Preparing Your Pet Photography Business for a Successful 2024: The Essential Checklist
As we wrap up this year, it's the perfect time to set your photography business on a path towards growth, success, and creative fulfilment. Here's a comprehensive checklist to ensure your photography venture is geared up for a thriving year ahead:
Review and Set Business Goals:
Reflect on the past year, celebrate achievements, and set new business goals. Learn from previous experiences to refine strategies for the coming year.
Hint: Your CRM makes it easy to see stats like how many leads you converted, which lead sources worked best for you and what your average spends were. If you aren’t using one yet, why not start the New Year with a great system in place. We recommend Studio Ninja for most small businesses.
You can use our code PPPI50 to get your first year half price.
Financial Organization:
Organize financial records and prepare for taxes if this aligns with your tax year. Seek advice from financial advisors or accountants if your goals have changed or you aren’t on track to meet those you’ve set. Be sure to check if any of your tax laws or obligations have changed. Review your banking set up- are you keeping money aside for taxes, potential client refunds and emergencies such as needing sick leave or replacement gear? Double check that your insurance is still adequate for your business and gear.
Pricing and Packages:
With the data from this year, and with your goals set for 2024, evaluate your pricing structure, create new packages, and consider adjusting rates to align with your value. This might also be the time to consider your sales method eg. online galleries or (virtual) In Person Sales.
Marketing Plan:
What worked well this year to get in front of your ideal clients and convert those to bookings? What didn’t work? Develop or refine your marketing strategy based on these reflections. Explore social media campaigns, collaborations, PR opportunities and advertising options to expand your reach. Look at the events that were hosted this year and attracted people you’d love to be your clients. How can you be apart of that event next year?
Copyright Check:
Review and update copyright information on your website, image metadata and consider watermarking new images to protect your work when shared online.
Contracts Update:
Review and update client contracts to cover all aspects of your services, ensuring they're legally sound and protective of both parties.
Data Backup System:
Review and update your data backup methods to ensure secure storage for client photos, considering cloud storage or additional backups.
Gear Maintenance:
Check and maintain your photography equipment. Schedule any necessary servicing or repairs to ensure everything is in top condition.
Learning and Networking:
Schedule coffee dates with peers and industry professionals local to you to avoid loneliness, burn out and stay motivated. Plan to attend workshops and conferences to improve your skills and meet new friends.
Client Testimonials:
Request testimonials from satisfied clients to feature on your website and social media platforms to build credibility if you haven’t been doing this regularly. And then put in a system to automate this!
HINT: I use Studio Ninja to send an automated email asking for feedback/reviews, 14 days after their job is marked as complete.
Website Portfolio Update:
Refresh the portfolio on your website with recent work that represents your current style. If you haven’t done so through the year, consider putting a few client sessions up as blog posts so that your enquiries can see what a full session might look like.
Personal Projects:
As a full time photographer, it’s easy to find ourselves doing the same thing each shoot and quickly becoming bored. Plan personal photography projects to fuel your creativity and passion for the art beyond client work. Not only will it keep you motivated, it might just improve your client work too!
Health and Well-being:
Prioritize your health and well-being. Establish work-life balance strategies and set boundaries to prevent burnout.
By systematically addressing these points, you'll set a solid foundation for your photography business to thrive in the new year. Let's make this year one of growth, creativity, and success in capturing the moments that matter most!
Do you have other things on your to-do list to set yourself up for success next year? Share them in the memberzone, or shoot me and email and I’ll add them! kirstie@thepetphotographersclub.com
Author
Kirstie McConnell |
Founder
The Pet Photographers Club
When Kirstie launched her pet photography business in Australia in 2012, the genre was barely a thing. She spent the next years at the forefront of this niche, marketing not just her own business, but the concept of pet photography. Each year she photographed around 100 dogs, cats and horses per year to create wall art and albums for pet-parents.
Now based in Italy, she continues to offer pet photography to her clients back in Australia on return trips, but otherwise spends her energy helping other pet photographers build a business which will allow them to follow their dreams.
Internationally recognized as a leader in the industry, she hosts the podcast, workshops, courses and business events for The Pet Photographers Club which she co-founded.
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