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	<title>Jules Cafe &#187; Business</title>
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	<link>http://julescafe.com</link>
	<description>Jules Cafe</description>
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		<title>YOUR CLIENTS DON&#8217;T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU CARE ABOUT.</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/your-clients-dont-care-about-what-you-care-about/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/your-clients-dont-care-about-what-you-care-about/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:58:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Aten &#124; Starting Out Right</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/e8a952d356335cb4</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>They care about: their wedding, their future, their first home, their first child, paying for dinner for 200 people, whether their dress will fit, whether the cake will look like they imagined it would.  They care about whether people will like the centerpieces, if they&#39;re going to cry when they see each other.  They care about how they will look in a bathing suit on the honeymoon.  </p>
<p>They care about getting tan for the wedding.  They care about whether the escort cards look right, and who should sit with who at the wedding.  They care about how they can afford everything they want.  <strong>They care about what people will think of their wedding.  They care about themselves.</strong></p>
<p>They don't care about: your website, your blog, your twitter status, the award you won that really everyone won but you pretend like it's a big deal anyway<strong>.</strong>  They don&#39;t care about the type of camera you shoot with.  They don&#39;t care if you shoot RAW or JPG.  They don&#39;t care about your new brand, or your letterpress cards. <strong> They don&#39;t care about the new logo and the colors you spent hours trying to get just right.</strong></p>
<p><strong>They DO care about whether or not they trust you.</strong>  They care about whether they believe you can help them remember the way they feel at their wedding.  They care about whether you&#39;ll do what you say you&#39;ll do.  They are about whether or not you&#39;ll add fun to their wedding day, or whether you&#39;ll be a drag.  </p>
<p>All those other things - the things we care about so much - are meaningless to clients.  Sure, they matter.  Sure, a professional website helps build credibility.  Sure, L series lenses with big apertures help us produce amazing images.  Sure, letterpress business cards are impressive.  <strong>But all of it is meaningless because everyone is focused on these things - except the client.  All of your competition has the same &#34;stuff.&#34;</strong></p>
<p><strong>The question we forget to ask ourselves is: what do our clients really care about?  </strong>Why don&#39;t we spend more time caring about those things?  Can you imagine what your business might look like if your clients felt like you REALLY cared about them - and the things they care about?  Can you imagine what might happen if you spent more time thinking about your clients, and less time thinking about &#34;strategies&#34; to get them to give you more money? </p>
<p><strong>You should care about what your clients care about.  You should care about them.</strong></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>They care about: their wedding, their future, their first home, their first child, paying for dinner for 200 people, whether their dress will fit, whether the cake will look like they imagined it would.  They care about whether people will like the centerpieces, if they&#39;re going to cry when they see each other.  They care about how they will look in a bathing suit on the honeymoon.  </p>
<p>They care about getting tan for the wedding.  They care about whether the escort cards look right, and who should sit with who at the wedding.  They care about how they can afford everything they want.  <strong>They care about what people will think of their wedding.  They care about themselves.</strong></p>
<p>They don't care about: your website, your blog, your twitter status, the award you won that really everyone won but you pretend like it's a big deal anyway<strong>.</strong>  They don&#39;t care about the type of camera you shoot with.  They don&#39;t care if you shoot RAW or JPG.  They don&#39;t care about your new brand, or your letterpress cards. <strong> They don&#39;t care about the new logo and the colors you spent hours trying to get just right.</strong></p>
<p><strong>They DO care about whether or not they trust you.</strong>  They care about whether they believe you can help them remember the way they feel at their wedding.  They care about whether you&#39;ll do what you say you&#39;ll do.  They are about whether or not you&#39;ll add fun to their wedding day, or whether you&#39;ll be a drag.  </p>
<p>All those other things - the things we care about so much - are meaningless to clients.  Sure, they matter.  Sure, a professional website helps build credibility.  Sure, L series lenses with big apertures help us produce amazing images.  Sure, letterpress business cards are impressive.  <strong>But all of it is meaningless because everyone is focused on these things - except the client.  All of your competition has the same &quot;stuff.&quot;</strong></p>
<p><strong>The question we forget to ask ourselves is: what do our clients really care about?  </strong>Why don&#39;t we spend more time caring about those things?  Can you imagine what your business might look like if your clients felt like you REALLY cared about them - and the things they care about?  Can you imagine what might happen if you spent more time thinking about your clients, and less time thinking about &quot;strategies&quot; to get them to give you more money? </p>
<p><strong>You should care about what your clients care about.  You should care about them.</strong></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
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		<title>4 Simple Principles of Getting to Completion</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/4-simple-principles-of-getting-to-completion/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/4-simple-principles-of-getting-to-completion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:39:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[“If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, then this is the best season of your life.” ~Wu-Men
Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.
When I hear about a great idea that a friend has, I get excited. I can’t wait to see that ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<blockquote><p>“If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, then this is the best season of your life.” <strong>~Wu-Men</strong></p></blockquote>
<h6>Post written by <a href="http://zenhabits.net/about/">Leo Babauta</a>. Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/zen_habits">Twitter</a>.</h6>
<p>When I hear about a great idea that a friend has, I get excited. I can’t wait to see that idea become reality.</p>
<p>Then I ask about the idea a few months later, and it often is not one bit closer to completion.</p>
<p>Ideas stop short of becoming reality, and projects seem to drag on endlessly, because of one thing: complexity.</p>
<p>A software programmer can allow the development of a new app he’s building to drag on and on for years (I know of cases where this happened), only to find Google release something that makes his app obsolete. The problem: the program grew and grew in complexity and features, but never shipped.</p>
<p>A web developer can work on a rad new website with killer features, but after months of work the website never launches. Problem: too complex, and too much of a perfectionist.</p>
<p>A writer can work on a novel, working in characters and plotlines, and then work on revision after revision, only to abandon it. The complexity of a book can become overwhelming.</p>
<p>If your project has been dragging on, or you’re having problems completing, try simplifying, and stop trying for perfection.</p>
<p>I’ve launched a number of projects over the last few years, and learned a thing or two about making ideas take life, and getting to done.</p>
<p>Here are some of those key principles:<br>
<span></span><br>
<strong>1. Keep the scope as simple as possible</strong>. You don’t need to do everything with this project. In fact, if you can just do one thing, that’s perfect. As small a thing as possible. Don’t redesign an entire city — just work on one building. If the project starts to get complex or seem overwhelming, narrow the scope. Do less. It’ll help you get things done.</p>
<p><strong>2. Practice ‘Good Enough’</strong>. Perfectionism is the enemy of completion. Nitpick and worry about getting it “just right”, and you’ll never get it done. Done is better than right. So if you start to nitpick and worry about perfect, say “screw it” and then just try for “good enough”. You can always make it better in the next version.</p>
<p><strong>3. Kill extra features</strong>. Similar to simplifying the scope, you’ll want to try to make your creation do as little as possible. Want it to talk and walk and cook breakfast? Just try for talking. Want your website to publish great content and have social networking and podcasts and news and a newsletter and a membership area? Just shoot for great content. Whenever you find yourself adding new features, see if they can’t be killed.</p>
<p><strong>4. Make it public, quick</strong>. Your goal should be to get your project in some working form out to your customers/readers/public as soon as possible. In as few steps, as quickly, as easily, as simply as possible. Remember: don’t worry about perfect, and don’t let this first public release be wide in scope or full of features. Release it with as few features as possible. Releasing it publicly will 1) get you to done faster and 2) put some pressure on you to make it better, quickly.<br>
—<br>
<strong>If you liked this guide, please <a href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://zenhabits.net/2010/02/completion-principles/&amp;title=4%20Simple%20Principles%20of%20Getting%20to%20Completion">bookmark it on Delicious</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Reading:%204%20Simple%20Principles%20of%20Getting%20to%20Completion%20http://bit.ly/clHv0u%20via%20@zen_habits">share on Twitter</a>. Thanks, my friends.</strong></p>
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		<title>Five Ways To Make Sure Your Photography Stands Out</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/five-ways-to-make-sure-your-photography-stands-out/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/five-ways-to-make-sure-your-photography-stands-out/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:19:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>scottbourne</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved
Everyone – and I mean everyone has a camera. So what can you do to stand out from the crowd? Here are five tips.
1. Develop your own style
Ever seen an Ansel Adams photograph and known it was by Ansel...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div style="width:510px"><a rel="attachment wp-att-8856" href="http://photofocus.com/2010/02/19/five-ways-to-make-sure-your-photography-stands-out/_p8c0842/"><img title="_P8C0842" src="http://photofocusblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/p8c0842.jpg?w=500&amp;h=318" alt="" width="500" height="318"></a><p>Copyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved</p></div>
<p>Everyone – and I mean everyone has a camera. So what can you do to stand out from the crowd? Here are five tips.</p>
<p><strong>1. Develop your own style</strong></p>
<p>Ever seen an Ansel Adams photograph and known it was by Ansel before you saw his signature? That’s because he had a certain style to his work that was immediately recognizable. If you develop a personal style, chances are it will set you apart as long as you’re consistent with it.</p>
<p><strong>2. Photograph a niche</strong></p>
<p>I photograph lots of things but primarily, I photograph birds. Before that I spent years primarily photographing wolves. While picking a niche may keep you from getting known by everyone, it will help you stand out amongst people interested in that type of imagery.</p>
<p><strong>3. Shoot often and show the work</strong></p>
<p>The photographers who shoot all the time and who post their work everywhere tend to get noticed. In fact, showing the work might seem like the most rudimentary advice here, but you’d probably be surprised to find out how many people don’t follow through with that. Show the work – show the work – show the work. If you are prolific (or at least appear to be) your photography will rise to the top.</p>
<p><strong>4. Know your audience</strong></p>
<p>If you’ve followed my advice to develop a style and fill a niche, you should have a pretty good idea who your audience is. This is key to standing out above the crowd and here’s why. If you know who your audience is you can shoot for them – NOT for the folks who will never see your work. Trying to please everyone is a recipe for failure. You can’t do it and you shouldn’t try. Try to please the people who like your work and stop shooting for the people who dislike it.</p>
<p><strong>5. Be an original</strong></p>
<p>It’s easy to think this means do something new. In fact that is the lazy person’s way of being original. What ends up happening is that people sacrifice quality in return for something new. <strong><em>It’s important to understand that being original doesn’t mean being new – it means being you! </em></strong>Be yourself. Show us what’s inside YOU. Don’t just copy the other shooters in your camera club. Ask yourself what really matters to you and go shoot that.</p>
<p>It’s not easy to stand out in a crowded field. And that is potentially a good thing. It helps to make sure that the best have earned their way to the top. If you apply these five tips you can rise with the rest of the best too.<br>
_______________________________________<br>
<a href="http://www.expoimaging.net/product-detail.php?cat_id=8&amp;product_id=15&amp;keywords=Ray_Flash:_The_Ring_Flash_Adapter">This post sponsored by Ray Flash – Ring Flash Adapter</a></p>
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		<title>Running Your Photography Business &amp; Having a Day Job</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/running-your-photography-business-having-a-day-job/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/running-your-photography-business-having-a-day-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:01:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>elizabeth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Written by Jessica Del Vecchio

Head shot photo by Angela Anderson
Running my own photography business is a dream job.  But it’s not the only one I have.  I have a regular, 40+ hour/week job in a completely unrelated field.  Sound familiar?  At s...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Written by <a href="http://jessicadelvecchio.blogspot.com/">Jessica Del Vecchio</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://blog.pictage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/New-Image.jpg"><img title="New Image" src="http://blog.pictage.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/New-Image.jpg" alt="" width="202" height="303"></a></p>
<p><em>Head shot photo by <a href="http://www.angela-blog.com/">Angela Anderson</a></em></p>
<p>Running my own photography business is a dream job.  But it’s not the only one I have.  I have a regular, 40+ hour/week job in a completely unrelated field.  Sound familiar?  At some point, many photographers find themselves working 2 jobs – either they are building up their photography business (and bank account) for the day when they can leave the day job behind or they’ve chosen to do both simultaneously for a variety of reasons.  The trick is not being able to do both – the trick is being able to do both, stay sane, get a normal amount of sleep each night, and enjoy yourself (that includes having a personal life!).</p>
<p>I started out like a lot of photographers – working my day job while building my photography business on evenings and weekends.  For me, when my photography business grew to the point where financially I could leave my day job, I made a surprising choice (surprising to me and surprising to other professional photographers).  I chose to keep my day job (which I love) and continue to run my full-time photography business.  It’s not always an easy feat, but through trial and error, I’ve found a way to make it all work.</p>
<h2>Be Honest with Your Employer</h2>
<p>Having a great employer for my day job was an important first step.  I have been working at my day job for 12 years and running my photography business for 7 of those years.  Being open and honest with my employer, talking about my needs in running my photography business, and negotiating additional vacation time (I take off about 40-50 days per year), has helped me blend my two work worlds.  Doing this in advance and keeping my employer informed about when I will need time off for client meetings, destination weddings, workshops and conferences, prevents any misunderstandings or hard feelings.</p>
<p>My employer is encouraging of my photography business but also considers me an indispensable employee and was open to negotiation in order to keep me a happy employee.  I was also willing to give certain things up such annual raises and reduced bonuses in exchange for the flexibility and I went armed with those ideas when I negotiated my extra time off with my employer.  Since my employer has been generous with me, I strive to always go the extra mile and try to be as available as I can be when I am not committed to a photography job.  That means going in on a weekend every once in a while or working late when a big project is due.</p>
<h2>Organization Matters</h2>
<p>Keeping a good calendar is necessary to make sure nothing ever overlaps. Before I commit to a photography job, I need to make sure it does not overlap with any day job commitments.  After a photography commitment is made, it gets top priority so the time needs to be blocked off from the day job if it conflicts with my regular hours.</p>
<p>It can be daunting running a full-time photography business while keeping down a day job, even if you have an employer who is as flexible as mine.  I learned quickly that I cannot do everything unless I work round the clock between the two jobs!  I found some amazing partners to help me handle those jobs I could and wanted to outsource.  Pictage handles all of my consumer orders, printing, and album design.  <a href="http://photographersedit.com/">Photographer’s Edit</a> culls and edits all of my wedding images.  <a href="http://web.shootq.com/">ShootQ</a> keeps me organized and allows me to communicate easily and efficiently with clients and inquiries.</p>
<h2>Lookout for YOU</h2>
<p>It is easy to become a workaholic and spend every waking hour when you are not at your day job working on your business.  This is the fast track to burn out.  I make sure to schedule trips to visit family and friends out-of-town and nights out with friends regularly.  I schedule these things in advance and have committed to not reschedule play time for work time.  It keeps my work/personal life in balance and I know from experience that play time is just as important as the hours I spend behind my camera or my computer.  When the balance gets out of whack, it is easy to become overwhelmed.</p>
<p>I also know my limits and stick to them, even though this can mean turning down business on occasion.  I know that I cannot shoot 2 weddings in one weekend and be ready for work on Monday morning.  I know that if I shoot 10 portrait sessions on the weekend, I cannot promise my clients they will have their proofs in 7 days.  Being realistic about what I can do and realizing I am not Superwoman was a hard lesson learned but one that has made a huge difference in my sanity (and the amount of sleep I get!).</p>
<p>Being involved in my photography community through my PUG and the Pictage Forum provides me with support, friendship, inspiration, courage &amp; advice.  I know a big part of my success is directly related to the friends I’ve made in the photography community.</p>
<p>I know that working a day job and running a business at the same time is not for everyone.  But I’ve found a balance that brings out the best parts of both situations.  I get to do the photography work that I want to do; I don’t have to take every job or do work that I don’t enjoy.  At my day job, since I’ve reduced my hours and have a lot of leave time, I get to concentrate on the work I enjoy the most and delegate the rest.  And by having a careful balance between work life and personal life, last year, I took 14 trips (some work, some pleasure, and some a mixture of both), photographed 12 weddings/events and 50+ portrait sessions,  volunteered my time for the Presidential Inauguration, <a href="http://oplove.org/">Operation:Love ReUnited</a>, and other organizations, planned monthly events with friends, and had my most successful year at my day job.  I don’t say this to brag about how great my life is (although I do love my life!), but to show you that it is possible to work a day job, run a business and have a life.  It just takes a little bit of planning and great partners to help out.</p>
<p><span style="color:#000000"><strong>Continue this discussion on the Pictage Forums <a href="http://forums.pictage.com/showthread.php?t=35357">here</a>.</strong></span></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Marketing Is A Long-Term Relationship</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/marketing-is-a-long-term-relationship/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/marketing-is-a-long-term-relationship/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Feb 2010 09:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Editor in Chief</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Article courtesy <a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1096125">http://www.FreelanceDesignMarketing.com.</a></em></p>
<p>Many freelance designers fail to realize that marketing their small businesses takes time. Essentially, marketing is like a building a long-term relationship—rather than a one-night stand!</p>
<p>If you market your services to prospective clients one time and then quit, you’re not building relationships, you’re not thinking long-term. By sending your marketing message out once and expecting results, you’re marketing yourself via one-night stands. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.creativepro.com/article/marketing-long-term-relationship">read more</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Article courtesy <a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1096125">http://www.FreelanceDesignMarketing.com.</a></em></p>
<p>Many freelance designers fail to realize that marketing their small businesses takes time. Essentially, marketing is like a building a long-term relationship—rather than a one-night stand!</p>
<p>If you market your services to prospective clients one time and then quit, you’re not building relationships, you’re not thinking long-term. By sending your marketing message out once and expecting results, you’re marketing yourself via one-night stands. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.creativepro.com/article/marketing-long-term-relationship">read more</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>IS YOUR PRICE A SECRET?</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/is-your-price-a-secret/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/is-your-price-a-secret/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:38:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Aten &#124; Starting Out Right</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/fddc98e351ea49d6</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><span>From a photographer's website I came across recently - under their "pricing" link:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left:30px"><span><em>&#34;You&#39;re wedding is different than any other I&#39;ve ever shot, so it would be impossible for me to simply list a bunch of prices without us talking.  I need to know more about you - and your wedding - before I can create a custom quote that fits your needs specifically.  Please contact me today, so we can talk more about your wedding - and how I might be able to serve you.&#34;</em></span></p>
<p><span>I’ve noticed, more and more, that a lot of photographers - for whatever reason - are requiring clients to contact them before they will give any kind of pricing information.  And based on what I hear photographers say, it seems that they want clients to engage in what is basically a sales conversation, before they will give detailed information about their pricing.</span></p>
<p><span>I think there&#39;s a mentality that says &#34;if I am able to talk to someone, I&#39;ll be able to convince them of my worth - even if I&#39;m out of their price range.&#34;  </span></p>
<p><span>Sure, that’s true for maybe one out of every 1,000 inquiries, but it’s not how it usually works in the real world.  </span><strong>In the real world, you are not the only photographer your prospects are considering. </strong><span> Even if they found you as a result of a referral, most often - they’ll be looking at several photographers. </span></p>
<p><span>As they filter through the choices, they look at whether they like the images, and they look at whether you fit in their budget.  If you make it hard for them to do either of these two things, they’ll move on.  Sure, there are other things that matter before they make a purchase - like whether or not they feel like you’d personally be a good fit - but they’ll never even get to that point if you make it hard for them to get the information they want.</span></p>
<p><span>Now, I’m not suggesting you need to put every package, every print size price, every session fee, EVERYTHING right on your site.  I think that generally speaking, MORE information isn’t always helpful.  The key is getting the right information to the right people at the right time.  </span><strong>When someone is browsing for photographers that fit their budget, they don’t need every detail - they just need to know if you fit.</strong></p>
<p><span>Pricing is one of the issues that photographers - and all small business owners - wrestle with all the time.  It&#39;s one of the most important decisions you make, and can impact the health and viability of your business like almost nothing else.  Just as important, is the way you use your pricing - and it&#39;s presentation - to reinforce the customer experience.</span></p>
<p><span>I think there’s another choice, and it’s the way I’ve chosen to present our pricing.  On my site, I list our starting commission price.  I also give people an idea of the amount of money most of our clients choose to spend. </span><strong> I help manage their expectations by letting them what we charge, and what people usually spend. </strong><span> This allows potential clients to quickly decide whether or not our studio fits with their budget.  Does it mean I get a lot less people contacting me?  Sure - and I’m okay with that.  I&#39;m okay with not answering countless emails to couple&#39;s that are clearly not our ideal client. </span></p>
<p>I send my complete <a href="http://www.jasonatenphotography.com/weddings.pdf">wedding pricing information</a> to EVERY client that inquires.  I let them decide for themselves whether what we&#39;re offering is a good fit for them.  I let them know that if they feel like we&#39;re a good fit, then I&#39;d love to schedule time to talk.  I don&#39;t want to waste their time or mine, so I don&#39;t FORCE them to talk to me before I&#39;ll give them what they really want - my prices.</p>
<div></div>
<p><span>I don’t think it does anyone - you OR the client - any good to waste time.  That’s exactly what it does, when you make someone contact you to find out you’re out of their price range. It wastes both of your time.  And it wastes even more, if you make them jump through even more hoops.</span></p>
<p>So, ask yourself, is your pricing a secret?  If so, why?  If you’re charging what you’re worth, why not at least do yourself - and your potential clients - a favor and let them know upfront what you’re worth.  </p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>From a photographer's website I came across recently - under their "pricing" link:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left:30px"><span><em>&quot;You&#39;re wedding is different than any other I&#39;ve ever shot, so it would be impossible for me to simply list a bunch of prices without us talking.  I need to know more about you - and your wedding - before I can create a custom quote that fits your needs specifically.  Please contact me today, so we can talk more about your wedding - and how I might be able to serve you.&quot;</em></span></p>
<p><span>I’ve noticed, more and more, that a lot of photographers - for whatever reason - are requiring clients to contact them before they will give any kind of pricing information.  And based on what I hear photographers say, it seems that they want clients to engage in what is basically a sales conversation, before they will give detailed information about their pricing.</span></p>
<p><span>I think there&#39;s a mentality that says &quot;if I am able to talk to someone, I&#39;ll be able to convince them of my worth - even if I&#39;m out of their price range.&quot;  </span></p>
<p><span>Sure, that’s true for maybe one out of every 1,000 inquiries, but it’s not how it usually works in the real world.  </span><strong>In the real world, you are not the only photographer your prospects are considering. </strong><span> Even if they found you as a result of a referral, most often - they’ll be looking at several photographers. </span></p>
<p><span>As they filter through the choices, they look at whether they like the images, and they look at whether you fit in their budget.  If you make it hard for them to do either of these two things, they’ll move on.  Sure, there are other things that matter before they make a purchase - like whether or not they feel like you’d personally be a good fit - but they’ll never even get to that point if you make it hard for them to get the information they want.</span></p>
<p><span>Now, I’m not suggesting you need to put every package, every print size price, every session fee, EVERYTHING right on your site.  I think that generally speaking, MORE information isn’t always helpful.  The key is getting the right information to the right people at the right time.  </span><strong>When someone is browsing for photographers that fit their budget, they don’t need every detail - they just need to know if you fit.</strong></p>
<p><span>Pricing is one of the issues that photographers - and all small business owners - wrestle with all the time.  It&#39;s one of the most important decisions you make, and can impact the health and viability of your business like almost nothing else.  Just as important, is the way you use your pricing - and it&#39;s presentation - to reinforce the customer experience.</span></p>
<p><span>I think there’s another choice, and it’s the way I’ve chosen to present our pricing.  On my site, I list our starting commission price.  I also give people an idea of the amount of money most of our clients choose to spend. </span><strong> I help manage their expectations by letting them what we charge, and what people usually spend. </strong><span> This allows potential clients to quickly decide whether or not our studio fits with their budget.  Does it mean I get a lot less people contacting me?  Sure - and I’m okay with that.  I&#39;m okay with not answering countless emails to couple&#39;s that are clearly not our ideal client. </span></p>
<p>I send my complete <a href="http://www.jasonatenphotography.com/weddings.pdf">wedding pricing information</a> to EVERY client that inquires.  I let them decide for themselves whether what we&#39;re offering is a good fit for them.  I let them know that if they feel like we&#39;re a good fit, then I&#39;d love to schedule time to talk.  I don&#39;t want to waste their time or mine, so I don&#39;t FORCE them to talk to me before I&#39;ll give them what they really want - my prices.</p>
<div></div>
<p><span>I don’t think it does anyone - you OR the client - any good to waste time.  That’s exactly what it does, when you make someone contact you to find out you’re out of their price range. It wastes both of your time.  And it wastes even more, if you make them jump through even more hoops.</span></p>
<p>So, ask yourself, is your pricing a secret?  If so, why?  If you’re charging what you’re worth, why not at least do yourself - and your potential clients - a favor and let them know upfront what you’re worth.  </p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Your Business Is Worthless if It Depends on You</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/your-business-is-worthless-if-it-depends-on-you/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/your-business-is-worthless-if-it-depends-on-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:23:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>John Jantsch</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/97637e83ff29e8b4</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ShareYour Business Is Worthless if It Depends on YouThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing
Marketing podcast with John Warrillow (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes
The title of this post might sound like ...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a name="fb_share">Share</a><div style="float:left;margin-right:10px"><a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ducttapemarketing.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F16%2Fyour-business-is-worthless-if-it-depends-on-you%2F"><img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ducttapemarketing.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F02%2F16%2Fyour-business-is-worthless-if-it-depends-on-you%2F" height="61" width="51"></a></div><p><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/02/16/your-business-is-worthless-if-it-depends-on-you/">Your Business Is Worthless if It Depends on You</a><br><br>This content from: <a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog">Duct Tape Marketing</a></p>
<a href="http://www.google.com/reader/link?url=http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/02/16/your-business-is-worthless-if-it-depends-on-you/&amp;title=Your+Business+Is+Worthless+if+It+Depends+on+You&amp;srcURL=http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/images/google-buzz.png" alt="Google Buzz"></a><p><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/ducttape/DTM_JohnWarrillow.mp3">Marketing podcast with John Warrillow</a> (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=78797836&amp;s=143441">subscribe now via iTunes</a></p>
<p><img src="http://www.nfusion.com/warrillowawards/views/images/judges/john-warrillow.jpg">The title of this post might sound like fighting words for some, I mean, you work and sweat and pour your life into this thing and I have the nerve to suggest it’s not worth anything? According to my guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpsKiymxTtA">John Warrillow</a>, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0986480304?tag=jantschcomm-20">Built To Sell</a>, only 1 in 100 business owners is successful in selling his or her company each year.</p>
<p>It’s the biggest shame in the entire small business world to think that people slave away at something, often times sacrificing far more in terms of health, family and wage then those employed by BigCo, only to discover that there is nothing to sell at the end.</p>
<p>Creating a business that’s an asset is done intentionally and doesn’t happen automatically, even for very profitable businesses. As Warrillow and I discuss in this session, one of the first keys is to think in terms of building a business that can run without the owner. Any potential buyer is going to look beyond a P&amp;L to discover if the business is really run by the relationships of skills of the owner. If that’s the case, if the owner can’t walk away without any dip in productivity, then the asset is significantly downgraded.</p>
<p>If you find yourself thinking, I want to start a business or I might want to slow down a bit in five years, now is the time to add Built To Sell to your strategy and planning must read list. It’s essential to start setting the value building process and tactics into motion and nurturing a view of your business as a potential.</p>
<p>The first step in this process is to find a way to remove yourself from sales and marketing and product innovation. Until you can successfully do that, you’ll have a hard time convincing outside buyers,</p>
<p>The next very important step is to focus on creating positive cash flow. I know every business has that as a goal, but if you began to look at cash flow as something over and above the debt service the buyer just took on to buy you out, it might look a little different.</p>
<p><em>Built To Sell</em> is the first book I’ve come across that speaks about building a business to sell in the practical, simple terms that any small business owner can access in a systematic way.</p>
<p>My favorite quote from our interview – <em>“Most small businesses run their business like they watch a movie, they have no idea what the ending will be.”</em></p>
<p>
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<div><h3>Related Posts:</h3><ul><li><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/01/22/facebook-webinar-recording-and-resources/" rel="bookmark">Facebook Webinar Recording and Resources</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/01/06/six-pixels-with-mitch-joel/" rel="bookmark">Six Pixels with Mitch Joel</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/01/18/facebook-app-makes-it-easy-to-add-content/" rel="bookmark">Facebook App Makes It Easy to Add Content</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/01/12/marketing-podcast-with-grammar-girl/" rel="bookmark">Marketing Podcast with Grammar Girl</a></li><li><a href="http://www.ducttapemarketing.com/blog/2010/02/04/analytics-from-a-really-smart-guy/" rel="bookmark">Analytics from a Really Smart Guy</a></li><li>Powered by <a href="http://ajaydsouza.com/wordpress/plugins/contextual-related-posts/">Contextual Related Posts</a></li></ul></div>


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		<title>Customer Service Notebook: AceMagnetics gets all aces.</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/customer-service-notebook-acemagnetics-gets-all-aces/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/customer-service-notebook-acemagnetics-gets-all-aces/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:58:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kevin Kubota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">tag:google.com,2005:reader/item/9ba2663fc75bf5b1</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I don't listen to the news or read newspapers. I know, I know, people  always ask "how do you know what's going on in the world?" My answer:  if anything important happens, someone is bound to tell me about it.  Actually, the real reason I don't read/w...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I don't listen to the news or read newspapers. I know, I know, people  always ask "how do you know what's going on in the world?" My answer:  if anything important happens, someone is bound to tell me about it.  Actually, the real reason I don't read/watch the news is the  preponderance of bad news. I don't want to start or end my day with  that messaging. I believe that you create your own happiness by the  people and thoughts you keep with you most. So, I want good news in my  mind most. It's worked for me and I'm a happy person.</p>
<p>I recently blogged about my customer service notebook, where I keep a  written record of great acts of customer service, marketing tidbits,  and ideas for improving my customer relations. I then refer to these  notes whenever I am working to improve my own business to make sure I  live up to the very best experiences I've personally had.</p>
<p><strong>CSN entry 2010-02-15.</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong>Short story. A few years ago I met a woman on an airplane who was  pushing 90 years. She was talking to everyone non-stop, starting in  the airport lobby, and I could tell everyone secretly hoped she would  not end up sitting next to them on the plane. She sat next to me on  the plane. She was deep in to conversation with me before she even had  her purse stowed, and I knew it would be a long flight. It was  actually the shortest flight of my life. She was amazing. Full of  energy, life, adventure (she was on her way for an African safari with  her girlfriend), and love. I enjoyed every minute of our flight and  talk together. At the end of the flight, I could not help but give her  a giant hug and thank her for the conversation and inspiration. She  began to tear up and took the bracelet off her wrist and put it on  mine. She said it was a magnetic bracelet and she wore it 'cause it  helped her circulation, arthritis, etc. She said, "Don't worry, I can  get another one, you take this one." I didn't think much of the  healing qualities at the time, but I thought it was a very special  gift and reminder of her spirit. I gladly accepted and wore it 24/7.</p>
<p>Two months later, the eczema on my hands that I had endured since  childhood was gone. I noticed one day that I hadn't had a flare up in  a while and couldn't quite attribute it to anything new in my diet or  lifestyle...then I remembered the bracelet and what she told me about  circulation. That was the only thing I could connect the mysterious  healing to. I didn't really care if it was the solution or not, but I  wasn't going to stop wearing the bracelet anyway and my eczema never  came back. That's been about 6 or 7 years now.</p>
<p>There is a CSN story in here! Hang on...So, since the original  bracelet, I've unfortunately lost the one she gave me, but immediately  replaced it with a new style that I purchased, after much searching  online, from <a title="AceMagnetics site" href="http://www.acemagnetics.com">AceMagnetics.com.</a> This was a few years ago. Since I wear  this thing 24/7, it occasionally gets hooked on something and falls  off, but I find it. Recently I lost it but never found it, so I rushed  online to order a new one. <a title="Acemagnetics site" href="http://www.acemagnetics.com">AceMagnetics</a> had a new style that was  similar so I ordered. It came very quickly and, alas, it was a wee bit  too small. I emailed Ace on a Friday night (of course not expecting a  reply until Mon or Tues at best) to see if I could just order a link  and have my local jeweler add it on. I thought the next size up would  be too big. By Saturday morning, Jay From Ace emailed back and said  they didn't have links but he would put the next size up in the mail  right away so I could compare - no charge. Wow. A few days later I got  the next size and it was fine. I emailed Jay to get a return address  for the smaller size. Almost immediately he replied back, "Keep it and  share it with a friend."  That's what I call service<span><span><a href="http://www.acemagnetics.com"><img src="http://www.kevinkubotablog.com/storage/bracelet.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1266347145648" alt=""></a></span><span style="width:255px">my bracelet</span></span></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Email Sanity: How to Clear Your Inbox When You’re Drowning</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/email-sanity-how-to-clear-your-inbox-when-you%e2%80%99re-drowning/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/email-sanity-how-to-clear-your-inbox-when-you%e2%80%99re-drowning/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:42:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Leo</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.
The beauty of an empty inbox is a thing to behold. It is calming, peaceful and wonderful.
An inbox that is overflowing with actions, urgent calls for responses, stuff to read … it’s chaos, it’s s...]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h6>Post written by <a href="http://zenhabits.net/about/">Leo Babauta</a>. Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/zen_habits">Twitter</a>.</h6>
<p>The beauty of an empty inbox is a thing to behold. It is calming, peaceful and wonderful.</p>
<p>An inbox that is overflowing with actions, urgent calls for responses, stuff to read … it’s chaos, it’s stressful, it’s overwhelming.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://twitter.com/Aflusche">friend</a> recently posted:</p>
<blockquote><p>“Help! I’m drowning in email!”</p></blockquote>
<p>Let’s look at how to get your head above water first, and then how to get safely to dry land.</p>
<p><strong>Head Above Water</strong><br>
You need to give yourself some breathing room. A flooded inbox is overwhelming, and you don’t know where to start. So here’s where we’re going to start:</p>
<p><strong>1. Create an “actions” folder or label in your email</strong>. This is where you’re going to store any emails that you need to take action on (other than just replying or filing or whatever).<br>
<strong>2. Pick the most important</strong>. Go through your inbox and check off 10-15 that are the most urgent action emails, and file them in this new folder. If you don’t get to the sections below right away, you can at least work from this folder for now.<br>
<strong>3. Temporarily archive</strong>. Now create a “temp” folder. File everything that’s still in your inbox into this temp folder. Everything. You’re going to get these out of the way and not worry about them at the moment. We’ll get to these, but it gives you a little breathing room.<br>
<strong>4. Set a new policy</strong>. Every new email that comes in will follow the rules in the next section. No more allowing your inbox to pile up.</p>
<p><span></span><br>
<strong>New Emails</strong><br>
So what to do with new emails that come in? Set some rules, and commit right this minute to ruthlessly sticking to them:</p>
<p><strong>1. Process from the top down</strong>. When you open up your email, process the inbox completely. Start with the top email in your inbox, and open it. Take one of the following actions, in this preferred order: (1) delete (use this liberally), (2) archive (in case you want to look it up later), (3) quick reply (four sentences or less) and then archive, (4) put on your to-do list for action (if you don’t have a list, start one now) and then file in your “action” folder. This last item includes long replies (which should be as rare as possible). If you take one of these four actions, you should dispose of every email.<br>
<strong>2. Go to the next email and take quick action, and so forth</strong>. Don’t spend longer than 20 seconds on any one email, and even then you should only do that if you’re doing a quick reply or adding the item to your to-do list. If you process this quickly, you’ll be done with your inbox in minutes.<br>
<strong>3. Only when you’ve processed should you start worrying about the to-do items</strong>. You can choose to do those now, or later. Don’t start doing the to-do items when you’re processing.<br>
<strong>4. Newsletters, etc</strong>. You’re never going to read all those newsletters, notices from services, catalogs from companies, and so on that regularly get delivered from your inbox. So go into your “temp” folder and delete all of them right now. All of them. And whenever new ones come in — emails that are not from real people directed just for you — you’re going to go to the bottom of the email and click on the “unsubscribe” link. Every single one of them should have an “unsubscribe” link — if not, mark as spam. It only takes 10 seconds to click on the unsubscribe link and then go to the new page and hit the unsubscribe button. And if you do this for every single one, you’ll soon get a lot less email.</p>
<p>Follow these four rules and you’ll never have a full inbox again.</p>
<p><strong>Stop the Flood</strong><br>
OK, things should feel a bit more manageable now. Now we want to set some long-term policies so that you get fewer emails from now on.</p>
<p>Here’s what to do:</p>
<p><strong>1. Unsubscribe from everything</strong>. This was talked about in the section above, but just in case you missed that, go back and read the newsletters item. You don’t need newsletters flooding your inbox.<br>
<strong>2. Stop sending so many emails</strong>. The more emails you send, the more you’ll get. Use email as little as you possibly can. Call people if you can, or walk over and talk to them. If those aren’t possible, see if you can figure it out for yourself. If you send an email that doesn’t require a response, say so.<br>
<strong>3. Send shorter emails</strong>. They’re more likely to get read and acted on, and it’ll take less of your time to write them. Try sticking to 4 sentences or fewer.<br>
<strong>4. Check email less often</strong>. Set times each day, and only check email on those times. When you do, process your inbox to empty using the rules above.<br>
<strong>5. Filter out notification</strong>s. If there are notifications you do want to see, create a folder or label for them, and create a filter (Gmail is great for this) so that the notifications go straight to that label/folder and skip the inbox.<br>
<strong>6. Set policies</strong>. Put up policies on your website or send the policies out to the people you work with. These policies should be aimed at reducing the number of requests you get. For example, if requests are coming to you that should be going somewhere else, put that in your policies. If people should deal with things through a different channel than email, say it in the policies. Try to figure out your most common types of emails, and find solutions so you don’t have to respond to all of them.<br>
<strong>7. Post FAQs</strong>. Similarly, if you get a bunch of questions regularly, post the answers publicly so that you don’t have to repeatedly answer them by email. It’ll save you a lot of time.</p>
<p><strong>Processing the Old Emails</strong><br>
You’re going to want to return to your “temp” folder, when you have the time, and start processing it. Some steps:</p>
<p><strong>1. Process it in chunks</strong> if there are too many to do now. Just do it for 5 minutes and then come back later.<br>
<strong>2. When you process, follow the rules for processing your inbox</strong> above (under the “New Emails” section). Start at the top, take quick action on each email, moving it out of the temp folder as fast as you can.<br>
<strong>3. Feel free to mass delete emails</strong>. If you know you’ll never reply or act on emails, just check a bunch of them off and delete or archive. You can get big chunks done at once this way. Give yourself the freedom to let these go — and just worry about what you need to do from this point on.<br>
—<br>
<strong>If you liked this guide, please <a href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://zenhabits.net/2010/02/email-sanity/&amp;title=Email%20Sanity:%20How%20to%20Clear%20Your%20Inbox%20When%20You&#39;re%20Drowning">bookmark it on Delicious</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Reading:%20Email%20Sanity:%20How%20to%20Clear%20Your%20Inbox%20When%20You">share on Twitter</a>. Thanks, my friends.</strong></p>
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		<title>WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING?</title>
		<link>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/what-are-you-building/</link>
		<comments>http://julescafe.com/2010/02/what-are-you-building/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:12:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jason Aten &#124; Starting Out Right</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Grow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jules Cafe Shared Feeds]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workshops]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p><span><span><img src="http://www.startworkshop.com/storage/pisa.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265379248389" alt=""></span></span><span><span><img src="http://www.startworkshop.com/storage/300px-Kheops-Pyramid.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265379279865" alt=""></span></span></p>
<p>Last night I was in a strategy meeting for a project I&#39;m working on, and the question was asked - which of these two buildings are we building?  </p>
<p>The difference is pretty clear.  On the left - the leaning tower of Pisa.  It&#39;s famous for one reason alone - it&#39;s falling over.  Sure, we&#39;re slowing down the inevitable, but because of it&#39;s poor foundation, it&#39;s falling over after just a few hundred years.</p>
<p>On the right, the Pyramid of Giza.  For most of modern history, this was the tallest man-made structure on earth.  It has lasted THOUSANDs of years, and has withstood earthquakes.  We don&#39;t know know exactly who built it, or how, but yet it stands firm.  It&#39;s foundation is solid - even as it rests in the sand of the desert. </p>
<p>The Pyramids aren&#39;t nearly as sexy as the tower. Italian architecture is far more appealing, and &#34;artistic&#34; than the granite monuments, built mostly as tombs.  The tower was built as a work of art.  It is made of marble and took over 177 years.  Yes, the tower took 177 years.  It was a painstaking labor, yet all that work is in jeopardy because it&#39;s foundation is too shallow, and too soft.   </p>
<p>The pyramid, in comparison, was built in 20 years.  It&#39;s foundation goes deep into the desert floor.  It&#39;s base is wide, and it&#39;s purpose clear - to stand the test of time.  To stand against whatever might come against it.</p>
<p><strong>As photographers, our business is often too much like the tower.</strong>  We focus on our art, yet our foundation is too shallow to support what we&#39;re really trying to build.  I guess the question is - what are you really trying to build?  If the reason you do this is simply because you love photography - that&#39;s ok.  Being passionate about photography is good.  Being passionate about your art is a good thing, but if that&#39;s all there is - you&#39;re much better off with a hobby. </p>
<p><strong>If, on the other hand, this is your business - your livelihood - than it's worth it to lay the foundation. </strong> It&#39;s worth it to take the time to build it deep and wide.  It&#39;s worth it to understand your business like you understand your camera.  It&#39;s worth it to hire a CPA, and an attorney that understands the needs of small businesses.  It&#39;s worth it to learn how to understand your numbers, manage your expenses, track everything, and make a profit.  </p>
<p>It&#39;s worth it to understand consistent branding and effective marketing.  It&#39;s worth it to develop solid processes and and a strong workflow.  It&#39;s worth it to learn effective sales skills, and create incredible customer experiences.  None of those things are photography.  None of them are &#34;art,&#34; but all of them build the foundation.  <strong>All of them let you build a business - a career - around this photography thing you do.</strong></p>
<p><strong>I'm certainly not suggesting you shouldn't continue to focus on - and practice - your photography. </strong>You should!  You should understand how your camera captures light.  You should know composition, and exposure, and lighting ratios.  You should be able to photograph in any situation, and consistently create incredible images.  That&#39;s all super important.</p>
<p>I&#39;m suggesting that sometimes it&#39;s helpful to evaluate what we&#39;re building.  It&#39;s helpful to ask ourselves the real question - is this an artistic pursuit of a hobby - or is it a real business? <strong> Is my foundation deep and wide, or is it shallow and soft? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Wanna build a solid foundation?  Here&#39;s a few places to start:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://bananasedu.com/">Liana Lehman&#39;s Photography Business Bootcamp. </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.strategyavenue.com/">Laura Novak Strategy Avenue</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.ppa.com/education/workshops.php">PPA SMS Workshops</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.wppionline.com/newsletter/February2010/Convention-Show.aspx">WPPI Business Institute</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.monteithworkshop.com/">Anne Monteith Photography Business Workshops</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.startworkshop.com/blog/workshops">Starting Out Right: ONE DAY INTENSIVE</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span><span><img src="http://www.startworkshop.com/storage/pisa.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265379248389" alt=""></span></span><span><span><img src="http://www.startworkshop.com/storage/300px-Kheops-Pyramid.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1265379279865" alt=""></span></span></p>
<p>Last night I was in a strategy meeting for a project I&#39;m working on, and the question was asked - which of these two buildings are we building?  </p>
<p>The difference is pretty clear.  On the left - the leaning tower of Pisa.  It&#39;s famous for one reason alone - it&#39;s falling over.  Sure, we&#39;re slowing down the inevitable, but because of it&#39;s poor foundation, it&#39;s falling over after just a few hundred years.</p>
<p>On the right, the Pyramid of Giza.  For most of modern history, this was the tallest man-made structure on earth.  It has lasted THOUSANDs of years, and has withstood earthquakes.  We don&#39;t know know exactly who built it, or how, but yet it stands firm.  It&#39;s foundation is solid - even as it rests in the sand of the desert. </p>
<p>The Pyramids aren&#39;t nearly as sexy as the tower. Italian architecture is far more appealing, and &quot;artistic&quot; than the granite monuments, built mostly as tombs.  The tower was built as a work of art.  It is made of marble and took over 177 years.  Yes, the tower took 177 years.  It was a painstaking labor, yet all that work is in jeopardy because it&#39;s foundation is too shallow, and too soft.   </p>
<p>The pyramid, in comparison, was built in 20 years.  It&#39;s foundation goes deep into the desert floor.  It&#39;s base is wide, and it&#39;s purpose clear - to stand the test of time.  To stand against whatever might come against it.</p>
<p><strong>As photographers, our business is often too much like the tower.</strong>  We focus on our art, yet our foundation is too shallow to support what we&#39;re really trying to build.  I guess the question is - what are you really trying to build?  If the reason you do this is simply because you love photography - that&#39;s ok.  Being passionate about photography is good.  Being passionate about your art is a good thing, but if that&#39;s all there is - you&#39;re much better off with a hobby. </p>
<p><strong>If, on the other hand, this is your business - your livelihood - than it's worth it to lay the foundation. </strong> It&#39;s worth it to take the time to build it deep and wide.  It&#39;s worth it to understand your business like you understand your camera.  It&#39;s worth it to hire a CPA, and an attorney that understands the needs of small businesses.  It&#39;s worth it to learn how to understand your numbers, manage your expenses, track everything, and make a profit.  </p>
<p>It&#39;s worth it to understand consistent branding and effective marketing.  It&#39;s worth it to develop solid processes and and a strong workflow.  It&#39;s worth it to learn effective sales skills, and create incredible customer experiences.  None of those things are photography.  None of them are &quot;art,&quot; but all of them build the foundation.  <strong>All of them let you build a business - a career - around this photography thing you do.</strong></p>
<p><strong>I'm certainly not suggesting you shouldn't continue to focus on - and practice - your photography. </strong>You should!  You should understand how your camera captures light.  You should know composition, and exposure, and lighting ratios.  You should be able to photograph in any situation, and consistently create incredible images.  That&#39;s all super important.</p>
<p>I&#39;m suggesting that sometimes it&#39;s helpful to evaluate what we&#39;re building.  It&#39;s helpful to ask ourselves the real question - is this an artistic pursuit of a hobby - or is it a real business? <strong> Is my foundation deep and wide, or is it shallow and soft? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Wanna build a solid foundation?  Here&#39;s a few places to start:</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://bananasedu.com/">Liana Lehman&#39;s Photography Business Bootcamp. </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.strategyavenue.com/">Laura Novak Strategy Avenue</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.ppa.com/education/workshops.php">PPA SMS Workshops</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.wppionline.com/newsletter/February2010/Convention-Show.aspx">WPPI Business Institute</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.monteithworkshop.com/">Anne Monteith Photography Business Workshops</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.startworkshop.com/blog/workshops">Starting Out Right: ONE DAY INTENSIVE</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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