Is Your Photography Business Really A Business?

It’s late Friday afternoon, and I’m sitting at my desk catching up on a few last minute tasks before the weekend.photography business really a business

Every week I start out with my list of tasks. Then one by one I check them off as I accomplish them.

This week I had quite a list. But I had a lot of extra things on my list as well. Tuesday was my birthday, so I took the afternoon off, had lunch with my Mom and went shopping, picked my daughter up and had a fun evening with my family. Today I ran a few errands, and spent time shopping for the perfect Mother’s day gifts for my Mom and Mother in law.

But now late Friday afternoon, its time to pick up the slack and finish up two tasks that are still unchecked.

Why do I make sure everything is complete? Because my business depends on it.

When you work for yourself, and more importantly when you work out of your home, its easy to let daily life get in the way. It would be very easy to just put those two tasks off until next week. But if I continually did that over time, my list would become an endless to-do list that would never be completed. And I wouldn’t be running my six figure business with all the freedom I enjoy.

I’ve been running my home business for years, so for me its second nature. But if you’re new to the home based business, or solo-preneur venture, its easy to get off task. Let me share my list of the top 3 things that make my business everything I’ve always dreamed of.

1. I committed to running a successful business.
Sounds simple right? But if you haven’t put your business at the top of your list, and made it one of your top priorities, its easy to let it quickly slide to the bottom of the pile. And you’ll soon be out looking for a job to support your photography habit.

2. I leverage my time.
I don’t spend my days doing things that other people can do. I realize I only have so many hours in the day, and I really don’t have the desire to work anything beyond a 40 hour work week. So if something isn’t top priority, and only I can do it, I give it off to someone else to handle for me.

3. I join masterminds.
I’m in all kinds of mastermind groups. I’ve been in some for years, and others I join for just a few months. I join things related to my business and to my personal life. I’ll admit I don’t know everything, and there are a ton of resources that can help me do things better. So I invest heavily in my education, and in helping me achieve my goals even quicker.

So what are your top 3 things? Do you agree with my list, or do you have tasks of your own? I’d love to hear what’s at the top of your list.

[Ready to join a mastermind that will help you take better pictures? Andrew and I are so excited about our newest venture – make sure you sign up for our free report Roadmap To Becoming A Better Photographer.]

image source haiinee

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clientexperience@todaysgrowthconsultant.com' About Virtual Photography

We're the co-founders of VirtualPhotographyStudio.com and have been writing on this blog since 2004. We started Virtual as a way to help photographers stretch beyond a part time income, and develop strategies to become a Five Figure Photographer or a Six Figure Photographer. Ultimately its all about lifestyle, and if your goal is to live as a photographer 24/7, we think you should have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Welcome!

  • Angela Joyce

    Somewhat similar Top 3 list:

    1. Committed to running a successful/professional business… this includes posting new images to Stock photography site, getting new prints made for shows, posting new products for sale, etc.

    2. Leveraging my time… have daily dedicated time during to promote, connect, blog, etc. As well as making dedicated time on Tuesdays & Thursdays to mat prints, title cards, bag/tag/package inventory (not exactly sexy)

    3. Join & Participate in several Meet-up.com group – one is dedicated to photo strolls, and the other focuses on building business from the ground up. I get both challenged & encouraged!!

    ~Ange