According to PPA CEO David Trust, photographers should be doing many of the same things that businesses in other industries are doing right now to continue building their brands. During times of crisis, some people may feel overwhelmed and not take action, while there are others who really step up, take on leadership roles, and establish themselves as the people you want to be around and that you can trust. If you are looking to be one of those people who steps up in a time of crisis, this isn't the time to shutter your doors and binge watch TV shows! Things may not be “business as usual” but you have been given a unique opportunity to step back and look at the bigger picture when it comes to your business.

For more advice on ways to prepare for success in a COVID-19 world check out these resources:

Staying Productive and Focused on Your Business

• Preparing for Success in a COVID-19 World: Tips from PPA CEO David Trust. Most of us have been quarantined at home for quite a few weeks, and when we do go out, practicing social distancing to protect ourselves and others is a priority. As areas of the county begin opening back up, you might have questions like, “Where do I go from here? What are my next steps? How do I get motivated and stay in the game?”. In this article, PPA CEO, David Trust, shares advice on these topics and more.

• Protect your Brand: Emerging from This National Emergency with Trish Logan. Amid national stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trish joined us for a webinar to talk about protecting your brand. We’ve put together a brief overview of her key points in this article. You can also watch the full video to get even more fantastic advice from Trish on ways to protect and build your brand during this time!

• Tips For Staying Productive And Engaged Despite Cancellations And Social Distancing Efforts. This article is one that we put together early on to help guide photographers through forced downtime, offer resources and ideas for continuing to focus on your business despite closures, cancellations, and social distancing. 

• Navigating Your Business through a Crisis and Understanding the Recession Response with Mike Michalowicz. On April 15, we were joined by Mike Michalowicz for a special “In It Together” edition of PPAedu Live. Michalowicz spent the hour answering listeners’ questions and talking about one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced as small businesses but also about the unique opportunities in front of us. This article summarizes the sessions and covers information on his model, the business crisis trend, as well as tips and strategies that can be implemented immediately to keep your business moving forward!

• 5 Tips for Surviving an Economic Slump. We've all lived through at least one significant economic downturn, the most recent lasting from the end of 2007 to the summer of 2009. It’s not easy keeping our spirits up when we’re in the midst of it, but remembering that recovery inevitably comes along can soften the psychic blow. If your business is in a slump, don’t despair. There are ways to make the most of downtime.

• 10 Things Photographers Can Do Right Now. The coronavirus has sent photographers scrambling. The immediate impact is unavoidable, but there are ways we can embrace what's happening and prepare for the better days ahead by doing everything we can to ensure that our businesses survive this pandemic. Here are 10 things wedding photographers can do right now.

Finances

• Know Your Numbers: How to Keep Your Photography Business Profitable. No matter what is going on in the world, in order to continue making a living by doing what you love, you need to make sure that your business is profitable and sustainable. The good news is that the numbers aren’t too complicated. We deal with them all day, every day—shutter speed, F-stop, ISO—you can do numbers! This article covers some “numbers” you should know for your business.

• 5 Ways to Generate Revenue in the Next 90 Days. When it comes to generating revenue, there are myriad long-term strategies for building a more profitable business. Those fundamental building blocks are beneficial for the sustainable health of the business, but what about right now? Typically, when business owners need revenue, they need it right away. Carl Gould is a business coach and the author of the best-selling book “The 7 Stages of Small Business Success”. He has ideas about what photographers can do in the next 90 days to boost revenue. Gould breaks down the advice into five key areas, covering tips for aligning your product and service offerings to meet current market demands.

Marketing, Communication & Sales

• 7 Marketing Tips for Photographers During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Use this forced downtime as an opportunity to refine your marketing strategy, get in front of your ideal clients, and create marketing content that will help you stand out. Here’s how to promote your photography business during this uncertain time. We've got some tips on ways you can do this that you can work on today!
• 8 Tips to Mastering the Art of Remote Sales Sessions. In the wake of COVD-19, having an in-person consultation or sales session with your client just isn’t practical. Photographers are turning to virtual tools as a safer method of communicating with their customer base. Adopting and mastering new techniques for communication will give you more options for meeting and staying in touch with your clients, even when social distancing is a thing of the past. If you know the right approach, remote sales can be just as effective as in-person sales. Take time to set yourself up for virtual success with these tips.
• Communicating with Your Clients in Times of National Emergency or Crisis. For many of us, it’s far from “business as usual" these days. The current COVID-19 crisis has drastically altered the day to day routines of small businesses across the country, photographers being no exception. Canceled weddings, events, and photoshoots coupled with the inability to meet with clients in person have all caused a drastic shift in how we work and conduct business, what can feasibly be done during this time, and even how we communicate with clients. Since this is such a unique situation, there aren’t really “best practices” to follow, but we wanted to share a few ideas and guidelines that may help you in thoughtfully navigating this new reality.

Self-Care and Wellness

• Handling Anxiety in a Crisis with Dr. Amy Cirbus. Do you feel like your mental health is suffering right now? If so, you aren’t alone. This is a difficult time for many people. With compounding health concerns, financial worries, and huge changes to our daily routines, it makes sense that you may be feeling more negative emotions than usual these days. It’s important to do what you can to take care of your mental (and physical) health during this time. In this article, Dr. Amy Cirbus from TalkSpace shares ways to handle the uncertainty, fear, and anxiety brought about by this worldwide crisis.
• Self Care Isn’t Selfish: Self Care & Mental Health in Challenging Times with Latasha Haynes. As photographers and creatives, we tend to spend much more time pouring into others instead of ourselves; for you, this might mean taking care of your family, giving back to your community, or spending time with your clients. Learn why self-care is so important, especially in times of crisis and high stress, and why learning to put yourself first and set healthy boundaries is not selfish. 

• (De)stressing Out: Elevate and Sustain Your Work Performance. What do Navy SEALs, NFL players, and professional photographers have in common? More than you might think. Internationally renowned performance coach Fergus Connolly, Ph.D., has worked with top performers such as pro athletes and elite military teams and has found multiple parallels between their stress triggers and the ones experienced by entrepreneurs—particularly creative pros like photographers. Fortunately, there are techniques for recognizing and working through these triggers while reducing the stress that comes with running your own creative business. It begins with channeling the pressure that comes with professional performance.

Working on New Things & Learning New Skills

• Article Round-Up: Tips & Tricks for Photoshop and Lightroom. Although the current circumstances aren’t ideal, this is a perfect time to shift your focus from booking sessions to improving your craft and even gaining some new technical skills. To help you do this, we’ve compiled five great articles focused on tips, tricks, tutorials, shortcuts, and techniques you can use in Lightroom and Photoshop to up your editing game! 
• Get Inspired by 10 Professional Photography Blogs from Professional Photographers And Discover Why Blog Content Is the Secret to Improving Your Business Website! One of the best ways to increase your chances of success as a professional photographer is to master your business marketing. Your photography website isn’t just a place to show examples of your work, it’s also a great location to publish your own blog content. Publishing blog content can help you position yourself as an expert and connect with potential customers as well as fellow photographers. We have gathered a few great professional photography blogs created by PPA photographers to help inspire you to create your own blog content!
• 5 Ways To Stay Productive and Inspired During Lockdown. We’re all looking for ways to be productive during the coronavirus lockdown. Photographers in particular face a challenge working from home with little to no face-to-face contact with clients. How do you stay inspired? How do you stay on task? Photographer Shane Anderson shares tips for maintaining focus and creativity in this article from Professional Photographer Magazine.

• How Can Photographers Get Creative Despite Being Stuck at Home? Let These Photographers Show You How! Have you considered using this time to take a step outside of your creative comfort zone to try some new things? Maybe you'd like to take on a personal project but need a little kick start on the inspiration side. We’ve got just the thing for you! To help get your creative wheels turning, we’ve gathered a few fun, quirky, out-of-the-box things other photographers are doing to get creative while also abiding by local COVID-19 recommendations & restrictions. This selection is non-exhaustive and shows a very wide range of creative directions. Enjoy!

Times are tough. We are all dealing with uncertainty, disruption, even fear. That’s why it is more important than ever that we stand together! We are committed to doing everything we can to help you navigate these troubled waters. From Government updates and assistance to a live chat service, free webinars, and resources—including a guide to The Safe Operation of Professional Photography in a COVID-19 World—PPA's In It Together resources are meant to help you navigate this uncertain time.

Head to PPA.com/InItTogether to learn more.