It might be the second week of February but it’s never too late to set photography business goals. In fact, I would argue that setting goals are an incredibly important part of running and growing a business. If you haven’t set any goals for the year, this is your sign to sit down and do it. Setting photography business goals is one of the best ways to measure success and keep yourself focused on the actual health and progress of your business.
I’m reading Atomic Habits by James Clear right now. Although I just started, I already have some really great ideas and perspective shifts on goal setting and implementing new habits. (You can probably find an audio version on Libby!)
My favorite quote so far is: “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results… Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves.”
Step #1: How to think backwards
A lot of times we set our photography business goals as “I want to book more sessions” or “I want to make more money.” Those are great goals, but there are a lot of systems and practices that need to fall into place in order for those goals to happen.
With this type of thinking, we need to work backward. If those are the outputs I want, then what are the inputs that I need to implement or practice in order to get there?
Step #2: Questions to ask
This year I asked myself questions as I was setting photography business goals and looking at my systems:
- How do clients find me? How can I make that easier for them?
- Do my emails, blog posts, website content, and social content connect with those clients?
- Once someone has booked, how do I make the process as smooth and easy as possible? What can I change, what hang-ups have I had over the last year?
- Is there anything I can do to streamline my editing/delivery process to make my turnaround faster (make clients happier)? Does that process yield a high-end (client-positive) experience?
I know that if I can clean up my systems and processes, it will make it easier for clients to find me, book me, have a great experience with me, and refer me to friends or keep coming back! All of which are the output goals that I want for the year.
What goals are you setting for 2023? Have you figured out what system needs to be improved in order to achieve it? Let me know!
