Photography and The Small Business Community

To kick off 2015, I’m very excited to formally announce a series of new photography services for small business. You can read the specifics here, but this post is more about how the offering came to be.

Running a small business is tough, even when things are going well. The demands are never-ending, and “delegation” is a term I seem to have left in the corporate world.

As my own journey into working full-time as a headshot and portrait photographer has unfolded, I’ve had to learn about all aspects of running a small business — everything from accounting to marketing. In fact, saying I’m a full-time photographer is a bit of stretch: yes, I’m engaged full-time in running my photography business, but only some of that time is spent behind the camera.

If you’ve ever pursued an entrepreneurial venture, you know what I mean: it seems like you’ve got to spend a lot of time doing the thing that is not “your thing” in order for people to see that you can do “your thing” well.

Keeping up a social media presence and website can be some of the most time-consuming things we’ve got to do to help our small businesses succeed. And I’ve actually got an advantage there: as a photographer, I’ve got a steady supply of good images to use for blog posts and Facebook updates. I know from talking with other small business owners that the social media slog is even tougher when you don’t have the tools on hand to make quality images whenever you need them.

Working on various projects with all kinds of professionals in Gurnee, Libertyville, and the broader Lake County and Chicagoland area, I’ve realized when I do my thing, I’m actually in a perfect position to help my fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners get back to doing their thing.

I’ve got experience with headshots, lifestyle portraits, and photographing interiors and real estate. These are very different kinds of work requiring very different equipment and expertise — trust me. There’s a lot to be said for focusing on just one discipline, but now I’ve realized that, together, these services form a natural package that meet the needs of small business owners. I can help the folks who, like me, want to present themselves and their business to the world with polish and professionalism. They need sharp headshots of their people, great images of their products, and inviting pictures of their space.  

My goal in 2015 is to get our small businesses looking their best, one shoot at a time. We often hear of the importance of small businesses in our economy. It is so true, entrepreneurs are vital to every community. It’s time we look the part.

So if you’re a small business owner, give me a call and let’s get started. If you notice your favorite local business (salon, restaurant, bakery, insurance agent, dentist, accountant) could use some help, let the owner know of my offering. Ask them to contact me, or any local photographer.