Archive for the ‘What I wish I had known’ Category

Taxes | What I Wish I had Known

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle”~Winston Churchill

I wish I would have know a little bit more about the dreaded thing called TAXES! I know my husband is a CPA, but the last thing that he wants to do is HELP me after he is done with work. Especially during his BUSY season! So I did purchase Quickbooks a couple of years ago, but I still don’t fully understand it. You see I have watched tutorials online and YUP…still don’t get it! So I want to tell you about this amazing program that I invested in just recently that is fairly simple… It is called PIXIFI!  It is created for photographers/videographers/small business owners. It is super easy to input your income/expenses. Now the BEST advice I can tell you is to keep it up to date! Because if you don’t you will have a mess. And remember YOU are running a business. Yes…not a HOBBY, but a BUSINESS! So my business goal this year is to actually make some money for my family and I to go on more trips together! You know my most prized possessions are my children:) So you really should invest in the program PIXIFI if you are contemplating something to keep your business in order! It even let’s you send online contracts for your clients to sign! How awesome is that in this world of technology? So get yourself together and all in order with PIXIFI and an AWESOME TAX ACCOUNTANT! You won’t regret it come January. I promise… :)

Educate yourself | What I wished I had known

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

“Other people may be there to help us, teach us, guide us along our path, but the lesson to be learned is always ours.”

Something that has been beneficial to my business is that I have taken the opportunities that have been out there to educate myself! There are lots of free ways to get education on various photography topics, from camera settings to branding/marketing. I have many different sites that I go to learn more. Some of them are the fabulous photographers Zach & Jody Gray. They have Tuesday Tips and Tricks and it is very helpful for learning lots of new information. Make sure you sign up for their newsletter too for some awesome monthly goodness :) I also follow Justin & Mary Marantz regularly. They also have lots of great information to learn from (their newest segment was their live chat, now available for purchase). There are lots of forums out there too that can get you more information probably than you might want to know (Clickin’ Moms, Pictage, etc.). Another great photographer to follow is Dane Sanders. He has multiple videos that you can watch when the are played live or re-watch them at your own convenience. Trust me…they are phenomenal.

I also invested in the the DVD’s by Photo Vision. They send them out every 2 months and they are filled with lots of valuable information from some amazing photographers in the community. You should definitely purchase these to help your business.

Another great place to educate yourself is join a group on facebook. There are many such as Photographers Unleashed, Showiteers, Inspire smart success.

I also blog stalk these great photographers to see all there in’s and out’s. I leave lots of blog love on the sites too! You just never know…someday they might just comment on your blog;)

If you are in need of some help also don’t be afraid to speak up and just ask. There are lots of willing photographers out there.

I hope that I have given you a few links of great people that have influenced me in my journey as a photographer, that will be beneficial to you and your business. And if you have more questions answered on where to go to get started or anything photography….please don’t hesitate to ask. I would LOVE to help you be SUCCESSFUL!

If you are new here… leave me a comment and tell me your new found secret to success. I would love to hear and just maybe it might be something that I haven’t thought about doing or give that blog-stalker an inspirational idea!

Rangefinder | What I wish I had known

Monday, September 26th, 2011

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”~Jim Rohn

I just want to share something with you all this Monday. A friend of mine shared this with me when I was just starting out. It is this great magazine called Rangefinder. It has lots of helpful information that is totally FREE! And who doesn’t love FREE? All you have to do is go to the site and register and you will be receiving Rangefinder in your mailbox.


How to get those clients | What I wish I had known

Monday, September 12th, 2011

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”~Proverbs 3:5-6

So now that you are learning your manual settings on your camera…now how do you get those clients? You need to ASK your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. They are your BEST clients. They will be the ones to help you out and they love to spread your name to others. I don’t at this time charge my family, but did charge my friends and co-workers when I first started out and still do charge them. You can choose to do whatever you feel comfortable charging, but remember that you are a novice. If you don’t charge your clients or charge them very little, please remember to tell them that your planned pricing for new customers and tell them that pricing will increase when you photograph them again.

You can also get clients by asking a daycare if you could do their school portraits. You can ask a ball team to photograph the teams portraits. You could ask a couple to do some fun shots of them together. The possibilities are endless. Just remember to stay professional in whatever you choose to do.  Also many photographers choose a speciality and stick with it. Whether it is weddings, seniors, kids, newborns, families, or pets. It is difficult to specialize at first, but once you find your niche GO WITH IT! I know you are so excited to shoot whatever comes your way, trust me…I was the same way. If you live in a climate like I do (Ohio) it is hard because many wedding photographers shoot more than just weddings due to us having a very short wedding season to make ends meet. Just remember to keep an open mind and GO FOR IT!

I challenge you to get at least 2-4 photo shoots this month. You can get more, but this will help you begin to build your business.

Come back and let me know your success story. I would LOVE to know how you did or are doing. Until next time…. Hugs, Nancy