Friday

How to Manage a Small Photography Business During the Holidays

How to Manage a Small Photography Business During the Holidays

If you landed here, chances are, you probably are wondering how in the world one person can manage so much during regular seasons, much less, someone managing the holidays.  Being that Asheville is one of the top destination wedding locations in the US and the fact that I'm a wedding photographer, this is one of the busiest times of year for me.  So managing all the normal day to day tasks is hardly easy.  So with over 14 years of experience, I put together a few things that really help me manage this time.

  1. Set a schedule.  Because like everyone else, you deserve some time to yourself, your family, and to recharge.  So set a "work schedule."  For instance, if you're a photographer like me, I like to make "shooting days" and "editing days."  And I always always always turn off my notifications from email one day a week.  I'm always available via phone and text in case of an emergency.  I shoot on specific days and editing days are where I put my favorite jams on and sit down to tackle the so important, yet time consuming task of editing/perfecting images.
  2. Outsource.  Yep, if you look at incredibly successful businesses, you may notice that they have finance managers, department managers, operations managers, etc.  The same goes for small businesses.  Start at your least favorite task and outsource that.  And slowly pick off things that seem like they are not manageable any longer and focus on sending those tasks to someone who loves doing them.  This does two things: frees up your time to do the things YOU love to do, while giving those tasks to someone who also loves to do those things or runs their small business by doing them. Some of my outsourced items: housework, laundry, and cooking.  Only good can come of that, and I tip my hat to all things good. ;) And my husband is VERY thankful I outsource the cooking!
  3. Set realistic expectations for your clients.  If you are like me and your busier in the fall, your turnarounds may change.  Be sure to relay that information to your clients so they aren't left wondering what the hold up is.  It's ok for things to take longer if you have more on your plate, but it's not ok to ignore emails and not give your clients a heads up on the those changed times. I always give my clients a timeframe of when to expect their images and have never missed a date.
And most importantly, you're doing amazing.  Give yourself a break.  Have a glass of wine, a shot of Feudshine moonshine, or treat yourself to a nice dinner.  You deserve it.

And because I can't have a post without a couple beautiful images, enjoy this sweet eye candy of Megan's bridal portrait session in downtown Asheville! <3  

Until next time-
Corey