So, why should photographers hire virtual assistants? Photographers are artists and when they decide to take their passion and turn it into a career, that big ol’ dream can sometimes turn into a scary nightmare. Not the actual photographing part, don’t get me wrong. That is always their favorite because they are interacting with their clients (or animals, landscapes, etc. Yeah….I interact with animals, so what?!) I mean the business side. You know the one…. With all the paperwork, deadlines, scheduling, and accounting with all the numbers! It’s not glamorous but it is absolutely necessary.
Business admin may feel like a lot of blah blah blah, but when you outsource it, you don’t have to feel “blah” any longer!
Outsourcing editing has been widely utilized by photographers because, frankly, sometimes there are just too many photos and not enough time to get everything turned around in a timely fashion. It isn’t taboo nor admits defeat in any way, so why would outsourcing the BS (errr…business stuff) be any different?! Like I said above, it’s a necessary evil. Your inbox should be organized and inquiries answered quickly, workflows should be seamless, receipts somewhat organized (so your accountant doesn’t cringe come tax time), and you should be showing those wonderful clients of yours a little love in the form of touchpoints.
And let’s talk public relations.
Your art should be submitted to galleries, online publications, contests, etc. People need to see what you’ve created because honestly, most of us want more beauty and less “Who wore it better?”. Outsourcing also builds a team so you no longer have to face the stress alone. They don’t even make those (voluntary) contestants do “Naked and Afraid” alone, so why would you want to run a successful business on your own?!
Having your own virtual assistant helping run your business is the equivalent of having a nanny, maid, chef, and personal trainer all living in your house! Okay, maybe that is a bit hyperbolic, but you get where I’m going with this. They are there to make your life easier, just like your dedicated assistant would be. That company you built from the ground up will become more sustainable because you aren’t doing all the behind-the-scenes stuff on your own anymore, which naturally takes you away from doing what you love most – taking the pictures!!
Be the envy of other photographers because you’re maintaining a successful biz while rocking your personal life!
Having someone on your team is not just going to organize the shit out of your inbox and send pretty cards to your clients, it’s going to give you that work/life balance you’ve always dreamed of. The one where you can actually go for coffee with that old friend you keep saying you’ll meet up with, but never do. It will give you more time to be at home enjoying your life away from work, perhaps indulging a little with all that extra dough you’re making with your kickass company! You’ll be able to finally take care of yourself, and in turn, take amazing care of your clients.
Outsourcing for photographers is so fetch! (Okay, we’ll stop trying to make “fetch” happen, but you catch my drift!)
If I haven’t sold you on why you should outsource, maybe I should have outsourced this blog…. I kid, I kid! But really, think about it. A team that has your back, helps you attain success by handling the BS and letting you do the most important part, and also encourages a healthy and happy human being. If it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t. Not to get all corny on you, but this is the future and it looks pretty damn good to me.
Are you ready to outsource and get your life back?! Click here.
PS – The pics featured in this blog are Kathryn Learie’s of Owen Imaging. She is one of our badass creatives that decided to get her life back by outsourcing to Pepper! Now she is the one running through fields and enjoying snuggling her pup while still getting to take some killer photos of other doggos (like my little friend above). You’re gonna want to check out more of her amazing work here.
Kelsey Munson
Badass Assistant to the CEO
Pepper – Your Badass Business BFF
