Today’s guest blogger is a wonderful photographer and person who I met when she won a seat to the very first Seniorologie Tour in Atlanta.  Melissa Hunt of Melissa Lynn Hunt Photography in North Carolina and she has not only attended the first tour but also came to the California tour and was a huge help!!  Melissa is sharing her tips for how staying on a schedule helps maintain a successful business and still have time for your family!

I am really excited to be here giving advice to fellow photographers! I have learned so many valuable lessons since first starting my business. I often find myself saying, “If only I knew this at the beginning!” I jump at the chance to share these little tips with anyone who is just starting out. After all if we can help each other we inevitably help the photography industry!

Today I want to talk about the importance of setting a schedule and sticking to it. As you start to get inquiries and are booking sessions it is very, very, exciting! You finally have people wanting YOU to be their photographer. You probably find yourself booking a session at every opportunity you can, almost afraid to say no when a prospective client is requesting a date that you really didn’t want to work.  Afraid that if you say no they will take their business elsewhere. That is exactly what I was thinking. I found myself booking dates that were essentially taking me away from my family. I was missing important moments with my son and opportunities to go places with my family, even missing important family time in the evenings. Just being together in the same room wasn’t happening anymore and I missed it. My family missed me. I knew I had to get a schedule together, and fast.

The whole reason I wanted my own photography business to begin with was because I could make my own schedule.

As you know it’s not just the photo session that takes you away.  It’s the correspondence before and after the session. The time it takes in preparing your equipment. The time spent it takes in editing. Don’t forget about the ordering session time too! The list goes on and on.

So after 2 years of this craziness I made a list of all the factors I would need to consider when making a schedule.

1. I identified the senior portrait season in my area.  It runs June through November.
2. I also took into consideration that I include professional hair/makeup in my sessions and would need to consider my artist’s schedule.
3. I then considered a potential client’s typical schedule and daily life.
4. I took into account when I would want to be off of work. When I would want family time, me time, and time to take vacations.
5. Lastly I took into consideration how much money I needed to earn per month.

I came up with a schedule that worked perfectly to fit my needs! It is a schedule that if for some (awesome) reason it filled up completely, I could manage it without going bananas!

Here is what it looks like:

I schedule Senior Portrait Sessions and ordering appointments on Sundays and Mondays. (This gives my clients a weekend and weekday option.  These are also the days that my Hair/Makeup artist is not working in her salon.

I edit, do correspondence, package orders, etc when my son naps or is in preschool (2 days/week)

I also take into account that I photograph weddings and occasional family pictures. Weddings typically fall on Saturdays. I do not book more than two weddings a month. I prefer one a month. Family sessions get booked on the Sunday and Mondays that are not already booked with Seniors.

Now listen, I do make exceptions. There are times when I have to photograph or hold an ordering appointment on another day of the week. But I am the judge of that and it’s my call. Plus, if I have to book a Thursday for example, then I can simply go into my schedule and now make a Monday available for family time instead.

Now that I have a set schedule I am much happier. My family is much happier. Dinner is on the table way more than it used to be. My clients are also happy because I am consistent, predictable, and on time. These are three qualities that I believe are very important for a successful small business.

I hope my tiny experience can help you rethink your scheduling in a big way and get you on the right track!