After months of planning, the November Month of Education is finally here! For the entire month, daily education is posted on my Instagram and weekly blog recaps are posted on my website so you can come back any time! If you’re brand new to the game, thinking about starting a business, or already years into your work, this education is for you. We should never stop growing, so investing in education is the best thing you can do for yourself, regardless of what stage you’re in.

And this education is FREE. Who’s ready to get started??

Week 2 is all about business logistics. We’re talking about everything you need to do to be a legitimate and successful business while building the platforms you can use to help you grow.

Day 1: Research Local Laws

Every country, state, county, and city have different laws regarding small businesses. Go research yours now and see what you need to do to be legal. Figure out if you want to be a sole proprietor or LLC, and complete the steps they need from you. Do it sooner rather than later, and get as much help as you need!

Day 2: Contracts

Contracts are a necessity in any business. For photographers, it lets our clients know exactly what they’re hiring us for, what is included in the whole process with us, and how we are protected as contractors. I have contracts for every wedding, photo shoot, or event I’m hired to photograph, and I even have contracts for when I hire second shooters. It elevates your client experience and adds another factor for trust. You can buy contracts online or work with a lawyer to create them, but make sure they include everything you need. If you’re being paid (and even when you aren’t), you need to have a contract. Later in this blog post I talk about how I deliver contracts to clients, but for now find some that apply to what you like to do.

Day 3: Equipment

I just did a whole blog post about equipment, but I wanted to include it in this week’s topic because of how important it is. Equipment includes not only your cameras and lenses, but all the computer programs, online programs, and other physical items that we use throughout our businesses. My three best tips about equipment are: do your research, ask for opinions from other professionals, and rent/do free trials before you buy! Building up your equipment will take time and savings, so be sure to plan as well as you can. To see more about this topic (including all the equipment I use), head to the blog!

Day 4: Instagram

Having a business Instagram allows your followers to see you on another platform. It’s a great way to show off your personality, the heart behind your business, and a constant flow of your work. It allows you to interact with potential clients, other photographers, and other people in the industry. Make sure you have a business account, find hashtags that are local, general, and niche specific, and post regularly. Do your best to interact with as many people as possible! Although having an Instagram isn’t necessary, it’s a great addition to your business!

Day 5: Facebook

Facebook now owns Instagram, so utilizing both can help your business. You can connect the two and automatically have them post to each other, or you can manually post on Facebook for big events like I do (new blog posts, announcements, etc). Facebook is a great place to collect reviews, connect to your other social media platforms, and interact with potential clients. Your business Facebook page is another platform for people to find you on, so make sure it represents you well!

Day 6: Websites

Making a website for your business can help clients find and trust you. However, it has to reflect who you are as a person, a business owner, and an artist. It has to show your personality, your best work, your experience, and your professionalism. It’s a lot! You need a domain, a hosting platform, and a website builder, and that’s all before you’ve even started working on it. I highly suggest hiring someone to help you that can make a website that is perfectly branded for you and will show the world how much you have to offer! Having a great website is one of the best ways to show you are experienced, professional, and open for business.

Day 7: Honeybook

My business would be a million times harder without Honeybook. It’s a one stop shop for client management, communication, and workflow. Here are just a few of the things I use Honeybook for: directly communicate with clients; create, send, receive, and sign contracts; create payment plans and receive money; and create and share custom packages. Honeybook has space for you to create templates for contracts, proposals, packages, emails, questionnaires, brochures, invoices, and more. You can create custom workflows and apply them to all your clients, and a calendar keeps track of all your events. You can do your bookkeeping, contact forms, referrals, and more all in one place. Honeybook looks professional and high-end, so it’s an easy way to lift your client experience. It has an annual fee, but I can say without a doubt that this is the best investment I ever made for my business. I learn more about what it can do every time I log on, and the Honeybook team works endlessly to improve the platform and add more tools for creatives constantly. Try it for free and see what it’s like! If you decide you want to give your business the best gift possible, I have a code to give you 50% off your first year! Get it here and you won’t regret it.

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