 A business without a path to profit isn't a business - it's a hobby! Jason Fried by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday and the end of January. Your ideas for building your brand and marketing in your community should already be in full swing, but there's one topic nobody ever talks about enough - PRICING! But for today's episode of Brain Dump - I want to hit on your costs. Most photographers only know if they made money for the year once they do their taxes! And while it's sad to be in that position, I get it; you're right-brain artists, not left-brain accountants. However, the point of left-brain and right-brain analysis is to recognize that you need support from both to build your business. Where so many artists miss the correct numbers is not looking at ALL their costs. Today's short podcast hits on the list of most things you need to consider to accurately get to price points for your products and services that get you beyond eating macaroni and cheese every night!
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 by Skip Cohen Field of Dreams is one of my favorite all-time feel-good movies. Being at IUSA this past week, I was thinking about the incredible spirit and excitement of the crowd. People were pumped to be there - all looking for ideas for the new year and answers to the big questions, "What do I need to grow my business? What do I need to build?" Well, that took me to both sides of my title above. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Steve Jobs First, you've got to get the fear of failure out of your system and go for it. Follow your heart to start, and you can modify the journey as you go along. But sadly, too many of you live in a state of fear. You're dominated by overthinking the challenges with a side order of worrying about the outcome. So, you procrastinate your next steps and ponder the meaning of life until you've missed window after window of opportunities. Second, what if you build it and they don't come? When I left Rangefinder/WPPI in 2009 to go out on my own, Sheila said to me, "What are you afraid of?" My answer was instant, "Failing!" Her response was, "So what?" The more we talked, the more I realized that if things didn't work out going in one direction, nothing was cast in concrete. I'd rethink things and take a different route. Ironically, what I wanted was what I respected in so many of you - your passion as entrepreneurs. It was easy for most of my career to work for other companies, but when it's your own business, it's a true test of your focus and dedication. It's Friday, and perfect to leave you with one more thought: "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the other people." Randy Pausch The bottom line - Build your dreams, and if they don't come, take a closer look. Figure out what you missed and then stay focused on the next "turn in the road." And if you hit a wall - build a door, knock it down, or climb over it!
  by Skip Cohen Near the end of 2012, my good buddy Scott Bourne asked me a simple question, "What do you think you could accomplish if you were working on just one thing?" At the time, I was working on two different blogs, writing for two magazines, speaking at a convention or two each year, consulting for one large client, and running Skip's Summer School. So I was spread pretty thin, especially when it came to writing. My first blog, the Photo Resource Hub, was doing okay but needed more traction. It morphed into Skip's Photo Network, although I hadn't done a very good job promoting it. But at a time when blogging was the next big thing - I at least had a presence.  I took Scott's question to heart and started thinking about consolidating everything I was writing. I wanted to give it a generic title, but Scott argued, "Through most of your career, you've been known for your support of education - It needs to have your name on it!" SkipCohenUniversity.com was born with the first post ten years ago today, on January 19, 2013.
But Scott's encouragement didn't end there: "Just trust me before you publish your first post!" He wouldn't reveal his game plan, but a week or so later, I was blown away by his approach. He published one single tweet to his then 100,000 followers, "Skip Cohen is back!" The response was remarkable, even filled with a bit of humor here and there. I remember one friend, I think it was Scott Kelby, tweeting in reply, "Where's he been? I just talked to him yesterday." Well, here I am ten years later, with thousands of original posts, guest posts, videos, and podcasts. After four summer programs, we ran one last Skip's Summer School in 2013 in Chicago. We decided to discontinue it only because there was so much going on in education at that point, and it had become so labor-intensive. But through all of these years, I never anticipated the support from all of you and the community. It's thanks to all of you that I wake up every morning smiling. It's a ten-year celebration in business, but more important is the gratitude I feel for so many people who have played a role. From sponsors to guest writers to so many friends in the industry and at the various associations to my muse, my wife Sheila - I could never have done it alone! Whether "It takes a village" or "I get by with a little help from my friends," no matter how you cut it, my last ten years have all been thanks to all of you!  Murphy's Second Law "Murphy was an optimist!" by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, and with IUSA kicking off at the end of the week, it's the perfect time to ensure you've got things covered when you're out of town. But we're going to go even deeper into the topic - what happens to your business when something unexpected interrupts? Before today is over, whether you're joining so many of us in Nashville or not, set things up, so you've got coverage for your business when you're not available.
Emergency Backup If we've learned nothing else from Covid, we all should recognize that it can strike anytime. That can be devastating for a photography business with commitments to weddings, events, and client sittings. And while every consumer understands, if there's an event you were hired to cover, then you need to find somebody to fill in.
Owning a business today is a continual fire drill. Like those fire drills, we did in school as kids, or the active shooter drills in today's schools, don't wait until you're in crisis mode to start planning what to do next. It's so easy to take the time now and have a plan in place...just in case. And there's one more side benefit - if you're headed to IUSA for example, you can be more relaxed and enjoy the convention if you know your business is in good hands when you're gone.   by Skip Cohen Michele Celentano and her husband, Paul, were here in early December. We haven't all been together since before the pandemic, but that didn't stop the laughs. We've been friends for a lot of years, and with great friends, even a one-night stay-over is time to cherish. So, what happens when one of the industry's finest family photographers falls in love with your dogs? First, she threatens to steal them! When Michele wanted to photograph our girls, I figured a couple of grab shots, not a complete series. But the fun of it all was watching her work with the puppies. There's are reasons she's one of the best - her love for the craft and her ability to communicate with her subjects, whether they've got two legs or four. For all of you younger artists, there's a lesson here. Michele's skill set is extensive. While she's not a pet photographer, she understands every aspect of composition and lighting. Moreover, she's never stopped learning and fine-tuning her skill set. Lucy and Belle responded to the love they were being shown, the same as Michele's clients. When you wander through her galleries and look at her work, you can tell from the natural expressions of her subjects. It's a story of trust in the photographer combined with fun during the sitting. Here's my point: As photographers, you've got an enormous responsibility to consistently deliver the best to your clients. They're trusting you to exceed their expectations. And when that happens you become habit-forming. If you're at a convention and Michele is speaking or doing a demo on the trade show floor, run, don't walk to get a seat. She never disappoints and never compromises on the quality of what she delivers! Click on any of the images in today's post to link to her Facebook page, and then put her on your radar!  In the hierarchy of why consumers hire a professional photographer, it goes to brides, babies, and pets. That's the top three from a Kodak study at least twenty-five years ago, and I don't believe it's moved a bit. The pandemic changed the ranking slightly, but not the top three. Now, add to that the incredible growth in households with pets worldwide! Take it a step further and look at the size of the pet industry. I took a quick stroll through cyberspace, and PetKeen.com had one the most thorough sets of statistics. Click on the banner below to link to the complete article. It's the top line you need to appreciate - the global market for pets is worth $261 billion, and pet owners in the US are spending over $100 billion on the furry members of the household. But one more statistic made me smile: Americans spent an estimated $490 million on Halloween costumes for their pets! Here's the bottom line - pet photography can be an incredibly lucrative business, but don't underestimate the need for a great skill set. The standards for a great portrait and the experience of a fun sitting don't change just because the subject's got four legs!    by Skip Cohen
Most of you have taken advantage of the typical business slowness in the first couple weeks of the new year, and if you need more time to recharge, go for it. But, it's only the "slow season" for regular customer purchases - NOT for business owners who need to fine-tune their presence, marketing, and brand awareness. I'm going to start this new series by hitting on three easy projects that are no-brainers in terms of raising the bar on your Internet presence:
Remember, today's post is just the beginning of your "house-cleaning" for the new year. It might be the slow season, but that's not for you. Now is the time to do everything you can to ensure the new year is one of growth, and your website is a great place to start. Over the next few weeks, I'll share a few more "homework assignments" to help you stay focused on the task at hand - strengthening your business and making your website the very best it can be!  Intro by Skip Cohen I ran the post below in 2013, so like many of your favorite shows, it's a "repeat." But it's a repeat so many of you need to read!!! Success in your business for the new year will be about relationship building. That's your very best marketing tool - keeping in touch with your clients, communicating with them, and staying in touch: NOT texting, but actually talking to them. While you might think some of Scott's comments from 2013 are a little dated, the overall concept has no expiration date. It's about keeping in touch with people, especially your past clients, who are your best ambassadors. I still find so many of you have websites with template email systems and not phone numbers. That might be fine, but you don't answer the email requests! There's no such thing as giving people too much contact information. A phone call separates you from the competition when people want an answer to a question. One of the hats I wear is CMO for Platypod. So often, when I've got a customer service question, it's so easy to pick up the phone and call. In a day when we've all accepted boilerplate email responses from companies we contact, people truly appreciate getting a personal call. I also learn a lot about who they are and how they photograph and use our products. Just remember we're a word-of-mouth business, not word-of-Internet. As Scott Stratten wrote many years ago in his book Unmarketing: Stop marketing and start engaging! by Scott Bourne
This may come as a shock to some of you, but in the old days, not one single professional photographer on the planet had a Facebook account. Nor did they have a Flickr account, a blog, a website, an e-mail address or anything else that involved being "on line." Yep I know, I know, hard to conceive. But it's absolutely true. And in keeping with my status as "older than dirt" I know this is true because I was actually there! Truth be told, I've spent more of my life operating without the Internet than WITH the Internet. I've sold more photographs, licensed more images, booked more shoots using the telephone than the Internet. Now here's the good news. The telephone still exists. Oh you don't hear about it very often, but yep, I checked. It's still there. You can get one just about anywhere. And you no longer need to rely on a lady named "Ma Bell" to pick one up. Yes, the magical telephone still works and in my opinion, still has great value. So today's Marketing Monday tip is short and sweet. Get a telephone number, plaster that puppy everywhere. Use it. Share it. Actually answer it. Talk to people. It's an amazing thing. You can hear the happiness or sadness or joy or suspicion or whatever in the other person's voice. You don't have to rely on emoticons! You can just ask people how they are feeling, what they need, and they will tell you! Crazy right? You should put your telephone number on every single piece of marketing material you hand out. And you should put it on your website, your blog, your social media accounts (at least the ones you use for business) and you should do so today! People still use the telephone. They really do. Maybe not ALL people. But enough to warrant you investing in one, promoting the number and responding promptly to every single call, period. I know what you're thinking. "But Scott if I put a telephone number on my website people will call me!" Yes! Isn't it wonderful? Clients and prospects will call and try to give you money. It's like magic. Give it a try. Really. As always, Skip and I are rooting for you.  by Skip Cohen
Please note - this list gets better and better every year, thanks to some great friends. Glen Clark commented on Facebook and I've added his two additional points below! With IUSA and WPPI coming up in the first quarter of the new year, it's time to share my annual check-off list of things to remember to get the most bang for your buck. This year's conferences are more precious than ever because most of you haven't been to a big convention since before the pandemic. Sure, you've hit the online programs, but nothing beats a live convention for education, networking, and recharging your battery. It's time to plan ahead so you're not hitting Nashville or Las Vegas like a deer in the headlights! It's so easy if you just put in an hour and think through my suggestions.
And from Glen Clark...
Here's the bottom line - you can't afford to NOT go to as many conferences a year as you can work into your schedule. It's all about education, networking, and growing your business. So, if you're headed to any convention in the next few months, don't miss all the opportunities to raise the bar on your business. Plus, it's the perfect way to recharge your battery! See you in Nashville!  Yellowstone pine cone captured by Z9 / Z24-120f4 by Skip Cohen In between the holidays, I always have a hard time figuring out what to write about. The year is closing fast, and there's not a lot of marketing ideas to share that I haven't covered numerous times already. But then, along came Moose Peterson yesterday. On his blog he shared the post below and the idea is perfect for this time of year - capturing winter images for next year's holiday blog post - although I'm expanding his idea to your holiday card! I'm old school and still love a printed card that people can hold, as well as appreciate a hand-written message on the inside for special friends and associates. I've written so many posts about photographers and the importance of a holiday card. Here's the short version:
And there you have it - to Moose's point - start building your stash for next year's use NOW. And to pick up on more of Moose's wisdom - follow his blog. (Click on either image in today's post to link directly). Success in photography is about passion and love for the craft, and nobody does it better than Moose! A big thanks to Moose for permission to share the two images and his post. Happy Holidays! by Moose Peterson I know I know, the wrapping paper from this year has barely hit the floor and I'm talking about Christmas 2023! This is an old editorial photographer habit, taking photographs this season in preparation for photographic needs for next. If your client asks for fall themed photos from you right now, being winter, you can't go out and take them. This means that if you didn't take them the last fall, you don't get the opportunity for a payday. That kind of thought process runs through my own photographic needs, and one I have every year is the photo for my Christmas greeting blog post. This years was taken last year so now I'm working on next years. These are the two runner ups for this year's post. There are a couple of tricks I used in the process to pass along. Most important is to create the message the year, that you want to use next year. What does it look like, say and what type font? This is needed to determine in part the elements in the photograph. And it's a lot easier to create this now while you're still in the Holiday mood, than next fall. With that, I take the photos and this trick is really important. Photos I take this year for next year: I make a copy of the finished photo and change the file name to Xmas '23#1, #2, etc. I do this so I can FIND the photos a year from now. All I have to do next Christmas is to select the photo I like best, maybe make some tweaks and post. The panic is on in my mind, I only have 364 days left!  Yellowstone Grand Canyon grove captured by Z9 / Z70-200f2.8  When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you. Anon by Skip Cohen Years ago, in my Polaroid days, I was the Regional Services Manager at the Chicago distribution center. We got a new distribution manager who, after just one day, started telling people how great things were going, even though there had been no significant change in the operation. When I questioned him about the approach, he laughed and said, "We're going to be making changes, and they're going to take time, but when you tell people things are changing for the better, it speeds up the process. Things really do start to get better." I have no idea why this scenario has been in my head today, but while I'm skeptical of people who always tell you things are great, regardless of what's really happening. Although to a point, there is some truth to the power of a positive mindset. It's the reverse of a negative self-fulfilling prophecy - You know, the one: "If you decide something is hopeless, it will be." Here's my point - you can't change your business very much now, as we come down to the wire this late in December. But you can clear your head and start getting ready for the new year. The new year doesn't suddenly wipe the slate clean of bad habits - it just gives you a new starting point. Here are few things to think about and do...
Last but not least - none of the above can be handled on the fly. Build in some time over the holidays to kick back and daydream a little. Dreaming isn't a waste of time when it has a purpose. And sometimes the only way to get in the right mindset is to dream! This is only the start of the list of things you could be thinking about, but it all starts with a clear head and a positive mindset. You can't change what's going on around you
Until you change what's going on within you! Anon  Click on either the paperback or e-book above to link to Amazon.com Intro by Skip Cohen As I've written so many times in the past, the best thing about this industry is the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Sure, it's about imaging, but it's also about the community, sharing, creativity, and respect. Rick Sammon and I have been friends for easily thirty-plus years, going back to my early days at Hasselblad. We've worked on many projects together, sat next to each other at rubber-chicken industry dinners, and share a long list of mutual friends. Rick's newest book is loaded with great content to get you thinking about not only your business but ways to maximize your skill set. While I'd love to share more, let's start with part Rick's introduction, which will give you and idea of the framework of the book. There's so much good content! Anybody can start a business. Anybody can get their first few sales. But the key to longevity is creativity, paying attention to your business, building relationships, and having an earning strategy that's always working...even when you're sound asleep! “If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.” Warren Buffett by Rick Sammon The quote by Warren Buffett that opens this blog post was the inspiration for my latest book (paperback and Ebook), How To Make Money While You are Sleeping: A photographer’s guide to passive income – and other savvy business strategies. I want to share with you part of the Introduction from the book. As you will see, if you put in the effort while you are awake, you can indeed make money while you sleep. The book is dedicated to the memory of my dad, Robert M. Sammon, Sr., who, through his example, showed me the importance of paying careful attention to one’s income, expenses, and investments . . . as well as the benefit of living below your means. My dad, an amateur photographer who got me started taking pictures, also gave me some invaluable advice when it comes to making money: “It takes a lot of peanuts to feed an elephant.” In other words, he was saying that all those pennies and dollars can add up, which is the theme of this book. “Dad, you’re not only a photographer, but you are also an entrepreneur who happens to be a photographer.” – Marco SammonThat’s what my son Marco, seventeen years old at the time, said after I introduced myself as a photographer at a neighborhood party. Marco, who has since received his PhD in Finance and is a finance professor at Harvard Business School, was making the point that although I take pictures for a living, I spend a lot of time—the majority of my work time actually—on the business side of my profession. I’m always working hard on new projects—writing books, setting up affiliate programs, cultivating sponsorships, recording online classes and podcasts, and so on. “Dad, you’re not only a photographer, but you are also an entrepreneur who happens to be a photographer.” Marco Sammon That’s what my son Marco, seventeen years old at the time, said after I introduced myself as a photographer at a neighborhood party. Marco, who has since received his PhD in Finance and is a finance professor at Harvard Business School, was making the point that although I take pictures for a living, I spend a lot of time—the majority of my work time actually—on the business side of my profession. I’m always working hard on new projects—writing books, setting up affiliate programs, cultivating sponsorships, recording online classes and podcasts, and so on. Marco also observed that I spend a lot of time promoting those projects on social media, and then tracking the results. We’ll talk more about tracking sales later in this book, but for now, if you self-publish a paperback or Kindle version on Amazon.com, you can actually track sales on an hourly basis – which I don’t encourage because it can become addictive. However, I have to admit that I do track sales quite frequently when I release a new book. So, the message here is this: as much as you love photography (as I do), and as much as you want to save the world (its people, wildlife, environment, and so on) with your craft, it’s important to understand that in order to succeed you must also be a good businessperson—which involves generating income while you are both awake and asleep. Zzz If you know me from some of my other photography books, photo workshops, tours, seminars and online classes, you may be thinking, “I like Rick’s photography and I’ve learned some cool things from him, but what could he possibly know about sound business practices?” Well, believe it or not, before becoming a professional photographer I spent ten years (1980–1990) at Bozell & Jacobs as vice president/group supervisor on the Minolta camera account. At that time Bozell & Jacobs was one of the largest advertising and public relations firms in the world. At that agency I learned about the business side of photography, as well as how to promote Minolta photographers, including famed Beatles’ photographer, Harry Benson. When I left the agency, I had the “ammo” to promote myself through advertising and PR. I had also learned the business side of a professional photographer’s life from working with other famous photographers like fashion photographer, Robert Farber, and United Nations photographer, John Isaac. The lessons I learned at the agency were invaluable, as were the business lessons I learned as editor of Studio Photography magazine (from 1978 to 1980). Having been hired with no editorial experience, my boss and the publisher of the magazine, Rudy Maschke, said this to me when I asked him for my first raise: “Sammon, you are learning so much that you should be paying me.” Zzz On these pages I will share all I know about the business side of photography with you, which of course includes making money while you are sleeping. These lessons have helped my wife, Susan, and I run our business for more than thirty years—and I can tell you, there is nothing like running your own business. As a small business owner, you learn very quickly that you are both the “chief cook and bottle washer,” as my dad used to say. When thinking of generating income while you are sleeping, please don’t get me wrong, I still work my butt off during my waking hours—because I love what I do. And as the saying goes: “If you love what you do, you never need to work a day in your life.” Zzz Generating income while you are sleeping starts with your waking time, something we’ll cover in Chapter 1. Before You Doze Off. If you are new to generating passive income, the cool thing is that after you put in the work, you can doze off (take a nap during the day or go off to bed) and wake up a little richer than you were before you closed your eyes. The key phrase here is “a little.” Before I explain, here’s another expression my dad shared with me: “Everything is relative.” In other words, “a little” means something different to different people. For example, “a little” passive income each day from different sources (including books, online classes, and crowdfunding projects) could possibly add up to a very nice source of income. In fact, I know several well-known photographers whose major source of income is generated passively. In subsequent chapters, you’ll see how you can generate “a little” income while you sleep with different money-making projects that you can create during your waking hours. Here’s a look at the table of contents (topics I cover) for the book: Acknowledgments & Networking Author’s Preface Introduction 1. Before You Doze Off 2. Your Website: Your 24/7 Store 3. Socialize or Succumb 4. The Advantage of Affiliate Programs 5. Buy Me a Coffee 6. Start a Facebook Group 7. Write or Narrate a Book 8. Offer a Downloadable PDF EBook 9. Join the Crowd with Crowdfunding Intermission 10. Start a Podcast 11. Record an Online Class or Classes 12. Offer a Newsletter 13. Strive for Sponsorship 14. Create Content for a YouTube Channel 15. Get into Webinars 16. Sell Prints Online 17. Launch an Online Forum 18. Suggest a Product to a Company 19. Take Stock of Stock Photography 20. Your Money Can Work Harder for You Than You Can Note: There's only so much information you can share in a blog post. Check out Rick's book - you won't be disappointed.
 I think we all have a little voice inside us that will guide us... If we shut out all the noise and clutter from our lives and listen to that voice, it will tell us the right thing to do. Christopher Reeve by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, and we're definitely in the final stretch of 2022's seasonality. At the same time, some of you are still trying to make key decisions regarding promotions, partnerships, community involvement, and more things to bring the year to a solid close. Here's my point, and it's all in the quote above - stop second-guessing yourself and, like Nike's tagline - JUST DO IT! That little voice inside us gets drowned out by all the noise, stress, and confusion in our lives. And while it's simply the way life is - we all wear too many hats, and that little voice in our hearts - the one we should be listening to most often, disappears in silence. It's just a short thought this morning. Listen to the voice in your heart and let yourself be proactive instead of reactive. Happy Monday!  Creativity is the ability to see relationships where none exist. Thomas Disch by Skip Cohen At the risk of sounding like a Jack Handey clip from old SNL shows, when I read the quote above, it got me thinking about how it applies to our industry. As pros and aspiring professional photographers, you're all in the business of capturing relationships.
And here's one last big one I see every day when I'm wearing my Platypod hat. Eight years ago, Larry T. had a vision of being able to travel without the bulkiness of a tripod but have the necessary gear to capture images that could never be handheld. In fact, the recent Platypod Pros feature on the website highlights forty of the most respected artists in the industry who, every day, create and capture relationships where none previously existed. So here's my point - so many of you undervalue what you bring to the party with your skills, business, and ability to help your target audience. You worry about the timing of getting more involved and reaching out. You've got the passion for the craft, and you've spent plenty of time fine-tuning your skills, but taking that jump into the public eye and building relationships is risky. Here's one more thought based on an old proverb: The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago.
The second best time is now.  by Skip Cohen It's November 21 and the end of the year is just 40 days away. While there's still time for plenty of business, you're down to the wire. While 2022 has been better than the "pandemic years," anybody who tells you "it's been easy" is lying. Still, there are a lot of success stories out there - business is back. With less than six weeks to go, and Thanksgiving just a few days away, here's a different way to look at the year: Years ago, I used to share wisdom from the Walk the Talk books. I was looking at Finish Strong and found a great quote: "To finish first you must first finish!" Here's my point: No matter what you didn't accomplish this year, you're still in the game. The ending of the year is only a fiscal measurement, not a rolling average of your growing passion, skill set, ideas, customers, or promotions. Every day you grow a little more as an artist, and if you've been up nights worrying about your choices, you still have your passion. Nobody can steal that unless you give it to them. You can only do your best! As trite as that sounds, appreciate what you've learned and how far you've come instead of worrying about how much you still have to learn! And for those who like to procrastinate, over-think, and ponder instead of taking a few risks... "People who take risks are the people you'll lose against."
John Sculley  by Skip Cohen
A comedian once said, "It'll be my luck when my ship comes in; I'll be at the airport!" It's a funny line, but sadly the way some of us feel at times. But it's just a one-liner and doesn't have to be your reality. We're down to the wire with minimal time for you to remind your target audience that you're in the business of capturing memories. And as sappy and overused as that expression is, you've still got time to put it to work before that last wire snaps!
The $100 billion pet industry is poised to nearly triple to $275 billion by 2030, creating potential tailwinds for pet-friendly stocks...The pandemic has upended the lives of humans, but for pets, it's been a bonanza: Their owners have been home all day, showering them with attention and treats...Morgan Stanley's housing strategists estimate that the growth trend of US pet ownership more than tripled during the pandemic.
Here's my point - that last wire hasn't broken yet. There's still time for you to keep building relationships with your clients. Just remember, this holiday season, there's a renewed sense of family and the potential to make this a solid final stretch for holiday sales in 2022. And if you're stuck for ideas - you know where to find me.  Erik Kuna, Scott Kelby, Skip Cohen on The Grid in 2020 by Skip Cohen
The best thing about our industry is the friendships that come out of everyone's love for the craft. Platypod and the KelbyMedia team have an incredible relationship extending well beyond friendship. Both companies have a solid focus on education and helping artists raise the bar on their skill set as well as having fun. "Fun" is one of those words too often lost in business today, but not with these guys! And if you've ever hung out with any one of us in the shot above, then you know it's a work-hard-play-hard scenario. Tomorrow at 1:00 PM EST, I'm on The Grid joined by photographer and educator Dave DeBaeremaeker. We're going to be talking about getting the most out of workshops and conferences, the importance of diversity in your skill set and we'll have some fun looking at some of Dave's most favorite images. I'll also be sharing a fun announcement wearing my Platypod hat and kicking off the holiday season. See you on The Grid at 1:00 PM this Wednesday, November 9, 2022.   by Skip Cohen
It's Marketing Monday, and if this sounds like a rant...it's only because it is! As a working or aspiring professional photographer, one of your best marketing tools is at your fingertips. Yet, so many of you will miss the boat and purchase a box of holiday cards at CVS, or you'll do nothing at all! Here's my point - a holiday card is a perfect way to show your work and remind people what you do for a living. NONE OF YOU should be sending out any store-bought cards this year. A card featuring one of your own images is the perfect way to remind people what you do for a living. It's so soft-sell that it's really hard-sell without aggravating anybody! At the risk of this post sounding like an infomercial, Marathon's got their annual BOGO going on right now. That means you're decreasing the cost per card and increasing your potential for more revenue this season. Just click on either banner in today's post to find out more. There are two different applications for holiday cards: First, create a few hundred cards to send to clients and influencers in your community. Put your image on the front of the card and a pre-printed message inside. Then, add a hand-written message for special clients/influencers to personalize it even more. On the back of the card, it's your contact information. Only, instead of "Hallmark," in the center at the bottom of the card, it's the name of your business, your phone number, email address, and URL for your website. Second, let's get holiday cards into your mix for your clients. This is about increasing revenue. After the last few years of challenges in life, this has the potential to be a remarkable holiday season. Again, it's your work on the front of the card, and you're working with each client to help make their card unique. This is going to be a record-breaker for holiday messages this year. Think about it for a second: We're at a point in history where we're all trying harder than ever to stay in touch. What better way than spreading holiday wishes this season? So, stop procrastinating! And like the Nike tagline...JUST DO IT!  You can't be the kid standing at the top of the waterslide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute! Tina Fey by Skip Cohen
This isn't the first time I've used Tina Fey's quote. However, for those of you still procrastinating and not figuring out what you want to do for the holidays - it's right on point! There are still too many of you sitting on the sidelines watching the parade go by instead of being in it! So, here are a few things to consider for 2022's holiday season:
The $100 billion pet industry is poised to nearly triple to $275 billion by 2030, creating potential tailwinds for pet-friendly stocks...The pandemic has upended the lives of humans, but for pets, it's been a bonanza: Their owners have been home all day, showering them with attention and treats...Morgan Stanley's housing strategists estimate that the growth trend of US pet ownership more than tripled during the pandemic. In a previous life, the owner of the company I worked for was a ponderer. He'd spend so much time thinking through what to do that the company was often pondered right out of some great opportunities. There's no such thing as a "sure thing" these days. That means you have to take risks. But the great thing about imaging and business is that nothing has to be forever. November first is next week - Take some risks, and stop pondering at the top of the waterslide. Stop overthinking what you're going to do next. PS And yes, that's me at Kalihari Waterpark in Ohio many years ago with our granddaughter. At one point I pondered so long at the top that a little old man, easily 80 years old, stepped around me and said, "Excuse me kid, I'm headed down this thing!"  Intro by Skip Cohen I've shared this a couple of times over the years, but with what would have been my Dad's 100th birthday coming up, now's a perfect time. My Dad passed away almost seven years ago, but his birthday was on Halloween. This is going to be the kick-off of "Ralph Week." It's funny, when I was a kid, he was in the wholesale candy and tobacco business. I had access to a full warehouse of candy, but nothing tasted as good as what I collected with friends every Halloween. So, between trick or treaters hitting the doorbell every few minutes and me heading out with friends, he never had a focused birthday until we were older. In 2010, just after we moved to Sarasota, I talked him into write a couple of blog posts. He wrote the piece below for me that November. I love the relevance - there is no expiration date on running a good business, building trust with your clients, and creating a brand based on integrity. When Dad started in business just after WWII, he didn't have Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or for that matter, the Internet, but he did have a telephone. He didn't go to any conventions to network, but he did have time to meet people and talk to potential clients. He didn't have workshops to go to, but he did have books to read and ideas to share with his associates over lunch. He started out in the lumber business; moved into the vending world with candy and tobacco and into his dream of commercial/industrial real estate when he in his early forties. He loved bringing people together to build things that lasted, and everything he did was always on foundation of integrity and good business sense. Right up until he passed away at 93, he still did a lot of his business on a handshake. He might have slowed down physically as he got older, but he never compromised those standards my grandfather taught him many years earlier. So as you think about 2022 and into the new year, everything he talks about is right on point! Pay attention to your business, and keep an eye on your competition, but don't get so obsessed with what everyone else is doing that you lose focus on your own marketing plans.  Image by Cantrell Portrait Design I have been happily retired for many years, and unemployed for almost twenty. I am not a plagiarist, but I must quote my father who spent the last months of his life writing advice to his children:
“Conduct your business in an upright manner and remember, the most important thing in one’s life is to be honest with one’s self. Maintain the high standard and dignity that your business requires. Do not go into deals hastily and be visible in your business as much of the time as is possible. If you take time to play, do it away from your business, because your livelihood needs all the attention you can give to it.” Early on, I concluded that the best testimonials came from my many friendly competitors. We didn’t really compete with each other, in the true sense. True, we were in the same field of endeavor, but we all knew we were there to help each other. Happily, the “tough competition” fell by the wayside. I remember giving Skip driving lessons and I told him, “Watch the left front fender…..the rest will take care of itself!” I’ve found this is really true of everything in life. An old axiom says, “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember what you said.” That is all part of reputation-building. I found that, sadly, in the field of real estate, truth is hard to come by for many. In our case, it was a major building block in the reputation which we enjoyed, and helped us to thwart the competition. Goodwill is all of the above, plus a lot of caring for your clients as well as your competitors. If life is a give-and-take situation, giving is the more important of the two. The taking will come with time and be far more appreciative. Just remember – you heard it here! Ralph Cohen, Founder and 1/2 the Creators of Skip Cohen!  What good is creating the greatest images of your life, if nobody knows who you are?
The best thing about all of these suggestions is that none of them are rocket science. They're not hard to implement, although some are more complicated than others. The point is, you snooze - you lose. You've got the 2022 holiday season ahead to make this one of the very best!
The truth is, marketing is marketing, and each spoke of the busy illustration above has a unique role in building brand awareness...for ANY business. No one post or sound bite could cover everything out there, but you know where to find me if I can help. |
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