Ever find it difficult to carve out time for yourself? To step back and look at your business in a new way? Finding that time is hard, but worth it. Without an influx of ideas, your creativity and drive can weaken. Why do you think companies give employees vacation? Taking a few days to recharge means a more productive, creative mind can return. And that's why PPA created Imaging USA.

Imaging USA is the largest annual convention and expo organized by pro photographers, for pro photographers. It's our way of combining everything you need for business and artistic growth with a vacation from the daily grind!

Can You Block Off 3 Days?
The January 20-22, 2013 event will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. That's just three days to block off your schedule for; three days to focus on your business and your creative needs as an artist. And in those three days, you might discover something new that changes the way you do business, thanks to the education, trade show, and networking.

"Nobody wants to become irrelevant. Attending conventions like Imaging USA gives us the resources and inspiration to keep on top of what's out there," add Dave and Quin Cheung, who will also be speaking at the 2013 show. "Whether it's a new perspective for craft or profit, an open mind can learn from everyone you meet at Imaging USA." 

Longstanding PPA member Tim Babin, Cr.Photog., of Babin Photography agrees. "The education that you find at Imaging USA is astounding, but the people and friends I've met--people I trust to give me good information--are the best parts."

Sound like a good use of your time? As a PPA member, you can opt for a single full-convention registration pass (just $129), or add one or two guests to your registration. Non-PPA members can attend, and anyone who to joins PPA as a Professional Active member gets to go for free! (Of course, for an additional fee, you could always come early for some more in-depth, hands-on pre-convention classes.)

It's up to you how to spend the time you invest in yourself, but the first step is taking that time. So give yourself a vacation with real ROI for your business and art: Learn how at www.ImagingUSA.org.

It's probably safe to say that most of us have heard of Pinterest by now. With over a million "pins" per week, it's a pretty successful social media platform! But do you know how to use it legally? PPA has a free member webinar on that topic on July 31, so tune in and gather up safety tips for Pinterest.

Now's the perfect time for PPA members to use their FedEx Office benefit. Why? You can double your savings on color copies, posters, signs, banners, direct mail services, and much more through May 2013--saving 30-40%! PPA members can log in here for details.

Simply put, a benchmark is a standard by which something can be measured or judged. What does that have to do with PPA benefits? Well, PPA surveys hundreds of photographers and studios across the country to establish benchmarks specifically for you! It's PPA's Financial Benchmark Survey, Analysis & Toolset.

Where They Come From
To develop these tools, we collect photographers' financial data, analyze it with accountants from our Studio Management Services (SMS) team, and then establish benchmarks (or goalposts) for different financial categories. These benchmarks are designed to help you set sales and expense targets, and then use those targets to develop goals for your business. The end result is a unique set of tools to help you set goals and measure your studio against many others in key financial areas (cost of sales, revenue, expenses, net profit and so on).

So far, PPA has held three surveys--2005, 2008 and 2011--and the latest survey is being analyzed right now!

How They Can Help
In a sense, the Benchmark Surveys provide financial snapshots of the industry, showing what it takes to achieve specific financial results in a photography business. For example, they make the connection between your total sales and your take-home profit, so you can determine how much you need to sell to support your family. They also help you gauge expenses, like how much you're really spending to produce your products and operate your studio.

"The Benchmark Survey has been a good way to measure our costs to an industry standard," says Susan Hoermann, M.Photog., CPP, of Evergreen Studios in Texas. "It gives us an overview of where our industry is headed, what is an acceptable cost of sales and where we are in relation to other businesses."

In fact, with the Benchmark Survey findings, you'll discover not just where you should be, but where you could be profit-wise...and start learning how to get there.

Benchmark Resources
To get a sneak peek at the 2011 Benchmark Survey results, watch "How to Measure Success: Key Findings from PPA's 2011 Benchmark Survey." If you have an Online Learning Pass, you can get this and unlimited access to all live and archived webinars for just $99!

PPA's Studio Management Services team has created a suite of nifty Self-Evaluation Tools to answer some questions that members often ask about their finances and their business plans. A brand-new version is coming soon, but in the meantime, these free tools will guide you step-by-step in calculating how your studio measures up to the Benchmarks:

• How Does Your Studio's Cost of Sales Compare to the Benchmark?
• How Does Your Studio's Overhead Compare to the Benchmark?
• How Does Your Studio's Marketing Compare to the Benchmark?

You can also check out free online articles,  PPA Benchmark Reports and the PPA Business Handbook for more critical insight on what it takes to run a profitable business--and how the PPA benchmarks can help.

A new fee is coming very soon from Visa that has industry experts scratching their heads.

In April of this year, Visa will be adding a Fixed Acquirer Network Fee (FANF) for all merchants. Simply put, it is a monthly, fixed fee for the right to do business with them and will vary based on a number of criteria: how many locations a merchant has, gross sales volumes and whether the card/customer are present for swiping.

According to Visa, the fixed fee for merchant acquirers is expected to be $2 per month for about 60% of merchants and $5 or less per month for about 80% of merchants. Merchants with several locations and/or high volume will be harder hit, but Visa did say it will be waiving the fee for acquirers that work with "qualifying charitable organizations."

MasterCard^® is not far behind, planning to introduce a new annual fee sometime in July 2012.

Unfortunately, there is little anyone can do to buffer the effects of new fee compliances set by Visa or MasterCard. Having gone from a single interchange rate to more than 500, it's not surprising businesses struggle navigating information and the myriad of fee configurations that exist today. That's why it is as important as ever to work with a processing company you trust.

Call Midwest Transaction Group (MTG) at 1.888.599.2209 with any questions you might have in regards to this new fee or for clarification. MTG is a PPA Member Benefit Provider, and they will continue to keep you informed on industry changes and do their best to guide you through complex interchange pricing. They know how important it is to understand what the fee structures mean for you and your business.

Heard the good news? PPA is now providing a $15,000 equipment insurance policy for every U.S.-based Professional Active and Life member, and it costs you nothing to enroll. In just three steps, you can have $15,000 of equipment insurance coverage as a part of your PPA membership:

1. Log in to www.PPA.com with your user name and password.
2. Look under the My PPA tab (top left).
3. Click on the "Yes, I would like to opt in for PhotoCare Equipment Insurance!" (in the upper left corner of the page).

Learn more about the PhotoCare Equipment Insurance benefit here.

As a photographer, the one thing you probably love more than (or at least as much as) creating a beautiful photograph is the gear you use to capture it. We don't just mean your prized camera, but also the lenses, the lights, the tripods and even the laptop and other computer gear you use to produce the finished product!

Recognizing your love of gear and the role it can play in helping you stay ahead of the competition, PPA has offered members the ability to access free and affordable equipment coverage. We want to make sure that we're helping you protect not only the equipment you love, but your livelihood as well. Read more here.

Every day we hear something on the news about Capitol Hill and legal or governmental issues. Many of us tend to tune it out after a while because it becomes difficult to sift through the subjects to find the ones that really impact us...and even then it's just plain hard to understand what's going on!

But that doesn't mean it's not important to know what's going on. Will a legal decision affect your business? Is there a law being debated that will help or hinder your copyrights? As the only professional photographic association with a full-time Copyright & Government Affairs staff that maintains a regular presence on Capitol Hill, PPA has dedicated itself to protecting and defending your intellectual property and livelihood. We can help you focus your attention where needed.

Here is a quick look at some important issues you should be watching.

If you've ever met me, you know that I can be...enthusiastic...exuberant...excitable when something excellent is happening. I want to shout it from the rooftops, sing off-key and start a conga line when good news comes my way. I love to celebrate when there's a reason (and sometimes for no reason at all!).

PPA members have plenty of reasons to celebrate being part of the largest non-profit association in our industry. Great discounts and services. Amazing educational opportunities. Indemnification Trust. International Photographic Competition. All are great reasons to be a PPA member. These reasons get me to climb the stairs, warm up my vocal cords, and strap on my dancing shoes.

But it's PhotoCare that has me bursting through the doors and belting out to all that PPA is the only association paying the premiums for $15,000 worth of equipment insurance for eligible members. Why? Because we understand what's important to you. Because we're not-for-profit. Because we want you to keep doing what you love and make a profit while doing it.

And if you want to join in the enthusiastic celebration over PhotoCare, the conga line is forming to the left of me. Drums are optional.

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Give your customers an online viewing and ordering experience they will love with this amazing Extreme Deal from ImageQuix: PPA members get one year of Unlimited Uploads with ImageQuix for only $99 when they sign up by September 9 (a $249 savings).

That savings is just icing on the cake! ImageQuix provides an exciting, easy to use, and profitable e-commerce experience for you and your clients. It's designed to ensure your photography stands out and your revenue is maximized, thanks to the fastest image uploading software, the user-friendly ordering interface, and flexible order fulfillment.

ImageQuix has been partnering with professional photographers for over 14 years, and now's your best chance to see why more pros use them than any other online proofing system. Sign up by September 9 to enjoy your Extreme Deal!