Last month I laid out some strategies for success in 2022. With the New Year just beginning, it’s a good time to start planning for your success. Only you can define what that is in your professional life, but here are a few strategies that will work to your advantage. My approach is to set goals then create a step-by-step path to reach those goals. These are strategies that have worked for me over my thirty-plus years in my photography and publishing businesses.
Submit your work. This includes to magazines, both print and online versions. If you can write or get a friend to compose the text for a piece on your work and submit that along with a handful of strong images to an editor, in all likelihood they will publish it, especially in smaller trade magazines. They need content month in and month out so they love it when folks send them pieces they can easily edit and go to print. This type of editorial article will bring much greater rewards than any paid ad you could place.
Take care of business. Bill jobs and product deliveries promptly. Rebill outstanding invoices at the first of every month. Get your taxes done early and you’ll get any refund sooner and have that cash to work with. Even if you owe money it will save you paying penalties and late fees because you avoided dealing with it until the last minute. Pay quarterly estimated income taxes and monthly sales taxes as soon as you can. Add due dates to your calendar. Don’t put yourself constantly up against deadlines.
Keep your portfolio current. Show the work you are proudest of and showcase your bestselling items. Document your best work, because once it’s gone it’s nearly impossible to get it back to photograph. This will allow you to showcase it on your website and to galleries and museums who are looking more at bodies of work rather than single pieces for sale. Make large display prints of your best work and place in your craft booth so shoppers can see from a distance what you have to offer. This is especially critical if you make small work such as jewelry.
Add a face to your business. Update your business portrait to reflect your personality. Whether it’s on a straightforward studio backdrop, a photograph of you in your studio, or at work on an interesting project, make it engaging and warm. Incorporate it on your social media accounts and website much as you would a logo to make all your public-facing media consistent and part of your ”branding.”
Schedule time off. Self-employed people are bad to ignore this. Vacations are essential to give you something to look forward to and refresh your thinking and approach to life in general. Be sure to book travel and vacations early, at least six months in advance. You can always cancel but as travel picks up the supply of rooms, and especially campsites, dwindle. You don’t have to spend a lot or travel far. Simple weekend trips up the Blue Ridge Parkway or to the Great Smoky Mountains are refreshing. Even stays with family and friends are often just as satisfying as more elaborate journeys.
Hopefully this will give you a few ideas for the New Year. If we can help you with your business needs, just give us a call. We do in-studio and location portraits, specialize in photographing products and art and craftwork, and are familiar with how to showcase your work to best apply to art and craft fairs and publications. We also do large-format printing and can add text to your images for terrific display prints. And check out my newly updated Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and Great Smoky Mountains Vistas guidebooks for travel ideas and destinations!
Hope 2022 is a great year for you. Enjoy a selection of my photos from the Grand Canyon and other Arizona locales!
Best Regards;
Tim Barnwell
