3 WAYS TO OUTSOURCE WITHOUT OUTSOURCING YOUR CRAFT | ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY AND SMALL BUSINESS EDUCATION
OUTSOURCING: THE HOW, THE WHEN, THE WHY.
The first thing my students say to me when I begin talking about outsourcing is: βbut my editing style is such a large part of my work and my brand? How can I trust someone to edit as I do?β
Creatives often associate Outsourcing with the creative workflow in their business. However, there are dozens of other ways to Outsource in your business so you are not wearing all of the hats, walking the path to burnout. If you are not feeling ready to Outsource your editing or certain parts of your creative process, here are some tangible ways to Outsource leaving you with more time to do what you love.
01. INVEST IN A CRM SYSTEM
Are you still answering all of your lead emails personally?
Are you entering your appointments into your calendar manually?
Are you still playing back and forth with potential clients around when they can meet on the phone for a consultation call?
Are you still reminding your clients that they have an upcoming session and what to prepare for?
Are you still sending out contracts, invoices & payment reminders manually?
FULL STOP!!!
If any of these apply to you, it's time to invest in a client management system immediately. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a technology for managing all your company's relationships and interactions with customers and potential customers. The goal is simple: Improve business relationships. Who doesnβt want that? A CRM system helps companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability.
Many of my students and peers have been hesitant to invest in a CRM system because they believe doing things βthe old-fashionedβ way is more authentic. But the reality is, that's absolutely not true. When you invest in a CRM system, you tailor each and every part of it to your brand, your voice, and your business workflows. The experience is empowering. It is an opportunity to streamline all of your modes of communication and backend systems. On top of that, you can brand everything from fonts and logos to colors and tones. Itβs like a full business refresh that leads to less stress, more time, beautiful proposals, contracts + invoices, and overall, a better customer experience from start to finish.
SAMPLE CRM SYSTEMS FOR CREATIVES:
Dubsado
Honeybook
Hubspot
2. FINANCES + ACCOUNTING
One of my favorite topics!!
Listen carefully. There is absolutely no reason why you should be managing your finances alone and there is also no reason to be managing your finances anywhere but QuickBooks. Early on in my business, I used a Google Excel spreadsheet, it took hours and days of my time to look through my bank statements, and figure out what expenses were business, how many miles I drove Etc. What a waste of time!
I started my business in 2008 and waited tables to make ends meet until I had a robust enough following I got full-time. I went full-time in 2013, and by the end of the year, I had an accountant and bookkeeping team that are still with me today! Just like I am an expert photographer, they are experts with money and small businesses. We migrated my company to QuickBooks, and my life has never felt more at ease around money in my life. All of my accounts are separate, I use Stripe as a third-party funnel which ends up in my business checking.
Not only does my accounting team prepare and keep us on track with quarterly reports, but they have also guided me in the right direction when it comes to retirement, investments, personal bonuses, and write-offs. Do NOT wait another day - I only pay $300-350 a month and itβs the best money out that enhances what I can bring in.
3. ADMIN: HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
The number one reason people put off hiring a VA (virtual assistant) is that the thought of getting started is overwhelming. And, we tell ourselves we cannot afford it (not true, some budget items may need to shift but it is manageable).
We all have our own private, dysfunctional ways of doing things and it can feel vulnerable to share some of the less organized systems in our businesses with someone else. Thatβs even more of a reason to hire one!
Personally, I really care about being the voice behind my client communication and my social media, so those are not places I outsource to my VA. However, there are still one million other things that have to be done to run a successful business.
Here are some recent tasks I have outsourced to my VA directly from our project google doc:
Convert the blog post below to a consolidated βfreebieβ and an IG Story in Canva using the Katie Monroe Commercial Photo color palette
Convert my βbrand identity guideβ to 7-10 IG posts for Katie Monroe Photography Instagram in Planoly
MARKET RESEARCH AND OUTREACH: Go the second tab labeled βAd Agenciesβ on the google sheet above. The task is to email all of these businesses. Most of these advertising agencies will have a website FORM to fill out, please fill it out as though you are me with the info and message below. If there is an email, please add to the email tab on this google sheet.
MAINTAINING INDUSTRY RELATIONSHIPS: Please email the body email below to all of the vendors on my Kreate Wedding Photography Preferred Vendor List (she emailed all of my industry connections personally, from my email with a safe login. Maintaining relationships in such a personal way is crucial to success, but I do NOT have time to do these tasks!).
Best Virtual Assistant Services of 2022:
Best Overall: Time etc.
Best for Solopreneurs: Prialto.
Best for Small Businesses: Upwork.
Best for On-Demand Tasks: Fancy Hands.
Best for Specialized VAs: Belay.
Best for Rush Projects: Magic.
“You canβt be creative if youβre burnt out.”
My goal is to lift and empower photographers and creatives by offering valuable resources and tangible action plans.
In a recent survey answered by 1,500 creatives, 66% of creatives had suffered burnout at least once. 72% of them also described spending more money on their creative practice than they make. Whaaaat? It's stats like these that make me want to continue educating and inspiring creatives to take back their power through strategically implementing the right systems and software that will allow them to increase their income and free up extra time to perfect their craft from an authentic place (not a desperate one).
Our time is valuable and resources can feel low at times. Take back your power, take back your time and focus on the things that spark joy, creativity, and fulfillment beyond a paycheck!
