#461: Keep These Ideas in Mind When Launching a Business - Shané K. Gooding

Bokeh - The Photography Podcast

Do you have what it takes to launch the photography business you've been dreaming about? Maybe you're still trying to figure out where to start.

In episode 460 of the Bokeh Podcast, Shané K. Gooding of Imiivo joins us to share a few ideas to consider when launching a business. Beginning with advice on what to do and not do, Shané walks us through the steps you should take in approaching your financials, managing your marketing, and building your community in order to start a successful business.

The Bokeh Podcast is brought to you by Photographer’s Edit: Custom Editing for the Professional Photographer and Miilu: The Simplest Way to Create and Manage Timelines and Shot Lists for the Events You’re Photographing. You can also subscribe to the Bokeh podcast on the Apple podcast app, follow on Spotify, add to your playlist on Stitcher, or listen on Overcast.

Brand Position: A photography and video studio that specializes in family, beauty and video portrait sessions to help people tell the story of their life. (8:18)

IMIIVO: Infinite Memories In, Infinite Visuals Out.

Customer Experience: Listening; you can’t underestimate the power of listening to your clients. (10:54)

Delegation/Outsourcing (22:29)

Book Recommendations: The Compound Effect (23:40)

bokehbookshelf.com

Advice for New Photographers: What Not to Do (29:31)

1. Stop being a perfectionist and overanalyzing.

2. When writing website copy, trim it down.

3. Don’t be a generic practitioner—you don’t have to take on everything.

4. It’s easy to get caught up in buying all the templates, but you don’t need them all.

5. Avoid business debt.

Proactive Steps to Launching a Photography Business (37:00)

1. Create a one-pager about your business: Your audience, mission, services, elevator pitch.

2. Know they numbers: budget, finances, emergency fund.

3. Register your business with Google Business Listing

4. Open a business bank account.

5. Setup the backend of your business: Website, CRM, Social Media, etc.

Concepts for Saving Money (51:09)

1. Utilize free resources.

2. Utilize free trial.

3. Find a co-share space.

4. Rent your gear or purchase used.

5. Avoid paying for expensive templates, ads, courses/education.

Marketing with a Tight Budget (57:35)

1. Call on your people.

2. Give people an incentive to share and follow.

3. Yard signs, flyers, and business cards.

Building Community for Your Business (1:00:11)

Links

imiivo.com

instagram.com/imiivo

imiivo.com/photo-launch-101

Haylee’s Episode Google My Business Listing