That’s a wrap! Well, almost. With just a few weeks left before the silly season hits in full force, now is a great time to tie up loose ends for your photography business.
If you’re still busy with Christmas minis, then save this post for later, and smooth the way for a fresh start in 2023!
End-of-year business task one: Clean house in your CRM
I always have a backlog of jobs finished and left open, spam leads and cold leads that clutter up my CRM (Dubsado, which is amazing – use my affiliate link for 20% off your first year or month) at the end of the year. First of all, take an hour and go through everything: What’s finished? What’s cold? What’s a Nigerian Prince trying to recover his lost fortune? Archive and delete until all that’s left is active work. You’ll start the new year with a clear picture of your workload.
End-of-year business task two: Thank your clients for working with you this year
I know we’ve all got inbox trauma coming out of Black Friday sales, but before Christmas, it’s a good time to send a quick thank you email to your clients. Keep it short and sweet. Tell them you appreciate the work you’ve done together this year. If you’re taking time off, let them know when you’ll be back ready for bookings in 2023.
End-of-year business task three: Schedule social media for the holiday period
Next, use a scheduling tool to set up a calendar of posts for your social media accounts, and take a break from doing it manually. Batching tasks like this is an effective way to reclaim time any time of year. During the holidays, it’s even more useful because you can truly switch off from your business but know that things are still ticking over in your absence.
Meta Business Suite has a built-in, free scheduling tool for Facebook and Instagram posts. If you want to add TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest or LinkedIn, then I recommend Later. I’ve used many (many) scheduling tools at different times, and Later is my favorite. Later’s free plan is very generous. It includes everything necessary for solo and small businesses.
End-of-year business task four: Plan for new marketing in the New Year
Have you been thinking of launching a website for your photo business? Or adding a blog? Maybe opening an online store to sell prints or photoshoot bookings? Get in touch with your web designer now to make sure you’re in their queue. I can be booked out three months or more in advance for my web design business, so make sure you give your designer enough time to action big plans.
End-of-year business task five: Identify roadblocks and barriers
Finally, think about the year that was. What pain points held you back? Were there jobs that slowed things down? What fiddly, time-consuming task would you like to never, ever do again?
The end of the year is a great time to reflect on your workflow. A year from now, what do want to be done with? What irritating job needs to get out of your way? Rank the tasks you do for your business in order of growth payoff. What’s critical to producing your income? What’s essential for growing your business and getting in front of new clients?
Look at the bottom of the list. Are these just “nice to have” or “fun to do” or even “I’m doing this because I think I should, but I’m not seeing any benefit from it, and it just sucks my life energy into a deep dark black hole?”
Cut those things from your business life, and move on towards a better and brighter year ahead!
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