Building the business

Building the business is, for most of us, the aim of the game. To be able to sell more products, more services, without impacting financially or from a quality aspect is the measure of your company’s success. At what point does expansion become a burden on your business? When should you take the high road to protect your current workload and output?

Spreading your talents thinly can work a few times. But as a consistent method of working, it will only result in gradual decline of the business and your passion for the work.

• Time. This is the most obvious indicator that too much work is having an impact. Your time (and energy) becomes squeezed to the point where actual delivery of work becomes a challenge. Chasing your tail to the point where there is a knock-on effect to other parts of your business means that the business as a whole will suffer in the long run. Your health may not be far behind too!
• The quality of work. The standards you set your business when you first start up are markers that you promised yourself (and maybe others) would never be compromised. Once you let this slip and find yourself saying to yourself ‘oh that will be OK’, then this is an indicator of the work being too difficult. As too is over-promising on the kind of work you are providing. Spreading your talents thinly can work a few times. But as a consistent method of working, it will only result in a gradual decline of the business and your passion for the work.
• Forcing change. Market pressures or simply a desire to change may lead you to think that pushing the business in a new direction. Or expanding it may be a good idea. Oftentimes, not changing or pushing when you think you should, will be the right thing for the business. The boring option may well the best option. Exercising patience and the ability to stick and not twist is the sensible option sometimes when building the business.

Judging what to do and when can come often from outside voices too. Finding sounding boards and people to trust are key elements of keeping your business (and mind) on the straight and narrow. This could come in the form of an official mentor or other like-minded business people you catch up with informally. Being able to bounce your ideas off others in similar situations, not necessarily photographers, will provide valuable insight to your state of mind and suitability of ideas.

Again, resources online are free as is attendance at events or seminars in lots of cases. Simply hearing what business leaders or people from other walks of life have to say will give great clues as to your own decision-making process to building the business.