Step One to a Successful Business
Just breathe! As simple as it sounds, that is the first step to moving a business forward. The first time we moved with a business was disastrous! I had no idea what I was doing and I panicked, lost money, a lot of sleep, and strained my marriage. I needed to just breathe and attack my mountain of crazy with a plan, but I didn’t have one.
For all the photography and business education out there, there is nothing just for us nomads. We are the nomads, the ones who move frequently and still want to have a career that we love. Don’t get me wrong, there are great resources out there for new business owners but a lot of them rely on building a referral network and investing for the long haul. For us and our family, the long haul lasts 3 years or 4 if we are lucky. We move and start all over again. To a normal business owner that is just a black hole of death. Every mentor I have ever worked with just says they wouldn’t know what to do with that.
I am here to tell you, it isn’t a black hole of death! It is a hidden gem, a diamond in the rough, that we get to move so much. I get the opportunity to work with some of the best in the industry around the U.S. and in some amazing and varied locations. I don’t deal with location burn out because I get to experience the Hill Country of Texas, the historic Manor Homes of Virginia, the mountains of Western North Carolina, and the plains of Kansas. To me that is a photographers dream! As I write this I have a sudden urge to do a fist pumping victory dance, that is how excited I am!
So now that we have had our dance party . . what next?
In order to make your next move successful, you need a plan. Just like you plan for your household goods to be boxed up and moved, you need to prepare for your business to be moved. The biggest stressor we had in the early stages of moving my business was leaving things unfinished. My past clients would contact me months later to see if they could schedule a Christmas session but I had moved or they would refer a friend to me but I was now out of state. This leads to unmet expectations and disappointment which is never good.
The minute your move is official do two things:
- Block off the two months before your move and do not take any sessions during that time if you can. This alleviates any stress of still providing a quality experience for your clients while being in massive upheaval. This also allows you to prepare your business for its new home city. (More on that later)
- Send out a VIP email to all of your past clients and let them know how much you love them and will miss them. Let them know where you are headed and when the last session date is.
I bet you feel better already! Two simple steps in this plan that can be done today. Check back next week as we talk about preparing to move to a new place. Have a question about moving your business? Leave a question in the comments below. Want more tips in your inbox? Sign up below!
Plan to Move a Business | The Restart Specialist
