I’ve been mentoring fellow photographers and writing for great photography forums and magazines for a while but somehow I very rarely share photography business advice on my own blog.  I decided to change that so moving forward I will be posting business articles here as well.  So if you are an aspiring photographer or a working professional looking to get better at the business end of running a photography business (after all, who does NOT want to get better?!) check out this blog from time to time for useful articles on everything – from pricing to workflow and lots of stuff in between!

I love photography. And I also love the business side of running a photography business. Having had my business since 2008 I’ve developed a number of business habits that made me efficient and (knock on wood!) successful.

1. Set financial goals, a budget and track expenses

I am sure most of us got into this business because we love photography, because it is our passion. However, photography business is still a business and as such, it should make money. To make money (and more importantly to keep it) you should have: 1) financial goals: so you know what you’re working toward, 2) budgets: so that you know how much you’re planning to spend, and 3) expense tracking to know how you’re actually doing. I recommend tracking your expenses on a monthly basis. Then if there’s an issue (e.g. your actual expenses are higher than planned, etc.) you can address it immediately.

2. Delegate

I am pretty sure most of us started our photo businesses as a one-person show. We wear many different hats; we are photographer, editor, PR, graphic designer, admin, packager, etc., and sometimes it’s hard to give up that control. But there are only so many hours in the day and your time is best used in the area crucial to your business growth. It may be hard to pay someone to do the work you know you can do but you should think about how much time it will save you and in return how much time you can invest back in your business. (Examples include admin activities, bookkeeping, photo editing, even selling!)

3. Send out an e-newsletter

This is one of the easiest and best things I think you can do for your business. Think about it as free advertising. It allows you to share anything you want with your clients: specials you may have going on, new product offerings, calls to action (e.g. time to start booking fall sessions is now), etc. It’s a great way to showcase your recent sessions so your clients remember just how awesome you are. Start with quarterly newsletter and when you get more comfortable with them, consider moving to a monthly basis.

4. Create and follow a business workflow

A standard business workflow is a great tool; it guides you through what needs to be done for each client and ensures each client gets the best customer service. It helps you make sure you’re not reinventing the wheel for every client or missing any important steps.

To create a workflow, use a word document, a whiteboard or even a notepad to keep track of your steps. Here’s a list you may want to include:

• Send out initial email (and follow)
• Send out contract and invoice
• Once session is booked, mail session packet (digital or physical)
• Confirm session details a week prior to a session
• Post a sneak peek after a session
• Edit images
• Send out email about a viewing session (for in-person sales) or online gallery
• Once the order is placed send out an order confirmation emails with timeline for the order/next steps
• Deliver/mail order
• Send out final follow up email

5. Use standard email responses

If you look at your emails to/from clients you will notice that a lot of them are similar. How many times do you find yourself sending the same (or very similar) emails over and over again? Emails that provide info for sessions, gallery availability, order summaries, etc. are pretty standard and writing these from scratch takes a lot of time. It makes sense to write them once (create a template) and then modify when necessary. Note that I love my standard emails but I also make sure to start and finish each email with a personalized note specific to a client.

6. Set business hours

When you own your business you want to provide the best customer service possible and that can feel like you’re on call all the time. Just because you can answer an email or edit images at any hour does not mean you should do it. Having set business hours, even if you don’t have a physical store-front, is a great way to get more efficient and create boundaries between your work and home life. What those hours are depends on you and your situation. If photography is your full time business and you plan to work 40 hours a week then 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. may be great hours for you. If you are a primary caregiver to your children and work around their schedule then hours when the kids are in school (or down for a nap or asleep) are good hours for you. Within these business hours set time to edit, answer emails, work on your marketing, blog, etc. And then do your best not to work and be present in your life.

7. Create and follow a marketing plan

A marketing plan is your high-level plan for a year. It helps you map out all your promotions in advance so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Creating a marketing plan may sound complex but in reality it is pretty straightforward. Simply list all the campaigns and specials you want to do, plan out when you want to do them and what tasks that are needed to get them done! I recommend creating a marketing plan in January, when things generally tend to slow down. It’s a great time to plan out your year.