As winter quickly approaches, for many that means a slow season of business is on the horizon. I know here in New Hampshire my calendar starts to clear as nobody wants to venture out into the cold to take photos! However, this doesn’t mean I have nothing to do! There are actually plenty of things for me to do that help support my business and keep things running successfully when I am crazy busy! Today I am going to share three things you should do during your off season to prepare for your upcoming busy season and ensure success!
01. Revamp Your Website
As a busy photographer, you likely don’t have much extra time during busy seasons to complete business projects like updating your website. As a business owner though, it is very important! Your website is likely the first point of contact with a future client. It is the main landing spot for people looking to book you, so it needs to be up to date with your best and latest work and essential information.
02. Update Your Client Workflow + User Experience
The second thing you can do to prepare for your off season is to plan for how you want to improve your client workflow and user experience. Having a unique and consistent client experience helps you stand out among other photographers. Implementing or improving workflows will save you precious time when your calendar is full of shoots and you have no time to spare for admin work.
Creating and implementing templates for emails, contracts, questionnaires, etc. will take a bit of time initially to create, BUT it will save you tons of time in the long run! I highly suggest photographers tackle this project during their slow/off season, as it will positively impact your business during busy months. Trust me, you will be so thankful you took the time to create these workflows! You’ll also be content knowing your clients are receiving a flawless experience that begins with their initial point of contact and continues until they receive their photos in hand.
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03. Goal Setting with a Plan of Action
Last on my list of things every photographer should do to prepare for their off season is to set new goals and create a plan of action on how you will achieve those goals!
Do you want to . . .
host more mini sessions?
increase your revenue in print sales?
start selling educational resources?
Whatever your goals are, write them down! To grow as a business owner and a photographer, it is critical that you set actionable goals and layout how and when you plan on accomplishing them. By doing this, you will have a clear strategy and plan going into your next busy season, which will set you up for success!
In addition, be sure to take a little time for yourself as things start to slow down. Celebrate all the successes from your past year! Look back at your goals from the previous year and reflect on what you achieved, or maybe what worked and what didn’t.
I hope this list gives you some insight and ideas on how to best plan and fill your time during off season, by doing tasks that will support your business and foster future growth and success!
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