After the New Year's celebration is complete, many of us are brought back to reality by resolutions that have snuck up on us. We make these resolutions with good intentions, but by mid-January, some of us are already heading off course. While PPA can't help you exercise more, we can help make 2010 a great year for your business. To help move your business forward, we have put together a three-part series that takes typical New Year's resolutions and applies them to your studio.

To start the year off right, we've decided to tackle one of the more troublesome resolutions first—slimming down.

It's not uncommon to get wrapped up in your work and let the little things fall by the wayside. But by streamlining your business, you can make a huge impact on the profitability and efficiency of your studio. Whether you cut back on office expenses or automate a process, getting rid of the excess allows you to make room for what is important: your clients.

Where to Streamline
Before you make any changes, it is important to evaluate where your business currently stands and where you want it to be. Randomly cutting expenses and changing procedures without a plan can lead to even more confusion and excess.

Start off by setting up a meeting with any business partners or employees who are involved with your studio. This is a great time to discuss options and bounce ideas off of one another. Any changes that you make to the business will have an impact on these individuals, so it is important to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

Another set of individuals who will be affected by these changes are your clients, so keep them in mind at all times. While most of what you will be streamlining is behind the scenes, your clients are still affected by how you run your business. For example, when going over your business expenses, take into account whether something can be eliminated or just needs to be done differently. There is a big difference between eliminating those customer e-mail confirmations and changing how they are sent. It is not worth saving money on an expense if you are going to lose revenue as a result.

How to Streamline
There are multiple methods for streamlining a business, but don't get lost in the options! The more fine-tuned your "slimming down" resolution is, the more likely you'll be to follow through on it. A good idea is the pick one or two goals and focus on them. For example, scan through these ideas and consider what would best benefit your business. Many of these ideas are easy to accomplish and have the potential to make a big impact.

• Use less paper – It may seem like a simple idea, but this one step can improve multiple areas of your business. By reducing the amount of paper that your studio utilizes, you can save both time and space. Get started by making a list of every piece of paper your studio uses and decide if that piece of paper is absolutely necessary. Some of it is essential—especially contracts and legal forms—but you might come across some paperwork that can either be reduced or completed electronically. By cutting back on paper, you will spend less money buying it, spend less time digging through files and use less space storing it all. And don't forget about the good you'll be doing for the environment!
• Tidy up your workspace – A clear desk helps keep a clear mind. A good way to reduce clutter is to make sure that everything has a place. Get a file holder and dedicate space to paperwork that needs to be done, needs follow-up and needs to be put away. Use organizers in your desk drawers so you don't have to go digging around for a paper clip. By simply keeping your workspace organized, you can reduce both the stress and the time it takes to locate what you need (not to mention that a clean office leaves a good impression on clients).
• Organize your files (paper and digital) – Files are a necessary evil for running a business...and they aren't only image files! You need to keep track of financial information, vendor invoices and contracts. Whether you keep the paper copies or have them transferred onto your computer, organizing your files will save you time and the headache of searching through scattered and unorganized files. Pick a system that works best for you and stick to it—it doesn't matter if you file by date or by client, just as long as you know where everything belongs. Once you've organized your current files, make it a priority to file all new paperwork into the proper place.

How PPA Can Help
One of the greatest resources that you have access to as a PPA member is Studio Management Services (SMS). This team of experienced accountants and successful mentors can work with you to build a more profitable business. SMS not only helps you tackle the big issues like business planning and financial management, but their assistance can also impact the more minute details, such as workflow and time management.

Another resource that you shouldn't pass up is PPA's Financial Benchmark Survey. Conducted by SMS, the new survey results—and all the accompanying resources—were just released January 1, 2010, and contain valuable financial information for professional photographers. By comparing your studio's performance to those in the survey, you get a better understanding of how top-performing studios run their business. This allows you to evaluate your current finances and see where you can streamline or adjust your own studio's budget.

Keep in mind that every step you take in your business makes an impact. Even small, everyday tasks leave their mark. Regardless of how long your studio has been in business or how much business knowledge you have, it can't hurt to review your finances and business operations. Take the time to do some evaluating and make 2010 the year to streamline your business.

What You Can Do Now

• If you haven't already, read over PPA's Financial Benchmark Survey and find out how successful studios run their businesses...and how your studio compares.
• Check out the upcoming Benchmark Series Webinars, which includes "Meeting the PPA Benchmark: Top-performing Retail Studios Tell Us How They Did It." All of the webinar topics and dates are listed on the Webinar page and the Benchmark Resources page of PPA.com.
• You can find a multitude of helpful tips by watching past SMS webinars. A great place to start is the "How to Turn a Struggling Photography Business into a Goldmine" webinar—you'll discover strategies for increasing your studio's bottom line.
• If you need help getting your studio off the ground, utilize the Small Business Planner tool provided by the Small Business Administration. There, you can find tips and articles on how to plan and start your own small business.