You have the freedom to spring clean your photography business at any time of the year, but there is a special magic during spring (or Q2 in business). By harnessing the energy of spring, you have the opportunity to bring new life and energy into your photography business.
This time of year is synonymous with rebirth and renewal. Depending on your niche, you might be emerging from a quieter period, gearing up for the bustling summer months—the peak season for many photographers.
So before you get busy with client work, and editing and shooting fills up most of your days, I thought it would be helpful to share a little spring cleaning ritual you can do in the next few months.
From recalibrating and reconnecting with your business desires and goals to updating your branding and systems, here are some areas where you might want to channel your energy and intentions during the second quarter, and metaphorically spring clean your photography business.
Reviewing your business goals and desires:
Before you rush ahead and start spring-cleaning or metaphorically decluttering your business, you might want to take some time to recalibrate and reconnect to your overall goals and visions. Personally I don’t use the new year to set goals and intentions, but now is the perfect time to take a deeper look at where you are headed.
You might want to spend some time journaling and taking stock of everything that happened over the past year. Are there things that no longer serve you or feel like they are holding you back? Have you grown out of something, and need to gently make more space for other things to grow.
Perhaps you have new income goals, want to make more space to bring a new idea to life, or maybe you need to use the year to get organised and on top of things. By knowing where to pour your energy and effort you will be able to plan for the upcoming season and know what you need to focus on.
Declutter your workspace to feel instantly energised and lighter:
As a photographer who works from home, you spend a lot of time at your desk. Probably too much time some days, when you are stuck with endless amounts of editing. And so taking some time to clear out, reorganise and even rearrange your workspace can bring in a fresh energy and creativity.
You might want to take some time to tackle your digital clutter, like deleting unnecessary files, unsubscribing from email lists, and organising all of your digital folders. You could also spend some time tackling the physical clutter like all the paperwork that has collected in your office space, perhaps you have old business cards and packaging with old branding that you simply can’t let go of. Find a way to responsibly let go of the things that are no longer serving you.
Even better, as you let go and reorganise your physical things, try to visualise yourself letting go of all the emotional things that are keeping you feeling stuck and that you have been holding onto.
Oh, and don’t forget to spruce up your workspace, a fresh coat of paint, new rug or print on your wall can really help you feel a renewed sense of energy and keep you feeling motivated.
Next Up, it’s always a good idea when spring cleaning your photography business, to analyse your packages and pricing structure.
I see so many photographers set their pricing according to what others are charging in their industry, instead of what they need to earn in order for their business to be sustainable.
Spring is the perfect time to restructure and adjust your packages to align with your goals and capacity – consider factors like your financial needs and lifestyle preferences—your income targets will vary based on individual circumstances.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach; your business income should reflect your desires and the role you want it to play in your life. Whether it’s supplementing your income, planning for retirement, or investing in your future, your pricing and your packages should be based on your needs, not what others are charging.
This might be a season where you want to create additional revenue streams, like album and print sales, or pivoting into selling digital products or offering mentoring. This time of year is great for getting creative on ways to increase your income without increasing your effort.
If this is something you would like to be guided through, I can help you do this through a Reset Day so you can move through this year feeling confident in your pricing and what actions you need to take to bring in more space and ease into your business.
While you are busy with the number, you might want to take a look at your business finances:
Checking in on your businesses financial well-being is key to keeping you on track and building a sustainable photography business. Don’t be scared to dive into your financial statements, budgets, and cash flow projections to spot any red flags – or seek the support of an Accountant. As much as I fear my quarterly meeting with my accountant, I always feel better once I know where I am headed and where I need to cut back.
It’s also good practice to notice if you are splurging a bit too much in certain areas? Searching for creative ways to boost your income or trim your expenses?
It can be so easy to sign up for different apps and subscriptions over the course of a year, but if it’s not making a significant impact on your business it might be worth unsubscribing or letting it go.
This goes hand in hand with creating a budget for things that will help you grow and transform your business – like a new course to learn a new skill, investing in a new website or system to help you grow, or perhaps you want to outsource things like editing or taking on a strategic partner who can help you through a period of transition or growth.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to a financial advisor or accountant for some expert guidance on how to fine-tune finances and if this isn’t accessible for you, I would highly recommend the book Profit First by Mike Michalowicz (it completely changed the way I thought about my finances and made everything feel easier to understand).
Look for ways to streamline your workflow:
Springtime is the best time to look at your workflows and see if there are ways you can save time and help reduce stress before you enter a busy season.
Spend some time looking over your workflows to spot any gaps, or places where things could flow smoother. Are there any repetitive tasks that could easily be automated, perhaps you have made changes in your business over the last year that haven’t been updated in your process?I have a whole other blog post dedicated to spring cleaning your systems and client experience which you can read here.
Another way to spring clean your photography business is to find ways of enhancing your Client Experience
It’s great to look at ways you can streamline your systems and workflows, but as a sensitive empathic photographer, I know you also want to make sure you are taking care of your clients and supporting them. Which is why spring time is perfect for infusing some new energy into your client experience.
Really take some time to think about your client journey and what you could be doing to educate, inspire and support your clients in order to build a relationship with them. Because I know you don’t wanna just show up and take their pictures, I know you have a deep desire to tell their story, guide, support and understand them to make them feel seen.
Search for intentional ways you can take your client on a journey, lighting up the path, extending a hand, and gently guiding your clients towards the transformation or destination that your photography service can provide. While also taking into account your own needs, how you experience being in your business. Creating rituals and boundaries that support you in running a profitable, sustainable and most importantly an enjoyable business!
And if you feel like you would benefit from getting an outsider’s perspective on your workflows, to find ways to free up your time, to create a caring and supportive process for your clients while also honouring your own needs and boundaries I would invite you to explore how we could create your signature workflow through a Dubsado Glow-up.
Investing in your personal skills
This section comes with a caveat, before you rush out and impulse buy another course you “have to have” I would encourage you to explore the courses you have already invested in. Are there some half finished courses that you would still find really helpful? Have you gained the knowledge from these courses but perhaps haven’t had the time to implement the things you have learned, or found ways to put your own spin on things – perhaps this season is more about taking intentional action than it is investing in something new.
And once you have audited your knowledge and resources and you feel like there is still a gap, or an opportunity to learn a new skill, then you can plan out what you want to invest in over the upcoming months, taking into account your capacity and what is actually going to move the needle forward for your business.
I think we all have a couple of courses we bought impulsively thinking they would solve all of our problems (I know I have). Use this spring clean for your photography business as a way to use what you already have, before you rush out and purchase another course on a whim.
Lastly, if you haven’t done a brand audit or brand review over the winter months, this is a wonderful spring cleaning ritual to do for your photography business.
Again, I feel like this section needs another caveat, I don’t think spring is a time for completely rebranding (unless this is a very intentional decision and something you have planned well in advance), but what could be helpful is to do a little brand review or audit.
Again this is something that I love to guide people through on a Reset Day, because your brand is so much more than just your logo. After a long winter spent reflecting and retreating inwards (especially in your business), you might find that you have outgrown some elements of your branding, or that your values have shifted. Which is why taking a look at your brand with a fresh perspective is such a good idea at this time of year.
If you are wondering what you could look at during a brand review, I would suggest starting with your why? Do you still feel connected to this, or have things changed? You could also look towards your values, your brand archetypes and make sure you are connecting with your clients emotions and desires. You could go a little deeper, taking a look at your brand positioning, conducting a competitor and swot analysis and seeing if there are any opportunities or things you need to think about during your next season of business.
It’s also helpful to connect and reflect on your brand magic (or USP), to make sure this is infused in your marketing and of course decision making.
Final thoughts on doing a spring clean ritual for your photography business:
I hope this has inspired you to give your photography business a little TLC over the next few months by doing a metaphorical spring clean, and use the energy of this season has to reimagine and infuse new energy into your business. And remember, you don’t have to do this alone, as a Co-Creation Partner for photographers I can help you navigate through all of these things, I can be a sounding board where all your wild ideas can get filtered into a cohesive plan, so you can understand what is most important and which tasks to tackle first.
If you crave some support in your photography business and an outside perspective and energy who can simultaneously cheer you on while also uncovering the deep rooted blocks that are keeping you feeling stuck, head on over to see how we can work together.
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