When I fill in forms at the doctor's office or more recently, for Miss H's pre-school, "Photographer" is what I write in the 'Occupation' section. As a self-employed entrepreneur, it's always weird.. no.. AWKWARD when I'm asked, "So what do you do?" What do I do??.. Well, what DON'T I do??! I'm incredibly passionate about everything I do & it makes it difficult to narrow my answer down to "I'm a photographer".
Yes, I am a photographer. I'm paid to take photos of people & that income pays bills. I take care of my own marketing, I edit & retouch my own images, I have built my own website, I research & test all the products we offer & I take care of all the sales, legal & financial aspects of my business. But I'm also a graphic designer; I design invitations & prints for my couples & families. I'm also a writer; I write for my own blog here, as well as for the local newspaper. And then, of course, my number one job in life, I'm a mother of two crazy kids! I pick up leggos all day, I buy items from their play shop that were already mine, I monitor their Nutella to bread ratios & I'm the resident "hand & breath smeller" to ensure hands were washed & teeth have been brushed. RECAP
Mother & Wife (Includes various roles)
Photographer
Editing & Retouching
Finance
Marketing
Sales
Web Design
Graphic Designer
Product Testing
Blogger
Columnist
So you can understand the dilemma when I'm asked "So, what do you do?". My reply? "Well, Bill, what DON'T I do?" This opens up the door for me to tell 'Bill' that I'm a self-employed full-service photographer, which has opened up the graphic design door for me, as well as the opportunity to have my own blog & write for the local paper. I don't need to explain to Bill that I take care of all the other aspects of my business, because it's implied when I say "self-employed full-service".
I don't need to run off the long list of roles I have & the specifics of each role, because there is an incredibly huge chance that;
Bill is familiar with the work it takes to run a successful business
Bill was just trying to make conversation & doesn't REALLY want to know all the fine details
At this point, Bill may ask questions about my business & want to know more about what I offer my clients.. OR, Bill may very likely tell me about his photographer friend who has a really big camera that takes cool photos of smooth water. At which point, I will try desperately not to roll my eyes & remember that Bill doesn't have a clue.
There's really no set rules for answering this question. No right or wrong way. ACTUALLY! No! There is a wrong way to answer this question! When I first began to get paid for my work, I wasn't making enough to feel the need to add my income to our family budget. I was barely making enough to break even with my COGs (Cost of Goods) & my CODB (Cost of Doing Business), that an "income" wasn't really a legitimate term for me. At a family function, I was asked by someone I'd never met before, "So, do you work? Or are you 'just a mum'?". Don't worry Mamas! He felt the wrath of my husband whom is a true advocate for stay at home mommas & I adore him for it! This totally threw me off my entrepreneurial game & I came out with "I am a full-time mum but I do photography on the side". "On the side" implies a number of things, that may not hold an ounce of truth, but first impressions are everything & people will make their own assumptions;
You aren't serious about your business
Your business is not successful enough, therefore, rendering it a "side" business
You aren't passionate enough about the work you produce
Side business = a little extra cash / Hobby that you get paid for
Now, for all 'just a mum' knows, it was a side business because I had a small child & I didn't know how to manage work & motherhood. Yes, this was a factor, but the main factor, in my situation, was because I was still testing the waters & wrapping my head around the fact that people would PAY ME to take photos of them! Sure, back then, I was a shoot & burn photographer (shoot the photos, burn to cd.. "Happy doing business with ya!"). Shoot & burn is nowhere near the same income as full-service & there's a reason for it; there is NOWHERE NEAR as much work involved with shoot & burn as there is for full-service. And the monetary difference is THOUSANDS! As a shoot & burn photographer, I was making $150 a session for photos on a cd. Currently, my smallest collection is $250 + $150 retainer = $400!! Throughout my shoot & burn days I had NO IDEA of my worth & how to price my work accordingly, partly because I wasn't educated enough & partly because I could not fathom being paid to do something I loved anyway! When I decided that this was how I wanted to support my family, I decided that I had to do things differently. I got educated, not only in photography, but in the different products & services available, the needs of my clients & more importantly, how to build a successful business. THIS was the difference between "on the side" & "self-employed". THIS was the difference between "spending money" & "income". THIS was the difference between "sink" or "swim". Don't get confused. Charging more doesn't make it legitimate! Pricing your products accordingly, understanding the NEED to pay yourself a wage & covering all your COGs & CODB, AS WELL AS providing amazing service to your clients, THAT is what makes you a legitimate business owner.
EDUCATION
Education is what changed it all for me. I sign up for every webinar, seminar, class & workshop. I read as much as I can, not only on photography, but on finance, legal documents, up & coming products, sales techniques.. everything I can get my hands on, I learn as much as I possibly can. I research vendors & get to know the people behind the products. I meet with other photographers, other entrepreneurs, & converse on issues that we've all faced or are currently facing.
Educating yourself, whether you take a class or you read free content online, is the key to answering the "So, what do you do?" question, without an awkward reply.
I hope this helps you, photographer or not, shoot & burn or not, "just a mum" or not.. I hope this helps you to step your game up & own your role as a business owner!
**Characters are fictional.. except for 'Just a mum'.. he was very real & my husband did in-deed have words with him. ***Like this post? Subscribe to our mailing list for more fantastic content. I promise not to sell your information to the internet underworld or fill your inbox with "sales" that are "ending soon" -_-
Erin Michele .x
