How to Make 2010 Work for You

Now that the holidays are finally over and the new year is upon us, its time to get back to business as usual. Wait. Maybe it should be business as "un-usual". 2009 was by far a less than typical year. The economy struggled, many business closed doors…..but at the same time, many businesses thrived and even new ones took firm root in the unstable soil of our economy. Makes you wonder what it was that these people did that made things work so well for them, doesn’t it? It got me thinking about what can I do to re-define my work and my business.

More after the jump

Here is what I have come up with for myself:

1. Time Management
I realized that since December 13th, I have let my structure to my daily routine slack until things returned to normal mid-January. After a little further thought on this, I remembered how ch important a daily structure and schedule really is. From the moment we are born, our lives follow some kind of structure whether its one that we create or one that has been create for us. So, the first area I put my focus on was time management and scheduling for my daily activities. Start using the calendar feature in Outlook or the other mail clients out there. Even Google Calendar is an excellent resource. Use any of these desktop apps or even an online app to make daily to do lists. Use one of these many applications to put all your social networking sites into one place. Set aside specific times to check email and read blogs. Address your email responses right then and there. Set up your mail client to check emails at specific intervals instead of as they come in. This will save you time and also give you a break from other projects throughout the day.

2. Digital Asset Management
This is nothing new to us in this field so I won’t spend too much time on it. If this term is unfamiliar to you, then go take a look at Peter Krogh’s The DAM Book. I have been focusing on bringing my files from 5 years ago up to date with my current naming convention as well as updating the metadata. Do all of your files have your contact info, licensing, copyright and credit info as well as keywords? While we are on the subject, don’t forget about backing up your files. This should be done daily and with the many different programs available you can do this while you are sleeping. I would definitely recommend ASMP’s advice of 3-2-1….3 backups, 2 different media types, and at least one backup stored off-site. There are two types of people in photography: the one who has had a drive fail and lost data….and the one it hasn’t happened to yet.

3. Website/Portfolio
For the new year, I re-launched the site with a new logo to establish a strong brand image with the name and update all the works contained within the site. With the new design and logo, I felt it was necessary to review my online portfolio. It is essential in this day and market to make sure the work you are presenting is your absolute best, most solid and consistent work. Is your work consistent or do you have a bunch of one off images that you might not be able to reproduce again? Does your portfolio contain similar looking images leaving a static feel to your work? Have friends, family and your peers go through your work with their critical eyes. Take their advice to heart and consider the feedback given as being very valuable. They represent the public’s view of your work. I have also decided to jump 110% into a new printed portfolio to present to current and potential clients and customers . Those of us using any of the different smart phones available might want to strongly consider creating a portfolio presentation for viewing on your phone, if you haven’t already.

4. Marketing
This is such a necessity…at all times. I cannot stress this one enough. Instead of ranting and raving about the importance of good marketing techniques, I will just point you to some of the resources I have found effective and incredibly useful.
• Burns Auto Parts I can not say enough about the insight and resources that Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua has made available in written and auditory formats. I highly recommend picking up a copy of her newest book, Tell the World You Don’t Suck.
• ASMP - Strictly Business Just like it says. Solid and to the point.
• www.aphotoeditor.com Rob Haggart has been delivering us amazing info long before he revealed his identity. An amazing wealth of information is available for the amateur and professional alike.
• Photo Business News and Forum The home of Jon Harrington’s insight to the world of being a professional photographer. Go grab the 2nd edition of his book while you are at it, Best Business Practices for Photographers.
• Pixelated Image I am new to reading the blog of David duChemin but swear by the information contained within his blog and his many books. While you are at, pick up Growing the Visionmonger written by David’s manager, Corbin Hiebert.

I know that I am not the first to do a blog like this or covering this subject matter. It has been re-hashed in so many different ways over the past couple weeks. Many have written similar blogs with identical links...but that should tell you something...these links work....and they contain some incredible and very valuable information. For me, this blog is a way to make a mental and physical note to myself to stay focused on these above items.

Now that I have this post out of the way, I can scratch off number one from my to-do list for tomorrow morning. Now, go grab your camera and a jacket and go have fun roaming around your city or country side.