Create a Photography Business Operating Manual For An Easy Work Day

Create an Operating Manual For An Easy Work Day - How do you get through your day? Do you use checklist and systems, and have a process mapped out for every piece of your business? Or do you reinvent new systems every time you have a job to do?

Creating systems makes your day run a lot smoother, and ultimately allows you to have more time doing the things that will grow your business.

Do you know that’s what makes a franchise so valuable? They’ve done all the legwork for you. They provide you with the specifics:

How to operate the store.
What suppliers to use.
How to hire employees.
How to sell the product.
How to advertise.

Plus they supply you with backend support in case you get stuck along the way. When you purchase a franchise, they provide you with an exact system. If you follow the system the way it was designed, you will succeed.

Creating your own operating manual will help you in the long run, even though as you are putting it together it may seem like a lot of work. I have notebooks, files and clipboards set up for every part of my workday. And because most of my work is online, I have created an elaborate filing system on my desktop to control my daily workload as well.

Start by tracking your daily workload. Depending on how your cycles work, you may have to track your action for a day, a week or even a month. As you do each thing, record in a journal what you do.

Contact potential customers
Free consultation meetings
Answer email from potential customers
Work production
Enter information into QuickBooks (or other accounting system)
File
Create marketing letters and brochures

As you write things down, you’ll begin to see things you do over and over again. How can you systemize these projects?

Then create a system that works for you, and one that you can easily show someone how to work. It’s nice having things organized if you do ever bring in help!