It seems as though I’m finally hitting my stride with my media business – Indelible Adventures Media. It’s taken over a year of hard work and perseverance to generate enough business to fill my entire month of September in advance.
As a photographer, it’s taken more time that I’d like to establish a brand and reputation in the Brisbane market, but about right in terms of seeing referrals and unsolicited business. As with any new venture it takes time and a lot of patience, but as a generally impatient individual and so it’s been a testing time.
No matter how much of a positive mindset I’ve tried to conjure up, at times it’s been difficult which is where Judy has been an incredible support both in terms of moral support, pep talks and financial support as she’s been carrying a large part of our monthly financial requirements.
I always tend to forget how difficult it is to begin afresh in a new location… That being said, I love that I’m seeing real progress in my business growth.
On the bright side I’m starting to see some good signs of ongoing business, especially with September and a host of bookings. Not surprisingly, for a photographer with a broad spectrum of genres I categorize, track and monitor data of all new business and my ability to turn leads into sales.
In September alone I have five weddings, a 21st birthday and two corporate events which may not seem like a lot, but the reality is that it is a significant amount of time, both in preparation including scouting trips to venues and then the post-production editing.
As with any photographic endeavour I may take 500 shots, with perhaps a keep rate of around 10%, so sorting through and editing these as required takes a little time after each photoshoot.
It’s been seemingly endless in terms of the genres of photoshoots I’m had over the past year as well, everything from engagements, weddings, commitment ceremonies, 50th wedding anniversaries, 21st and milestone birthdays, aspiring models, up and coming fashion designers, plus elite athletes looking to update their brand, corporate headshots…
I could go on and on, but you get the idea!
They say that variety is the spice of life, and I couldn’t agree more especially when it comes to photography. Not two photoshoots are the same, different subjects and objectives, different locations and venues, different lighting and creativity required for each and every photoshoot.
At the end of the day, it’s all about being able to exceed my clients expectations in terms of the final product I can provide.
Although sometimes it isn’t always perfect in terms of capturing what exactly is in the clients “mind’s eye”. Not every photoshoot output could be considered for an editorial in a magazine as composition and location play a huge part of every photoshoot, along with the right lighting.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to ask a lot of questions of my prospective client in advance so that we can get aligned in terms of what they want to use the final product for and what they’ve use as inspiration.
Asking your clients to show you what they want in the form of their personal inspiration has been very useful. Sometimes they don’t have a clear idea so I’ve put together some examples of specific genres and imagery that they can review and see if any of these piqued their imagination in terms of final output.
Another challenge I’ve had over the course of the year has been prospecting for new clients. Starting a business is that you have to discover potential clients at their time of need. I’ve used a professional lead generation company called Bark.com which has been instrumental in getting me off the ground.
I’ve also implemented a photographic contract for all of my clients which outlines the terms and conditions for the photoshoot, including being clear about what I can do and unable to do as a photographer plus post final product copyright and ownership.
For many photographers this is a blind spot that I was felt needed to be addressed after a couple of client situations. Surprisingly, I get few questions about the contact and happy to address any that pop up in terms of usage.
In addition, the greater Brisbane region is spread over a large geographic area of just under 16,000 square kilometres or roughly the size of Luxembourg. This land mass covers five urban centres: Brisbane City, Ipswich, Logan City, Moreton Bay, and Redland City.
Of course, of the last year I’ve worked in each of these urban centres which has equated to around 6,000 of local travel.
Clearly, the beauty of owning and running a media business (yes, we do more than just photography, although this is the heartbeat of the company) is that I am my own boss. It’s a freeing which is awesome as you can coordinate your downtime and work around your own schedule.
One piece of advice I’ve always remembered is from lawyer when he said “be easy to do business with” which for me is being flexible and accommodating…
Yes, I’m just hitting my stride!
Until next week.
Ciao!
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