Marketing Monday: Planning for 2022 in Photography

From PearlsofTravelWisdom.com

​by Skip Cohen

In yesterday's Reflections post, I wrote about chasing your dreams. I appreciate the nice feedback, but it's Marketing Monday and time to take action. The good news is that this isn't rocket science. You know how to focus your camera, now it's time to focus on your business and long term, your career.

When I was a kid, there was no GPS. My Dad belonged to AAA, and before our once-a-year big vacation, he'd put in his order and get back a TripTik, a spiral-bound series of map pages showing the routing from the start of our trip to the finish. Each Page had the total mileage for that segment of the trip.

Today's travel is a whole lot different. AAA still offers the service. However, for most of us, we hit the computer, and Google combined with Trip Advisor, and Yelp gets us to our destination. Plus, we're accessing GPS in our cars and on our phones all along the way.

Well, now apply the same concept as the old TripTiks to your business for the year ahead. You know where you're starting from, but most of you haven't thought through where you want to go this year.

Sure, you want the business, with revenue and reasonable costs, to leave you a profit, but is your goal sustainable? Anybody can be a one-hit-wonder and make a few bucks, but you want every client not only coming back again but insisting their friends work with you as well.

So, just like my folks did when I was a kid - use this week to plan your "trip," at least through the first quarter of the year. Before you load up what you'll need, you first have to clean out the "trunk" of everything left from the last trip...2021.

• What loose ends do you have to wrap up from last year's business?
• Are there clients who are still waiting for orders? Have they all been billed for past services?
• Is your database cleaned up or a mess of missing contact information?
• Is there gear you still need? I'm not talking about the equipment you WANT, but really need to provide the best possible service to your clients.
• Now's the perfect time to start getting things ready for your taxes - yeah, it's early, but at least put together a list of things you're going to need to chase for your accountant.

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I commented earlier about it not being rocket science...but it does take discipline. So, take time this week and just kick back and think about your dream for the year. I'm a big fan of visualization - what's your goal for 2022? Sales revenue is essential, but you also have to control your costs. So, it's not just incoming dollars, but what you're spending!

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"A business without a path to profit isn't a business, it's a hobby"
Jason Fried

And if you're stuck thinking things through, email me. I want to help you make 2022 your best year ever, but it won't happen if you don't focus on what you really want...your dream.