Doing Business

In my forty years on this earth I have owned a number of businesses and I have worked as an independent for a number of companies.

Starting at the age of eight to about the age of fifteen I sold Christmas cards, baked goods, candles, candy and even jewelry from FingerHut. That last one didn’t turn out too well. The friend with whom I partnered spent all the money he had collected from our customers and never ordered the jewelry. Yeah, he had to pay it all back.

I remember going to the library and getting how-to books on everything from worm farms to macrame. I had grandiose ideas as a kid. It was the start of my burgeoning entrepreneurial spirit that lives today.

I am now a successful Wedding and Portrait Photographer in the Virginia Beach, Virginia area, but I haven’t gotten to where I would like to be yet. I am still setting and working to achieve new goals.

With the advent of the Internet and the accompanying technologies, starting a business is easier, but getting the business name and face out there takes just as much time as it ever has. I have to constantly pass out my business cards and flyers and business information to all who have the slightest bit of interest in photography services. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I love the hustle and bustle of doing business.

It is Getting Close to April 15th

I have almost completed our taxes but not without some pain. I have my work, my wife’s work, my wedding photography business in Virginia, I still do some web design work and I keep my fingers in a variety of other side work. I do everything from blogging for money to stock photography.

I have had to keep the receipts for all these various businesses and without some semblance of organization, it is a scary proposition.

Budgeting software helps in this. It offers not only organization capabilities but it helps get my businesses on track.

Business Card FAQ

One of the things that I have done from the very beginning of a new business idea is print up some business cards. And there are many companies that do this online, so find someone who does business card printing, get a small batch of cards at first in case you decide to go with a different design from your original idea. I know that with my business, premierefoto.com, I have changed twice since my original idea. Sometimes you just have to figure out what is working or, in my case, what is not working.

Here are seven ways to get more business from your business cards:

• Keep it legible. A common tendency is to cram every possible contact number onto your card. The truly essential information is your name, your company name, and your phone number (which should be in bold text, if other numbers are on the card.) The font size should be large enough to be read by the “bifocal crowd”.
• Remember business card etiquette. Don’t pass out cards during a meal, or give them to senior executives or CEOs unless asked. Leave your cards at home during social functions. Instead, ask for permission to contact someone at their place of work, or mail them a card afterwards. And always handle cards you receive with respect.
• Design memorable cards. Talk to your printer about printing vertically, adding a photo of you (or your product), or printing complementary information on the back of your card. A very effective strategy is to use fold-over cards to create “mini-brochures.” You put your customary contact information on the front and back of the folded card, and use the inside to describe your products and primary benefits.
• Try an unusual material or shape. Cards, these days, can be made of wood, metal, and plastic can be perfumed, musical, or edible and can function as phone cards or even complete CDrom presentations.
• Stay organized! Jot “memory triggers” on the back of cards your given (date, event, interests or physical characteristics of giver). Develop a system for carrying and collecting business cards, and file them the way you remember them (by company name, persons name, or industry).
• Study foreign usage, conventions, and customs if you do business in other countries. Is your card a standard size for that country? Does your slogan translate well? Consider printing a two-sided card. On one side, print your contact information in English. On the other, print your contact information in the primary language of the other country.
• Prospect creatively. The way you present your card has far more to do with how (or IF) you are remembered than the card itself. Offering your card with both hands, for example, creates an enormous psychological impact. Consider exchanging cards with like-minded entrepreneurs through business networking groups. Introduce yourself with your card. Include your card with all correspondence. Sign your name (or a brief message) on the front of the card. The possibilities are endless!
  (courtesy of http://www.top7business.com)

Theodore Johns, Premiere Photography

Things in the wedding photography business are moving along, but I need to continue advertising in order to make this photography business my fulltime thing. I ordered professional business cards, as a good businessman should, I have advertised in a local newspaper in the area, and I am working on networking with those around. But I need to do more. I need to get the word out through bridal shops and through other potential wedding venues. It’s coming, but I have to keep working at it.