Archive for Starting a Business – Page 6

Starting a Photography Business: Part 25 – The Fun of the Fair

By Ruth Bayley
Monday, March 14th, 2011

I’m just back from a trade show, Focus on Imaging; the biggest in Europe. My first time was last year when I pretty much just wandered around in a daze until I had an afternoon shot of espresso. My eyes were popping; cameras to play with – even if they were attached to the counter by a metal wire, lenses to fiddle with and gadgets and equipment to convince myself I needed to put on my wish list. Incidentally they are still on my wish list!

Everywhere I looked, another new toy or piece of information was waiting to grab my attention and fire my inspiration. I’ve been to shows like this before, well hmm, agricultural shows! So I’m a wise browser now, I only collect leaflets from a stand that I really need information on, or by the end of the day my arms are dragging the floor, weighed down with the bag full of brochures.

This year the equipment on display was just as fabulous. Though as it was year 2 for me, I used a bit of tactical knowledge.

10:20 am Arrive at show

10:30 am Sit down with espresso and browse the show guide and daily show newspaper to see who was exhibiting, where they were located and what seminars were available.

10:50 am Advance into the fray with purpose avoiding all people with arms outstretched holding out leaflets that I don’t really need. Read More→

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Starting a Photography Business: Part 24 – Photography Tours

By Ruth Bayley
Monday, March 7th, 2011

As the site gets closer and closer to being ready for business – hopefully I will be giving you a guided tour around it this time next week – I’m starting to think and plan for alternative sources of income.

Photography courses seem like a good option they require little outlay in terms of finances; it’s more a question of time and planning to make sure the guests get value for money. The difference between the research for setting up a photography website is that I was pretty much able to do from sitting in front of a computer, this time for some parts of it any way, it’s about getting out and doing a dummy run.

I’m really enjoying the process of starting to put it all together. In the main they are going to based in Europe, I’ve lived in a few areas of mainland Europe, so my tours will draw on that local experience. Hidden gems of the towns and countryside that I spent hours exploring, restaurants used by locals that serve good tasty food with great service, and a knowledge of locations for sunrise and sunsets, alluring alleyways and hidden coves.

An exciting tour with a twist I’m looking at, working in partnership with a friend who owns a travel agency is, a photography cruise holiday. This all sounds exciting doesn’t it? And it is, yet to make sure a worthwhile course is delivered there are some important structures that need to be in place, not least that the content I give is useful and moves people forward in their photography. Read More→

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Starting a Photography Business: Part 23 – A Helping Hand

By Ruth Bayley
Monday, February 28th, 2011

On our mastermind group call last week, we started talking about marketing and how best to do it. We all put our heads together sharing tips, with different people talking about marketing courses they are doing that incorporated social media promotion. I’m not quite sure if there is a right way, or simply a way that you feel more comfortable with.

For my part, this week I’ve started listening to a teleseminar series about marketing, called, ‘know, like, trust’ with Bill Baren, (I will put all links I mention in this article in the notes). The purpose of the series is that marketing is changing and it’s more important than ever, particularly if you are an internet business, to build a relationship with your potential customer so they come to know, like and trust you and finally buy from you. The first interview was with duo, Jeffrey Van Dyk and Suzanne Falter-Barns, of Spiritual Marketing Quest, talking about the best way in a service business to connect with your customers is by using language that they can relate to.

I’ve got an eye on this with a view to a second business – photography related yet more practical – and in this arena doing as they suggest, remembering a pain that has brought you to this point and using that same language from the things you experienced at that time to relate to others is easier in the spiritual market, but can it be transferred to a sales site? Read More→

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Starting a Photography Business: Part 22 – On Location

By Ruth Bayley
Monday, February 21st, 2011

I took a complete break from the computer this weekend and journeyed out to do a recce of an area that I’m thinking of using as a location for some sunrise shots, right at the top of a very steep hill with a view over the plain below.

It was a very rainy day and I decided it would be perfect for a drive out, (if you ignored the flooded roads!), the country roads were quiet so I could pull up whenever I wanted, blocking the road to have a peer over hedges or through gates.

The area around this particular village has been calling to me for a while; it’s a lovely English village, a sandstone church stands high on the hill overlooking the village below, a country pub is the sole commercial activity and opposite, a tiny triangle of village green which is dominated by a huge old oak tree.

As I drove around the lanes I noticed important things I hadn’t seen on my previous visit, footpaths – rights of ways across farmland.  As the ground was sodden from many days of rain, yesterday wasn’t the time to take a walk and see what new views can be seen from the fields.  I’ve made a mental note though and will be back soon to investigate.

Driving back down the steep hill that affords a dramatic view over the valley below, past a golf course with a footpath crossing it – who would risk that Sunday lunch walk?  Winding my way down the road past grand houses I glanced to my left and on a grassy bank below the trees were daffodils in bloom.  I couldn’t believe my eyes, daffodils in February, so I pulled in and got out to investigate.   It was going to be tricky to take good shots, the ground was sodden so not great for kneeling or lying down and the daffs were on the lowest part of the bank.  It was worth a shot though, I decided.  I love taking photos with raindrops on petals and as the rain was bouncing down I couldn’t fail to get some. Read More→

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Starting a Photography Business: Part 21 – The Final Countdown

By Ruth Bayley
Monday, February 14th, 2011

As the last few days before the launch are fast approaching, I’ve been enjoying the chance to go through the site with a fine toothcomb to make sure everything is as it should be.

I’ve had some friends take a look at the site and all feedback has been positive and some interesting things have come up too. It is a great idea to let people have a look at your site before you send it live. Spelling mistakes you’ve become blind to get picked up and having some test customers going though the site before launch is so useful for getting to know how smooth a transition it is from product to checkout.

Because I’ve been working with the site for so long it became clear that I have become more blinkered to it than I imagined; a couple of friends flagged up areas they didn’t think were as straight forward as I did. So there have been some tweaks. It turned out to be really quite scary asking friends to have a look over the site, particularly as two were photographers but it was a good stepping stone for the launch.

It’s been a week of ticking off checklists when the tasks were complete. Favicon – the image that appears on the address bar & makes your site more visible when it’s bookmarked. All delivery prices correct for each country. I’m having a download section so we, (the web designer and I), have been testing to make sure they download ok. Read More→

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Starting a Photography Business: Part 20 – Shining Light

By Ruth Bayley
Monday, February 7th, 2011

I’ve been very fortunate in having parents who have always been supportive in everything I do. They went to all my school events, championed my dreams and bolstered me whenever my confidence has wobbled. So then it comes hard when people in my circle pick holes in my dreams.

Have you experienced this situation? You are on an exciting journey, everything is gathering pace, you are full of confidence your visions are becoming a reality with every passing day. As you radiate confidence your social circles widen, opportunities for partnerships come your way like never before, yet you suddenly discover a fly in the ointment.

Someone, and probably someone very close to you, is taking great enjoyment in being negative. They are trying their best to bring you down to their level of disbelief. In their world it is incomprehensible that all your visions and dreams could and are coming true. I remember listening to someone talking about their own transformation from wage earner to self employed and her surprise and hurt at some of her closest friends and family who didn’t want to share her vision or support her, slowly she released them from her life. Read More→

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