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All Photographers Are Not Created Equal: Know the Difference Between Hiring a Traditional Photographer vs. a Brand Photographer

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Hiring a brand photographer can give your small business a big boost. The photographs they provide will help tell your brand’s story in an authentic, meaningful and impactful way. 

Picking a brand photographer to meet your needs and your style is an important part of getting your gallery of images.

In a previous blog, we discussed what to look for when a hiring brand photographer, the steps you can take when choosing one and why it’s important to get one you get along with. 

In today’s blog we’re going back to basics.

If you’re already familiar with how a brand photographer differs from a traditional photographer, that’s great! But from time to time we all need a refresher, and it can be eye-opening to review the differences!

What Is Brand Photography?

Branding photos allow you to show your personality and emphasize the environment, props and interesting backgrounds that showcase your business.

Personal branding photos are taken on location in informal, organic, natural and even outdoor environments.

Depending on your business needs, you might have photos taken while you interact with clients, type on your computer or pose with your latest clothing pieces or the hot rod you’re tuning up for a customer.

What Is a Brand Photographer?

A brand photographer is a key collaborator in making sure your brand’s identity is in line with your brand strategy so you can market your business clearly and consistently.

Good brand photographers are also experts at brand strategy because they need to understand the marketing goals and objectives their images must meet.

How Is a Brand Photographer Different from a Traditional Photographer?

Traditional photographers tend to be more artistically focused. They can make beautiful images and have a great understanding of the principles of art.

They’ll have an ingrained ability to take photos that have pattern, balance, emphasis, contrast, unity, variety and movement — all the principles of award winning pictures, because their years of practice make this ability second nature.

But they won’t likely have a hold on what matters to you as a small business owner.

They will rarely have the expertise you need to create images that truly connect with your audience and grow your brand. Marketing is a whole different animal.

Why do you think so many artists are starving? Maybe because they can’t sell their creations. If they can’t sell theirs, how are they going to help you market yours?

A brand photographer takes into account your brand and your audience well before they press the shutter button. They’ll use this information to create a set of unique images that will truly reflect your brand. 

Your brand images should let your customers feel like they know, like and trust you. A brand photographer knows how to make that happen.

What Info Does a Brand Photographer Use to Produce Impactful Brand Photos?

A brand photographer will likely want to get their hands on your brand checklist or guidelines, to fully understand what makes your brand special. 

Sharing your mission, vision and values is a good first step. When your brand photographer understands your passions and goals, they can make that come through in your photos so your target customers can feel it too.

The brand voice, messaging and story also help inform the brand photographer’s decision tree on the day of your photo session.

A cohesive story with consistency and authenticity is a major driver for brands that are able to connect with their audience. Letting your brand photographer into your world helps them show your world to the universe.

Get Your Brand Photos

Single-owner businesses, small businesses, medium businesses and everyone in between will benefit from a gallery of useful brand photography because it will increase your conversion rate.

Plan and schedule a shoot with us and you’ll soon have a complete set of personal brand photographs along with a personalized plan for how to successfully use it.

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5 Reasons Why You Need Brand Photography

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Did you know it takes around 7 seconds to make an exciting first impression? This means if you have anyone coming to your website or social media profile, it’s crucial make it or break it moment.

You only have a small window to grab potential consumers’ or businesses’ attention. 

One way to stand out from the crowd and make your business memorable is through brand photography.

Brand photography does many wonders, like allowing you to raise authority in your niche by looking more credible and professional. 

To be honest, there are way more benefits to using brand photography. To know more about why you need brand photography, keep on reading.

What is brand photography? 

Brand photography is exactly what its name says. It’s a photograph representing your brand, providing you with a visual identity. This identity allows you to show off who you are to the world and your potential customers. 

Depending on how you decide to depict your brand, this type of photography can help tell a story and provide insights to your clients on how your services look or the products you sell.

These visual images are essential to generating trust and showing your transparency in the digital world. Plus, they are custom to you and can be used repeatedly on marketing collateral. 

But what about stock photos?

When looking at other brands online, you may find they use stock photos. These photos are already available from photographers or agencies that you pay a fee for or use for free, crediting them. The major problem with these photos is that they’re too generic and don’t trigger engagement. 

Plus, you may find other brands using the same photo you got online.

Trust us, confusing potential customers about your brand identity is the last thing you want. 

Why is brand photography important for businesses?

Before fully delving into why you need brand photography, let’s highlight the importance of imagery. Whether you’re a solopreneur, entrepreneur, startup, or corporation, imagery is important. 

Everyone is drawn in by images, and brand photography helps keep the attention span of your visitors on track. In an information-heavy consuming world, brand images break up articles, social media posts, and web text. Therefore allowing others to know what your business is all about while on the go. 

5 reasons why you need brand photography 

Brand photography can boost your businesses presence online dramatically and provide you with the following benefits:

1. Shows your authenticity 

Did you know there are around 1.13 billion websites and counting in the world? That’s a lot! This means whatever niche you’re in, it’s a lot of competition to look trusting and authentic compared to the other sites out there.

 In addition to that short time window, everyone else’s attention is scattered. No one has the time to fact-check or go beyond to see what you’re really like. 

If captured correctly, brand It photography can give an exclusive insight into your audience and what it’s like to work with you. It lets you show off your personality and company culture and reveal your operations behind the scenes.

In other words, your potential customers can connect with you, as they have a face behind the name. This is especially the case if you have headshots of your staff!

2. Elevates your professionalism

You’ll reinforce your brand’s message and vision by using high-quality photos consistently across your social media channels, websites, ads, and print materials. 

Using the same ones will allow others to quickly recognize your brand in a short time frame and connect with it quickly. With brand photography, you’ll never run out of options for marketing collateral! 

3. Helps tell a story

When existing online, you’ll want to connect with your customers, and one of the best ways to touch their hearts is by playing with their emotions. So, how do you tune in with their emotions?

A story! 

With well thought out branded images, you can craft a story and an emotional response from your potential customers. To give you an idea, the photos could be about your employees, clients, suppliers, or anything. 

5. It provides you with a competitive edge 

Having high-quality images for your business can help you have that edge over your competitors. Standing out on a Google Ad or social media post can make a vital difference. Professional brand photography can demonstrate to your customers your dedication to supplying high-quality products or services. It can help enhance your business growth. 

6. Reveals your brand’s identity

Another one of the reasons why you need brand photography is because it reveals your personality. What’s your brand voice? This type of photography can be a great way to reveal your fun, witty, serious, corporate, or any other type of personality your brand has.  

How to get started with brand photography 

If you haven’t got any branded photos for your venture, then it’s about time you get started. It’s not that difficult either; just book a call with a branded photographer like us. When working with us, you’ll be at ease; we work with you to find ways to show off your personality and character.  

We’ll listen in-depth to information surrounding your brand and plan around your requirements. Then, we’ll schedule a photo shoot and execute and edit accordingly. Whether you require headshots or photos of your team or operation, you can count on us to take brand photos that leave a lasting impression. 

Want to know how brand photography can help your business? Drop us a message, and we’ll share it with you over a call. 

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Find the Perfect Colors for Your Headshot with a Color Analysis

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Not sure what color to wear for your headshot? Try a color analysis. 

Do you have a big corporate photoshoot coming up, an event where you need a headshot or even a passport photo? We get it; the thought of having a headshot can be slightly awkward. 

After all, 90% of what our brain processes is visual. 

Which means if you want to look professional, beautiful, or achieve a certain look in your headshot, you must consider color. Yes, colors can help lighten your face, enhance certain features or make you look completely different. 

Color from your makeup or clothing can influence your image dramatically. So if you’ve got an important photo shoot lined up, you must know the best color to have on. Don’t worry, though; in this post, we’ll help you by sharing the best color to wear for headshots. 

How to choose the right colors for a photoshoot 

If you’ve got a photoshoot lined up, save yourself stress before the day with a good preparation of colors. The best way to do that is through a color analysis. If you’ve not heard of this term before, you may be familiar with the terms “Skin Tone Color Matching” or “Seasonal colors.” What this process is, is it allows you to figure out the best colors via a color palette that complements your skin tone. 

What are the benefits of choosing the right colors?

A color analysis is ideal for finding the best color for your headshots. If conducted right, it’ll help enhance how you look and feel about photos. Having colors chosen correctly will allow you to look flattering and harmonious and have great headshots you like over time.

If you choose the right colors, you can look more energized, younger, radiant, and even slimmer! The right color tones can save you from looking tired, dull, or old. Trust us, if you want to look good, then colors are essential. Plus, it saves you time shopping and trying on clothes if you know what colors work for you. 

How is a color analysis done? 

One of the main methods a color analysis is conducted is by using the season’s winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Every season has a different color palette, and it can help you figure out the best color to wear for headshots. 

Another one is through a tonal analysis, where colors grouped into seasonal categories are later extended to 12. This is more of an in-depth color analysis that looks into dominant traits within coloring. 

But, for a true color analysis to be conducted, it has to be done by a qualified consultant. 

These consultants have received extensive training on theory and color Psychology, learning how to assess the right colors for clothing, cosmetics, and accessories for photos. If you plan on getting a color analysis done, typically, the following will happen: 

  1. Identifying your color 

The first step in undergoing a color analysis is finding out what your coloring is. A color analysis will try to find out the temperature tones your skin has. This means they’ll look to see if your skin tones are warm or cool. They’ll do this by looking at the hue to see the brightness!

Try it yourself: Get two different colored drapes and place them on either side of your face. See how they interact with your facial features. If you find one side brighter than the other, you may have a cool palette. On the contrary, if you find one darker than the other, you will likely have a warm palette. 

  1. Consultation happens 

Once you know the right temperature for you, you’ll want to have a color consultation. In this process a color consultant will suggest colors that flatter your warm or cool palette. They’ll do a similar process holding drapes next to your skin to see how you look. 

Often, if the colors enhance your eyes, these are complementary colors for you. Plus, if the color elevates the richness of your hair or shows your natural shade, this is often a better color to wear for a headshot. 

  1. Finding your signature color 

Lastly, when finding the best color to wear for headshots, professionals will find your signature color. This means they’ll look for specific shades that make you pop and ones that highlight your best features. 

Once they define your signature colors, they’ll help you with recommendations on creating outfits to enhance your headshot in photos. One of the best things about color analysis is that it can be done online or in person. Both have benefits and different experiences. 

What to consider when choosing a color consultant 

When choosing a color consultant, you should do your research first. Read reviews and look at feedback from the consultant. Then see if they’re available in person or for a virtual consultation. When the consultation is happing, make notes and have questions to ask about your clothes. Only once the consultation is done, buy certain clothes or makeup that complement you afterward. 

Final thoughts 

Overall, a color analysis can be essential to helping you look better for headshots. Color analysis help detect which colors can complement your skin tone, hair, and eye color. If done rightly, you can look much more energized, radiant, and happy for a headshot. 

To know more about what colors work, just google color consultants in your area, or there are even color analysis apps. For further tips, check out what to wear for a photoshoot. Finally, once you know the best colors, you can use them for branded photography for you, team members, and coworkers to look amazing. 

Brand Photography Adds Muscle to Marketing Efforts for Fitness Trainers

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Every time I see my client’s success grow following one of our brand photography sessions, I’m inspired to help even more like minded individuals.

I love helping people build their brands, make an impact on their audiences and showcase their skills and products.

New images for social media channels, digital marketing efforts and traditional advertising pieces (brochures, business cards, handouts, direct mail) pay off for them every time. 

I recently worked with Rachel Shippee, a personal fitness trainer who wanted to strengthen her business. 

Through a little pre-planning and some pointed styling and posing cues, she and I were able to capture some fantastic brand images that have added muscle to her marketing and sales efforts.

Here is the story of her brand photography session.

Planning

We started by having a conversation about what she wanted her photos to accomplish for her. She told me about her journey becoming a personal fitness trainer, how she felt that she had reached a plateau and why she wanted to keep pushing and building on her success. 

She wanted to boost her online training platform, in addition to securing more images for her marketing materials.

The digital environment she was creating for her clients was a way for her to reach more clients, maximize her time and add new revenue streams to her business.

This is a classic case of working smarter not harder, and I was eager to help make her vision a reality.

Styling

In Rachel’s case, brand photography for fitness trainers meant more than just a couple of shots of her working out, spotting her clients at the benchpress and doing some advanced yoga poses. 

Her online training program offers tutorials and lessons, so she needed photos to demonstrate the powerful moves her clients would be tasked with performing.

We built a list of needs and kept the photo style consistent from one to the next so they would be recognizable and cohesive for her audience. She and I wanted a uniform and professional look to emphasize the credibility and authority of her training.

Rachel knew that photography was her ticket to greater marketing success but had never done a brand photo session. She was feeling a little lost and clueless about the process.

A fitness enthusiast myself, I was able to make her feel at ease by offering useful wardrobe, location and lighting suggestions. This gave her confidence that we’d ultimately get the images she was craving for her brand. 

Posing

Posing came naturally to Rachel during this photo session. She was used to giving instruction to her fitness clients, so she understood how important it was to listen to the photographer and follow my posing cues.

We started with the basics then added in more advanced techniques as we both got loosened up. We were able to build a well-rounded gallery of images during our session.

We worked through the list of photos she needed for her training platform, too. These were a little more structured than the natural workout photos and provided Rachel with a versatile collection she could activate for multiple uses.

Results

Rachel really enjoyed her brand photography for fitness trainers session. She said it was fun to do, and would “unquestionably” do it again when it’s time to refresh her images.

The collection of professional brand images she now has is super valuable for her and the continued growth of her business.

Rachel says, “The pictures turned out great, and they have definitely brought more attention to my posts and provided a level of professionalism I was missing.”

Before she contacted me, and even during our session and post-production timeline, Rachel says she didn’t realize how much she needed a brand photography for fitness trainers session, nor how valuable to her the resulting images would become in strengthening her brand. 

Going above and beyond my clients expectations is what Taylored Photo is all about. I’m glad Rachel is happy with the photos we captured together,  and I love watching her business grow in all of the ways she was looking for when she first came to me with her initial vision.

If you’re a personal fitness trainer who could benefit from brand photography, I highly encourage you to do yourself and your brand a favor by scheduling your own brand photography for fitness trainers photo session. The impact can be exponential.

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Your Guide to Photoshoot Props and How to Choose Them

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Ready to schedule your branding photography photoshoot?

If so, you need to pick the perfect props.

To do this, you must be intentional with your choices, find props that bring out your personality and represent your brand and what you do.

Let’s get into your guide to photoshoot props.

We will offer tips on how to pick the perfect props and how to use them.

However, remember that your branding photographer will also be a great help when it comes down to making these decisions.

Four Types of Photo Props

Here is a brief description of the four types of photo props you may encounter.

1. Creative Props

Creative props encompass a wide range of items that add artistic value and imaginative touch to your photos.

They often defy conventional norms, including anything from colorful umbrellas to vintage furniture, abstract sculptures, and other whimsical accessories.

2. Industry-Specific Props

These objects are closely related to the field you are in or the theme you’re photographing.

These props contextualize the subject matter and create more of an authentic atmosphere.

For example, if you are doing a bakery photoshoot, the props may include baking utensils, freshly baked goods, and a chef’s coat.

They are props that can highlight your expertise.

3. Personal Props

Personal props often hold significance to you and can include personal belongings, mementos, and objects that reflect your interests, hobbies, or memories.

Personal props add depth to any photoshoot and create more of an emotional connection to the photos.

This allows your personality to shine through.

4. Lifestyle Props

These props are more commonly associated with a specific lifestyle or activity.

They create a narrative around your daily life and routine.

For example, if you are a fitness enthusiast, relevant props include workout equipment, water bottles, and activewear.

These props are a relatable portrayal of your way of life.

Each prop type offers a more distinct way to enhance the storytelling aspect of your photoshoot, whether through artistic flair, thematic context, personal resonance, or a lifestyle representation.

Additionally, the right combination of these props can elevate your photoshoot and make the visuals more engaging and memorable.

Before Choosing Props

Before selecting on-brand props for a branding photoshoot, you need to understand the importance of choosing props that align with your brand’s identity, values, and messaging.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do that.

1. Understand the Brand

Clearly understand your core values, personality, and target audience. This will be a foundation for selecting props that resonate with your brand identity.

2. Identify Key Brand Elements

Determine the key visual elements that best represent your brand. This can include colors, textures, patterns, symbols, or themes consistently used in your brand’s marketing materials.

3. Create a Mood Board

Plan ahead and create a mood board that encapsulates your brand’s visual aesthetics and styles that reflect your essence. This helps you visualize the overall look and feel you want to achieve with your photos.

How to Choose On-Brand Props

When selecting props, keep the following in mind:

·  Color Palette: The props should align with your brand’s color scheme. So, use your brand’s primary color scheme or complementary shades.

·  Texture and Materials: If your brand is more rustic and organic, choose props with more natural textures like wood or linen.

·  Consistency: The props should maintain a consistent theme and style for a more cohesive narrative.

·  Symbolism: If you choose props with symbolic significance, be sure they relate to your brand’s message or values.

·  Relevance: The props must also be relevant to your products, services, or industry. Don’t use any props that could potentially confuse or muddle your brand.

·  Subtlety: The photoshoot props play a vital role in your branding photoshoot, but you don’t want them to become the main subject of the shoot.

·  Minimalism: Remember, less is more. Use a few impactful props rather than a ton of props. You still want to be the focal point of your photos.

What Props Should You Bring to a Branding Photo Shoot?

When choosing props for your branding photo shoot, consider the specific brand, identity, and story you want to tell.

Products and samples are a good representation of your brand’s core offerings.

For example, if you are a sound ceremony facilitator, you can bring along your sound bowls.

If you have any branded signage, banners, or posters, these could make a good backdrop or create more of a branded atmosphere in your photos.

If your brand has a natural or eco-friendly aspect, you can incorporate plants and other greenery to convey this message.

Those in the technology and gadgets industry might use smartphones, tablets, or laptops as props during photo sessions because they are such a focal point to their brand.

Collaborate With the Photographer

Always communicate your prop choices and vision with your branding photographer before and during photo sessions.

They can provide valuable insights on integrating each prop more seamlessly without negatively impacting the composition and lighting.

When using props during photo sessions, avoid overcrowding the scene and maintain simplicity.

Collaborate with your branding photographer to ensure all the props are used in the best ways.

They can guide you on the best placement, lighting and how to make each prop work best for each photo.

You can then review the shots with your photographer and see if there are any different arrangements you want to try.

During the editing phase, the photographer will ensure your props remain consistent with your brand’s visual identity, and any edits will enhance your overall brand message.

Remember, any branding photoshoot aims to create visually appealing and meaningful photos that tell your brand’s story.

Props, when used effectively, can prove to be powerful tools to engage your audience and convey your brand identity.

Ready for your branding photoshoot? Inquire below for more information.

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10 Examples of When and How to Use Font in Your Images (and When Not To!)

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The top rule I learned in art school is that rules are meant to be broken — but you have to know the rules before you can break them. 

This applies to all kinds of art. You’ll need to study form and function, the rule of thirds, light and shadow, proportions, rhythm and much more.

Once you know these principles, the techniques of using them, and why they work, then you can have fun playing in your studio. Coloring outside of the lines is encouraged, but you need to know where the lines are first.

These days, a lot of people are breaking the rules first and figuring them out later, which is honestly a good way to get more people to participate. Spending time and money drinking way too much coffee while toiling away in Berkeley or Annandale isn’t for every aspiring small business owner.

The old fashioned way has stood the test of time, but as the world shifts and changes faster than ever, we’ve learned to follow the facebook motto; move fast and break things.

Let’s face it, once the “For Dummies” series of how-to books were unleashed on the world, going the long way ‘round lost some of its appeal.

With that in mind here’s a crash course on how to use typography over your branding images. 

What is typography?

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed.

Why is typography important in graphic design?

When typography is done correctly, the layperson is pretty much oblivious to the process that made it so. It’s beautiful and it’s effective.

The importance of typography lies in avoiding disasters. Make sure you double-check and triple-check your work.

In the big design houses, whole teams of people are employed just to edit and proofread copy before it goes out the door. By the time consumers see it, dozens of sets of eyeballs have reviewed it. That’s also true of any photographs or illustrations that go with the text. 

Typography is important to graphic design because it’s rare that the photography can tell the whole story on its own. Hugely famous brands can get away with it on occasion, but small businesses don’t have the brand recognition to pull it off.

Many times, words on graphics are used to tell the audience what the company wants the consumer to do. This is the call to action and every effective marketing piece has one. Phrases like “Book Your Trip Now” or “Come in to test drive the new model today!” give the consumer an actionable task to complete. 

Other times the text includes important information and answers important questions — Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. It fills in the details so your audience isn’t confused.

If they’re confused, you’ll have to cross your fingers that they’ll take it upon themselves to fill in the blanks. It’s  better to give them the info they need in the first place; let the text do the work so they don’t have to. 

What’s more important in design: images or text?

They’re equally important. Even though a picture tells a thousand words, an image without text doesn’t say enough about you, your product, your business or what your customers should be doing next. And a plain block of text has a very hard time capturing attention.

The imagery catches your attention, and the text makes the sale. 

 As you’re scrolling through Facebook, which text posts stick out? It’s the ones with the silly, colorful backgrounds, right? They’re a break from all the other posts and somehow feel more important, or at least deserve an extra second of your time to decipher. 

Tips & Shortcuts

You don’t actually need an over-priced fine arts degree in order to be artistic. A little bit of know-how goes a long way these days, and this blog is meant to give you some timesavers and quick wins.

If you’ve already got your personal brand photography gallery in place, congratulations. You’re in good shape. Now all you need to do is choose a message, a font and a layout. There are lots of easy online tools that will assist you with it. (Canva is a very popular option.)

The first step is to choose your photo. Take your time to get a good one, don’t settle for one that has easily correctable issues. Never say to yourself, “Oh it’s fine, no one will notice.” 

FACT: People will notice. 

If you’re still in need of photographs, contact me and my team at Taylored Photo Memories so we can do a photo session for you. You’ll get the images you need AND guidance on how to use them.

Second, write your message. Some designers would tell you to pick your font and layout before you make the text fit the space, but if design and text are equally important then this step should really come second. 

You want a message that’s short and punchy. Attention spans are getting shorter and every second counts. Get your point across quickly and with impact. Don’t waste any characters. But also don’t turn it into an unreadable Twitter post with excessive use of abbreviations and shorthand.

Now comes the fun artsy part — bringing the photo and the text together. 

Make your copy stand out. The quick and easy way is to increase your font size or give your text a contrasting color. You can also add a shadow, echo or lift effect in Canva or your favorite graphic-making tool.

You can also try altering your images with a slight blur or maybe some transparency. If you’re using Canva or a similar software, after adding text to your picture, select your image and open the filter window. Then slowly move the blur slider to the right. You can preview your photo becoming blurrier in real time, and stop just as your text comes into clear view.

Another way to make good use of your brand photography is by adding text to an image’s negative space. Look for open skylines, large areas of repetition such as a brick wall, a cloudy sky, a forest of trees or even a block of color.

You can also ask your photographer to take some shots that intentionally give you room to work with. Check out some examples from some of my recent sessions.

There are as many ways to make text on images look good as there are colors of the rainbow. Hopefully these few quick wins can set you on the right path. As Bob Ross always said, “We don’t make mistakes — we have happy accidents.” Every misstep is a learning process and presents a new way to solve a problem that might just make the whole picture better.
Putting text on images is just one way to define your brand and only a small step on your successful branding journey. For the complete roadmap, check out the Ultimate Brand Checklist.

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Common Small Business Challenges (+ How to Overcome Them)

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As small business owners, we all go through challenges. We get stuck, we face big hurdles and we feel like there’s no way around over or through them. Even though it might feel like you’re all alone, you’re not the first one to encounter these obstacles. 

You can’t move forward while you’re stuck in neutral, so this blog is designed to get your small business out of the pits and back into the fast lane. We’re going to acknowledge the common small business challenges, but we won’t dwell on them. Let’s focus on solutions.

1. Financing Hurdles

When the costs of production, marketing and delivery outweigh the revenue generated from new sales, small businesses face the prospect of having  to close down.

Solutions:

One way to address financial issues is to review and rewrite the business plan. If the current plan isn’t working out, it may be time for some changes. Make some adjustments, move some pieces around and see if there’s a better fit.

You may want to secure loans or grants specifically designed to help give existing companies a boost. If debt is the problem, you could also explore the possibility of refinancing it. Do a web search to see if a local organization offers assistance. Attendance at a training seminar may be required and is totally worth your time, so pay attention. Don’t just go to check off the box to get the money.

If you know you have a fantastic business idea,  you may be able to convince venture capitalists and angel investors to provide some funds. In Las Vegas, there’s a group called AngelNV that seeks to match investors with entrepreneurs. They even offer boot camps so you can learn how to make a successful pitch.

If money matters are just way over your head, perhaps it’s time to buckle down and bone up. Free financial education might be the solution you need. The Small Business Association’s website has a great learning center with content that will teach you how to manage your finances.  

2. Inadequate Management

Maybe you know everything there is to know about creating and selling a viable product or service but lack managerial qualities and struggle seeing the big picture. These could lead you to mismanage critical aspects of your business and your lack of business know-how could be dragging you down or holding you back.

Solutions:

Have a slice of humble pie. Admit that you have some flaws and need some assistance, then go out and find yourself a good business manager. My business manager is an invaluable piece of my organization. She runs meetings, keeps things humming, figures out how to turn my ideas into a reality and isn’t afraid to say “no” when I need to hear it. 

Working with a business coach might also be a good option. Business coaches can steer you in the right direction, offer advice, show you examples of success they’ve encountered in the past and act as an important sounding board.

A business coach can offer an unbiased viewpoint and provide constructive criticism when you’re ready to listen. They are full of thoughtful recommendations and can help you maximize your skills for the betterment of your business.

From a strategic standpoint, they can help you get back on track with your business plan and make sure that you’re accountable and motivated.

3. Ineffective Business Planning

Small business owners often overlook the importance of effective business planning. Failing to have a clear description of the business, market opportunities and threats, budgets, marketing initiatives or competitor analysis can lead to insurmountable obstacles, now and in the future.

Solutions:

There are many pieces that go into a business plan, and if any one of them is insufficient, it could throw the whole thing out of whack. If you don’t have a proper business plan, it’s time to write one.

Don’t think of it as a weekend chore; think of it as a long term to-do list that will actually get your business functioning the way you want it to, and keep it that way. Your business plan is an essential tool throughout the life of your business — from starting out to cashing in.

Do some research. Actual examples of business plans can be studied in business books found at bookstores and libraries, especially the business libraries of local colleges. The Library of Congress has a nice reading list of business planning research guides. Finding a few of the titles at your local library or bookstore would be a good place to start.

Another good plan for ironing out your business plan is to meet with a mentor. Talking to someone with hands-on experience could be a lifesaver.

I suggest looking into your local chapter of the Service Corps Of Retired Executives. SCORE is a nonprofit group with more than 11,000 working and retired executives and business owners who donate their time and expertise as business counselors.

They provide free and confidential business advice, counseling and workshops for both start-up and in-business entrepreneurs. They know what they are doing and are glad to help.

Their simple find-a-mentor tool can pair you with a mentoring match based on location, but don’t worry — if there isn’t the expert you need nearby, they offer Zoom meetings as well!

4. Marketing Mishaps

Failing to prepare for the marketing needs or underestimating the total cost of early marketing campaigns can be a major misstep, because marketing is a crucial aspect of any early-stage business. 

Solutions:

Once again, knowledge is power. The first thing you’ll need to do is identify where your company’s marketing went wrong and take corrective action. The problem likely lies in one of three places:  target markets, pricing and how you promote your product.

Have you chosen target markets that you can’t easily access? Your target markets must be accessible at a reasonable cost, and its members have to be interested in your product.

Your company may have selected target markets that don’t match the product. For example, you’ll have trouble selling a high-value brand in a low-income market or a product aimed at families in a market mostly made up of singles. The fix is simple — select more appropriate target markets for your product. 

The price of your product depends on your costs and what your market studies indicate. Establish a target price in line with what the members of your target market can afford and competitor prices.

Then control your costs to ensure a profit. Reviewing your pricing and cutting your costs will help solve this piece of your marketing puzzle.

Your promotional strategy has two components: using a method of communication your audience uses to receive marketing often (if your ideal audience is on Instagram then you have to use Instagram) and delivering a message that appeals to them. If they aren’t connecting or responding to it, then change the message itself.

Finding The Fast Track

The road to success is long and winding but each mile down the highway is valuable; we can learn from our mistakes as much as our successes — sometimes more, in fact.

It can be frustrating when you encounter the pot holes, detours and freight trains in your way. But, by educating yourself and by seeking help, you’ll be back in high gear in no time. 

If your small business could use some new branding photography, reach out to me and my team. We provide galleries and guidance for using them successfully, so your small business can thrive. 

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Be Mindful of Your Work-Life Balance So You Don’t Lose Your Mind Running Your Small Business

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These days it seems like everyone and their brother has their own business. With big corporations becoming more soul-sucking by the day, and the job market being especially tight with not a lot of places for early career professionals to go to get ahead, it’s no wonder that 5 million new businesses were started in 2022, a 42% increase from pre-pandemic statistics.

Small business owners face many challenges, and being your own boss can be a pretty stressful replacement for a traditional 9 to 5 job. But punching a clock Monday thru Friday isn’t for everyone, so what do you do to break free of the rat race and still keep your sanity?

As someone who’s done it, I’m here to give you a number of tips, tricks and secrets that I use. Little solves offer big wins that give me more time, remove stress and provide me with a healthy work-life balance.

You can do it too!

Getting Started

Many small business owners could benefit from getting their day off to a good start. It’s important to put a routine in place that sets you up for success throughout the rest of the day. 

One of the reasons you might have started your business in the first place was so that you don’t have to begrudgingly wake up to an alarm every day. But just because a clock isn’t ticking somewhere in the HR office anymore doesn’t mean you can get lazy. Set a sleep schedule that’s appropriate for your needs and allow yourself to adjust to waking up naturally in the morning. 

Once you’re awake, follow a comforting routine that allows you to feel relaxed and refreshed before you put your nose to the grindstone, keyboard, workbench or artist’s easel. 

If you’re an exercise-lover, get up and go for a jog or do a yoga session each morning. Make it a habit. Getting the blood pumping also activates the endorphins and makes you feel good. Getting exercise out of the way, right away, has always helped me approach the day with a positive attitude.

Join a nearby gym, close to home, so it’s quick and easy to get to. Then sign up for regular classes to help keep yourself accountable. I know a great yoga trainer, if you’re in Las Vegas looking for personal or group instruction!

Get yourself a nice coffee maker and learn how to use it, or how to set the timer so that it’s ready when you want it. Making good fresh coffee at home is cheaper and healthier than that sugar-filled $6 coffee shop habit. 

Got kids? Make them part of your getting started routine. Kids don’t drink coffee and maybe you shouldn’t trust them to run the blender to make breakfast smoothies, but that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate their needs into your routine. Find joy in the little things that make up their routine and smile while helping them create good habits for themselves too!

Staying Organized and Being Proactive

Set up your days so you are successful. By planning ahead, you’re less likely to get off task or be surprised by something that throws you off your objectives. If you know what you want to get done each day, and what you’re up against, it’s easier and less stressful to get through your day with a feeling of accomplishment.

I know a guy who calls this “Make Plan/Execute Plan.” When he makes his plan, he starts at the end of the day with the result he wants to have. Then he works backward.

Say he wants to make 5 widgets, mail the 20 widgets he made last week to his customers, take lunch with his wife and pick the kids up from school.

Well, he knows the post office opens at 8:30 am, so if he doesn’t want to wait in line, he makes sure to know how long it takes to get there, then leaves on time to be there when the doors open. Then he can spend a few hours before lunch working on the five widgets he needs to get done. During the time he’s working he knows that he has to stay on task, so he avoids his phone and puts his inbox notifications on silent, because if he gets distracted he won’t make it to lunch with his wife. If he has to deal with a hot potato before lunch, then he allows himself to switch gears. He can do this because he knows he left himself time after lunch and before school pickup to complete the widgets. If he doesn’t have any emergencies, then he can use the time after lunch to plan tomorrow’s day, deal with things he had to put off yesterday or get ahead for tomorrow.

Breaking the day into manageable chunks of time and tasks allows him to be proactive and stay organized. The plan he makes is evolving but rigid. If he has goals and milestones to reach, he builds them into his daily and weekly schedule, so that at the end of the day and the end of the week, he can relax knowing that he executed his plan.

I think his key is that he doesn’t overload himself and is realistic about what he can get done each day. 

When the plan goes haywire, he chalks it up to learning how to work through the chaos and promises himself that he’ll do better tomorrow.

When the plan works, he takes pride in knowing that doing little things each day adds up to big accomplishments.

Time Management

Setting boundaries is important — especially when you want to have a healthy work-life balance while running your small business. 

It’s easy to get caught up in putting in a brute force effort. But that’s not the only way to get the job done or clear the next hurdle. The non-stop work mindset can lead to feeling stuck on a hamster wheel of your own creation. And wasn’t one of the biggest reasons for starting your own business to get off the conveyor belt?!

If you’re working efficiently, you are able to give time back to yourself. 

Setting dedicated working and non-working hours (and sticking to them) isn’t always easy, but honestly, I’ve found it a must-do. My passion doesn’t turn off when I close up shop for the night, I just give myself the latitude to feel good that I made progress that day and call it a night. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is any part of my branding photography business.

My friends and family appreciate it, my kids know I’m there for them and I get to spend time enjoying the fruits of my labor. 

Using a day planner, calendar tool on your phone, personal assistant app or keeping it all in a journal you can reference every day in order to ground yourself, can be so helpful. Don’t worry — if it’s not your style, you don’t have to get super fancy or take up time-consuming bullet journaling to stay organized.

Maximizing Productivity

As a small business owner myself, I wasn’t always as productive as I am now. And I’m still learning!  🧑‍🎓

When I wanted to get better at maximizing my productivity, I turned to an expert. Amber De La Garza and I have known each other awhile now, and I’m thankful she is able to help me be more efficient at running my business. Many small business owners find her podcast helpful because it offers simple tips for increasing your productivity, improving time management and, in turn, maximizing profits.

One of her typical case studies reads like this:

[A client’s] business was thriving, profits were climbing and the phone never stopped ringing. But running her business didn’t feel good. She was investing everything she had into her business and very little into herself. She wanted to be more present with her family but kept feeding the monster, giving the business more and more of herself. And no matter how much she gave, it didn’t feel like enough.

Now she is no longer bogged down working IN her business and actually works ON her business. She weighs opportunities against her goals and only goes down avenues she deems worthy of her time and energy. She anchors down her list of priorities and makes them happen instead of making excuses for why they can’t.

If this sounds like you, and the solutions you’re looking for, drop Amber a line. She’s helped me a bunch and can do the same for you.

Dealing with Distractions

I just found this great tool for avoiding the habit of letting my emails and phone app notifications interrupt my workflow.

When I am busy plugging away on a task and my phone dings with a notification or message of some kind, it used to be hard for me not to drop what I was doing to attend to it instantaneously. When I am on deadline, or trying to get something done, the last thing I need is bothersome notifications staring me in the face.

Now, I use the “Focus” feature on my iPhone. (Android phones have a similar function.) It’s highly customizable and allows me to pause these distractions at certain times, while I’m using specific programs, at certain places or doing certain tasks. Working with the other hardware and software in your phone, Focus can be set up to do its thing based on your location, time of day and many other useful parameters. It’s a great way to block off time. 

Taking Control of Your Email

Speaking of email… it’s the great necessary evil of our time.

I like to focus on inbox management. This means I’m in control rather than it controlling me.

There are different schools of thought on the Inbox Zero Method, but I like to use the framework it provides. Instead of reacting to every new email as it comes in, I set specific times throughout the day to sort and deal with email that has accumulated. I’ve adopted a routine of taking half an hour at the beginning of my day, half an hour after lunch and half an hour before I check out for the evening. During that half hour I “Delete, Delegate, Deal With It or Delay.” 

The first two Ds are the two biggest time savers. Straight up deleting emails that don’t need my attention gets rid of things quickly. This includes periodically making sure to unsubscribe from newsletters I do not read or archiving old threads I no longer need. 

Meanwhile, delegating moves the things off my-plate that are really better handled by someone else. Use this polite language to send it along in the right direction with the right attitude:

“Hi <Sender>,

I’ve received your email and am looping in <Appropriate Person> so they can get you what you need. 

<Appropriate Person>, can you please help <Sender> on this?

“Dealing With It” is best if the response can take 5 minutes or less. If that’s the case, then I’ll get it done right away.

“Delay” sounds like you’re avoiding it and hoping it goes away, but actually, delaying it means I know the email requires a more in-depth response or isn’t a priority, and I can set it aside and come back to it later. I file it into a “Reply Later Folder” or I assign the task to my to-do list so that it has a place to live while I tackle it and make sure to assign a deadline. Then I reply to the sender to let them know what they can expect of me and when I’ll deliver on the promise I’ve made.

This simple method keeps me on top of my inbox without being chained to it.

Outsourcing

The benefits of outsourcing are numerous. If you’re a successful small business, you’ll notice that you’re quickly running out of time to get everything done that needs to be done. Keeping up with existing tasks is hard enough. Taking on new ones can feel impossible. When you reach this stage of small business ownership, you need to start outsourcing.

Don’t be afraid to hand off some of the tasks that keep your business humming. Paying someone for a few hours of work each week to do even one time-consuming task, like your payroll for example, frees you up to handle more important things — and more of the things that you love about owning your own business! 

Quick Wins

Here are a few simple ideas you can implement right away to gain some quick wins leading you to an improved and more sustainable work-life balance.

  • Take advantage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to do menial tasks that stress you out. For example, give ChatGPT a chance to create a meal plan and grocery list by inputting your dietary restrictions, ingredients you don’t like and budget.
  • Keep a notebook handy at all times to make it easier to separate work and leisure. This way you can get things out of your head and move on. If you make a habit of writing important things down, the benefit is twofold; you won’t forget it, and you can jump straight back into the present and enjoy the moment (or even fall asleep) knowing that it will be there for you when you are ready.
  • Make a dedicated physical space for work and keep it separate from the rest of your life. When you associate a particular place with work, you’ll find it far easier to get into gear when you’re there and easier to leave work in the work-zone when you step away.
  • Prioritize your to-do list each day by writing down your “3 Most Important Things.” If, at the end of the day, you can say that you’ve completed each of them, then you’ve had a good day, even if you didn’t get things beyond the top three done.
  • Implement some form of reward system. For example, a golf-lover may agree that a Friday afternoon round of golf is a fair reward for completing a pre-specified amount of work by Friday lunchtime. The important thing is to make the reward something that drives you to work productively to meet your targets, so you won’t miss out on the prize.
  • Make a “30-Minute Job List.” Fill in the small gaps throughout your day by working off of a list of tasks that would otherwise hang over your head for a while but really only need 20 or 30 minutes to complete.

I hope these strategies have given you some inspiration and can allow you to create your ideal work-life balance. As you’re implementing some of these ideas and planning for how to move forward please, be sure to include some time to book a session with me so we can get you in for your next branding photo session.