~ how do you treat clients?

The Quality of Your Business
by The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer

The way you treat your clients and your business is a direct reflection of the quality of your business. Do your clients feel satisfied after conducting business with you? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the different aspects that you are responsible for being a business owner?

Let’s face it…as a business owner you are responsible for so much! You are the photographer, the accountant, the customer service representative, the one who is in charge of scheduling and marketing, and so many other aspects of business. 

Recently I stopped at a pharmacy and needed to speak with the pharmacist. I waited for twenty minutes at the consult window before someone even acknowledged my presence.  Seriously! Finally I was told they would be with me in a few minutes. A few minutes later someone else came over to hear my question, and then said I would need to wait for the pharmacist. So after thirty minutes of waiting I finally was able to speak with the pharmacist who helped me pick out an the over-the-counter medication I needed for my child. So how do you think I feel at this point? Frustrated. Right. Then guess what…. I head to the registers so I could check out and there isn’t a single checker in sight! I have to spend an additional five minutes hunting down someone just so that I can pay for my purchase.  Do you think that I will think twice before going back to that pharmacy? You bet, there are lots of other pharmacies in town… and they are likely priced even better.

I hope that none of your customers can relate to that story.  Do you return phone calls and emails in a timely manner? Or do you wait so long that they call another photographer?  Do you acknowledge their desires and make sure that they feel important and that you appreciate their business? Do you make sure that they receive their prints and products in a timely manner?  Today’s market is saturated with photographers – there is always someone better and someone less expensive than you.  It is key that you make sure that your business is top notch and makes customers want to come back again and again, and refer you to their friends, families, and even strangers!

We understand that running a business is a tough job! You may love doing photography and do an exceptional job, but lack the skills and resources to run a legit business. The Easy Accounting Solution for the Photographer (TEAS) is a simple tool that will help your business tremendously.  It covers everything your business needs. Let’s talk about some key features and how they relate to your business and improving the quality of your business.

Obviously the most important aspect of your business is clients, without them you wouldn’t be in business!  Do you know who they really are? What their kids names are? Spouses names? Taking the time to greet them by their name is a simple (and free) way to let them know that you care. Do you take the time to thank them for their business? Or keep in touch after the sale? Maybe a special deal for birthdays or anniversaries?

Maybe the second most important aspect is scheduling.  If you overbook yourself – you are likely going to feel less satisfied and more stressed.  Your clients will be less happy if you cannot provide them the quality that you described by meeting deadlines.  When scheduling appointments on your calendar take into account: editing time (even schedule it on the calendar), ordering sessions (with client and the lab), packaging, and bookkeeping, and anything else that’s necessary for your business.

Schedule bookkeeping? We think it’s a great idea.  Bookkeeping is the source of running a quality business:  keeping track of jobs, marketing, clients, tax information, bank account information, expenses, assets, etc.  Hardly anyone likes this part of the business, yet it is the heart and soul of the business.  If you don’t know how much money you are making or spending, is your business really profitable? Is it worth all the work and money that you keep investing in it?  Spending a few hours a month keeping everything up-to-date ensures that your business will run smoothly and it also allows you to avoid the last minute tax-time-crunch.  TEAS allows you to input all this information in a super quick and easy way that is tailored to meet the specific needs of photographers.

Passion isn't enough to sustain your business. You may be the best photographer around, super passionate about your work, but if you don't run a viable business your business may very likely collapse. Your passion may slowly dwindle as you find yourself overwhelmed, overworked, and underpaid. Maintaining your business is equally as important as the quality of your work.

 For a free 2 day trial of The Easy Accounting Solution click here: http://photo.theeasyaccountingsolution.com/AccountCreateTrial.aspx

We are having a giveaway for those who have completed the two day trial! Details will be announced soon~ Download your free trial now so you will be ready to enter when the giveaway info is announced!

The Easy Accounting Solution for Photographers is $199 for the first year and only $35 a year after that! The girls at EAS are wonderful to work with and have excellent customer service!