A streamlined set of tasks means fewer errors and delays. Here are 5 ways to improve your photography business workflow.
As a professional baby snuggler, aka newborn portrait photographer, I delight in spending my days in studio wrapping babies, posing them, and photographing their parents as they hold their brand new bundle of joy. More often than not, people assume running your photography business is a simple task: snapping a few photos and getting paid. I assure you, friends, it is anything but simple. Working for yourself is an absolute dream: you're following what you're meant to do, your heart is completely filled and the work is extremely rewarding. However, for every pro there is a con to consider: you're responsible for doing it all, keeping everything afloat, and representing your brand.
Running a full-time portraiture business is a full-time job. I typically work 6 days a week, sometimes 7 to hit deadlines, and keep studio hours of 9 AM - 4 PM + the option to work on location during sunrise and sunset.
During business hours, I work hard and dedicate myself to my company. In fairness to myself, however, during off hours I play with kids, hang out with my spouse, see my friends, take time to go for a run, etc. I do so without guilt because I have created ways to streamline my business tasks.
The following list is what works for me and my own preferences. I am sharing because I believe in community over competition. Bettering your community, moreover, makes for a better overall experience for everyone.
5 Effective Ways to Streamline Business Tasks
#1: Create a routine
Each person has their own preferences so while I could tell you my own specific routine, I am going to keep it general and advise you to create a routine that works for you and your own schedule. Now, here's the important part: stick to it! If you're like me and you're a morning person, starting work at 5 AM with a super positive outlook and happy heart may be an awesome choice for you. I love getting up early, tackling tasks, and being in my office while my home is nice and quiet. I do work from home so my kiddos will still be sleeping then. I brew up a big pot of coffee, scramble some eggs, and work very efficiently because there's nothing to distract me. In complete fairness to the night owls, however, if working in the evening or midnight hours is more your speed, go for it! Rock those hours. No matter what, however, you have to create a routine. This is the foundation of being efficient and streamlining your tasks. The routine means you'll always know what you need to accomplish, you'll never feel overwhelmed and you can dedicate your time to tasks so that you're never forgetting anything. The routine is important because it sets the tone for creating an environment you work well in. Your routine also covers when you shoot, when you meet with clients, when you edit, order prints, etc.
To elaborate even further, I have designed a routine that caters to my own photography business. I do the same things at the same time on set days. You can apply this to your consultations, editing, print orders, sending contracts and invoices, submitting quotes, sending over wall art designs to clients, follow up e-mails, responding to reviews, etc. The routine I've created has resulted in great business habits, but it's taken me two years to learn what works for with my own studio.
#2: Automation
Automating many of your business tasks is an amazing way to streamline your workflow! You'll have fewer errors, too, thus being more productive. There are many great options for this that are almost like little studio managers such as Honeybook, 17 hats, and even Studio Ninja. They will all automate your customer service. Customer service, after all, is a big part of running a successful business. There are many aspects to this so automating will help in ways such as sending invoices, follow up e-mails, contracts, collaboration, thank you notes, etc. You can even do things such as quoting your customers, sending a calendar of what's available, etc. You want your inbox to be nice and neat and have zero e-mails waiting for you.
This frees up time and makes you more successful and efficient because you're not printing things off, sending them by snail mail, etc. You're sending it all in the automated form via digital and have made the process much quicker since everything is done online. You're not waiting on checks or returned contracts, etc.
Automation allows you to have a sense of urgency while staying organized. Clients are very important and are the heart of your business; you must treat them well and do so happily. Automation will make sure you don't miss a single thing!
You can also work from anywhere at anytime whether it be smartphone, laptop, PC or tablet.
#3: Focus on your top tasks
Despite being a millennial, I keep handwritten "to do" lists and focus daily on my top tasks. I will generally narrow it down to the top 5 things I need to accomplish, list them out, and then follow through. This makes you more efficient because you're completing important items, but also doing so within your deadlines and you're giving yourself a little confidence boost by scratching them off. There is something so rewarding about writing a list by hand and then marking it off. It allows me to stay on top of everything and to set daily goals. Be a goal digger! Be your best self. I promise you can do it!
Fun trick: you can find an accountability buddy, too! Maybe pair up with another creative who is in a similar field and challenge one another to hit your daily goals.
Another fun way to focus on your top tasks: set a time for X amount of time. I usually choose 60 minutes (ha, literally doing this right now whilst writing this post, lol). Turn off everything that will distract you. No facebook, snapchatting, etc. I put on some soothing music via a Spotify station such as "happy folk" (ha!) and work without interruption. I do not check social media or text. I simply work with purpose and am able to accomplish a ton! I promise you social media notifications can wait. Remember earlier in this post when I mentioned I'll get up at 5 AM and work? I love these "power" time periods where I can work without distraction and really get on top of everything! I am more efficient, feel better about my workflow, and slay those deadlines when I set aside blocks. This is why the routine, listed above, is paramount and a foundation for efficiency. You set the routine which develops into good habits.
#4: Outsource to free up time
Outsourcing is a great way to be more efficient and streamline your tasks! There are parts of running a business I have learned are more beneficial for me to simply outsource. You can build these things into your cost of doing business.
For example, I no longer do my own bookkeeping. I also do not do my own taxes. I have an incredible CPA who is top notch and excelled in this department. Outsourcing these tasks frees up much of my time; the money spent towards outsourcing is well worth it to me and means I can use that time for other tasks that truly need my eye and attention. I can photograph another session, take my kids to lunch or even have a couch date with my hubby.
Outsourcing can be done in several ways! Some people outsource all of their office tasks to a personal assistant; some people send all of their editing piles off to a professional retoucher. Other people have someone who does their grocery shopping or house cleaning, even. The options are endless. Time is money and sometimes money is well spent in areas that take up too much of your time.
#5: Map your workflow
Mapping out your workflow is my final top for improving workflow efficiency so you may streamline tasks for your photography business.
By mapping your workflow, you can create perhaps a list or chart of your process from start to finish. This is like a flow chart: you start at point A, move to B, and so forth until completion. You never miss any steps and always know where you're supposed to be on time. This is why Quick Books Pro is such a great tool for accounting in business because of the map flow you see.
This streamlines your efficiency because you can dedicate time to that specific point in your flow without feeling overwhelmed.
And there you have it, friends! Here are 5 tips that I use on a daily business when running my own small business. Wishing you all a productive day at your desk!
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