
Don’t drive yourself crazy. Instead, take a hard look at the way you’ve been running your photography business and consider the alternatives for a better outcome. A new year is your chance to refresh and reset your business. Since the new year is right around the corner, now is the time to assess, refresh and restart.
in ∙ san ∙ it ∙ y
/inˈsanədē/
noun
(Business) Doing the same thing again and again expecting to get different results or a different outcome
Here are our 7 tips to start your business off right in 2023.
1. Organize Your Calendar
One of the best ways to organize your session schedule is to use an online scheduling system. Organizing your calendar can save you time, but it can also boost your bookings.
Online scheduling systems save you time because it automates your bookings by:
- Allowing clients to book a date/time for their session from the appointment dates/times you set up
- Sends confirmation emails to clients once they book their sessions
- Sends reminder emails to clients about their sessions
- Sends questions you have for them to answer (like a client session pose questionnaire)
- Sends contracts to booked clients for them to sign and return to you
Organizing your calendar with an online scheduling system has a trickle-down effect on your sessions with clients and your business because emails:
- Clearly define session expectations
- State the session date/time/location
- Provide clothing inspiration
- Upsell to other session types or photography services you offer
2. Reflect & Plan for Change
Take some time to reflect on how your business performed in 2022. Review things like:
- Revenue
- Profit
- # of revenue streams you have
- How many proposals went out
- Your close ratio
- If it’s time to add members to your team
- If it is time for a brand refresh
- What processes, software, or systems worked
- What didn’t work
For the things that worked for your business, continue doing those (obviously). For the things that did not work for your business, see the definition of insanity (above).
Think of ways you can do things differently. Can you change your business processes? Do you need to find new software that does more for your business? Is there a better way/system you can use to streamline your business processes?
Write down the changes you want to make or the issues you want to address. Write down how to make the changes (if you know). For changes, you want to make but aren’t sure how yet, you now have a working list to research solutions or changes.
3. Commit to S.M.A.R.T. Goals for 2023
S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Write down 2-3 S.M.A.R.T. business goals to strive for in 2023. We’re more apt to achieve our business goals (achievable) when we write them down so put pen to paper on this one.
Choose 2-3 goals because it’s unrealistic to think you can accomplish it all (Be realistic).
- Here is an example of a S.M.A.R.T. goal:
- What is a SMART goal statement example?
- Measurable: I will have 60 sessions in 12 months.
- Achievable: I will have at least 2 sessions per week.
- Relevant: I want to take my business full-time in the next 12 months.
- Timely: I will start my sessions on January 1st and finish on December 31.
4. Consolidate & Automate
Automating the business side of your photography business saves you time, money, and even headaches. Consolidating the systems you use can do the same. Instead of having software for invoicing, another for scheduling, and yet another for sending out emails, consolidate all these different businesses processes into one system,
Small business systems like 17hats have all the tools you need to run your business on autopilot – and you can consolidate to one system in the process. In addition to having an online scheduler like we talked about earlier, you can:
- Collect payments online
- Automate invoicing
- Proposal management
- Automate contracts
- Set up email templates and auto-response emails
- Contact management
- Lead management
- And more
5. Website Refresh
Let’s face it. Your website is likely the first stop for a prospective client. This time of year is the perfect time to review your website, refresh your website, and to make sure your website is totally up to date.
Make sure your website is:
- Appealing
- Easy to navigate
- Interesting and engaging
- Mobile-friendly
- Optimized for speed
- Search Engine Optimized
While the information and text you have on your website absolutely must be up to date, for a photographer, so do your images. Images can scream so much louder than words, especially in your line of work. Make sure the images, sessions, and pictures are current and reflect your best work.
6. Refresh Your Strategy
Investigate things your audience is most interested in and trends. Making these discoveries helps you align your offerings with the wants and needs of your clients. Optimize your service offerings to match what your research uncovered. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can help create more targeted and effective sales strategies.
7. Review Pricing
Many photographers use the new year to increase pricing. Of course, you shouldn’t just raise prices to increase prices. Ensure you are charging a similar cost to your direct competitors, your operating expenses, and the demand for your services. You should also consider that the price you are charging aligns with your revenue goals and inflation.
A new year and a fresh start for your business are right around the corner. Take the time now to review, assess, and plan for your business refresh so that you start off the new year right.