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A creative business blog for PORTRAIT photographers

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Photography Business Strategy Blog

Tim and Bev Walden Share the Single Most Important Thing Photographers Need to Know About Sales
As one of the very first professional photography studios Sarah Petty studied with, she’s always had the utmost respect for Tim and Bev Walden. And if you’ve ever met them, you likely agree. Tim and Bev are kind, generous and extremely talented. Together, this husband and wife team have won every award imaginable for their photography, but even more importantly, their studio, Walden’s Photography, is an amazingly successful small business in Lexington, Kentucky.

Introducing 10 10 10 and a guest blog post you don’t want to miss!
We are so excited to have successfully launched our newest event, 10 10 10! It is such a great feeling to be able to bring together such an amazing group of talent to share about sales. Be sure to stay tuned for the next few weeks as we talk about sales and share lots of great ideas with you.

Are you a photographer or a salesman?
If I asked you if you are a salesperson, you are more likely to say, “no, I’m a photographer or a chef or a graphic designer.” Many who own small businesses define themselves by their skill or talent, not the skills it takes to run a profitable business. When you are trying to succeed in business, you MUST have sales skills. Dun and Bradstreet did a study to find out why businesses fail. The #1 reason businesses went bankrupt was because of LOW sales. Businesses that thrive do so because of their HIGH sales.

Why cutting costs can lead to discounting in your small business.
Every day, I wake up and read my favorite blogs on my iphone. Seth Godin’s blog post today was one that I want all of you to read and think about. He talks about cutting costs to save a dollar – especially at the top of the market (which, by the way, is a really good place to be). Well, in theory, if you save a dollar, that becomes profit and should drop to the bottom line.

A Few Marketing Ideas For Going the Extra Mile In Your Small Business
There is nothing I hate more than sitting in a car dealership waiting for my car to be serviced. It is the ultimate irritation for me, so typically that task gets ‘delegated’ to my husband.

What’s Your Small Business’s End Game?
As a small business owner, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day. We get into survival mode, just trying to get through today, tomorrow, this week, this month. But most successful business owners have that voice in the back of their mind reminding them of the end-game.

Small Business Strategies: How to Incorpotate Video Inexpensively Into Your Small Business Website
You don’t need a fancy video camera to get the benefits from adding online video to your small business website. Today’s expert, Rich Wolfson of 2BU Professional Studios, shares a few ideas for adding video to your website when you don’t have a budget for video production.

Small Business Strategies: How To Create Time Management & Efficiency in Your Small Business!
I am an avid reader and I love to learn new things. I also like to be reminded of things I have maybe heard before but in a different way (or even the same way many times until it sinks in). A little refresher I picked back up this weekend was from a time management guru, Brian Tracy.

Photography Marketing Idea That Can Build Your Brand And Your Business
Doesn’t it seem like the holidays come earlier each year? The Fourth of July decorations come down at the stores and the Halloween decorations go up! Because I run a small business (well two actually), I start to panic a little more each year that I might miss one of these fun holidays. So, each year, my kids and I start pulling out the decorations earlier and earlier.
5 Must Ask Questions Before You Open a Photography Studio
I remember the feeling. Knowing I wanted my business to be something bigger than the basement studio in my home. I was ready to make it more of a full time business. Get a retail studio and raise my prices, but like many of you, I wasn’t sure how to do it. I get this...
5 Things To Do This Month to FIX Your Broken Business
In January I view my business, my house and my life in a different way. It’s like there’s a giant bright spotlight on all broken crap I put up with in 4th quarter because I was too busy to fix. I can’t HELP but see it! And it makes me sick to my stomach when I realize...
How To Sell Your Photos | 5 Tips from one of the Most Profitable Photographers in America
When I first started photographing clients 20 years ago, I didn't know the first thing about how to sell your photos. And it showed! My portrait orders were embarrassingly small for the amount of work I was doing. And while I didn't have any problems finding clients...


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