting situations?} etc and treat you and your party with respect. Professional photographers, we come in all shapes and sizes. We all have various levels of experience and education. 

So to say not all wedding photographers are created equal. We can say that we are not the low end cheap, but we are not the most expensive either. We do shot many weddings, and have multiple PRO camera bodies, PRO lenses and flashes, and we are ready for anything, for example if one of our cameras break down, you can trust we have backups, again not missing a moment. And this is exactly what you want when you are hiring a photographer. 

Also, do not forget planning for the worst, is your photographer affiliated? Do they have insurance? What is the contract read? Are they professional? When you first met - Were they dressed appropriately to your interview? With my wedding packages, there are always two of us taking photos. I've used other photographers before, but the second photographer is USUALLY my husband. 

We love what we do and we have fun shooting weddings. Honestly, we are so grateful to work with so many couples who truly understand the value behind our craft. And we have created some pretty sweet relationships as well as with the many clients that we have photographed. Sometimes in conversations with friends and colleagues, we are always amazed at some of the horror stories we hear about their wedding photographers and the stuff we come across in social media. There are of course lots of talented photographers too, but, the way of handling your day's captures are different. So, it is important to meet and survey the professional photographers you are considering for your special day. 

Not everyone is a good fit ( whether be for you {client} OR the photographer). Your overall experience is an important factor for all those involved, when you have a great rapport. For some reason if you are not comfortable with their style. Do not settle. Find someone that you will be comfortable with, remember they will be on your every moment on your day. Keep in mind that good professional photographers get booked real FAST! Make sure they are not double booking on your day or taking other sessions during your day. A story last year we had to turn away 5 brides requesting wedding dates in September and November. 

We simply could not shoot them because we were already booked - our attention is solely to you, and if hiring someone - expect nothing less! If you find someone you really like, make sure you get in touch with them as soon as possible. If for example, our style suits your taste - send a message - even if not in the area... {hint} Perhaps, you are just researching - give us a ring- or Skype with us and feels like you would would just like to come by and visit. 

We would be glad to let you look more closely the work we do, and our process and see if you like what I offer. Goodness! I never imagined I could really write this long blog, but I know it has gotten longer than intended. 

Final words - When hiring a professional wedding photographer just make sure you like them as a person/people and you can tell a lot by first impressions. So, If you are a fit {like peas in a pod} you will likely click with them during your day and it will reflect in the outcome of your photos. 

Also, make sure they have good gear and backups to handle your wedding and most lighting situations. (Plus, make sure they actually know how to use it!) If you're not having an outdoor wedding with a nice cloud cover and a brightly lit reception, you might run into issues. 

Saying that also, make sure you like their past work and this perhaps will be the best predictor of the outcome. So, even if their price might be right, but their style might be wrong... 

Cheaper is NOT always better. Sometimes cheaper is just CHEAP and the product will be shown and discussed for times to come among friends and family....True story! Remind me to tell you when we meet! Now, there is a lot of work ahead... Let's plan YOUR day!

Allie

www.alliemillerweddings.com

AVOIDING DEBT on YOUR NEW PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

AVOIDING DEBT 
YOUR NEW PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

Time for a new blog in perspectives,  and while reviewing some of PPA/Benchmark PDFs - This is one was so  worth re-reading, due to the reason many new self started business fail... they are in debt before they produce profits. So, I felt it was a relevant topic for my blog this week! 

New as well as aspiring photographers often are seduced by that old saying : "you have to spend money to make money.    In my experience Don’t spend it unless you can afford to spend it."

I am a believer, that in this world of evolving technology and new photographers in the field, we must all come together and share our experiences, and this why I enjoy writing  these topics so that others appreciate what some of us have gone through ...  

In the PPA/Benchmark article, Ann Monteith gives some great suggestions that I have followed , and proven to have work so far. Here are my thoughts:

• Don’t go full time until you have developed a following among your target market (which means gaining client referrals) and developed consistent cash flow from your part-time business and an efficient workflow that assures on-time product delivery. It takes time to build a new business (usually between two and five years), and most experts agree that a photographer should be grossing between $50,000 and $100,000 annually before it is wise to consider a full-time home-based business, or $150,000 to $200,000 annually before considering a  full-time retail-location business.

          Although, my NOW full time job is my PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS... Like a lot of us, I did work over 120hrs a week between photography and a regular full time job for over a year, until I realized that my business was not only bringing in more income than the FT job I had in healthcare, but I was beginning to turn away photo-clients due to my assigned shifts at work.  
A time for a decision had arrived and I was not totally ready mentally, because I have always had a job while photography had been my enjoyment on time off and never thought of as a business... I am two years in and also I have relocated, it took a lot of work to get established where I lived in the East Coast {Wilmington, NC}, but this new relocation to Southern Utah, has brought on a whole new business revamping plan on all levels and I am really happy for this change, I feel like I have started again and not fearful of failure, but happy for the new opportunities that have opened in the West Coast and the growth.  Although, this year I will be traveling for assignments, these are opportunities that  had no open, would I have not taken a leap to leave that job.

THE BENCHMARK: Guard your cash. Too many photographers manage their businesses by checkbook balance: If there is money in the checkbook, they spend it; if not, they start to worry. A business plan that includes a cash-flow forecast will help you know when to expect lulls in your business that will require funding.Understanding normal business cycles will help you to conserve cash to cover those lean times.

• Budget your start-up expenses (cameras, lights, computers, software, props, furnishings, etc.) very carefully. Even if you have the cash to purchase an item, make sure it is money you can afford to lose, as no small business is a sure thing.

         This is reality guys. Nothing in my business is financed. Everything has been paid for and all the work I have placed in the business, its profits went to acquire everything that feeds my business, and this has been... Education, lighting equipment, props, equipment {cameras, batt-packs, lenses} memberships and associations, insurance, hardware, software etc. and more lately, conventions and travel and higher end marketing. In my other blog that speaks about having that Homes-Studio... That has helped tremendously, I am always looking for ways to avoid debt.  

THE BENCHMARK: Budget your capital investments carefully. 

Too much debt is a business killer.

• If you must borrow to make these purchases, create a prioritized budget for equipment essentials, as well as a few key marketing pieces, professional association membership, and professional education. &• If you decide to borrow for your start-up items, investigate lending options. Avoid using high-interest credit cards. Cap your borrowing budget at a level that you can pay back within 24 months using personal resources, in case you do not have enough positive cash flow from the business.
  
  

          I have avoided this step, unless it becomes a necessary, I stay away from borrowing to make any purchases - Once you have the essentials, a good rule of thumb is to purchase only those extras that you can pay for within 12 months.

THE BENCHMARK:  Start a reinvestment fund. Set aside a portion of each sales dollar in a reinvestment fund   for new capital expenditures.

Some resources have been used for this blog - provided by PPA.COM/BENCHMARK -  and the reviews have been provided by Allie Miller |AMillerFoto - PHOTOGRAPHY - Southern Utah Photographer

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