Zenologue

Except for those in the Southern hemisphere, most of us are in the grip of a cold snap that’s setting records in some areas and causing major disruption everywhere.

While the snow can be photogenic from a landscape perspective, this isn’t just a minor inconvenience for us photographers, especially those who create portraits on location – for many it’s brought business to an apparent standstill.

But, within every disadvantage is the seed of an equal or greater benefit.

Rather than become frustrated and despondent about the problems caused by the weather, we can take this quieter time to plan ahead for the rest of the year.

Now is the perfect time to dream up those creative marketing plans, special events, promotions etc.

Grab a calendar and start marking out the dates you want to book for weddings. Black out those special dates when you know you won’t want to work, such as family birthdays, vacations etc. Take a look at your procedures and workflow to look for improvements in efficiency.

Do you want to run a family portrait month special or dedicate time especially for senior portraits? If so, decide when and start planning the marketing efforts now.

As silly as it might sound, you can even spend some time designing next year’s holiday cards.

Work on your financial projections for the year, design some new products, embark on a personal project, take a class, or even take a break.

Business might be slow right now, but 2010 promises to be a growth year. Take advantage of any time you have now – because you could well be too busy later on.

Time Mgt. business, planning, professional photographer, time management