Although many of you may not have the opportunity to take part in my consulting services due to the waiting list, I thought it would be helpful if I shared some tidbits from the different observations I have had in the event it will be able to translate to anything you are struggling with. Feedback, comments are always welcome!
One the three of my very first consulting clients is a lovely young photographer who moved from the east coast to the west coast, trying out new ideas and enthusiastic about her life ahead. She is newly married, and looking for some general direction about how to get started with being successful as a wedding and portrait photographer. Much of her work, so far, has been centered around weddings and that is where a majority of her revenue comes from. Eventually, she would like to have a studio storefront in a cute area of her new hometown downtown and work full time as a professional photographer.
Sometimes when the landscape is wide open, that can feel as confusing as when your choices are narrowed down to just a few specific decisions. I encouraged "I moved: now what?" to think about her long term personal goals, and helped her to break down those goals into specific things she can be doing now to be where she wants to be in 3-5 years. Even something as simple as "I'd like to book 30 weddings at an average of $3,000 by the end of 2009" is a helpful goal to have as a sticky on your computer or near your desk, so each day you know what you are aiming for. Remember that goals should always be SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Time-oriented
And I find goal-setting, in general, is something that most photographers forget to prioritize in the midst of web redesign, lightroom, branding, and new lenses.
Also, when moving to a new area it's always important to try to network with other local business. A chamber of commerce, small business association, charity drive and even just getting out of the house with a laptop and going to the same coffee shop every day will help you meet more regulars. The most important thing is to 'get out there' because you no longer have the family and friends network of your hometown, which most people underestimate but is very powerful to have as a business owner.
There were many other aspects to the conversations I shared with "I moved: Now what?" but here are just a few that I thought might be helpful to you in your journeys. Consulting services are available on a wait-list basis and have limited availablilty per month.
Hey Laura
Great entry. I'm one of those slashers (Healthcare Consultant/Photographer) you mentioned in a previous blog entry.
I love this article because I practice LEAN/Six Sigma consulting and utilize both MOST problem statements and SMART goal solutions.
Keep inspiring us all.
Regards,
Carl
Posted by: Carl Reid | January 31, 2009 at 07:38 AM