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Archive 2017 · Considering hiring a studio manager

  
 
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Considering hiring a studio manager


I'm looking to start to expand my business and hire someone a studio manager. Responsibilities would include contracts, culling, social media management and post shoot sales and pay based on commission. Anyone have any experience with hiring someone? How did you find them? What kind of person were they? Any things to avoid?


Sep 14, 2017 at 02:04 PM
Unclejoe1116
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Considering hiring a studio manager


Just a thought: Contracts, culling, and post-shoot sales can all be based on commission pretty easily, since their work increases by the job. When you include something like social media or website management, that moves away from being directly tied to a specific job, and thus may not be the best fit for a commission-based pay structure.

You've got a balance between how much you want to pay, and how much you'll get from said person. You could give someone a salary and benefits, and they would run everything for you, allowing you to just take photos. Or, you can hire a college student for minimum wage, and while they may be a social media expert, it's a safe bet that you'll need to hold their hand on the business side of things.

I think figuring out your budget will answer a lot of questions. Determining how they are paid is also crucial. If you opt to make them an independent contractor, you have very little control over how they do tasks. In terms of finding someone, Craigslist, Facebook ads, and local college poster boards have always been successful for me.



Sep 14, 2017 at 03:25 PM
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Considering hiring a studio manager


Unclejoe1116 wrote:
I think figuring out your budget will answer a lot of questions. Determining how they are paid is also crucial.


Basically the goal here is not necessarily for me to make a ton of money, but to take some things off of my plate. If I can make enough to pay my editing bills for the year, that would be fantastic. I'm a shit business person, but I know that I am doing too much right now and by my research no one that is shooting as much as I am is doing all the backend work themselves.



Sep 14, 2017 at 03:38 PM
Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Considering hiring a studio manager


We've had a full-time studio manager for 3 years now... she did part time stuff for us before that. If you've ever seen me talk about our business, it's pretty clear that I think it's one of the best things we've done. I'm in your boat... It wasn't a financial decision. It was a decision we made to grow, to give a job to a person that earned it and to take stuff off my plate.

I would say that as you search for someone, the two most important qualities are someone that's organized and someone that's passionate. The organized part is easy, the passion part isn't. When we hired Lindsay there was lots that we needed to figure out (on our end and hers), but we've never doubted her commitment or her willingness... and that's been essential. You can teach people processes, editing, all that stuff. But you can't teach them how to be passionate about what they do. Do your best to find someone that has that.



Sep 14, 2017 at 05:33 PM
friscoron
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Considering hiring a studio manager


I agree with Tony. It's smart to find someone who works with you and fits into your brand/style/personality before you just hire someone -- especially if you're just trying to figure out how they will fit in.

I've had a couple part-time editors work with me at my studio. I hired again last month and I think I finally really hit the jackpot with someone who is going to be with us long-term. Mostly, she does editing, but she also does whatever is needed, from cleaning the studio, talking to clients, whatever. I'm pretty confident by next spring it will be a full-time position (right now, it's 30-plus hours/wk). The long-term vision is that she'll be my studio manager and a second portrait shooter if needed.

She's definitely take a lot off my plate already.



Sep 14, 2017 at 07:59 PM





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