Tom Flora, SWPPA President M. Photo. Cr. PPA Certified

What’s In Your Future?

“Hopefully” 2009 will be much, much better than 2008.  “Hoping” will not cause things to happen. 
“Hopefully” we have planned before January 1st what actions we will be doing to create a good (even
better) 2009.  If plans have not been made then what paths are we going to journey?

Planning ahead is good, but with no action, nothing happens.  In your plans for 2009 have you analyzed
what your strengths and weakness were in the past year?  In 2008 what areas were up or down?  Do you
make daily reports and post them so that you know figures at the end of the month and end of year?  We compare every month to a year ago.  Our sales are divided into 15 different categories.  This history helps us to
compare and plan.  I still use an accounting ledger sheet for each month in addition to a computer
accounting system.
With the manual ledger sheets, I can go back up to 30 years and look at any day, month, or category in
just a few seconds.

What other goals have you planned?  Identify several areas that you want to see improvement.
Our goals should be to improve photography skills, customer relations, quality of product; to name a few.
If you have employees, where are they in the journey to make your studio improve? 
Negativism is a “curse.”  Customers need to feel a genuine sense of concern, understanding and
helpfulness when they encounter an individual who represent “your name” and product.

Suggestions: 
A. Change anything that didn’t work nor has no value for the future.
B. “Step it up a notch” How is your image perceived?
C. Promotions that have been done in the past need a “new look.”
D. Smile, Smile, Smile
E. Educate in all areas of your studio.
F. Involve yourself in activities outside your profession.
G. Volunteer to help areas of your local guild, state and regional associations.
H. What can you add to this list?

We, at our studio, see 2009 as a year that we need to do everything better.  Plans are to do innovative photography. The person who buys a digital camera one day and the next is a “pro” is a serious concern.  This person is just a “snap shot shooter.” 

Posing, lighting, professionalism are some of our great advantages.  Plans are to market in a dramatic
way.  Everything that people see and need will be changed and updated to reflect the image we want perceived.

Plans:
* Plan to let it be known that we offer what the”snap shot shooter” can’t and doesn’t know.
* Plan to build customers and client relationships.  Without customers all is vain.  We need 20 percent
   more new customers.  This is a goal to replace those that think they “can do it themselves.”
* “What’s in your wallet for 2009?”

Our vision for 2009, our enthusiasm, determination, wisdom, and many other factors will be the means
used when we look back at the end of 2009 and plan for 2010.
Use this year to be the best that can be - a new year, a new President and hopefully a positive direction
for everyone in 2009.
There’s the story of the man who kept being negative about everything and everyone.  One day he was
cleaning his glasses and noticed the lenses were in backwards. 
He corrected this and from then on he saw things in a positive way.  His life changed when he saw things through positive eyes. 

So often we’re looking at things backwards instead of what’s ahead.