Recently in Vital Signs Category

Dear PPA Member,

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Have you ever heard the expression, "Go big or go home"? It entails giving something your all and not looking back--committing to put in 100 percent and nothing less. It's a phrase meant to inspire and thrust you into action.

Now, I admit that "go big or go home" is not a phrase commonly associated with photography. But when you apply it to PPA's International Photographic Competition, it fits perfectly.

If you've entered the competition before, you know what I'm talking about. But if you've never entered the International Photographic Competition, you have no idea what you are missing out on (and it's a lot!). You have the opportunity to gain so much from the experience alone, not to mention the honors and awards you have the potential to earn. Make this year the year to go big! Read this week's vital signs here.

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. Name your price to advertise! PPA has a new, members-only mall advertising offer that will allow you to display your work in local malls at a price with which you feel comfortable. This opportunity is only available until June 27, 2010, so hurry and visit www.eyecorp.com/EyeBid. PPA members can login here for the promo code.

Dear PPA Member,

Knowing when to ask for help is probably not one of my strong suits. You know those situations where someone should have asked for a helping hand, but didn't? Well, I've been guilty of that a couple of times...like when I wanted popcorn (we won't mention how old I was) and thought I could make it on my own. I found out rather quickly that plastic colanders and microwaves don't go well together. (I'm sorry, Dad.)

Keeping with the theme, this week's Vital Signs covers some tax topics that are easier to handle with the assistance of a financial advisor. Taxes are not an easy road to navigate, but thankfully, there are people out there who know how to help. Clients come to you because you're a professional, so why wouldn't you turn to a professional for tax issues? I highly recommend that you take advantage of that help--it will help save you time and headaches (and maybe even the microwave). (Again Dad, I'm really, really sorry.)

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. United Funding, a PPA Affinity Partner, has created a new online payment calculator to accommodate the financing of equipment under the standard $5,000. Use the Special Payment Calculator to determine your potential payment options on the equipment you need for your business.

Dear PPA Member,

There are words that have the ability to make people cringe. Take, for example, "root canal." What about "taxes"? I cringed when I wrote it, and I knew it was coming! For most of us, taxes are one of the necessities of life that we would much rather not think about--at least not until April 15th, and even then... Unfortunately, taxes are not optional (at least not if you want the IRS to leave you alone).

When you become a business owner, your tax responsibilities expand beyond your personal taxes to include business-related taxes. That means more tax forms, more information and more time dedicated to the filing process. This week's Vital Signs kicks around some ideas on how you can better prepare yourself for this tax season. Hopefully, you won't have to cringe as much when someone mentions taxes. (Sadly, I can't help with your reaction to root canals.)

Cheers,
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

P.S. PPA will be doing some computer maintenance on Saturday, February 27 from 9:00am to noon ET. During that time, some web services (like meeting registration and merit reports) will be offline. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience. Please remember: PPA members will not be able to register for meetings or see their merits online while we are working on the system.

Dear PPA Member,

When I graduated college, the people who knew about my accomplishment consisted of my family and anyone who receive a graduation announcement in the mail (well, and anyone who attended the graduation ceremony). There was no assuming that my family's doctor or my childhood friend knew that I had received my college degree. Most importantly, there was no way potential employers could know that I had received my college degree. It was up to me to not only promote my accomplishment, but to use it.

The same goes for your PPA degree. Once you've earned your merits and received your ribbon at the Award & Degree Ceremony at Imaging USA, the power of your degree lies in your hands. This week's Vital Signs gives you some ideas on how to promote and market your PPA degree. But don't feel like you're limited to our ideas--use what works best for you to show both your peers AND your clients what you have accomplished!

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Last week I talked about the joys of summer break--no homework, no waking up early and a little bit of free time. But don't forget I also mentioned that I enjoyed school! I looked forward to learning about the subjects I was passionate about and getting to go on field trips for a firsthand look at what we were learning about in the classroom.

As a photographer, I'm going to guess that you are passionate about photography, right? And I wouldn't be surprised if you said you enjoyed shooting on location or going to industry events--activities that get you out of your studio and let you use your knowledge (like a grown-up field trip). For those of you who find yourself in agreement with these statements, this week's Vital Signs is a must read. PPA's Merit & Degree program not only gives you the opportunity to continue your education, it also rewards you for your effort (and all without the early morning school bus rides)!

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Dear PPA Member,

Growing up, what was your favorite thing about school? Maybe it was the field trips you got to take (I could give you a tour of the Boston Museum of Science--I swear my school took us there every year!) or learning about your favorite subject (foreign languages always fascinated me).

I loved school, but I must admit that I also loved that stretch of time called "summer break" when I didn't have to go to school. No homework, no waking up early, and time to do whatever I wanted. (Or what my parents wanted, which was to send me to summer camp...which I think was their "summer break.")

Eventually, we all grow up and move from school towards our careers. While most careers don't usually feature 3-month summer breaks, some of you may encounter times of the year when business slows down. This week's Vital Signs is about that time of the year and how you can make the most of it. Just because you don't have clients booked every day doesn't mean you have to sit around and do nothing. You can still be productive and, I promise, no camp songs or mosquitoes will be involved.

Cheers!

Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Dear PPA Member,

As a professional photographer, your job allows you to meet and interact with people every time you book a job--especially if they are the subject of the images! Pursuing that interaction and forming a relationship is a large part of your success. It gives people a reason to come back to you the next time they need pictures, instead of the photographer down the street. Think about it this way: it would be pretty difficult for you to do your job if you didn't interact with other people (well, maybe unless you are a landscape photographer).

This week's New Year's resolution is to be more active in the photography sphere. Just as you need to interact with your clients, you also need to interact with fellow photographers. Such activity gives you the opportunity to make connections and share ideas. This is where PPA Affiliates come into play. Maybe you've heard of them and maybe you haven't, but becoming a member of a PPA Affiliate is the perfect place to start forming successful business relationships with other photographers in your area.

Now, get out there and get active!

Cheers!

Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Dear PPA Member,

In case you haven't heard, we just wrapped up our largest, most-attended Imaging USA ever. The classes were a success, the tradeshow was packed, and the parties were rockin'! If you were able to make it out to Nashville, I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. If you didn't have the chance to join us, start planning for next year's show--San Antonio, here we come!

And speaking of planning, this week's Vital Signs is about planning to actually use New Year's resolutions, like streamlining your business. If you're anything like me, your trip to Imaging USA left you with a lot of information and even more goodies from the tradeshow. Don't let it all go to waste! Use what you gained in Nashville to help improve your business. Sometimes we all need a little push to get those resolutions in gear!

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience

Dear PPA Member,

This is the first Vital Signs of 2010...and what better way to ring in the new year than to talk about new ways to communicate with your clients? In a recent Vital Signs, I referenced my father's love of texting. In addition to texting, my father's social media resume also includes a Facebook page and a Twitter account. I make this point to show the incredible reach you can achieve by expanding the way you communicate.

In case you've missed the past month or two of Vital Signs, online communications and social media have exploded as ways for companies to interact with their clients. It's becoming more and more common for the general population to utilize these resources (see above paragraph for reference). By taking advantage of these tools, you not only communicate more effectively and reach more people, but you also save money in the process--how can you turn that down? Read this week's Vital Signs here.

Cheers!
Christel Aprigliano
Director of Member Value & Experience