What are your passions? What do you do for that passion; dress a certain way, set strict guidelines for yourself, research for the sake of research, show up early and stay late? I did this exercise and came up with several things that I think are important to me, and my developing business. Some are probably obvious to you but I have nothing to go by, no formal business training just my own experiences and values. Read on...
Being passionate about something means you live, breath, walk and talk that passion. Whether it be teaching music or starting a photography business; both of which are my life, my breath. I am starting to walk the walk into the photography industry and have been walking and talking the music thing pretty much all my life. I received my Bachelors degree in Music Education and want to teach but have not been able to land a job after I resigned from my previous teaching position after two years. Using this extra time to develop a part-time photography business (maybe full-time in future)... from scratch. I also have an assistant conductor position with the Casco Bay Concert Band, a community band in my area. *Shameless plug* Photos displayed on that site are my work. What can I apply to this new, uncharted, land that is starting your own business? Actually many things.
Preparation
If you fail to plan then you plan to failIn order to be an effective teacher I found that you need to be engaging and confident in what you are teaching, otherwise the lesson will be lost. What does that mean? Believing in what you are teaching and being prepared enough to have the confidence in presenting the material in a well thought out manner. The confidence comes from the preparation and doing the work ahead of time. This is something I love doing; the research, developing a plan then executing it. Just change a few words and it could apply to a photo shoot with a client. Coming up with locations, shot ideas, wardrobe, and the mechanics of a shoot gives comfort and a place to start during a shoot. I may not get every shot but I have something to go by and can work from there.
Dress the Part
You will never get a second chance at a first impression.How you look is what your class/client will establish their first impression of you. As a teacher, and a guy of short stature, I tend to blend in with students. The way I distinguish myself is by dressing professionally and more mature than the students. I also have a personal dress code for when I conduct Casco Bay Band. As a conductor, the band is looking for the tempo and expressive gestures from a thin white stick. Wearing a busy shirt makes it difficult to see the baton. I was once told to wear a sold, dark color so that the baton stands out. My clothing choices are dictated by that as well as being an authority figure. As a photographer I also think about how I am presenting myself. On a shoot I do wear jeans sometimes but that comfortable t-shirt with the stains stays in the drawer and a button down shirt comes out of the closet. I am proud of what I do so I dress like it! It sounds silly but looking professional can give you a little extra confidence, knowing you look like the part you are playing. I do it subconsciously now.
Timeliness
To be early is to be on-time, to be on-time is to be lateThis was told to me by a high school band teacher; to this day I hate being late for things. I am notoriously 10 minutes early for everything. It gives me a chance to settle in and survey the scene for what I am about to do, before the time comes. An extra chance to breath and take it in. This goes for interviews, rehearsals, photos shoots, anything that requires showing up at a specific time. I can't help it, it's a habit.
Going that Extra mile
First one there, the last one to leave, and the one who is involved in everything; that's me. I throw myself into what I am passionate about; from holding executive board positions, showing up early and staying late to help clean up, working on projects during my own time. Just some of the many things that I realize I do, because I love what I do for that organization or group; and it's usually without compensation. I want my customers to be happy so I am ready to do what I can to make their experience worthwhile. A business can run by itself without some sort of income so that is the tough part... pricing what it's worth.
Always Learning and Growing
You wont know unless you try
I am always trying to learn new things, to soak up as much knowledge as I can. Knowledge can take you only so for, You have to DO something to learn the most out of it. I can do the first part, the research, but the next step is the hardest. Sometimes it has a risk attached to it and that risk is what I have the most difficulty with. I gather a ton of information and weigh the options before committing. Often times the negative possibilities steers me away from what I wanted to pursue. Turning down opportunities is something I don't want to be doing the rest of my life, I have had too many missed chances already because I was comfortable. I have to take the next step with what I have learned in order to grow.
What I have learned:
These values and traits have been built up through my schooling and my life experiences and have become apart of who I am. I feel I have a pretty good foundation for my business, or shall I say brand? I know I have a long way to go, and this has been discussed in the photography world numerous times, but needed to do some searching for my own self and this is what was found.
Ok enough rambling from me. What else should I be thinking about?
Related articles.
Lighting Essentials: Branding Your Photography Business: A Realistic View
Digital Photography School: Branding your Photography Business
Wayne Ford on Black Star Rising: You Are a Brand - Start Acting Like One
Next post: Branding - The First Impression.
Next post: Branding - The First Impression.
No comments:
Post a Comment