Long Term Planning

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Archive 2009 · Long Term Planning

unblinkable
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p.1 #1 · Long Term Planning

Here's the deal. Our family and children sessions are booked nine months to year out. If you called today, you'd be offered a slot in October/November at the earliest. My problem is that we're struggling with how to leave room for brides who want to book their engagement and bridal sessions. Typically, brides book a year out, too... but we've had a good many who wait until the 6 month mark. At that point, all of our outdoor slots are gone and we're cramming brides in on Sundays (which we don't want to work).

SO... we're trying to see what other photographers do. On the surface, it seems like the easiest thing would be to leave one opening each week that we can later fill in with brides (engagement or whatever). The problem with that is that no ONE day is good for every person. And saying that we use Tuesdays for bridals might only work for 1 out of 10 clients.

Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill? Is there something I'm missing? Or is this just part of being in this line of work? We're two years into this heavy booking scenario and it's just stressful.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:23 PM

RedWhiteandRed
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p.1 #2 · Long Term Planning

Charge more for the family and kids and maybe get someone else to do it. You only have so much time and a finite number of years to sock it away.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:27 PM

Saad Syed
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p.1 #3 · Long Term Planning

It's a good position to be in and good stress to put up with in this economy. Too much work is better than no work. Honestly, one thing to consider is splitting the photographers up. You work with your husband, who also knows how to handle a camera well. So, you take care of the brides and let him take care of the families. If you don't have a couple shoot or bridal shoot booked, go help your husband out with the family shoots. Teamwork doesn't necessarily mean everyone has to work on the same shoot.

Also, a time is going to come (hopefully - and if you want it to) where your business grows SOOO successful where you will HAVE to hire extra seasoned shooters to take care of the extra work.

I keep my weekdays open for meetings, Saturdays are always open for weddings, and I pick a day (depending on my school schedule) that I leave open for family shoots. Granted, you're getting far more clients than I am, so my situation is a little different.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:30 PM

Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #4 · Long Term Planning

Red's advice is sound. I'm sort of with you in a way Mel. I've been booking stuff up very early too. It sounds like a stupid problem, but trust me when I say that I understand the stress.

The solution is probably to raise the prices like Red said. If people are waiting 9 months for family pictures, you're obviously worth it...

Either that or your husband is the chief of police and is arresting anyone else who tries to buy a camera in your town.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:33 PM

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p.1 #5 · Long Term Planning

Hahaha!

I raised our sitting fee from $100 to $125 for this year... and our newborn shoots are up to $200. I was thinking that for 2010, I'd do a straight $200 session fee and just cut out an opening (making it where I really end up with practically the same profit margin, but one less photo shoot a week). That doesn't help me for 2009... but I guess as long as I can see light at the end of the tunnel, it's something.

Saad: Jeff doesn't shoot family... and he knows it. It's just not his thing. And because of our shooting style for engagements and weddings, it DOES take both of us... me on the camera and Jeff on the lighting. I don't foresee that changing. Maybe we're making our own problems.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:38 PM

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p.1 #6 · Long Term Planning

Buy me a car, camera gear, one-way-ticket, and a condo. Then, I'll move there and work for you.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:39 PM

Tony Hoffer
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p.1 #7 · Long Term Planning

Mel, I know we're in different markets and all..... but you can't be serious. $125 for a sitting fee

?

Someone walking down the street that sees that studio you have probably would expect to pay at least twice that.

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:40 PM

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p.1 #8 · Long Term Planning

Dentists and the like reserve certain hours for "emergency" appointments. If you're otherwise fine financially, you may consider doing something similar. If it's booked you shoot; if not, you get a break. They say the goal of any business is to maximize profits, but if you're making enough to keep you happy already, why not relax a bit and make it easier on you?

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:43 PM

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p.1 #9 · Long Term Planning

Saad Syed wrote:
It's a good position to be in and good stress to put up with in this economy. Too much work is better than no work.

+1! I'd kill to have a full schedule right now . . . I don't even have a handful of clients booked for 09 yet, haha. Keep up the good work Mel, I know you can handle it!

Jan 08, 2009 at 07:45 PM

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p.1 #10 · Long Term Planning

Is there no one else you can bring in to pick up the slack, but only when needed? I mean I would definately be willing to help you out if I was closer. I live about 3 1/2 hours from you otherwise...

Good luck to you in 09. Your going to find what works best for you, so try not to sweat it.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:02 PM

Brian Mullins
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p.1 #11 · Long Term Planning

Mel.. I know you're wanting to cater to everyones schedule, but you'll continually run into this problem. Raising your prices isn't really a solution as your style is definitely unique & desired in this area, but it will put more coin in your pocket.

Carving out one day a week is goign to be your best bet. While you'll never get completely out of working the off days (weekends), if you set aside a Monday or Friday (maybe even alternate them per month, Mondays in January, Fridays in Feb, Mondays in March, etc) then you'll have more flexibility.

The other thing you could do is hire an assistant who can help out on the e-sessions. If Jeff can shoot it, and you can train a lighting person, then you can be in two places at once. It will also increase your revenue by a pretty significant amount, so it may be worth looking into.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:04 PM

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p.1 #12 · Long Term Planning

unblinkable wrote:I raised our sitting fee from $100 to $125 for this year...

Ouch - that is too low by a factor of 4.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:04 PM

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p.1 #13 · Long Term Planning

I'm in a rual, non-university town... it's really not as low as you think. Comparing the session fees for others in my area, I'm the highest.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:08 PM

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p.1 #14 · Long Term Planning

Tony Hoffer wrote:
Mel, I know we're in different markets and all..... but you can't be serious. $125 for a sitting fee

?

Someone walking down the street that sees that studio you have probably would expect to pay at least twice that.

yeah... my sitting fee for seniors is 300 and includes $50 print credit, and thats it. families are 450 and get a canvas wrap.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:08 PM

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p.1 #15 · Long Term Planning

Hire help. Be that editing, shooting, answering phones, accounting, cleaning - free up your time to shoot and sell.
I've been there and tried that and it's not easy to find competent help that will work the way you need/expect, will show up when they're supposed to, etc. I find shooting and edting to be the hardest positions to fill, and then of course you have to train and manage the workforce.

second, raise prices MORE! Are your session fees written down anyplace? I mean, where customers can see them? If not, then the next call is quoted $150. If they book, then teh next is $175. Then 200. When they stop booking back off $10 and try that for a while. Find out how much the market will bear!

That's harder to do with products, packages and the like as that pricing is surely more than likely written down, but if they're waiting 6 or 8 months for their session you can probably charge whatever you want for prints at that point and get them to pay it!

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:10 PM

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p.1 #16 · Long Term Planning

Might be the highest Mel, but you're not high enough.

Your booked schedule is screaming the same thing.

/asim

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:12 PM

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p.1 #17 · Long Term Planning

I've got an office assistant and an in-house graphic designer on staff... so I've got my help. It's never my intention to NOT be the person behind the camera. It's my name on the building and I want to keep it that way. But I do see the importance of people PAYING for it to be me shooting... and I do want to raise prices more over time.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:13 PM

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p.1 #18 · Long Term Planning

Mel - you're the highest, but you're also booked WAY out. I mean WAY out. You can raise your prices. I know you love to shoot a lot, but if you doubled your prices and shot half as much, your quality of life increase. So even if bookings go down, you may still get the same money for less work.

Congrats, btw! What a wonderful yet incredibly stressful situation. I actually wouldn't want to be in your shoes...

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:18 PM

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p.1 #19 · Long Term Planning

A few years ago my wife imposed the rule that we do not leave the studio for less than our then editorial day rate. Made things simple and allowed more time for important things in life.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:21 PM

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p.1 #20 · Long Term Planning

I just posted on my business blog that session fees will increase to $200 beginning this summer. I'll have my studio assistant call those who are already booked and alert them to the change, giving them the option to back out now and open the date back up. We'll see how it goes.

Thanks, y'all.

Jan 08, 2009 at 08:22 PM


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