Best Business Practices for Photographers [47]
The Benefits of Someone Regular versus Various People
So you've decided you want someone to help you out. Now the question becomes who? The first thing not to do is take out a classified ad. You are asking for someone to come into your home/office and not only do work for you, but also be there when you're not. That's a big risk and requires a lot of trust. I think the interview process for an unknown person would be far more difficult than for a referral. So, how do you find the right person or persons? First, I'd suggest you choose one person over two, and no more than two to do the job together.
Bringing someone in requires a significant learning curve. You want that person to learn how you do everything, where everything is, and the like. In my experience, it takes a bare minimum of three months for someone to be up to speed when he or she is there full time, so that becomes a much longer period for part-time assistance. After three months, I feel totally comfortable with someone sending estimates and doing invoices and post-production. I remain in an oversight position, spot-checking the paperwork that goes out and giving guidance on the post-production that runs in batches. (I still do the customized retouching for major assignments.) Bringing someone different in each time means that person will have to learn everything from scratch and, further, may not have the impetus to do that extra step that ensures the clients get the best service possible.
In addition, I've found that having people who are interested in the field of photography means they see the work they are doing for you as learning to do something they hope to do themselves someday. Thus, they are more eager to learn to do it right than someone who's just coming in for the paycheck. Further, the benefit of having someone work part-time is that you can encourage that person to get out and shoot or work for other photographers to gain much-needed experience in other working environments on days off.
I first found folks to assist in the office and on shoots at local trade association meetings. From ASMP, to APA, to ASPP, to ADCMW, I found association meetings to be an exceptional resource for talented and enthusiastic assistants, both for on-location photography and in-office help.
When making hires, be absolutely certain that you hire people who have a good disposition. They should be happy people as well. When you find yourself in a position where you've made a mistake, correct it. Replace the person as soon as possible. It's the people you don't fire who will ultimately give you far more headaches and problems than those you do fire.
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NOTE
ASMP is the American Society of Media Photographers; APA is the Advertising Photographers of America; ASPP is the American Society of Picture Professionals; and ADCMW is the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington. Those and/or numerous others meet in your area and are an excellent resource.
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Today, I draw upon interns who come during or immediately following their studies in college. I'll talk more about the importance of interns and apprentices in Chapter 32, "Charity, Community, and Your Colleagues: Giving Back is Good Karma," but for now I'll simply make note of the fact that interns can be your best source for aid on a more ongoing basis, and they will already know whether working together with you is a good fit for them, too.
Remember, however, to keep your distance and learn to be "the boss." It is more important to be the boss than to overstep a boundary and try to be their friend. That's not to say you can't be friendly or a boss that they like to work for because you're reasonable and thoughtful. However, things such as overlooking transgressions, making inappropriate conversation, making loans, and so on can make many