You've Got Paying Clients - Now What?

It's such a great feeling when your work is truly valued, and especially when it starts paying the bills! There is so much more to running a photography business than just finding clients and taking pictures, of course. Following are a few steps that will take your business to the next level.

1. Surround yourself with people who are strong in ways you are not. Find a great lawyer, accountant, and insurance agent who understand the photography industry and will be able to guide you when you have questions. There are so many details that they can bring to your attention to help you save money and keep your business going in the right direction. Having a lawyer look over your contracts (remember to ALWAYS have a contract!) will save you from issues down the line.

2. Talk to your accountant/banker/lawyer about incorporation. Becoming an LLC was such a great decision for me, and it shows my clients that I take my business seriously.

3. Find client management software that suits your needs and can grow with your business. Keeping track of clients, to-do lists, and payments is vital to having happy clients and clear records. Being able to do that all in one place really helped ease some of the anxiety that was always gnawing at me. My program of choice is the recently launched 17 Hats, which lets me accept credit card payments, track projects from quote and contract to completion, and sync with Google Calendar (among other things). While this is exactly the type of program I have been waiting for, there are tons of options out there that may be perfect for you such as Pixifi or Simply Studio. Have a favorite already? Leave a comment with your experience!

Happy Friday!

-Friday Ambassador

Photography and Community

It is a pleasure to begin my time as a student ambassador!  Your former Friday ambassador has transitioned to life after graduation, so I’ll be taking the reins for a while.  As we graduate you will be introduced to new student voices, each with a unique point-of-view. I live in the vibrant city of Chicago with my husband and our overly affectionate dog, Dublin (pictured left).  Dubs will be sitting on my lap on my office chair as I write my posts.  If he loses physical contact with his humans, he is one unhappy pup.   He’s a little spoiled but I greatly benefit from this relationship during the winter when he is my 37-pound heat blanket.

My love for dogs leads me to my topic this week.  When I first began pursuing my photography degree, I was approached by an acquaintance at the law firm where I worked.  She wanted to know if I would be willing to take photographs of an adoptable dog for a local rescue.  Since that day, she and her husband have started their own rescue and I have loved photographing the dogs that they save.  We have also become great friends; I shot their maternity session, newborn session, and countless portraits of their baby girl.  What began as a way to improve my photography skills and help out a friend has led to paid portrait sessions, events, and even weddings!  Not only have I grown as a photographer because of this relationship, but I have also been part of an amazing journey as the new rescue was formed and dogs that I fell in love with got adopted into wonderful homes.

Finding a way to contribute your skills to improve your community is a great way to get you out shooting!  It can bring you valuable business connections, create lasting friendships, and provide a sense of fulfillment.  Most importantly, it will keep you connected to what is really important - using what you learn to make the world better.


During your photographic career you will inevitably be approached with requests to provide your services for free.  While it would be wonderful to be able to say yes to every request, you still need to pay your bills and have a life.  Keep a list of student photographers who may need the experience, and your referral can make both the organization and the student very happy!  So, how can you offer your skills to your community?  If you are not sure where to start, try brainstorming topics that you care deeply about.  Would you like to help a child struggling with cancer?  Check out The Gold Hope Project, an organization that matches photographer with families to capture beautiful portraits and make the children feel like rock stars!  Think of national organizations with local offices, like Veterans Affairs, The Boys and Girls Club, or the Red Cross.  It's likely they hold events and could use a great photographer to help document them.  If you want to help animals, I can guarantee your local animal shelter and rescue groups would love to have beautiful images to help showcase each animal's characteristics, like Bear's goofy smile above.

Whatever your passion, you will feel amazing when you use your skills to better your community, and you will meet incredible people (and dogs?) along the way.

-Your Friday Ambassador

References:
"The Gold Hope Project - Home." The Gold Hope Project. The Gold Hope Project, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.