Are you treating your business like a business?
Let’s talk about what treating your business like a business can look like.
✨ You have boundaries
✨ You have clear policies in place
✨ You set goals and check-ins with yourself
✨ You are an expert and show your expertise
✨ You have sustainable and respected pricing
✨ You are communicating in professional ways
✨ You are the CEO of your business and understand the ins and outs of it
Boundaries are incredibly important not only for your business but also the experience your clients have and the sanity of your personal life.
Starting with regular hours of operation that your clients can expect to communicate with you is a great first step and it establishes a routine everyone can follow.
You can also make the methods you want clients to use while communicating with you such as emailing or scheduled calls. You aren’t texting clients at 11pm- or even allowing your clients to text you/fb message you all hours of the night. If your getting late night texts this is a huge sign that you are lacking respect from your clients- and they aren’t treating you like a real business.
Do you have your policies and procedures in place and communicate what that policy means to potential clients? The way you build policies and accurately talk on those policies will help set realistic and honest expectations for potential clients rather than putting yourself in a sticky situation down the road.
Photographers are frequently thrown into the category of hobbyists rather than legitimate business owners. If you decide that you want to build your business into a profitable and sustainable portrait brand, it is going to require your time and commitment.
Committing to setting goals and holding yourself accountable through regular check-ins will keep you on track throughout the year. Just as you set work hours and boundaries with your clients, you should also set work hours throughout the week to focus on marketing, finances, goal setting and client experience.
Computer and behind the scenes work isn’t the only method we have to keep in check when ensuring we are showing up in your business.
You also have to communicate clearly and frequently with clients to help prepare them for their upcoming portraits and invest in wall art during their reveal. If you are not accurately communicating with your clients, through problem solving skills and your ability to wear multiple hats, you could struggle with unhappy clients.
Sitting down to find the many touchpoints on investment and experience with clients is a quick and simple way to audit your workflow and understand where you may need to commit more time to client communication.
Are you scheduling work hours for yourself to stay on task, set goals and be the CEO of your portrait business? If you struggle with frequently unhappy or confused clients, it may be time to audit your workflow.
You may know where you need to show up and treat your portrait business like a business, and you may have hours set and have an understanding of where you need to show up, but do you know how to bring everything together into a perfect bow?
Do you have sustainable and respected pricing? In all honesty, the price you charge greatly impacts the way your clients treat you.
People tend to associate price with quality of your work– so they assume if they are investing more money that you must be really good at what you do- and respect your expertise.
If you are cheap, you assert yourself as “just getting started” or as a “hobby photographer” and chances are people are going to be weary or wonder if you are really good at what you are doing.
You need to assert yourself as the expert and showcase your expertise in the way you speak to your clients, handle their experience through the way you lead them + you are also showing up as an expert online, in your marketing strategy, and in the community.
Finally, you have to communicate in a professional way through office hours, dedicated forms of communication and speaking to your clients clearly to ensure they understand what to expect working with you. If you are asserting yourself as a true business owner and communicating with your clients in an honest, professional manner, you are on a positive path towards showing up and treating your business with respect.
Have you found a few areas in your business that may be lacking your presence? Now is a great time to take a deeper look into how you can make tweaks to solve both your client and your own struggles before they begin!
If you liked what you read today, make sure you check out our podcast for photographers where new episodes are released every Monday to help educate photographers on building profitable and sustainable portrait businesses!
Are you ready to make a change and take control of the future of your business? Applications for our Educational Community for Photographers are open for upcoming openings!
What are photographers saying about Master Your Mind & Money?