Being my first year in business, 2011 was a HUGE learning experience for me! I learned, sometimes the hard way, how quickly being a small business owner, with a full time job at another company AND two little kids can be overly consuming. I started getting really burnt out and got to a point where I wasn't "feeling" my worth. I quickly decided that 2012 was going to bring a lot of changes!
The first change was my price increase (2012 pricing can be found HERE). As I wanted to built clientele and relationships, I had extremely low pricing. While I pretty much worked for nothing the entire year (actually, just that...NOTHING. I made pretty close to $0 profit in 2011) I do not regret a minute of it. I appreciate all of my long time friends as well as new friends who fully believed in me and helped to grow my business. I am so grateful for the amount of work I was able to obtain and was incredibly blessed to meet so many new, amazing, wonderful people along the way from clients to vendors to fellow photographers.
The second change was to sit back and decide "what" I really wanted my business to be. I really don't have the time or energy to be a "jack of all trades" photographer. I made a decision - actually a no-brainer decision - that I would aim my business towards the photography of newborns, children and families. It is what I love; children are my absolute passion and I couldn't see myself in any other business!
The third change was to "rebrand" my business. Sure I had a logo and a letterhead and a few other materials, but I quickly tired of all of it. I started feeling like I just slapped the pieces together and just settled on something because it was easy. So, once I decided on a color scheme for the "new: Levenhagen Photography (gray and yellow) it was time to start working on designs. I am so over the top happy with my branding package now. I spent so much time on it, everything is cohesive, and it is totally "me".
Finally, I made a decision to be COMPLETELY organized. From the storage of my props and equipment to the filing of contracts and other paperwork to the digital backup procedures I practice. I have invested a small amount of money in software and programs that I feel will make my business one hundred times more proficient and successful.
So, looking ahead for this year and many more years, I am feeling great about my business and where it is going.
