Photography Business Secrets: The Savvy Photographer's Guide to Sales, Marketing, and More by Lara White

Author:Lara White
Language: eng
Format: epub

Internal Organization

When starting out, you most likely are working solo. That means you are the one to meet with clients, send out contracts, receive payments, shoot sessions, edit photos, package up products, update the blog and Facebook, answer the phone and emails, and handle sales and marketing.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of creating your well-oiled machine.

Create a Schedule

Schedule activities and batch them to save time. Instead of jumping from one little task to the next, you batch process similar activities at one time. This means you open the software once or have all the necessary tools out and take care of repeat tasks all at the same time.

When you package prints, for example, you need to get out tape, labels, wrapping paper, tissue, boxes, and stickers. You probably write little notes and need to locate client addresses as well. Instead of packaging one print at a time as each comes in, set aside print orders and package them once a week.

Here are some activities I recommend setting aside specific time for each week:

• Bookkeeping

• Culling and editing images

• Client meetings

• Following up with potential clients

• Marketing

For example, I set aside Tuesdays and Thursdays for client meetings. There is prep time involved in getting ready for a consultation, and client meetings probably require you to dress for the occasion. By keeping meetings limited to certain days each week, you save time by prepping for several meetings at once, and dressing professionally on those specific days.

Monday mornings are when I sit down and review my potential client inquiries. By making this a regular activity, you stay on top of inquiries and get more bookings. You can find more tips for staying organized and tracking leads on my PhotoMint blog at photomint.com.

I also set aside one day each month to review marketing. On that morning, I check the progress of marketing activities and that afternoon is dedicated to implementing new strategies.

Organize Your Space

As your business grows, you will accumulate more stuff to keep track of. You’ll need a place to store gear, files, and office supplies. Carve out regular times to organize your space. Not only does this save you time, it also creates a feeling of peace and harmony in your work life.

• Clear off your desktop once a week. Sort through those bits of paper, file client notes, organize tasks into lists, update records, and so forth.

• Use binders. Binders are a great place to keep track of client inquiries if your business is mostly based in the office. Make client inquiry forms and keep them in the binder, so when a prospective client calls you can grab the binder and input all their contact information, notes, and dates in one place. Each week, review the binder to follow up on leads.

• Make client folders. Create a file for each new client you book. Use it to store all related paperwork such as contracts, inquiry notes, package details, and so forth. You can also store most of this information online by using studio management software or an online storage system like Dropbox.

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