Paperie Boutique • products, packaging and marketing ideas for professional photographers

Jun201030

Today’s guest post is designed to help you “get it together”. Take it away, Millie!

In the Get It Together Kit, I share the systems, workflow and strategies I used to grow my business from a one-photographer studio that had me feeling constantly overwhelmed to a seven-person studio that has enjoyed exponential growth.

The kit is divided into six main sections (which follow an introduction). They are:

Brain Dump: In this section, I share my methods for clearing my mind, setting goals for the business, creating effective to do lists, and finding ways to accomplish those important goals that aren’t urgent, but are extremely important for growing a business.

Love Your Systems: Here, I give detailed examples of the day-to-day systems I’ve created to run my studio. I cover everything from office organization to tracking workflow to storing archived discs for clients.

Email (I Hate You): I get a few hundred emails per day. At one point, it seemed that email was controlling my life. I found a way to win the battle against my overflowing inbox, and I’ll tell you how. There are examples of how to automate your email, specifics on how to organize folders and subfolders in your email management system, and dozens of tips and ideas that will save you time!

Leadtracker: In this section, I cover my methods for tracking and converting leads. I discuss specifics on everything from the questions we ask future brides to the way we keep in touch with prospects to how we set reasonable expectations with a client once a contract has been signed. Even better, I’ll show you how we continue the sales process after the wedding and boost sales and referrals from our vendors.

Flowstand: What’s a flowstand? One of my proudest inventions. It’s an efficient fool-proof way to organize contracts, travel arrangements, payments, wedding details and more. I show you exactly how I created this system (there are even x-rays of my folders!) so that you can create your own.

Break it Down: This chapter takes you through my workflow step-by-step. I’ll explain the editing and production system we use to edit so many weddings at one time. The process is completely scaleable—it worked when I booked 15 weddings per year and it still works with a studio that handles 90+ weddings. We cover backing up files, rating files, editing, using actions, blogging, designing albums, and assigning tasks to team members to create a workflow chain.

But Wait, There’s More: Throughout the kit, I also share extra tips, resources, discount codes for my favorite tools and equipment, and worksheets that will assist you in starting to….Get It Together.

The Disc: In addition to our 100-page book, you’ll also receive a disc that includes the exact wording we use for simple client communications, the expectations sheet we send to brides, and a 90 Day plan to get you started on goal-setting for your own business.

If you think when you purchase the kit that you’ll just get a 100 page book then think again! The Get It Together Kit Disc has everyone raving about the kit even further. Some have said the information provided on this Disc is worth the price of the kit alone (as if there was not enough in the book itself). Take a peek at what you’ll find on the disc!

I’ve set up a discount code for $20 off the Get It Together Kit (the code is “paperie“). The code is good until July 16th, 2010.

But one lucky reader at Paperie can win the Get It Together Kit! Here’s how to win:

First, follow Get It Together Kit on Twitter.

Next, To win just go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

Get it together now→win “Get It Together Kit” from @GITKIT / getittogetherkit.com at Paperie Boutique / paperieboutique.com by @shutterblog

Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 2nd.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item. If we have to subscribe to your feed or page or request permission to see it, you will automatically be disqualified.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account.

You have four chances to win but only one chance PER LINK – please do not post the same link multiple times – duplicate links will be removed. And post your 1-4 separate links in separate comments to have multiple chances to win!

Comments are moderated and may be slow to be added today but they will be added by late afternoon or early evening.

Comments on this entry will be numbered in order of posting. The winning number will be chosen by Random.org, and the winner will be contacted within 24 hours of contest’s end to claim their prize. Good luck!

UPDATE: The winner has now been posted here – check it out!

And don’t miss our latest offering…

For years, we could not find an attractive dry erase board for the studio. Being a visual person, I work best when I can see everything laid out in grids or patterns. I wanted to see EVERY single client’s job in process at a glance. It was important to me to be able to know when every wedding was shot and where each one was in our workflow process. I also wanted to know just how much work we had left to do.

Ready-made dry erase boards available at office supply stores didn’t serve my needs and looked too institutional. I even tried customizing them: I purchased black tape and made my own grid lines, but the final product was an eyesore in my otherwise cute studio. Because I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to use it. Enter the “Flowboard“. We provide you with a downloadable PSD (Photoshop) file complete with a video link once purchased to walk you through making the Flowboard for yourself for just $75. This will allow you to create multiple copies of the board, print them as large as you would like and frame them however you wish. The options are limitless since you are in control of the finished product.

Thanks so much to Millie Holloman and the Get It Together Kit for such an amazing promo and contest!

Don’t forget HB Packaging is taking photo box color suggestions in yesterday’s post comments! This is your chance to talk them into boxes and accessories that will match your branding and color scheme!

And check out the new MOOsLETTER—my candy button bags are featured!

If you purchase MiniCards through Sunday you will get free shipping on your order with code A2MEEH.

Apr201006

robyn

80

golden ticket

I’m so excited to have Stacey Duncan of La Pomme Design and Goldapple Photography back for another guest post (January 2010, October 2009)! Make sure to read all the way to the end, because one Paperie viewer will get very lucky this week!

It’s a pleasure to be back at the Paperie Boutique! I have received so much inspiration from this blog and from the generous souls who are featured on here, so I love that I get to be part of it!

I have spent several months developing my branding, my marketing materials, and really, my business, and have fallen in love with it. Last year was my first year in business, and I didn’t realize how important it was to really LOVE the business side of my business. I mean, as photographers, we love the photography side of the business, but there is so much more to it! Even if you aren’t a business-oriented person, as a business owner you have to be somewhat savvy (or hire someone who is!), and you can enjoy the business more when you develop it to your tastes.

After determining my ideal client, my market, my business plan, and it was time to let my branding follow accordingly. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted, and I knew how my main competition is branded, so I knew how to NOT brand myself as well! My logo was my starting point.

I developed a brand that is elegant, timeless, and is adaptable to all different types of portrait photography. It is appealing to my ideal clientele, and I am absolutely in LOVE with it – which is the most important part!

When a client books a session over email/the internet, they fill out the info form and contract online and pay online. I then mail the client a welcome packet in an envelope from Paper Source. The welcome packet includes a general information brochure, an investment brochure (which is my full price guide), a client gifts card, a session card that is specific to their session type (maternity, newborn, engagement, etc), a personal note handwritten from me, a fashion wallet guide, a set of paper examples, and a couple business cards.

If a client wants to meet in person for a consultation, I will bring the physical info form and contract for the client to sign. I bring the exact same welcome packet, except I bring it all in a large Paper Source envelope with the forms.

Some of my other marketing materials include a gift certificate, referral card with personalized image wallets, and a personalized 11×17 wall calendar. I also print stickers for my welcome packet mailings, shipping labels for client purchases, and copyright stickers to put on the backsides of image enlargements.

I get so many compliments from clients about my marketing, so I know it is successful in that they recognize it and admire it. I actually did a family session last Sunday night for two graphic designers, and they both were thoroughly impressed with it, which I took as a WIN. It’s like when another photographer admires your work, you take that as a higher compliment than when a client admires it.

Many of you know I am the owner of La Pomme Design, The Photographer’s Boutique. I have taken all of my marketing templates and made them completely customizable, able to work with any branding, and a perfect jumping off point for photographers who don’t have the time, inclination, or knowledge to create a full marketing campaign. I have even included a couple templates that I know other photographers use that I haven’t incorporated yet!

Introducing the Goldapple Photography Premier Marketing Kit! The kit includes unflattened .psd templates of the following:

- Business Card (front and back) (ProDPI)
- 2010 Calender
- Copyright Sticker
- Gift Certificate (WHCC)
- Special Occasion Gift Certificate (WHCC)
- Information Card (ProDPI)
- Investment Card (ProDPI)
- Session Type Card (ProDPI)
- Notepad (VistaPrint)
- Post-it (VistaPrint)
- Paper Texture Wallets (WHCC)
- Referral Card (WHCC)
- Referral Wallet (front and back) (WHCC)
- Shipping Label
- Limited wording is included

The Premier Marketing Kit is on an introductory sale for only $48 through April 30, 2010, only at La Pomme Design. On May 1st, the price will go up to $68, so now is the time to invest in your business and create a solid marketing campaign!

Also through the month of April, use the code “PBROCKS*” in the La Pomme Design Shoppe and get 20% off your purchase – no minimum!

*This discount does NOT apply to the Premier Marketing Kit, but does apply to everything else.

And just because I love getting free stuff as much as you, here is your opportunity to win the Premier Marketing Kit!

Step one to win: Either subscribe to the La Pomme Design newsletter or become a fan of the La Pomme Design Facebook page.

Step two to win: Go to your blog, Facebook account, Flickr account, or Twitter account and post the following:

I want the @goldapplephotos & La Pomme Design / lapommedesign.com Goldapple Photography Premier Marketing Kit – visit paperieboutique.com!

Step three to win: Post the URL(s) to your link(s) in the comments for THIS ENTRY. Comment(s) must be posted here by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 8th.

Please note: The link you post must direct to a public account. We cannot verify links on private, friends & family only, or passworded accounts and they will not be eligible to win this item.

You can enter up to four times total – one entry each per public, non-private blog URL / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter account.

(P.S. If you win and have already purchased the kit, you will get a refund of your purchase!)

UPDATE The winner Sean Walker Photography has been announced here! Congrats and thanks to La Pomme Design and everyone who entered!

Thank you so much Stacey – you’ve been so good to the site and I know everyone appreciates it! Drop by and see her work at Goldapple Photography.

Don’t forget to enter the new Design Aglow contest (open until 11:59 p.m. EDT) if you haven’t already!

If you’re interested in having your own business packaging, marketing ideas, or photography-related products featured please contact me (my e-mail is in the sidebar and is robyn @ this domain – or you can leave a comment).

If you are interested in advertising with Paperie Boutique, please contact todd @ this domain. Check the sidebar – several new advertisers are joining us this week!