How to Decide What to Focus on in Your Photography Business This Quarter
How to Decide What to Spend Time on in Your Photography Business This Quarter
If you’ve ever opened your laptop with a list of twenty things you should be doing and no idea where to start, you’re not alone.
Most photographers don’t struggle because they lack ambition. They struggle because they’re trying to improve everything at once.
And as a honeschooling mama of 3, I can 100% relate to your attention being pulled in so many directions!
More content.
More blogging.
A website refresh.
A new CRM.
Email marketing.
Pricing updates.
Before long, you’re busy every day but making very little progress. There’s just a bunch of open tabs, a crying toddler and an overstimulated mama staring at a blank cursor and one million to-dos.
The solution isn’t working harder. It’s deciding what matters most right now. Balance is a myth. It’s not about keeping everything at an equal playing field, it’s about figuring out what needs your attention in this season and how much of attention those things need.
Start with a Task Audit
Before you make one more goal, or Heaven forbid, another New Year’s resolution in your business, take inventory.
Write down every recurring task in your business.
Client communication.
Editing.
Social media.
Blogging.
Bookkeeping.
Lead follow-up.
Gallery delivery.
And don’t go light here. We want to brain dump every single thing it takes to run out business. No task is too small to put on this list.
Once everything is on paper, sort each task into one of four categories:
Automate
Delegate
Eliminate
The goal isn’t to do more. The goal is to create space for the work that actually moves your business forward.
Pick one thing
Most photographers try to tackle five major projects every quarter. For a busy mom trying to mange her time, that is way too many!
Instead, choose one.
Ask yourself:
What is the biggest bottleneck in my business right now?
If inquiries are low, focus on visibility. What are some ways to make sure people know you exist?
If inquiries are coming in but bookings are weak, focus on sales conversations. How can you turn more of those leads into new sessions for your business? What’s missing from them saying a resounding “Heck Yes!!”?
If you’re overwhelmed, focus on systems. Having tons of work but no systems to streamline it all is a recipe for disaster. Mama, this is really the secret sauce. Find ways to help your business run (almost0 without you.
Growth happens much faster when your energy is concentrated instead of scattered.
Create a 90 Day Plan (yes, quarterly planning is a thing)
Once you’ve identified your focus, break it down into manageable steps.
Ask:
What needs to happen this month?
What needs to happen this week?
What can I do today?
Small, consistent action beats an ambitious plan that never gets implemented.
Give yourself permission to ignore everything else
This is often the hardest part. And I know this may not be the advise you were expecting. But here’s the truth, sis.
Not every opportunity deserves your attention.
Not every trend needs your participation.
Not every idea needs immediate action.
The photographers who build sustainable businesses aren’t the ones doing everything. They’re the ones doing the right things repeatedly. There have been many seasons in my business where I had to step away from certain parts of it. Where I had to decide, “I’m going to step back from socials for a while, and really work on my networking” or “I am going to close my booking calendar for summer until I can build better systems.”.
It’s ok. Those parts you tuck away for a little while will be there when it’s time and when your capacity is different.
Download my FREE quarterly planner to get you started!
Once you’ve done a task audit in your business I have this awesome little QUARTERLY PLANNER To help photographers create more focus and less overwhelm in their businesses.
Inside you’ll be able to map out your next 90 days with intention! Remember, you don’t need a lot of goals, just a few that you can really give your energy to!
Your next breakthrough probably isn’t hiding inside another course, strategy, or social media trend.
It’s likely hiding inside the work you’ve been too distracted to focus on. For women juggling all of the things knowing how to manage our time is crucial!
Choose one thing.
Commit to it.
Give it ninety days.
Then watch what happens.
TLDR: Here’s your next steps
- Download the free planner HERE
- Schedule a FREE 20 minute coffee chat with me and I’ll help you with your “do-today” next step.
Definitely guilty of trying to tackle everything. But I did create a bunch of blog posts and have them scheduled. I’m currently working on editing a wedding but also trying to figure out content.
I feel like just getting going is the hardest step! But you’ve already got things scheduled out! That’s honestly the biggest win in my opinion!