This Can't Be That Hard

When your first start your photography business, you need to make a plan for a period of time where you're building your client base up. It's normal to run at a loss for a year or two, but you need to have a plan in place for moving from that deficit into the land of profit. (If your profitability runway is too short, you’ll risk feeling like a failure. If it’s too long, you may never get off the ground)

There are so many things to think about when you run your own small business that it can be difficult to find the right balance between marketing, education, customer experience, and of course pricing yourself profitably.

Today, I want to spend some time talking about how to navigate being a new photographer and share some advice on how to become profitable as soon as possible.

Links: 

• Pricing for Photographers Mini Course 
• 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 the busy season creeps up on us, often our stress creeps up right along with it. While some stress is inevitable (more clients = more work to do), it’s important to remember that at least part of the reason we chose to be photographers was to have freedom, flexibility, and control over our schedules and lives, so we need to run our businesses accordingly!

This week, my guest is Flourish Academy founder Heather Lahtinen. With over 20 years of experience as a wedding photographer, Heather's got a lot of wisdom to share on finding balance in your business. We talk about how to reframe your overwhelm, and cover 7 practical strategies to reduce your stress this busy season. 

Links: 

• Learn more about the Flourish Academy
• The Flourish Academy Podcast
• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 
• Go listen to these past episodes of "This Can't Be That Hard" :
  • Episode 38: The Donkey, The Workhorse, and The Unicorn 
  • Episode 157: Money Doesn’t Make the Model 

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!

For many photographers, self-promotion can feel a little painful even in the best of times. But what about those days (and weeks and months) when there are much bigger events (rightly) dominating our headlines and headspace? How do you send out a sales email or post about your upcoming mini sessions when those things seem trivial at best compared to what's happening in the world?

Balancing the need to book work with our genuine sensitivity can be tricky... no one wants to be an insensitive jerk, but we all have bills to pay, too. Today’s episode gives you a strategy for how to stick to your marketing plan while remaining tactful and tuned in to the bigger picture.

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!

Every photographer uses technology to some degree or another. In this day and age, tech is required for everything from bringing new clients in to giving them a good experience to editing, backing up, and delivering the images themselves.

And if you're not careful, it's far too easy to let your “tech stack” get away from you. Today, Colie James and I are having a conversation about the tech you absolutely need, the places where you may be able to consolidate, and strategies for not letting technology overwhelm your brain or your budget. 

Links: 

• Listen to Colie's Podcast - Business First Creatives
• Learn more at Colie's Website
• Follow Colie on Instagram 
• Sign up for the Simple Sales Masterclass where Annemie teaches the 6 steps to running a profitable, sustainable photography business you love. 

Deals + Discounts: 

• Pic-Time: Start your free trial and use code ANNEMIE to receive one bonus month with the purchase of any paid plan.
• Use code ANNEMIE334 to take 20% off a yearly Pixellu Galleries, SmartAlbums, SmartSlides or All-Apps bundle plan.
• Dubsado: Use code thiscantbethathard to get 20% off your first year of Dubsado. 
• Want to DIY your Dubsado? Use Colie’s Dubsado course 

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 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!