![]() This is the 45th Fast Food Friday series from the SCU Diner. Each one has hit a different aspect of building a successful business. And, while many of the "blue-plate specials" are photography related, the majority apply to almost any small business. I started the series in the hopes these short reminders would help you develop your own blueprint for success. Photographers are artists and artists are typically right-brain creative types. That means you can't help it if you hate the operational side of the business - the less creative structured side. Just about every Friday for the past year I've shared another suggestion to help you do more than just survive - I want you to thrive! Today's Fast Food Friday special is seasoned with a little sarcasm but still prepared with the same dedication of a chef in your favorite restaurant. There's even a special free side order of the backstory behind the image below! Procrastination is NOT a Skill SetProcrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday! Don Marquis ![]() We're almost halfway through the slow season, and there are still many of you who are re-enacting the 1806 fairy tale about the shoemaker and the elves. You've turned procrastination into an art form. You're acting like the elves are going to come in while you're sleeping. There's no need for you to do anything because they'll clean up your website, your blog, start building relationships and even write up a few promotional ideas for the year ahead. Well, the only elf around to help you isn't Will Ferrell but the face you see in the mirror each morning. The good news is you've still got time to reinforce the foundation of your business for 2019 before things start to pick up. But, if you're not ready then it's going to be a you-snooze-you-lose scenario. You know how to focus your camera - now it's time to focus your business and career and yes, for a few of you it's time to pull your head out of your ass!
No one blog post could ever cover everything you need to build a solid foundation for the year ahead. Every business is different, and if the seven ideas I just shared don't apply to you, take the time to be honest with yourself about what you're missing. This is one of the most competitive markets in the history of photography, and you've got to develop the ingredients to make yourself and your business different and better than your competitors. As I've written so many times before, you can't create images that tug at people's heartstrings if your own heart isn't in it! There are no "focus fairies." You've got to take the time to focus on your business for 2019 - you're the only one who knows what it's going to take to exceed client expectations and make yourself habit-forming! And, last but not least, you know where to find me if you're stuck and need some help! About the image: Having spent my life in the photographic industry I try to always be sensitive to copyright issues. It was at least twenty years ago I first saw the photo above on the Internet. Yesterday when working on today's post, I decided it was perfect to make the point and decided it was time I researched who owned it.
There's nothing you can't find through Google and the company owning the copyright is Davidson & Company out of Atlanta. It took a little explaining to one of their staff, who started out having no idea what I was talking about. Think about it how it sounded answering the phone and hearing, "I'm trying to track down the company who owns the right to the shot of a guy with his head up his butt. Are you the Davidson & Company who owns it?" A few minutes later I was on the phone with Ken Davidson and not only did he give me the okay to use it today, but he shared a little of the backstory which adds to my appreciation for the journey so many of us have been on in this industry. The image was a conventional image, shot on film and manipulated with conventional retouching. It was created for a commercial client in the late 80's! Click on the link below to check out more of Davidson & Company's work. You'll see some stunning work, but on their about page you'll see a number of testimonial quotes, all with a few common denominators of "extraordinary service," "Trust," "Customer Service," "Quality," "Consistency," and the list goes on and on. They're a company who's stayed on course with what must have been their original goal - establish a reputation for being one of the very best! A BIG thanks to Ken for allowing me to use the image, which he described as one of the most ripped off shots in photography!
1 Comment
2/10/2019 04:24:55 pm
Fantastic checklist! Good to see some are on target but several need work - right now, left brain!
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