I was reading an article today and it was about operating a small business and the ups and downs that come along with it. And, it got me to thinking about what I have learned, de-bunked and rationalized about the ship I run and the misconceptions that most people have about running a small business. It was interesting to look back and reflect on the past and pondering the upcoming months. Many things have changed and many more changes are on the way. It is an exciting time, however, growth and expansion are still somewhat scary. It is the nervous scared, not the chicken scared. So, here is my compilation, maybe something will help you in your ventures.
1. One pixel at a time
When you venture into the isolation of sole proprietor, I think of it as metaphorically adopting a puppy that never ages. That puppy will always be an adorable puppy, snugly, cute and clumsy. My 'puppy' I would name something super camera savvy and faux pas, like JPEG, I would love him more and more everyday. But, JPEG, cute as a button, will always chew up my beloved shoes and never be potty trained, for JPEG will never grow up.
It is like this, I will always be in love with photography, at times more than I love others, I will always want to freeze time, capture a moment. I am a memory preservationist, and I am okay with that. But I hate paperwork. It's a pain in the ass and I will do anything possible to avoid it. So much wonderful origami is not being created because I have paperwork that just has to be done.
And once you accept that in order to do what you love and live your dream you have to do and file the essential paperwork, you accept it, but it will always chew your Choo's. And it is hard to accept that there is an ugly side to steering your own ship, there are always those cons for the pros, for me those cons will never take over ownership from the pros. I love what I do. Point blank. No matter the day, the situation, the circumstance, I will always love my life, my career, my company. Hey, those shoes weren't that practical anyways.
2. 'The more we work together the happier we'll be'
Just lying. It was actually, and sadly, that I had one of those life altering epiphany moments in which I realized I own more than just my own car. I own a business. Pretty much by myself. Don't get me wrong, there are many people who have helped me out along the way, some more than others, some have lent me their advice and slash or support, others have gone further and strapped NASA grade rocket boosters to my ass. And I appreciate that more than anyone will ever know, especially those that think I am an ungrateful bitch. Yep. I said it, it's my blog not yours. This is my business, my dream, my life, my success or my failure. If I fail, it will be solely because of me and no one else, and I prefer it that way. I control my future, I control my life and whether I make it or not it will be because of me. I make the decisions and I stand by them. No one elses choices will be a catalyst to my rise or fall, not to sound to Hitler or anything.
3.'Early bird gets the worm'
Right well, as a person sympathetic towards animals, I am on a mission to save the worm from the insomniac bird. Being that I just made a statement about this being my venture, I am still only one person and I am somewhat small, hips aside. This being said, there is so much frickin work involved in owning a photography business that I could work 24-7 and still forget to fill out some kind of paperwork somewhere. I obviously am okay with this, since, I am still a photographer, but damn, can I sleep a little longer once in awhile, well no. My favorite misconception that comes from, well, ignorance, is that I have tons of free time and barely do a thing, and how do you put it....don't really have a job. Right. You betcha. Not only do I work my tail off, I have the coolest boss ever, and I should be offended by lack of knowledge statements, but I accept envious motives for what they truly are.
Anyone who feels this way is more than welcome to attend 'bring your ass to work day' where you can gladly follow me at a reasonable distance behind me, and tag along like a third wheel. You will enjoy several sessions in humid 90 degree plus weather, hours of marketing, emails and post processing, print orders, etc
I cannot say that others would enjoy this, but I love it. Bob Marley said, "Stand in love, don't fall in love" well, I am standing in love with my career and all the chromatic aberrations I can get.
I am not partial to the weather conditions, I will still love what I do. It can be freezing, scorching, it doesn't matter, I will go out in it for hours, because i love it.
There is alot of sacrifice to be able to do what it is that you love to do. Hell, sacrifice comes to dinner more than I do, because I am working. There are long hours, but they are still fun, assuming it doesn't entail paperwork. I have taken risks, given up things and it is still worth it. I get to travel, I get to meet people from every walk of life, I know a mechanic, a lawyer, an accountant, a clown, a dental tech, a contractor, a musician, I could go on and on for days, i meet the coolest people. My clients are better than other photographers, I can say that, its my blog. My clients make my day, everyday, and they think I am equally cool. They are considerate, and they trust me with their monumental life moments, I don't know if there is a better felling than that. I watch their kids grow, and they become a part of my family, too. I could go on and on. You know what though, I am an artist, I am an unconventional, free spirited artist, and my clients appreciate that, because it translates into ethereal images of the ones they love the most.
Once you know your niche, you know who is going to be your client and who wont. And I can tell now, being that this isn't my first rodeo, when to say no, when to recommend a photographer rather than take the sale, because you know it will not be a good collaboration. Some clients don't 'click' (photo pun intended) with some photographers. Accepting that sometimes you have to say no to people, that is ironically one of the choices that lead to a more successful business. It is similar to discovering that 3 rights is equal to one left.
When I am asked what i do for a living, I usually stop and think about it, and it sounds weird to say im a photographer, because it what I love to do and its not a job to me, its a choice. And I am alays reminded of that choice when i hear, "you could have been a doctor"
Yes, I could have, but I am okay being a smarter than the average bear memory presorvationist.
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