28BRIDGING THE GAPSUCCESS
u In photography, the technology gap has
closed between professionals, enthusiasts,
and the general public. Gone are the days
when photographers could set themselves
apart by owning and knowing how to oper-
ate the most advanced camera equipment.
To remain viable entrepreneurs today, pro-
fessional photographers must differentiate
themselves through their professionalism.
Creating effective business systems is part of
that differentiation.
Crystal Washington is a technology strat-
egist and futurist who’s spent years exam-
ining ways that entrepreneurs can build
better businesses by creating effective pro-
cesses with technology. She’s well versed
in the concerns of PPA members since her
husband is a professional photographer, and
she’ll be sharing her insights at Imaging USA
2020 in January.
Washington urges photographers to focus
on the underlying processes they need to run
more efficient businesses. With that under-
standing, they can build out systems using
simple tech tools to make the business more
automated and more adaptable to customer
service.
“This is about making sure you’re using
technology to become a super photogra-
pher,” says Washington. “If you do this pro-
cess well, you can actually use technology to
make your business more automated and
more personalized.”SYSTEMIZE FOR SUCCESS
Look at how you can systemize your busi-
ness, says Washington. Many photographers
—and entrepreneurs in general—are amaz-ing at their craft but less adept at creating
good business systems. If you want to have
an efficient business with the potential for
growth, good business systems are essential.
Washington suggests starting with a brain-
storming session. Consider how you could cre-
ate a turnkey system that provides value to your
customers. Certain processes are ripe for au-
tomation, like contact, billing, and appoint-
ment reminders. Start with several lists:- All the things required for a session to
run smoothly. - The daily tasks you have to perform
for client communications and business
management. - What you need to do so you’re not drop-
ping the ball when it comes to the client
experience.
Then consider how you can automate as
many of those elements as possible.
“Help your clients understand that they
are dealing with an expert, not just an artist,”
says Washington. “That will color their per-
ception of the work. When you show that you
are an expert working at a higher level in all
areas of the business, that helps your client
see you and your work in a better light.”
FIND YOUR PLATFORM
When you look at specific technology appli-
cations, choices abound. The key is to find
solutions that can fit together into a co-
hesive system so you’re able to man-
age multiple processes without
logging in and out of 25 dif-
ferent programs. Washington
recommends starting your re-
search by reaching out to yourTECH SAVVY
AUTOMATION AND PERSONALIZATION
AT YOUR SERVICE
by Jeff Kent