Photography is 20% photography and 80% business. Even the world’s best photographers could be getting NO business and it has nothing to do with your work. Learn my best tips for getting your business up and running!
You decided to follow your passion and start a photography business or hobby, but your pictures aren’t improving, all your sessions are free sessions and you can’t get your name out to anyone besides your family. Well, I have some tips for you on how to become a better photographer that helped me start Kylee Ann Photography and get where I am today. Running a Photography Business is not easy, but it is so rewarding. These are my favorite tips to improve your photography FAST!
SCHEDULE EVERYTHING
Like any home-based business, a photography business can be extremely time consuming. I claim to be a “stay-at-home-mom” even though between the playing, feeding, bathing and cleaning I am photographing, editing, marketing, print ordering, website updating, blogging and emailing. While staying at home, I am actually working all week. Sometimes I am up half the night and sometimes I have to multitask with 3-4 things at a time all-day long to get things done. It can be exhausting.
We cannot always control when we work, but we can control when we don’t work. Schedule your blogs, Facebook posts, dinners, days off, shoot days, edit days, time with your family, time away from your phone and computer, friend time, date nights, grocery runs, errand & cleaning days… SCHEDULE SHEDULE SHEDULE! We may not have 9-5 jobs but we can create a schedule so our business doesn’t consume our entire existence.
CREATE SYSTEMS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
Every part of your business should be duplicable! EVERYTHING needs to be step-by-step so you can create a consistent & reliable business. You should create:
- Email Templates for Your Inquiries
- A Checklist to Keep Track of Clients
- A Session Workflow – e.g. my family go: 1 posed shot, 2 kid shots, 3 play shots, 4 couple shots
- A Post-Session Workflow
- A Sales-Session Workflow
(You can find ALL our Systems in the Left Brain Photographer Class in the Our Photog Blog Membership)
GET EDUCATED
Just because you didn’t go to school for business doesn’t mean you can’t get an education in business. Some things you can do to educate yourself are to read books, read ebooks, attend conferences & workshops, learn from experienced photographers, and ask questions!
1. READ BOOKS
There are SO many options out there. Some of my absolute favorites that have drastically improved my business:
2. READ EBOOKS
3. ATTEND CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS
This is SO important. The knowledge on photography, business, marketing, and customer service will blow you away and change your business forever! And an added bonus, you will meet other photographers who are in the same boat you are as well as more experienced ones. I have met lifelong friends and role models. These 4 have been the most beneficial for me and Kylee Ann Photography:
- WPPI | Las Vegas | March
- Photo Native | Utah | February
- Kylee Ann Sleepover
- United | Arizona | November
4. LEARN FROM EXPERIENCED PHOTOGRAPHERS
Did you know that most professional photographers are actually giving away at least their TOP 10% of photography and business education for FREE?? Mind blowing right. What are you even still doing sitting there! Go to different photographers pages and find their blog feeds. They have information specifically for YOU!
After you have read, learned, and practiced the majority of free information given to you, find your favorite photographer and see what else they have to offer. My Photog Blog Shop literally has EVERYTHING anyone would ever need to know to do exactly what I am doing. And other photographers offer the same thing!
5. ASK QUESTIONS
You are going to want some photography friends. Not only will you be able have someone to talk about the struggles of running a business with, but you can ask each other questions and learn! I want to invite you to join our Facebook Group Photography Community. Find friends & ask questions!
Running a Photography Business
Kylee started Kylee Ann Photography 9 years ago, and has since grown from a one woman amateur show to a full associate team. We shoot 50-75 weddings a year, and thrive on kindness and service. After a year of teaching Intro to Photography at the local technical college, she discovered that helping other entrepreneurs create thriving businesses is what fires her up! She hosts semi-annual Kylee Ann Sleepovers all over the US, speak at conferences and teach online courses about running a small business and marketing.
February 16, 2017
Kylee Maughan
