I think i have Overbooked Myself
Feb 10, 2013 09:01:50 #
magicunicorn
Loc: Melbourne Australia
Help.... i have a feeling that i have booked too much work in for the month of March, i have decided to close the bookings for March. I am already working 7 days a week.
Four weekends in March are already booked along with 2 week day bookings, labor day weekend i have a three day shoot and on top of that i work for a maganzine and work in the family business.
My little business has grown out of control all by word of mouth and now i have been offered a free half page add in the maganzine i work for for my little business - Help I think i have created a Monster.
Please don't get me wrong i am not complaining just wondering if i have been too ambitious and overstretched myself as there will be so much editing to do before i post photos.
I think it might be time to register my little business. I had no idea things would take off as they have.
What does everyone think please.
Four weekends in March are already booked along with 2 week day bookings, labor day weekend i have a three day shoot and on top of that i work for a maganzine and work in the family business.
My little business has grown out of control all by word of mouth and now i have been offered a free half page add in the maganzine i work for for my little business - Help I think i have created a Monster.
Please don't get me wrong i am not complaining just wondering if i have been too ambitious and overstretched myself as there will be so much editing to do before i post photos.
I think it might be time to register my little business. I had no idea things would take off as they have.
What does everyone think please.
Feb 10, 2013 09:03:30 #
magicunicorn wrote:
I think it might be time to register my little business.
What does everyone think please.
I think it might be time to register my little business.
What does everyone think please.
If what you mean by register is to be legal and pay your taxes, that should have happened the minute to you began.
Feb 10, 2013 09:04:48 #
magicunicorn
Loc: Melbourne Australia
It was not a business back then it was a hobbie and it was only 3 - 4 months ago.
Christmas was dead which i did expect but now its out of control.
Christmas was dead which i did expect but now its out of control.
Feb 10, 2013 09:06:00 #
I have ads in papers etc BUT99% of all my work is word of mouth, SERVICE pays
Feb 10, 2013 09:07:18 #
magicunicorn wrote:
It was not a business back then it was a hobbie and it was only 3 - 4 months ago.
Christmas was dead which i did expect but now its out of control.
Christmas was dead which i did expect but now its out of control.
No matter if you have a LOT of business or none, if you charge for a service...you are in business.
Feb 10, 2013 09:07:46 #
Feb 10, 2013 09:15:24 #
Congrats in your success!!! I hope soon my business will grow like that!!! I would love info on the business part of photography too!
Feb 10, 2013 09:29:49 #
Congratulations! I remember your horse pictures, they are amazing. Hope you can find some good assistants to handle the editing load!
Feb 10, 2013 09:34:52 #
magicunicorn
Loc: Melbourne Australia
Thank you Kerfree i do think you are right but i have a hangup where i would not be happy letting anyone else edit for me at this stage one because i am not good at letting other people loose with me work incase they don't do it the way i like it finished and the other is that it would cost a fortune to outsourse the editing at this stage.
Thank you fro your kind words
Thank you fro your kind words
Feb 10, 2013 09:36:22 #
First, congratulations on the new business. Next, most people would love to be in your shoes, a business growing too fast. You are only over stretched if you can't deliver the product on time. Yes you may have to work long hours but fulfilling your commitments has now become an important issue, perhaps even more important than the cost of your service. Word of mouth has been a blessing for you, just don't let it work the other way. At first your pay per hour worked may not be that great. :-( But keep up the good work and the rewards will come.
Feb 10, 2013 14:06:14 #
[quote=magicunicorn]Help. Help I think i have created a Monster.
*********************************************
Hello magicunicorn,...
It is great news that you are doing so well and are in demand,....................but you are only one people !!!!!
I have seen this happen to a wedding studio I once worked for,....the owner almost lost the business and family due the the stress of too, too, too much successful business.
The solution that finally resolved ALL the stress and continued floods of customers seeking his services,.....
Was,.... to raise his prices and focus on the higher income class customers.
He totally revamped his price schedule and business model and now only middle to upper class bookings are his focused market.
Amazing but true,...He actually makes more $$$$ and works a liveable work and family time schedule.
He skimmed off ALL those who expected him to work CHEAP.
Customers will take advantage of your services,...not intentionally but because they can,..IT'S SIMPLE ECONOMICS,...SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Theres nothing stopping them from getting in line for your services along with everyone else,...Heck,...your givving your work away.
With success comes responsibility,....it starts with you.
How many customers have said,....I am going to pay you more $$$$ to cover your time, expenses and overworking and the stress your enduring?? NONE won't happen.
You want a customer that respects and values your time such that they are amply willing to pay you the $$$$ for your talent and the product you produce,..who VALUE your time and talent.
Yes there will be those who will think you are over charging,...BUT ,...these same people DO NOT care that you ARE OVERWORKING and should be paid adequately for your precious hours of work.
If they are upset,...It's because they are missing out on your generosity of cheap and readily available labor for their photographs.
Those who value your work and talent,...WILL find a way to acquire your services if they want it bad enough.
They will understand you are taking care of yourself.
The $$$$ can be the equalizer in this situation,..or else you will work and stress yourself right out of being healthy enough to be any value to anyone,..family business,...family,...magazine,...yourself.
Thats the REAL monster you will create
After you,.....everyone else comes first,....if you care for yourself,...make "you" the first priority.
This doesn't mean you will have changed as a person,...you are still the same talented and attentive photographer and person whom they have always loved,....You have just taken charge of your own life thats all.
I often do more work than I have to as well,...for the same reason,...I'd rather do it myself ,..than ,...have someone else do it,....I do not see others willing to produce the product to my expectations and am not willing to gamble on thier inabilities.
If mistakes are going to be made,...I would rather be responsible for them,...most paid help care little about the inner workings and long months and years that it took to establish a dedicated customer following.
Sounds like a selfish solution,....but if you DON'T care enough about "Magicunicorn",...WHO IS.
You have to bite the bullet,...you have to love yourself first.
Love yourself enough,..that you do not let others take advantage of you.
You will always be the same talented personality,...
Also everyone will respect you for taking care of yourself and assuring that you are not running yourself into the ground.
Those that don't,....Well they just don't plain care about ,..you taking care of "you"
Just my two cents for what it's worth.
Exceptional results call for exceptional changes.
You have a life too.
This photographic endeavor that you love and do so well at,....will soon become a hated burden that you will dread every day.
Take care of "YOU" first,....the rest will follow.
Just hang in there,...your horse images are absolutely great,....I have watched you grow into the very talented and caring photographer that you have become.
As far as registering your business,...that goes without saying.
Marty
*********************************************
Hello magicunicorn,...
It is great news that you are doing so well and are in demand,....................but you are only one people !!!!!
I have seen this happen to a wedding studio I once worked for,....the owner almost lost the business and family due the the stress of too, too, too much successful business.
The solution that finally resolved ALL the stress and continued floods of customers seeking his services,.....
Was,.... to raise his prices and focus on the higher income class customers.
He totally revamped his price schedule and business model and now only middle to upper class bookings are his focused market.
Amazing but true,...He actually makes more $$$$ and works a liveable work and family time schedule.
He skimmed off ALL those who expected him to work CHEAP.
Customers will take advantage of your services,...not intentionally but because they can,..IT'S SIMPLE ECONOMICS,...SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Theres nothing stopping them from getting in line for your services along with everyone else,...Heck,...your givving your work away.
With success comes responsibility,....it starts with you.
How many customers have said,....I am going to pay you more $$$$ to cover your time, expenses and overworking and the stress your enduring?? NONE won't happen.
You want a customer that respects and values your time such that they are amply willing to pay you the $$$$ for your talent and the product you produce,..who VALUE your time and talent.
Yes there will be those who will think you are over charging,...BUT ,...these same people DO NOT care that you ARE OVERWORKING and should be paid adequately for your precious hours of work.
If they are upset,...It's because they are missing out on your generosity of cheap and readily available labor for their photographs.
Those who value your work and talent,...WILL find a way to acquire your services if they want it bad enough.
They will understand you are taking care of yourself.
The $$$$ can be the equalizer in this situation,..or else you will work and stress yourself right out of being healthy enough to be any value to anyone,..family business,...family,...magazine,...yourself.
Thats the REAL monster you will create
After you,.....everyone else comes first,....if you care for yourself,...make "you" the first priority.
This doesn't mean you will have changed as a person,...you are still the same talented and attentive photographer and person whom they have always loved,....You have just taken charge of your own life thats all.
I often do more work than I have to as well,...for the same reason,...I'd rather do it myself ,..than ,...have someone else do it,....I do not see others willing to produce the product to my expectations and am not willing to gamble on thier inabilities.
If mistakes are going to be made,...I would rather be responsible for them,...most paid help care little about the inner workings and long months and years that it took to establish a dedicated customer following.
Sounds like a selfish solution,....but if you DON'T care enough about "Magicunicorn",...WHO IS.
You have to bite the bullet,...you have to love yourself first.
Love yourself enough,..that you do not let others take advantage of you.
You will always be the same talented personality,...
Also everyone will respect you for taking care of yourself and assuring that you are not running yourself into the ground.
Those that don't,....Well they just don't plain care about ,..you taking care of "you"
Just my two cents for what it's worth.
Exceptional results call for exceptional changes.
You have a life too.
This photographic endeavor that you love and do so well at,....will soon become a hated burden that you will dread every day.
Take care of "YOU" first,....the rest will follow.
Just hang in there,...your horse images are absolutely great,....I have watched you grow into the very talented and caring photographer that you have become.
As far as registering your business,...that goes without saying.
Marty
Feb 10, 2013 14:24:55 #
rpavich wrote:
If what you mean by register is to be legal and pay your taxes, that should have happened the minute to you began.
magicunicorn wrote:
I think it might be time to register my little business.
What does everyone think please.
I think it might be time to register my little business.
What does everyone think please.
If what you mean by register is to be legal and pay your taxes, that should have happened the minute to you began.
I could not agree more. I can't speak for the legalities on the other side of the pond-- but I would NOT recommend cutting corners on: local registration/licensing requirements, taxes, and the back office organization. If you don't know--find out: Ignorance is NOT bliss.
Feb 10, 2013 16:01:07 #
magicunicorn
Loc: Melbourne Australia
Thank you everyone for your comments, it is fantastic to have so many great people out there willing to support and offer suggestions.
You are right Marty I agree, at the moment I am working way too hard, I do 6 horse in our family business get home around 2:30 pm the do another 8 hours work on my photos.
In between this I fit I my work on the maganzine,the comes family and my horse and then me.
Keeping in mind that while out taking photos it's also me time....
I definatly need to rework how I allocate time but for the next month that might be hard with 12 photo shoots in March that is before the magazine work.
Prices going up might need to be an option but in saying that there are never guaranteed sales from a days work, one shoot I earn $300-400 the next I might earn $60 or $80.
Again thank you everyone for your help.
Registering as a business I am going to do this week.
You are right Marty I agree, at the moment I am working way too hard, I do 6 horse in our family business get home around 2:30 pm the do another 8 hours work on my photos.
In between this I fit I my work on the maganzine,the comes family and my horse and then me.
Keeping in mind that while out taking photos it's also me time....
I definatly need to rework how I allocate time but for the next month that might be hard with 12 photo shoots in March that is before the magazine work.
Prices going up might need to be an option but in saying that there are never guaranteed sales from a days work, one shoot I earn $300-400 the next I might earn $60 or $80.
Again thank you everyone for your help.
Registering as a business I am going to do this week.
Feb 10, 2013 16:09:37 #
Yes, if you are feeling over worked then it's time to raise your prices. When I first started out I was charging $150 for a session, I was working my arse off. Raised my prices and I now working less but bringing home more.
As for being legal, I am also a huge doing it right and by the books when it comes to taxes and the government. Best to get that in order ASAP.
As for being legal, I am also a huge doing it right and by the books when it comes to taxes and the government. Best to get that in order ASAP.
Feb 10, 2013 16:19:01 #
I don't know how you operate day to day, magicunicorn, but my appointment book used to be my boss. If I saw things starting to look too hectic, or needed some time off, I'd start tearing pages out of my book. Worked like a charm!
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