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It's often hard to be a photographer and a businessperson. And that's why PPA's Studio Management Services (SMS) is here. If you're ready to take a deeper look at your own business--and the ways that you can improve it--you only have three more chances this year!

(Don't forget: For an additional fee, you can add on an accountant/mentor consultation for even more personal business and marketing guidance. Limited on-site consultations are available with your 3-Day SMS Business Workshop.)

3-Day Business Workshop
July 26-28, 2010, Irvine, California
Instructor: Julia Woods, M.Photog.Cr.
Lecture-only Price: $599.00; and $299 for second attendee

2-Day Business Basics Workshop
November 6-7, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia
Instructor: Ann Monteith,
M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP
Price: $349; and $199 for second attendee

3-Day Business Workshop
November 8-10, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia
Instructors: Ann Monteith,
M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP, &
Mary Fisk-Taylor, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI, API
Lecture-only Price: $499.00; and $199 for second attendee

Before opening a studio of her own, Michelle Lindsay Caucutt was the director of marketing for a large family portrait operation. From 2005 to 2007, she shot some portraits and weddings on the side, and in 2008, she picked up the pace with the goal of going solo by year's end. Her plan was to make weddings her main source of income, with portrait sessions filling in the gaps. By July 2008, she felt ready to take the plunge, quitting her day job and opening Michelle Lindsay Photography.

The first year, Michelle booked 22 weddings. She also had that many booked at the beginning of the 2009 wedding season and was convinced she could increase her sales. To make that goal come true, she went to a PPA Studio Management Services (SMS) workshop in June 2009.

"Attending SMS completely changed my perspective on my business," Michelle notes. "Before the workshop, I thought I was years away from accomplishing many of my goals. But SMS made me realize that the biggest thing holding me back was myself."

What helped Michelle were the little things, perspectives and ideas that just hadn't occurred to her before--like the fact that she could project images for her clients in her 900 sq. ft. condo. "SMS gave me not only the knowledge, but the confidence to take smart risks," she adds. "As long as I understand my numbers, I can make major changes within the realms of what I am financially comfortable with."

Michelle's willingness to apply what she learned is paying off. With hard work, she increased her average wedding sales by 16 percent for the rest of 2009. Projected sales for the 2010 wedding season, based on her year-to-date bookings, are more than 30 percent higher than her average sales before she attended the SMS workshop and implemented the changes.

"Less than a year later, I have a beautiful home studio, am projecting a 30-percent increase in my average for 2010 and, most importantly, am running the business model I want and am seeing the difference and rewards in my sales," she says.

Top that off with her low cost of sales--just 16.5 percent in 2009, nearly 19 points better than the PPA Benchmark for home studios--and Michelle is poised for a very successful future.

Interested in attending an SMS class like Michelle did? You can learn more here.

Time is running out to attend one of PPA's intensive business-building workshops this year. Focused on growing your studio and helping you become more profitable, the 3-Day Business Workshop is geared to well established studios, and the 2-Day Business Basics Workshop is designed for new and emerging studios. Contact SMS at 888-851-0405 or sms@ppa.com to register now.

2-Day Business Basics Workshop

• June 26-27, 2010, Houston, Texas
  Ann Monteith, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP
  
• November 6-7, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia
  Ann Monteith, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP
  

3-Day Business Workshop

• July 26-28, Irvine, California
  Julia Woods, M.Photog.Cr., and
  Carol Andrews Jensen, M.Photog.Cr., ABI
  
• November 8-10, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia
  Ann Monteith, M.Photog.Cr.Hon.M.Photog., CPP, ABI, API, A-ASP, and Mary Fisk-Taylor, M.Photog.Cr., CPP, ABI, API

In one attendees words:

"Attending the SMS 3-Day Business Workshop completely changed my perspective on my business. SMS made me realize that the biggest thing holding me back was myself, and that as long as I understood my numbers, I could make major changes while working within the realms of what I was financially comfortable with. They gave me not only the knowledge, but the confidence to take smart risks.  Less than a year later, I have a beautiful home studio, am projecting a 30% increase in my average for 2010 and most importantly, am running the business model I want and am seeing the difference and rewards in my sales." - Michelle Lindsay Caucutt - Michelle Lindsay Photography, Alexandria, VA

"Without goals, you have no idea of where you're going," says Ruth Rackley of Rackley Photography in Clinton, S.C. "You're wandering in the dark without a point of reference."

Like almost all professional photographers, Rackley felt her way through a few years of misty, unclarified goals before her path cleared up. Now, she is marching with a purpose, thanks to PPA, Studio Management Services (SMS) and some very hard work.

Maturing as a Photographer
Rackley loved photography from the first time she saw her mother's pictures after a mission trip. Though she thought about studying photography, money was tight and she went a more "practical" route. Still, that passion and raw talent was there. She began photographing weddings on the side, five her first year...and 10 the year after. Clearly, something clicked.

Still, it takes so much more than a camera to make a professional photographer, and Rackley knew that. She never expected to find a demand for her services. But once she did, she buckled down to serving those clients with everything she had.

In one aspect, technology did help her mature as a photographer. After trying out different cameras, Rackley quickly realized that digital was the way to go. "Digital completely changed the way I shot," she notes. "It allowed me more freedom to experiment, as I didn't have to slow down and load film."

And as she grows in experience, she's adapting "old film ways" to her digital technology. "I'm becoming more of a 'quiet' photographer," Rackley explains. "In the past, I'd give thousands of images to clients. But I found it dilutes the spiritual moments--they get lost in the fluff. I'm very selective about what I shoot and what I show clients now."

When Winnie Greer discovered a love for image-making by photographing her young daughters in 1980, she had no idea she was embarking on a career that would span 30 years and three generations. But now she watches proudly as her grandson plays around their Lexington, Ky., studio and her daughter Leeann assumes a leadership role in Greer Photography, while her other daughter Kelly has flown the studio nest and landed in her own paradise--a destination photography studio in St. Croix.

"Kelly has a knack for business management and accounting," says Leeann. "While she was involved in Greer Photography, we gravitated to letting her handle the business side of things. Soon after she left, I remember telling her, 'Wow, I had no idea what was involved in the numbers side of this.'"

In fact, it was Kelly who suggested that Leeann and her mother take advantage of the Studio Management Services (SMS) workshops to learn the fundamentals needed to successfully run the studio.

Leeann is glad Kelly insisted on SMS. "It was a huge eye-opener," she says. They learned many valuable things, but the one that has amazed her most so far is the knowledge about business structures. "Just filing a little differently is a huge step toward saving money and being more profitable."

Dear PPA Member,

Pop quiz: What did you do the second week of February this year?

Are you having trouble remembering? Don't worry...I had the same problem, too. With our lives as busy as they are, it's no wonder we forget things. Trying to remember work appointments, the grocery list, and your neighbor's birthday can wreak havoc on your memory.

To help ease the burden, we decided to do a recap of all the new benefits that PPA has added over the past year. We're constantly trying to add value to your membership, and in 2009 we added everything from new business discounts to expanded educational resources. If you've used some of these new benefits, great! If not, take a moment to look them over. It's never too late to start using a benefit!

Happy Holidays!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. Don't forget about the Imaging USA Rockstar Giveaway. We're counting down the days to Imaging USA in Nashville by giving away cool stuff-- $10,000 worth of items that photographic rockstars (like you) want! Find out the daily giveaway and how to enter by following Imaging USA on Twitter or joining as a fan on the Imaging USA Facebook page.

Set your studio on the path to financial success! Join us for two free webinars to share the latest PPA Benchmark Survey results. They're free and for PPA members only, but you'll need to sign up early because space is limited.

• How to Measure Success: Key Findings from the New PPA Benchmark Survey (January 19, 12pm ET)
• What Can the Benchmark Tell You About Your Business? (January 27, 4pm ET)

You'll get answers to questions like the following:

• Why are some studios so much more profitable than others?
• How much of every dollar your studio brings in should you be spending to grow your business?
• How much should you expect to keep as bottom line profit?
• Should you stay in a home studio, or venture out into a retail space?
• What are the key financial strategies photographers should consider in a long-term plan?
• How can you effectively utilize credit and manage debt?

It's free--click here to register now!

Dear PPA Member.

Boo!

It's no coincidence that this week's Vital Signs is being sent out so close to Halloween.

The financial management of your business can be scary if you don't know where you are. It's sort of like being lost in the woods on a dark, stormy night, where all you hear is the haunting sounds of: "Do you know how much you'll owe in taxes this year?" and "What's your Costs Of Goods Sold?"

Worst of all? You can't run away. It's YOUR business.

So instead of hiding out with a bowl of candy hoping the boogey man (or the IRS) won't get you...take a moment to read the last installment of Studio Management Service's series on financial management. We promise that you won't scream at the end. No tricks. Just treats.

Cheers,
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Dear PPA Member,

Let me start out by admitting that I hate numbers. They are my personal brand of kryptonite. I bet that most of you photographers agree with me--at least in part! But despite how I feel about them, I know that numbers are essential to survival.

Look at it this way: a random person on the street may not know the numbers that constitute healthy blood pressure, but someone with high blood pressure definitely knows the numbers needed. Amateur photographers may not know or care about the finances associated with their hobby, but professional photographers had better know what's coming in and going out...if they want to make business thrive. In a sense, you don't want your company to have high blood pressure, so you need to know what financial numbers form a healthy photography business.

The necessity of that finance knowledge is the purpose of this week's Vital Signs, the kickoff of a four-part series from PPA's Studio Management Services (SMS) department. The next three articles will be coming the fourth week of each month, so keep watch! We'll help you get a better understanding of your own numbers and how to make them even healthier.

Cheers,

Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Graham Wilson's Vision Photography was almost out of business in 2003. Thanks to a revamped incentive program and a few years of help from PPA's Studio Management Services (SMS), they grossed $1.1 million in 2008.

Just two years after Todd and Jamie Reichman posted a 12-month loss, they were able to pay salaries to themselves and their employee and finance a $33,000 studio renovation...solely with their 2008 net profits.

If those aren't success stories, what are? Be inspired by these stories in May's Professional Photographer. And don't miss the "Ask the Experts" column, where the SMS team answers questions about specialty marketing, payroll services, and generating more cash flow for your business.

JOIN AN UPCOMING WORKSHOP
This year, we're taking our SMS Workshops on the road, as well as hosting them at PPA headquarters in Atlanta. Space is limited so register today! Contact us at sms@ppa.com, or call 888-851-0405 to register and learn more.