Best Business Practices for Photographers [241]
In large part, the inbreeding, tenure debates, and self-congratulation that goes along with being an academic are part of the problem with today's photographers who enter the real world with a diploma, $100,000 or so in debt, and no way to pay off that debt. Few schools are preparing their students with the tools they need to succeed in business, since freelancers are the new staffers. Many teachers are so wrapped up in the drama of academia that they forget to prepare their students for their post-school future.
I have a few colleagues and professors who have said that this book is on their required reading list. Bravo! I am not saying that this book is the end-all be-all answer per se, but it's at least an indicator that the professors even care about the issue of their photographers as soon-to-be self employed.
Continue the Learning Process: You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks!
Steve Chandler, noted in the last chapter as the author of 9 Lies That Are Holding Your Business Back…and the Truth That Will Set It Free, cites as "Lie #8: I don't need help":
This lie has you setting yourself up to fail. It has you insisting you've got what it takes. It has your ego and pride interfering with the success of your business…you have to put the success of your business ahead of false pride. You have to put the success of your business ahead of whether you might "lose face" or look weak.
Most people are not fully committed to success; they are committed to looking good in the eyes of others. They may be somewhat committed to making a living, but that's a completely different thing!
Tiger Woods uses a coach. When he got rid of his original coach, saying he could do it on his own, his game went downhill fast. Bob Nardelli, CEO of the Home Depot, has said, "I absolutely believe that people, unless coached, never reach their maximum capabilities."
One example of an "old dog" not only learning a few new tricks, but also helping grow them is photographer Tim Olive. Tim took years of experience and feeling burnt out, and he turned that around (after a lot of personal reflection) into Success Teams, which is a part of APA's offering to its members. Small groups of photographers (usually seven local to one another, but not always) gather on a regular basis to inspire and help grow each other's work, along with a professional coach. I highly recommend you check out the APA National website (www.apanational.com) for this and grow your career with the help and support of your fellow colleagues.
In 9 Lies, Chandler goes on to say:
No professional athlete would dream of going a day without coaching. Because their success is too important to leave to chance. They wouldn't dream of going it alone. Yet most small business owners are actually proud of going it alone! As if that said something about them. It does not. It says that they are not fully committed to success.
Make sure, though, that those giving advice, whether online or at seminars, are successful. More often than not, those who are espousing the principles of success and how to succeed are the ones who have run their businesses into the ground. There is nothing wrong with learning from past failures, but make sure they're doing really well now before you take their advice lock, stock, and barrel.
In addition, there are some on the photo-lecture circuit who have been out of the business for several years and are earning a living teaching what worked and was acceptable five or ten years ago (or more). Depending upon the content, their advice may be timeless, such as talking about the importance of the proper care and feeding of a client or a creative way to light a subject, but other information about contracts or the state of the industry as seen from the front lines may no longer be applicable. If you're not sure about the timeliness of