There is an awesome series of threads going right in the "Managing Your Business" forum on Time Management. I know this is something photographers struggle with a lot! Raise your hand if you are guilty of editing sessions at 1 o'clock in the morning, or telling your kids to go put a movie on so you can finish writing up a sales letter. Well, these discussions are going to save you from your business!!!

You can read the initial thread for time management and how this came about in the Managing Your Business forum or just by clicking here. http://www.prophotolearningcenter.com/portal/bb/showthread.php?t=1225

But I thought I would share one the marketing tips already posted to get your tastebuds going!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Time Management Tip #3 - Avoid distractions

Interruptions are one of my biggest culprints of bad time management. Family loves to just stop by, friends call, telemarketers call, etc. But there are only so many hours in a day. Save that call to your friends for the evening time. Even other photographers who aren't really calling to just talk business...yes you know who you are

If you are a residential studio this can be even more difficult. But you have got to isolate yourself from distractions as much as possible. If you have small children at home, find a solution. Hire a nanny to come in and watch them during the day or put them in day care. Besides, honestly do you really answer the phone when you have kids running around? Find a way to get yourself at least a few days a week kid free.

Take visitors by appointment only. This includes clients of course, but also, don't let family and friends just drop by for a visit. Make sure to let your family know that you are a real business and you can't run a business and visit with your Aunt Petunia for 3 hours on a weekday.

Grant yourself a little slice of heaven and hire a part time assistant. Assistants can field most phone calls and only interrupt you for things you tell her she can.

Don't take time to answer emails in the middle of other tasks. Set yourself 3 times each day between 9 and 5 that you go through and read all new incoming email and respond to those messages that require it. Don't stop the flow of editing a session to check email. You may get involved, find another distraction and lose your train of thought.

If you answer the phone and it's a friend or family member, who is just idly chatting away, invent a meeting or appointment that you must get to. It keeps you from being rude to them and lets you get back to important work.

If it is a telemarketer calling those are the absolute worst! A lot of times I will simply hang up. In fact, alot of them now call with those autodialers and you can tell because when you answer and say hello, nobody is there for about 2 seconds. So if I get that, I hang up immediately. But if you are in a playful mood and just want to be off quickly and feel like getting a chuckle out of it you can always try one of these methods:

-Pretend you have a bad line, and you can't hear them.
-Start talking in a foreign language or make up your own language.
-Pretend you are someone else and the real you isn't available. (Amy still works at my studio on several days when telemarketing calls are coming in)
-When they call and ask how you start a conversation up with them telling them just how bad of a day you have been. Don't let em get a word in.
-When the credit card companies call trying to get a new business credit card tell them that sounds like an awesome idea because you just filed for bankruptcy and you sure could use some extra cash. (that's a favorite).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can join in on the discussion at http://www.prophotolearningcenter.com/portal/bb/showthread.php?t=1228 and check out all of the marketing tips in the Managing Your Business forum!

See you there.

Article on ProPhotoLearning Center About Raw Files.

Here's part of an article on RAW Files on the site. This is definitely food for thought as RAW files are a very important part of the photography process for Professional Photographers...

------------- Article Excerpt -----------------

Are you afraid of RAW Files?

I'm going to stir things up a bit here.

Come on, admit it! If you aren't using RAW files with your Digital camera and it supports them, you are afraid! You are making excuses. You know it's true. And no I'm not trying to be rude or mean. I'm trying to get you to think about a few things and maybe, just maybe, convince you to make the switch.

Here's some of excuses I've heard:

- I don't know how to use RAW files, I've never done it before
- They take up to much space
- They slow the camera down

And here's a biggie that mostly experienced photographers and professionals will throw around.

- It complicates the workflow too much and slows me down.

Now here's my repsonse to each of these concerns....

----------------- End Excerpt ---------------

The rest of the article can be found here.
http://www.prophotolearningcenter.com/portal/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&id=24

We have TWO brand new Marketing Challenges!

Challenge #2 - Mother's Day and Father's Day Promotions

Your challenge if you choose to accept it is to run a promotion for mother's day and/or father's day.

This challenge has a twist to it! Along with trying to generate as much revenue as possible of course, your GOAL with this challenge is to generate as much PR as possible in your community. However, you do it is up to you.

This challenge, will consist of a minimum of TWO team members. Both members may hold the event, or just one may hold the event.

These events can take place at any time as you may choose to sell gift certificates, hold sessions on the holiday or hold them after. However, the call in date to take you up on your offer, should be no later than June 20th.

Financial reporting should be completed by July 15th.

Reporting:
~During the course of the challenge, we would like you to post a marketing summary in your designated thread.
~Post any special packages or pricing that you intend to offer to the public
~Post any marketing pieces that you design for the promotion
~Share all of your PR successes!
~Share your expenses and revenue


Challenge #3 Get that Display!

This challenge is a little different. This is not a promotion where portrait clients will be calling you. Instead, this challenge is about getting displays!

Each team may consist of a minimum of 2 people (but more are encouraged).

Your goal is to land as many displays as possible between now and July 15th!

Reporting:
~You will post an intended strategy summary on how you intend to get your displays
~You will post a preliminary list of businesses you will ACTIVELY go after in these few months. Do not post the actual business names, just what they do.
~Post any sales letters, contracts or materials you use in getting your displays.
~Post actual pictures of the displays once you put them up.
~Share liftcard designs or marketing pieces you leave at the display for people to take home with them.
~Share your expense cost on each display.

This one should be fun!!

Don't forget the Planning Your 2007 Marketing Calendar workshop kicks off tomorrow night with a chat at 9pm central in the chat room on the forum. This is a free workshop for full access members, so everyone join in!

We have a new featured photographer on the home page at the ProPhotoLearningCenter. Check it out! Tara Morris, is an awesome baby and child photographer and we are thrilled she is a member on the PPLC website! Tara Morris http://www.taramorrisphotography.com/

Ok, so Ive been slow at keeping up with posts on this blog! I need to get on my moderators to help me with that. lol slackers!

Ok so this marketing challenge thing is going really well! I think we are up to 7 or 8 groups and it is a ton of fun! Everyone is being creative, working on budgets, set ideas and marketing strategies. If you haven't joined in, there is still time to form a group, but don't wait to much longer!