Here is my latest blog post for Fuel Your Photography.
10.24The Daily Snapshot
Every company and every brand has a story. Make your story worth telling.
10.23The Daily Snapshot
Tiffany & Co. doesn’t sell jewelry… They sell the “blue box”. What product or service are you really selling?
10.22The Daily Snapshot
10.21Back In Action!
Wow! I can’t believe how long it has been since I’ve updated the blog here… I’ve been super busy these past few months working with corporate clients and planning an out-of-town wedding. (I got married on October 10th!)
I’ve also been busy writing the majority of the Business blog posts at Fuel Your Photography.
The new year is fast approaching and I want to help you ensure that 2010 is the best year ever for your photography business!
Stay tuned!
darkroomRYAN
3. Building Blocks & Your Entourage
Welcome to Part 3 of 7 in the Business Planning for Photographers series! The main purpose for this section is to get you to think of who is in your “Entourage”, i.e. Who will be helping you succeed in your Photography business. This post will cover some suggestions and resources for you to create your Entourage.
I. The Business Side of Things
A successful company should have people that represent the core elements of business in their “Entourage”. At a minimum, you should have an Accountant (CPA), and a lawyer to help you with taxes and legal concerns. Others that would fit into this category include: a Graphic & Web Designer, a local Chamber of Commerce representative, an Event Planner, and someone to help you with your Sales & Marketing efforts (cough, cough… haha).
II. The Photography Side of Things
You should also develop a tight network of other photographers that you trust. They can share with you some ideas that they are doing in their market, and you can adapt those ideas to your business. This is a two-way street though – So you also have to be willing to share and help out the photographers you selected to be in your network.
III. The Vendor Side of Things
You should develop close relationships with the vendors you use. This ranges from the people you rent or purchase your camera equipment from, to the people that manufacture the albums you use, to other vendors you come across at events – i.e. Florists, Cinematographers, and Catering Companies.
The idea is that you should try to surround yourself with people that can help your with your business, and provide guidance when it is needed. So break out a piece of paper, or open that MacBook Pro and start creating a list of people that you can include in your “Entourage”. Up next in this series is the Sales & Marketing section!
2. Who Are You???
Welcome to Part 2 of 7 in the Business Planning for Photographers series! This should be one of the shorter and easier sections for you to complete in your Business Plan. In this post, we will cover 3 topics that will be in your Company Description section of your Business Plan. Those 3 topics are: Company Overview, Nature of Your Photography Business, and Primary Success Factors.
I. Company Overview
Without going into the weeds too much, this is simply a high level look at how all of your Photography services and products fit together. Specifics to cover include:
- Your background and experience as a Photographer
- A list of all of the Photography services you offer
- A list of all of the Photography products you offer
- Accomplishments – i.e. Awards won, Speaker at WPPI Convention, etc…
- Other skills that you possess that could benefit you as a Photographer – i.e. Photoshop, Marketing degree, etc…
- Why you decided to become a Photographer
II. Nature of Your Photography Business
This section of your Business Plan answers the question: Why are you in business??? Specifically, describe the supply and demand of your target market, and how your products and services will meet those demands. For example, a newly engaged couple has a need for Engagement photos. How will your Products and Services satisfy this need? Are there specific Engagment Packages you offer? Please be as detailed as possible for all aspects of your target market’s needs.
III. Primary Success Factors
Why should someone hire you versus another Photographer? This is where you detail all of the competitive advantages that you have over other Photographers in your target market. Feel free to review your answers from the Competitive Analysis section in Part 1 of this series to help you out.
Again, take your time in filling out all of these sections. If you rush through or skip certain sections, you are only cheating yourself… Up next in this series is Building Blocks & Your Entourage. Stay tuned!