Professional photographers know there is more to running a successful business than capturing memorable moments. Building a thriving enterprise requires managing a multitude of tasks. Client communication, professional wedding album design, and updating social media are all part of the day-to-day. Things must run smoothly for everyone to be at their best. To elevate your photography business, and get things done, having proper support is essential.

 A key element to real success is assembling a team to help you work on your business rather than in your business.  Keep your focus on what you do best and strive to do it better. You are a photographer, not a CPA. You are a photographer, not a billing admin. You do you, and find others to take on the rest. In this blog, we will focus on best practices for building a dream team in 2024!

Who is on Your Team?

Before you get concerned about payroll and employee benefits, this article is less about cubicles and more about a network. Your team can be a physical assistant that helps you carry lights and work with small children. Your team members can also be virtual assistants who check your inbox before you wake up, a retoucher who works on images while you are at a session, or simply a cleaning service that tidies up your workspace while you are away. 

In addition to delegating non-income generating tasks, what other support do you need? Educational resources, workshops, and mentoring are all great resources to add to the “team” that supports the growth of your business.

Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork

If you have an opportunity to read the book, Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork, by John C. Maxwell, do it. For many who struggle with feeling like they have to do it all, this book outlines the massive benefits of having a team to support you and your business. 

Here’s a great quote for the book, 

“Instead of working alone, you need to be part of a team. Here is what a team can do for you:

• It makes you better than you are.
• It multiplies your value to others.
• It enables you to do what you do best.”

The list goes on, but in just those three statements you should have focused on finding a collaborative posse. 

How to Build Your Dream Team

Convinced that a team can help boost your photography business and workflow? Get the help you need to take clients from events to professional photo albums effortlessly.  Here are some steps to analyze who your next team members should be. 

1. Identify Your Needs

Doing this requires that you look into your strengths and weaknesses. What skills do you think you’re lacking or need support for? How do you want to grow or refine your business?  On-board team members who complement your expertise and contribute to a well-rounded service. 

• If you feel cringy doing sales, but know that leaving money on the table is holding you back, find someone who thrives at helping/selling. 
• If editing is not your strongest suit or it’s taking too much of your time, you can hire a photo editor. 
• Or if you want to offer professional photo albums, but would rather not design them, use a wedding album design service.
  

2. Maximize Your Network

Collaboration fosters a supportive community and opens doors to exciting opportunities. Attend industry events, and connect with fellow photographers through forums and social media groups. Take the time to build relationships with potential collaborators. You’ll never know, you might meet your next teammate at the next photography conference you go to! 

• Networks can also be great places to find mentors to stimulate your creative thinking and improve your craft.
• Mastermind groups can be a great way to set goals and be held accountable for achieving them.
• Referrals to other industry vendors are plentiful so stay in touch.

3. Consider Outsourcing

Building a team doesn’t necessarily mean having everyone in the same office or city. The ability for team members to work offsite eliminates the need for office space while still giving you the labor needed to get jobs done. Support staff can be next door, in the next state, or overseas. 

• You can add an outsourced photo editor to your team to save time and costs. 
• Hire individuals to take care of administrative bookkeeping to help you get paid and keep on top of business costs. 
• Need help with website updates and SEO. Stop guessing and get a professional.  

4. Virtual and Automated Help

Email campaigns and social media posting can be a huge time sucks. However, both of these are important to generate leads. Finding a way to keep this organized and consistent might mean scheduling this content sharing in advance and letting an automated system be your team member.

You can create a calendar for your postings and contacts, and have a virtual assistant schedule the posts through various apps. An hour or two of your time each month, rather than an everyday task, will set you free!

• Honeybook and 17 Hats are both great for scheduling emails and client follow-ups. 
•  For social media sharing, Later, Sprout Social, and Meta Business Suite can eliminate daily posting by scheduling posts over a period of time. 
• You can hire a virtual assistant on a project or contract basis from services like Upwork and fiverr.

Maximize Your Photography Business’ Success Further With Zookbinders

Building a dream team for your wedding photography business is indeed a strategic investment toward growth. Another way to maximize your business’ success is to work with vendors who share the same passion for quality work. At Zookbinders, we work with professional photographers to help enhance their workflow and profitability. Get in touch with us HERE to learn more about our products and services and how we can work together!