I know clothing flatlay photography can be challenging for a lot of people.

For those of you who are struggling with it, let me make it a little easier.

In my work as a commercial photographer, I have lots of clothing clients and I actually really love these kinds of shoots.  So here are my top 5 tips for this specialized area of flatlay photography.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://crystalclearcreativestudios.com/blog/.

"Scaling your business." What does that even mean?

A little while back, I mentioned the concept of scaling a business on Instagram, and my followers had so many questions.

A lot of people think of scaling as hiring actual employees, but really scaling is about finding whatever avenues will work to run your growing business faster and more efficiently, leaving you with the time to keep growing your business.

Before founding Crystal Clear Creative Studios, I actually worked in HR for over a decade, recruiting and hiring for various types of businesses.  They ranged from small, locally-owned companies to Fortune 500 companies and defense contractors, and I hired A LOT of people for them.  So based on my corporate and entrepreneurial experience, here are my top 3 tips to make hiring and outsourcing a good experience so you can successfully scale your business.

Catch the rest over on my blog at https://crystalclearcreativestudios.com/blog/.

How was your 2019 business year?

Let me tell you about mine.

Today I'm sharing the top 3 turning points for my business in 2019, and maybe my takeaways will spark something for you and your business in 2020.

Catch the rest over on my blog at https://crystalclearcreativestudios.com/blog/.

We all know you've got to spend money to make money.

But when you're a business owner looking to invest for growth, it's easy to find yourself pulled in a lot of different directions. The places you COULD spend your money seem endless. So to help you and your business thrive in 2020, I'd love to share my "20/20" hindsight perspective about the investment spots in which I've gotten the most value for money.

Catch the rest over on my blog at https://crystalclearcreativestudios.com/blog/.

Certain products just look better when a person is interacting with, using, applying, or wearing them.

So what do you do if model fees are a bit of a stretch financially?

This is a common issue for growing product businesses, and I've got some affordable methods of getting people into your pictures to share with you.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://www.crystalclearphotographyaz.com/blog/.

Growing your own business can feel lonely, like you're on a hunt by yourself to try to find all the pieces you need.

At least, this is how it felt tome when I quit my corporate job after 9 and a half years and jumped into creating my own business so I could have more time with my kids and pursue something I really loved.

I was searching the internet, trying to find the tools and resources I needed. But so much of what I found just wasn't right for the type of business I wanted to create. And coaching or masterminds wasn't in the budget back then. It would have been so amazing to have had one place with all of the information I needed at a price I could afford.

My friend, Kayla from Ivory Mix Stock Shop, and I are both passionate about helping other creatives starting their own businesses and finding their own voices online. So we decided to create that centralized resource we didn't have, and we've called it The Creative Boss Method.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://www.crystalclearphotographyaz.com/blog/.

Things come up. Whether it's waiting on rebranded labels, shipping problems, or damaged products, there are lots of random issues that can cause problems with your photoshoot.

However, as a product photographer, I've noticed there are 2 specific things that seem to come up pretty regularly to keep small business owners from getting the results they were hoping for from their product photoshoot.

So here's what they are and how you can combat them to have the best product shoot possible.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://www.crystalclearphotographyaz.com/blog/.

Is your product shoot budget a bit smaller than you would like?

I know it can be very difficult to come up with the money for a full professional product shoot of everything you offer all at once, so let me give you the suggestions I've given a lot of business owners who are unsure about how to get their professional product shoots done on the budget they have.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://www.crystalclearphotographyaz.com/blog/.

I work with A LOT of product businesses. In fact, I've worked with 150 this year alone!

And even today in a world full of branding and marketing info, there's one mistake I still see product businesses owners making all the time.

These wonderful people love their products so much that they think everyone should have them! So in other words, they haven't targeted an ideal audience. And the reality of trying to talk to EVERYONE is that you really end up talking to NO ONE. This lack of audience focus keeps product businesses from reaching their full potential and hurts them with their business photography, too.  So if you're a product business owner in this predicament, let's figure out who those people are that will want to buy everything you make.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://www.crystalclearphotographyaz.com/blog/.

"How do you do it all?" 

"How did you get where you are in your business?"

People sometimes ask me these questions, and the answer really comes down to mindset and the things I choose to do everyday. So I want to touch on how I've personally changed my own business mindset for success and some of the habits I've developed for getting stuff done.

Catch the rest on my blog at https://www.crystalclearphotographyaz.com/blog/.