When the economic forecast looks dark and stormy, it’s easy to get panicked about whether your photography business is up to the challenge. Panic, though, doesn't help... a plan does. Even in boom times, it's smart to keep our businesses ready for whatever storms may come. 

In today's episode, Annemie shares four important ways that you can sure up your strategy and take some of the fear out of the unknown. If you are feeling apprehensive about the next few months, or just want to bulletproof your business plan, then this episode will be one to get your gears turning.

Links:

• Listen to Episode 60: “Creativity in the Face of Covid” for creative solutions other photographers have introduced in their businesses during tougher economic times. 
• Check out Revenue on Repeat to learn how to create a membership in your photography business that will give you stability, freedom, and consistent income all year long without the learning curve, confusion, or overwhelm.
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Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

In the world of photography education, there seems to be an assumption that everyone is after the same goal: to make 6 figures and have a completely full roster of clients that’s booked out 3 years in advance. 

But there’s a very large subset of photographers for whom that doesn’t resonate…  because that’s not in alignment with what they want or need from their businesses. 

Erin Brown artfully dubs herself a “purposefully part-time photographer,” and in this episode, she's sharing some of the specific challenges that part-time photographers face, as well as how to stay true to your own goals in a world that tells us we should always want to do and be more. 

Links: 

• Part-timer looking to connect? Send Erin a DM on Instagram here
• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass that Erin talks about, where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 
• Join the free This Can’t Be That Hard Facebook Group - the most supportive, business-focused group for photographers out there! 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Have you ever had a brilliant idea while driving or walking the dog that felt so clear and exciting at the moment, but then even a few minutes later when you try to write it down… it’s gone? 

This has happened to me so frequently that I actually created a system (shocking, I know!), not only to capture the ideas that occur to me (even at the most inopportune times), but actually get them into my workflow so I can act on them later. Today, I’m sharing that system with you in a short but actionable episode. Get your pens ready, you’ll want to take notes for this one!

Links: 

• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 
• Join the free This Can’t Be That Hard Facebook Group - the most supportive, business-focused group for photographers out there! 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Dealing with the legal side of running a business is complicated, confusing, and can feel like an overwhelming item on your to-do list... but the cost of NOT addressing it can be enormous. Luckily for us, Rachel Brenke - better known as The Law Tog - has spent the last 10+ years using her expertise as both a lawyer and a photographer to make the legal side of things accessible to us as creatives. 

Today on the show, Rachel and I talk about the importance of creating a great client experience, and how taking a thoughtful approach to educating your clients will not only create a rave-worthy experience but can help avoid potential legal issues as well.

Links: 

• TheLawTog.com 
• The Law Tog Facebook Group 
• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

It's not uncommon for my new Simple Sales students to have lots of questions about the "rules" of the system. If they change this thing or tweak this step, will the system still work?

Today I want to discuss the three modifications I most commonly get asked about in our Facebook group - how I have seen them work (or not work) for other photographers, and why I think that is. 

If you are new here and haven’t yet learned the 6 steps to the Simple Sales System, you may want to save this one until after you watch the masterclass (at www.thiscantbethathard.com/simple). 

And if you're looking for support around the business side of photography, join our Facebook Group where we talk all things photography business. 

Links: 

• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love.
•  Join the free This Can’t Be That Hard Facebook Group - the most supportive, business-focused group for photographers out there! 
  
  

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

Adding films to your photography business can be a great way to up-level your client experience, and can be rewarding both artistically and financially. That doesn’t make it an easy transition, though! The business of offering films to your clients is totally different from the business of offering still images. 

If you've ever considered adding films to your repertoire - or if it's something that you've tried and had a hard time making it work - then today's conversation is going to be a great one for you.

LINKS:

Download Courtney's Free Guide:  Getting Started with Films on Your Camera
Check out the Filming Life Academy
Watch Courtney’s Showreel (pro tip: have tissues ready)

Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

We all get to the point in our business where we need to raise our prices. But if you aren’t taking the time to understand why your prices need to go up (and even more importantly, how you're going to align that price increase with your overall business model), you're setting yourself up to fail. 

Today I'm covering 5 questions you should ask yourself before you increase your prices and walking you through the exact steps you should take to successfully raise your prices.


Links: 

• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 
• Join the free This Can’t Be That Hard Facebook Group - the most supportive, business-focused group for photographers out there! 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

You know when you have that perfect client experience? From the moment they reach out, they're excited to work with you, there's no pushback on your pricing, the shoot is a breeze, and when you deliver their images they absolutely gush? It’s just an amazing experience from start to finish.

Don’t you wish you could clone those clients?

Today’s guest, Heidi Thompson, is showing us how to do exactly that. Heidi’s method for finding and attracting your bluebird clients is different from anything you’ve heard before, so get ready to get inspired!

Links: 

• Visit Heidi's website to find resources for wedding photographers
• Follow Heidi on Instagram
• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 
• Join the free This Can’t Be That Hard Facebook Group - the most supportive, business-focused group for photographers out there! 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

When you're a solopreneur, your to-do list can feel never-ending. Taking a break, stepping away, or even (gasp!) going on vacation can seem like a luxury reserved for the non-self-employed.

After twelve years in business, I wish I could say I no longer have a hard time taking time off from work, but to be honest, it's still something I struggle with. That said, I've finally come to understand that breaks are not an indulgence but a non-negotiable requirement for the health of my creative business - as important as marketing or client communication - and have to be taken, even when I think I shouldn't (or perhaps especially then)!

If you can relate to the fear of stepping away from your to-do list, today's episode is just for you.

Links: 

• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 
• Join the free This Can’t Be That Hard Facebook Group - the most supportive, business-focused group for photographers out there! 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!

As photographers, we spend a lot of time focusing on our visual storytelling, but as entrepreneurs, our written communication is just as important. Like it or not, your words are as likely as your photographs to land you your next job... or to lose it.

Today, creative copywriting specialist Courtney Fanning is sharing the 4 different types of buyers in the world, and how we can use our writing to connect with each of them. Don't forget your pencils, people - this is a jam-packed episode you’ll want to take notes on!

Links: 

• Which buyer type are you? Find out by taking Courtney's short quiz
• Visit Courtney's Website
• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 

Resources:

• New to the podcast? Go to thiscantbethathard.com/welcome to get access to 3 of Annemie's best free resources.
• Join our community! We'd love to welcome you into our supportive, business-focused private Facebook group. Go to facebook.com/groups/thiscantbethathard to request access.
• Long-time listener? Leave a review!