Creating a photography business takes a lot of time, energy, heart, soul, and good old fashioned hard work.
When I started my business I did not realize everything I would need to do to grow my business. Naively I thought I would simply take photos of families, edit their galleries, and I was done. I did not consider the amount of work required to market my business, stay on top of my website, all the emails I would have to send, and so on.
Constantly working on your business, doing the daily grind can take it’s toll on you. It has on me many, many times.
So what should you do to help when you’re feeling overwhelmed and down about how your business is going?
When you’re creating a photography business, make sure you take time to pause and reflect.
Growing a business means focusing on the future, goals, where you want to be. Yet, you must stop. Pause. Take a moment to reflect.
Remind yourself where you started. Look at what you have accomplished in the past year, six months, six weeks, or even few days.
Reflecting can show you how much you really have grown.
I had shared in my Facebook Group for Photographers all the things I have done when creating a photography business to attract new clients. When I sat down to write out everything I was blown away. I had forgotten many of the things I had tried, and how hard I worked to find clients in those early days. It brought me both a little chuckle and a true sense of pride in how far I have come.
The next practice to incorporate regularly is to focus on gratitude.
When was the last time you sat down and wrote down 3 things you were grateful for today? Even further, when was the last time you wrote down 3 things you were grateful for in your photography business?
Changing your narrative from I want (or need) more, more, more to being grateful for the clients you have can help calm the overwhelmed mind. It helps put things into perspective and also allows you to move forward with a refreshed attitude.
With your renewed perspective you can create content from a better place. This will help you better serve your current clients as you’re truly grateful for them, not focused on getting someone else.
Another practice to do when creating a photography business is to put out into the universe what you’re looking for.
If you have not done any mindset work, or work in manifestation, this may sound a little crazy. However, I encourage you to consider it. Coming from a place of gratitude what if you spoke out loud, or wrote in a journal, or told a friend, or shared in a group what you want for your business? What if you asked the universe for exactly what you want in your business?
I am not saying that it won’t still take you work. But speaking out what you want helps you focus on what actually matters, it helps you focus your efforts, and gives you direction.
Finally, remember to focus on your why.
Oftentimes, frustrations in your lack of business growth is because you’re focused on more. More money. More clients. More business.
Of course you want more money and more clients. And that is okay. You’re not in business to spend money. Yet, when we get so focused on money and not why we started our business in the first place, we come from a place of desperation.
Focusing on your why can root you back into your passion. It can spark that joy again and help you push through the ceiling in growing your business.
These few simple practices can help you when you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, and frustrated with creating a photography business. They can remind you how far you’ve come, why you’re working so hard, and what you’re really after. The best part? You can do them anytime, anywhere. Try one of these strategies right now.
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