Ginger Dreams :: "Solo-preneur" ...It's a thing
Sometimes you want to quit and other times you want to hug yourself with excitement. On the days you want to quit, it is hard to stay positive and motivated to continue on. Additionally, being a solo-preneur means that you are responsible...for EVERYTHING. Not just the fun creative stuff, but also balancing the books, filing, invoicing, contracts, sales, marketing, and even running to the post office. It can be daunting and exhausting, but also VERY rewarding. Plus, you have to start somewhere, right?
I am going on 6 years of owning and operating my own business. I started my photography practice in May of 2009, but I wasn't established enough to have a full on business until 2010.
Over the years, I have worked on a variety of projects while growing my photography business in effort to learn and balance the workflow. During this time, I have designed (and still do) websites for small businesses, I have implemented marketing campaigns for my clients, I have engaged in PR, worked on two national and one international book launch, new product launches, artist development, and the list continues.
It wasn't until the beginning of this year that I decided to go full-steam-ahead with photography. This was a tricky (I say tricky because it was scary, uncertain, hard, and emotional) decision to make. I love being able to dip my hands in other projects in effort to help people grow, but it was my turn to fully commit to helping myself.
Since I made this commitment, it has been a winding road with lots of hills, dips and mountains to climb. Starting or growing any business (or really, trying something new) has its positives and negatives.
With that being said, one of the great "things" about my generation, is there are quite a few people who are venturing out and starting their own businesses, and luckily I know a few of them. It has been really helpful for me because it has allowed me the opportunity to collaborate with fellow likeminded individuals.
Through these conversations and think-tanks, I decided to put together a short list of obstacles I (as well as others I know) have had to deal with so that you can learn with and from us. With each "issue," I have done my best to come up with a positive solution to balance it out. So here it goes...
1. Consistency of incoming business: Some months are better than others, and there is no way to really plan for this. It can be frustrating and hard to forecast because you have to put your trust in others to hire you, and in yourself to keep your business afloat.
Solution: Make sure you financially prepare for the lulls, while also modestly rewarding yourself on the good months. Additionally, consistency is key. Every day, I work on prospecting, marketing, organization, etc. You gotta grease the wheels to keep everything in motion.
2. Accomplishing those daunting tasks (where is the assistant when you need one?!): I will be the first to honestly tell you, I hate, let me repeat HATE filing. It is such a boring task and technically I am not getting paid to do this grunt work. My file cabinet is tucked away in my storage closet so I don't have to look at it, my files are smashed in there (I have another empty file cabinet, but I just always seem to find something more important to do with my time than to get it organized.), and my file pile just keeps growing and growing. AH!
Solution: I know this has to get done. I get it. So how do I motivate myself? With a reward. I tell myself, "Ok Allie, if you file this stack you can go to Yogurtland for a treat." And that my friends is how I get it done....with a bribe.
3. Staying positive when things just aren't going your way: I think I am finally coming out of my summer lull *Knocks hard on wood*. It is no real surprise that for photographers business can be a little slow in the summer months (July & August). Why do you ask? Well simply because summer is time for vacation and also, it is just so hot outside. Who wants to take their very important family portraits in 100 degree weather? Your makeup will melt right off your face and your hair will lose its shape fast...am I right? So while I tell myself, it is normal to be slow during this time, it is still hard to not get disappointed. "Am I doing something wrong?" I constantly ask myself, and it sucks to feel that way.
Solution: While you can't force people to work with you, you can do everything in your power to keep the train moving forward. Rather than curling up in a ball, eating ice cream and watching TV cursing the world for your lack of new business coming in (which I would never do...), why not stay the course? Now I know this is easier said than done, but you can't expect your business to grow when you're sitting on your a**. At the end of the day if you are doing what you're supposed to be doing you can't really blame yourself.
While I have been in my summer lull, I have been taking online classes--to refine my technique and classes for business. What better way to better yourself, than by investing in YOU and your skill?
4. Comparing yourself to your competitors: This is a tricky one. I feel like our brains are hard-wired to compare ourselves to others. Especially with social media. People paint the most beautiful pictures of their lives and it is hard to not feel that tug when their world looks so vibrant and yours looks a little gray.
With that being said, I am a big fan of researching and paying attention to my competition (which I do not label them as competition, but rather colleagues). It is a great way to learn do's and don't's without having to make the mistakes yourself. Now, I would never mirror another business, but it is good to be in the know (and if there is something I like that they are doing, I make sure and let them know with a compliment). The trick here though is, when you see how wonderful they are doing in a time where your business is lagging, well that can really bring out some emotion. So how do you balance these feelings of insecurity?
Solution: As I mentioned, it is hard not to compare yourself to others, but rather than focusing on how wonderful they might be, make a list of positive things that you love about your work. What makes you stand out above the rest? This might seem silly, but by focusing more on positive things you love about you, it allows you to cut yourself some slack on the not-so-great aspects that you are working on. After all, we are human and no one is perfect.
5. How to not give deep discounts when you need the business or really want the deal: This is a tough one, and is something I have had to contend with on multiple occasions. You spend SO much time valuing your work and establishing your price, and when someone doesn't want to pay it, you almost feel compelled to lower the package in effort to close the deal. This is exceptionally hard during a lull.
Additionally, nothing pains me more than to be pushing out proposals like I am giving out free candy, and to not get a single booking as a result. What the heck is going wrong? These people are asking for my pricing and services, I send it, and I never hear from them again. UGH, I want to shake people sometimes. HA! The clear answer to the non-response (most of the time) is that your pricing must be too high. So how do you refrain from not deeply discounting yourself in attempt to close the deal or accommodate a budget?
If you don't believe in your pricing and the value of your work, then how are you going to confidently sell your services to others?
Now these are just 5 of the countless list of things that you have to contend with when owning your own business. Candidly sharing, this has been a hard summer for me, and it has been tough to not throw in the towel, but I have done everything in my power to stay the course and stay positive, and I can confidently say I am glad I did. I know this isn't the last lull I will experience, but I can rest comfortably knowing that I believe in my work, I believe in my business, and I believe in myself. The rest will fall into place, and while I wish I could fast-forward through the "ick," I know these breaks allow me to reflect, take some time for myself, and better my business for future projects.
*Success as defined by your own terms. Everyone views success differently.
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