(no subject)
Look! I'm updating my livejournal!
Here's an old thought, but what that frustrates me. I'm working my ass off to make a real job out of this photography business I've created, but the world doesn't seem to be cooperating with me. It's not just people unwilling to pay me for my services (though there is plenty of that), but it's rather the great number of people and places that want a chunk of my money for questionable promises of returns.
Let me break it down for you...
Things I've had to shell out money for, so far this year...
Fee for a Fairfax Small Business Marketing night ($30 just to get my business cards out there)
Printing up fliers to post about ($0.59 each for the fancy color ones, about $0.11 for the cheap black and white ones)
Registering my business with the state
New Business cards ($60)
New mid range lens to replace one that died on me (about $360, but I sold the dead one on ebay for $80, so I guess you can subtract that from it.)
Upgrade for my photo editing program ($90)
Props and costume for different shoots (I'd guess somewhere around $100 spread out over 5 or 6 shoots. Thank dog for Plato's Closet)
Equipment rentals for different event photography jobs (Somewhere around $200 spread over 2 different events)
Things I am currently paying a reoccurring fee for...
Flickr Pro account ($25ish a year)
Smugmug ($200 a year)
Insurance (I don't want to tell you, but it ain't fun)
Membership at a local Photography Studio ($10/Month)
Things I might need to pay a subscription fee for or that want me to pay a subscription fee for in order to get the really good stuff...
PPA membership
Actors Center membership
Weebly Pro
A hosting site for said weebly pro account (GoDaddy or some such)
ModelMayhem premium
SuicideGirls.com (If I want to be applicable to apply to be a staff photog for them.)
Models.com
MarketingTool.com (I think their last offer was $279 for six months on their premium list)
Mineeds.com (anywhere from $20 a month to $200 a month)
Weddingwire.com (I don't remember, honestly, but it was a lot)
ViewBug.com membership ($139 a year)
Now, it's not that I'm just being cranky about this. It's that this is a lot of money to risk on things that might be helpful in the long run. MarketingTool and Mineeds in particular, would be great IF they actually deliver the results they claim. But who knows, really? I don't have the extra funds to just take a chance right now.
Oh, and a big screw you to Facebook for their new approach to marketing through them. Only 10% of my followers see my post unless I pay you guys big money? That's not cool guys. Not cool at all.
Anyway, I'm just trying to organize my thoughts here. Hopefully things will start to clear up a bit in the near future. I've got a lot of work coming my way right now, between fight gigs, teaching gigs and the occasional photography gig. I just need to set myself and hope for the best.
Here's an old thought, but what that frustrates me. I'm working my ass off to make a real job out of this photography business I've created, but the world doesn't seem to be cooperating with me. It's not just people unwilling to pay me for my services (though there is plenty of that), but it's rather the great number of people and places that want a chunk of my money for questionable promises of returns.
Let me break it down for you...
Things I've had to shell out money for, so far this year...
Fee for a Fairfax Small Business Marketing night ($30 just to get my business cards out there)
Printing up fliers to post about ($0.59 each for the fancy color ones, about $0.11 for the cheap black and white ones)
Registering my business with the state
New Business cards ($60)
New mid range lens to replace one that died on me (about $360, but I sold the dead one on ebay for $80, so I guess you can subtract that from it.)
Upgrade for my photo editing program ($90)
Props and costume for different shoots (I'd guess somewhere around $100 spread out over 5 or 6 shoots. Thank dog for Plato's Closet)
Equipment rentals for different event photography jobs (Somewhere around $200 spread over 2 different events)
Things I am currently paying a reoccurring fee for...
Flickr Pro account ($25ish a year)
Smugmug ($200 a year)
Insurance (I don't want to tell you, but it ain't fun)
Membership at a local Photography Studio ($10/Month)
Things I might need to pay a subscription fee for or that want me to pay a subscription fee for in order to get the really good stuff...
PPA membership
Actors Center membership
Weebly Pro
A hosting site for said weebly pro account (GoDaddy or some such)
ModelMayhem premium
SuicideGirls.com (If I want to be applicable to apply to be a staff photog for them.)
Models.com
MarketingTool.com (I think their last offer was $279 for six months on their premium list)
Mineeds.com (anywhere from $20 a month to $200 a month)
Weddingwire.com (I don't remember, honestly, but it was a lot)
ViewBug.com membership ($139 a year)
Now, it's not that I'm just being cranky about this. It's that this is a lot of money to risk on things that might be helpful in the long run. MarketingTool and Mineeds in particular, would be great IF they actually deliver the results they claim. But who knows, really? I don't have the extra funds to just take a chance right now.
Oh, and a big screw you to Facebook for their new approach to marketing through them. Only 10% of my followers see my post unless I pay you guys big money? That's not cool guys. Not cool at all.
Anyway, I'm just trying to organize my thoughts here. Hopefully things will start to clear up a bit in the near future. I've got a lot of work coming my way right now, between fight gigs, teaching gigs and the occasional photography gig. I just need to set myself and hope for the best.