Is it time to close shop?

[jon_krasner]

Hello,

 

I know this is quite a dramatic statement, but I am really becoming disillusioned with my wedding

business. This is my 4th year doing this full-time, and I have started to really hate certain aspects of my

job. I thought I would ask for your advice. What do I hate?

 

1) I hate negotiating and talking about money with clients. I am bad at sales & business in general.

2) I hate ordering albums for clients as some of them become really controlling and neurotic in the

process. (You can see another post I wrote a few minutes ago about this)

3) I hate all of the administrative work (back and forth emails) I have with clients. I am tired to sitting in an

office 80% of the time.

 

However, I love shooting. I really, really have a great time the day of the wedding. My clients love their

experience working with me and give me glowing referrals and references. I enjoy meeting with potential

clients besides the sale part. I don't love the idea of working for a studio as I want my images to be mine.

I take pride in my style and don't want to have to compromise this or feel like I've lost my identity.

 

I could go into commercial or editorial photography. I have a foot in the door there. I would probably miss

shooting weddings, but I would be a much happier person not dealing with all of the things I don't enjoy.

 

Sorry for the long email. I really appreciate any feedback you have. Thank you in advance!

 

Kristine

 

PS: I use a pen name on photo.net so that potential client don't see my posts if they google me!

[jc5066]

You have two choises.

 

1. Quit. 2. Hire an assistant(s) to do sales, album design, etc...

[brooke_moore]

This is the real dirty secret of being a photographer MORE time is spent doing annoying stuff than shooting.

 

IF you do not like the other work then either work for some one else in a larger operation where there are employees who do it or get into another aspect of the business.

 

You could do as Jon suggests if your business is doing well enough but I would guess that part of your frustration is that you are not doing really well and so the drag part of things is more obvious to you.

 

Only you can finally decide what will suit your life the best. I find that no longer doing albums that require assembly-the bain of my past life has improved my outlook a lot! See if there is some part of the post process that you do like and feature that more.

 

Brooke

[russ_konrad]

I hear that Sears and Walmart is looking for photographers.

 

(just kidding)

 

But seriously - if you don't want to deal with the business aspect of your job - you need to go to work for someone else. Find a studio that has multiple photographers and get a job there.

 

Of course you do give up much freedom and independence by working for someone else. Most people are willing to put up with dealing with customers - i.e. pricing, albums, etc since they are their own boss and do not have to answer to someone else's whims.

 

If you don't want to work for a studio or in the Walmart photo department - you might just have to quit photography as a busines altogether and get a job totally unrelated to the photo business.

[l_e]

Here is my advice -

1) don't negotiate. You have priced yourself fairly and competitively. Present your pricing in a confident way and make no apologies about how much you charge. If they don't like it or want a lower price recommend a few other photographers for them to meet. I know that sounds kind of bad but you don't want to work for less than you are worth.

 

2) Simplify your album process. Offer the least amount of choices possible. Lets say Package 1 doesn't get an album, package 2 gets a 9x9, and package 3 gets a 12x12. Each page in the album gets one images at a fixed size. They can have any cover they want - as long as it is black leather. For the images in the album - hook up some online proofing/shopping cart that allows clients to select a fixed number of images to appear in the album.

 

3) Hire an assistant/ office manager. They answer the initial phone calls and emails, distribute your materials, and deal with the bookkeeping.

 

Also, only check your work email twice a day once in the morning and once at night. Get a separate phone line for your business. Set business hours and turn off the phone after hours - unless you are expecting an emergency call around wedding time.

 

Outsource as much as you can - it costs money but it allows you to shoot more weddings and have more down time to enjoy yourself.

[markonestudios]

I subscribe to the creed that posits: "Let the experts do their job"

<p>Good at photography, suck at business? Hire people who are great at those aspects of the business where you're not.

[ken munn]

I work in a different area altogether, but also freelance doing everything from filing my

papers to high level creative work. Two tips that might help on pricing/negotiating.

 

Have a high minimum that you won't drop. It should be high enough to pay you well, and cover your business overheads, and high enough so that if you lose one job in two because you're too expensive, you don't bleed.

 

If you scent that a client is going to be trouble, double your standard price. Either you

won't get the job, in which case you lost nothing but hassle, or you get the job and you're

well paid for the hassle, which goes some way to easing the pain.

 

As to all the other stuff, let me assure you that employing someone else to do it is twice

as much trouble as doing it yourself! Been there, got the scars.

[joshroot]

There is no escaping the "business" end of things when you are your own boss. You think piano teachers like doing their accounting? No, they like playing the piano.

 

Get used to it, streamline your operations, hire someone to help, get hired by a studio, or quit. Those are about your only options.

[mark_saunders]

go work for Bella?

 

:)

[erica_pheysey1]

I think there are few jobs out there where you get to do exactly what you want all the time. I started out life as a scientist, loved the science, hated the mundane tasks that had to be done before you got to do the fun part, working with your data. Now I'm a mom and photographer. Hate changing diapers, but love all the smiles I get throughout the day. I hate talking money with clients too, but doing the things we hate enables us to do the things we love. You are never going to find a job where it's all roses all the time. Working for yourself at least offers you the ability to say, "hey, I really don't like this aspect of going to work, I'm going to change my approach..."You don't get that luxury working for someone else.

[jennifer_kitchen_mcgann]

I actually don't mind the admin stuff but know it can be frustrating at times. I say hire someone even part time that could help out. I think you said you are in NYC....check out FIT for photo students that need part time work or even would work as interns. As for the post production I know I am not going to appeal to certain brides that want more than I can offer. I do this part time right now and have a small child and one on the way. I charge by the hour and don't include albums. I will be happy to do an album for you but the selection is limited and I use design print and bind services so I am not spending hours designing albums. For now that works for me. Good luck!

[jmichaelc]

Hello Jon,

 

In addition to what others have suggested, i believe there are a few more options available to you. In short, simplify.

 

"1) I hate negotiating and talking about money with clients. I am bad at sales & business in general. "

 

Then don't! Why do you have to "negotiate"? The ONLY thing that we negotiate with the client is simply helping them decide which package option is best for them. Never about price....for it is non-negotiatable. We turn many clients down monthly due to price.

 

"2) I hate ordering albums for clients as some of them become really controlling and neurotic in the process. (You can see another post I wrote a few minutes ago about this)"

 

Then don't! Simply have a Album package that you standardize on and take full control over the album design process. We currently only offer one Album for our custom designs. Our designs are our designs and the client has absolutly no input during the process. When they book us, we simply know what material to order and they recieve our finished custom design when we are finished with it. Some people find this hard to believe but if it's what you do, and you do it well, clints will want it.

 

"3) I hate all of the administrative work (back and forth emails) I have with clients. I am tired to sitting in an office 80% of the time. "

 

Then don't! If you have so much work that you are in the office 80% of the time then one of two things is necessary. 1) streamline your work to where it's more manageable or 2) hire assistance.

 

I would suggest devoting two or maybe three days of the week to answer emails, calls, paperwork etc... The remaining part of the week, pursue something that modivates you within the buisness.

 

Good Luck.

[fotografz]

Churn and burn.

 

List a simple, no haggling, "shooting" price structure based on hours. Burn the images to

DVDs and hand them over. Provide the clients with a list of on-line album makers.

[corrim]

Gary Mayo. I read and I re-read, and then read it again.

 

"First off, quit the job you have yourself doing, and start the next day working your dream career."

 

This is probably the best advice ever given to a sole proprietor. I started my business because I love taking pictures. I will continue to work my business because as of today, I am making it my dream job. Thank you Gary.

[mike_hodson]

Raise your prices...besides the obvious benefits, this might help because you may be dealing with clients who don't want to haggle over the price of everything.

 

Simply. If you want to spend less time in the office, then just offer the clients the files on disc. Let them make their own prints and albums etc.

[toddcwilson]

My model keeps me behind the camera more often than when I initially started out. Rather than "packages" I offer my time and experience in documenting the day. They get all the images in my price on DVD with a small selection of prints, my choice, that tells the story. Album sales I do separately, charged by the page for the design in what is called a creative fee. My turn-around time for albums is much longer than for the DVD and prints and is staged in a 3 step process: 1. design, 2. proof, 3. delivery. This, I found, helps me manage my time and gives the client a more personalized service. It also allows me to focus more on the task at hand rather than scrambling to meet a deadline by getting stretched too thin. Also, prices are not negotiable and are based on a business plan. Once you get a number that you need to charge for your services by calculating your salary, operation costs, capital expenditures (i.e. upgrades), etc., and pricing yourself accordingly, the room for negotiation diminishes in my mind. Also, by separating album sales and the actual photography, it gives me another reason to maintain communications with existing/ past clients in slower months. I may eventually go back to packages, but I like this relaxed approach that doesn't fog up the conversation with too many options at one time, thus reducing the selling of products and focusing on providing a service.

[toddcwilson]

Oh, and if you need some help on the design of albums there are many companies out there that provide this service. One is

 

http://www.redbootdesign.com/

[jon_krasner]

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone. This advice gives me lots to think about. I

appreciate the input.

[zave_shapiro]

I feel for you. I've been working many years and I know in many places the sales people make more money than almost anyone. Why? It's a tough job! You have the advantage that you know all about what you're selling - your experience and enthusiasm shooting weddings.

 

The reason there are so many sales and marketing seminars, books, etc. out there is because it's tough, there is a lot of rejection, and it's about keeping up your spirits as much as strategies and tips.

[david_mcmanus1]

Kristine,

 

I work as a photographer's business manager in New York. What you're going through is understandable as most good photographers that I know tend to have classic "creative" personalities and don't much enjoy the business side of things, especially negotiating with clients. Personally I think it's a good thing to separate these two functions as the relationship between the actual photographer and the client(s) can be quite intimate and it's best not to have this side of things sullied by too much talk about money, contracts etc.

 

If you're interested in a little advice just drop me a line via e-mail: david(at)farnazk(dot)com - and I will get back to you, I would prefer not to go in to the business side of things in a public forum.

 

- David

[surfidaho]

If you want to spend less time negotiating and dealing with customers who just want to know if you are available and what your prices are, post your prices online and also post a "Check Availabilty" resource, such as the type that wedj.com offers with a paid subscription (which is really inexpensive by the way).

 

But do NOT post a real calendar that shows your availability. You don't want them to know how busy you AREN'T.

 

Later,

 

Paulsky

 

http://www.lesboisphotography.com

[William Michael]

Above, there are some elegant options for re profiling your business model.

 

The one I came closest to doing myself, was that advised by Marc Williams viz: `Churn and Burn`: but I grew tired of the actual `business dealings` with non business people: i.e. most of the general public.

 

However, after a few years of my personal headspace, thinking about it, away from all photography, I negotiated a deal with the studio (I used to own) to `Churn and Burn` for them.

 

I do the B&G interview & planning meeting and the lead photography on the day, and hand everything over to the studio. I get paid a flat fee: I love it; I do about three Weddings a month.

 

There are many options available top you, limited only by your (usually always) false parameters or the (false) necessity to stick to the `norm`.

 

I suggest you start with a clean sheet of paper and write down the outcomes you actually want, and then build different business ideas to suit: no matter how silly they might seem at first.

 

My Bio page explains why I `got out`.

 

Good luck

 

WW

[conraderb]

sounds pretty clear that you need to hire an assistant!