How to Better Manage an Outdoor Photoshoot

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Outdoor Photoshoot|How to Better Manage an Outdoor PhotoshootMost businesses, at one point or another, will want to host an outdoor photoshoot. Urban, rural, boreal or desert; the setting itself doesn’t matter, but the preparation does. Proper management of an outdoor photoshoot ensures that you get the digital assets you want and that you get them done as quickly as possible. Having the photoshoot run into overtime is not an option. You need to get it done quickly and efficiently, so use these tips to make it happen.

Check Weather Conditions in Advance

It is a good idea to have your own team on standby when shooting outdoors. Weather can completely change the look and the type of campaign that you are going for, and if you don’t like the end result of your team making do with what they have, you’ll need to pay to send them out again.

Set Up Base Camp

Have a tent ready to be set up and act as base camp. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining or shining. A gazebo tent and a few foldout tables will help protect your team from rain, shine, and wind. It will make it easier to get the shoots set up and checked, too.

Have a Stylist Team Ready

Your stylist team are your stars on an outdoor photoshoot. You’ll need people who know both how to dress up products and models, as well as set designers. This stylist team should be ready in the wings with the following:

Extra Gear

If it’s raining, they should have rain gear for the team. If it’s cold, then they should have warmer clothes ready for the models. Your stylists need to do more than just prep the people in front of the camera; they should also be the go-to spot for the rest of your team so that everyone is comfortable and stays healthy.

Photoshoot Test Ideas

On top of extra comfort, your stylist team should also have extra props on hand to help control the set better. Their tent is the go-to for everyone, and in your stylist team you should also have a set designer. With both these in mind, ensure you have items like mirrors, dirt, water, and other items to trick the camera into producing great shots.

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Add Dimension with a Drone

You want options when you host an outdoor photoshoot. With the power of drones, it means you can do so much more than just take a few different angles from the ground. You can go for top-down and aerial shots of products and models alike. It means your images will be instantly more iconic, and with the low cost of drones today, it can be done without going over budget. When using a drone, however, you just need to remember a few things.

Ensure You Have Backup Components

To get an understanding of all the drone components and what they do, read up on this GrindDrone guide at grinddrone.com. You need to make sure it’s more than just the drone operator that knows what these components are and how to handle the device. Everyone who could possibly get into contact with the drone should understand it.

This isn’t even a matter of cost, though the professional drones you would use on more established shoots cost a small fortune in and of themselves. Rather, the bigger worry is that a replacement or fix will be needed before the shoot begins, and in effect, completely slow down your shoot schedule.

Have a Drone Operator

A professional drone operator is a must. You never want someone who has never touched a drone before to try to get it where it needs to be, especially if it is windy. The photographer can help direct the drone operator, but you need a licensed operator on set, and that is non-negotiable.

Ensure You Have the Necessary Licenses

You need to have the right to take commercial photographs where you are. You also need to have a license to fly the drone and permission depending on where you are. Getting this in advance will ensure the shoot goes smoothly and without any hiccups like a nasty fine coming your way.

Check Results Before Leaving

Have your team send you some proofs of images as the day goes on, so that you can approve or offer suggestions while the shoot is going on. They won’t be edited, so don’t expect perfection, just check to make sure that everything is going as per you and your team’s vision. Doing this at the time means you can get the shots that are missing or add in new ideas so that your team can walk away from a great outdoor photoshoot.

How to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Successful Entrepreneur|How to Become a Successful EntrepreneurStarting your own business may be on your bucket list, but any entrepreneur would confess that it is no easy task. Although you may have ambitions to work for yourself and be your own boss, it can be extremely difficult to manage if you’ve had no prior experience in the business world. Being an entrepreneur is a 24-hour job and extremely demanding on your time in the early days; however, there are many benefits of becoming an entrepreneur that makes the hard effort worthwhile.

In this guide, we’re going to explore a few helpful pointers to make a note of how to become a successful entrepreneur.

1. Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer

Business people need to be tough-skinned to deal with the ruthless nature of the business world. In the early days, you’re likely to experience many unexpected setbacks. However, this is completely normal and is something you’ll have to tackle to achieve success. If your first plan of action doesn’t succeed, aim to find an alternate route to give your business the best chance of taking off. The fear of failure is what holds many entrepreneurs back from pushing forwards. However, you must visualize disappointment as a constructive experience for future growth.

2. Stay ambitious

Even when your business plan works in your favor, you should never stop pushing to keep achieving. The most successful entrepreneurs are always seeking their next challenge to beat their competition and make a greater profit. You should have the desire to work hard to create a better experience for your clients and customers and keep learning to improve your knowledge and skills in your industry. It is the moment you start to allow contentment to take over that you’ll get left behind. In this case, you must aim to keep up to date with the trends and adjust to new approaches for your business to go from strength to strength.

3. Be savvy with profits and investments

As an entrepreneur, you have the choice of drawing profits from your business, but if you don’t do it the right way, you could find yourself with a problem. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of paying themselves a large salary in the early days of the business, but taxes can significantly deplete your income. In this case, you need to be savvy about how to draw profits from your business without losing money that could be better spent elsewhere.
It would also be in your best interest to keep re-investing to futureproof your business and enhance future growth. There are many ways you can invest in your company, such as improving your products and services, enhancing marketing efforts, or even hiring a coach to train your employees on new methods or practices.

4. Develop long-term business relationships

It is important to note that business relationships are part and parcel of what makes your business successful. However, this is all down to your skills as an entrepreneur. Clients and customers are always more inclined to deal with businesses they can trust. Therefore, if you have the ambition of acquiring repeat custom, you must be able to develop relationships to ensure long-term success. Most entrepreneurs would acknowledge that it is far more beneficial and easier to obtain repeat custom than seek brand new customers.

5. Plan your finances

Upon starting in business, you need to ensure that you have thought carefully about how you’re going to manage your finances. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of spending money carelessly, without considering whether the decisions made are rational. Planning your finances would be in your best interests at the very beginning to ensure you don’t fall into economic difficulty. If you need assistance planning your finances, you could contemplate hiring a financial advisor or accountant to manage your business budgeting on your behalf.

6. Don’t dismiss complaints

While you may not want to hear negative comments about your business, it would be advisable that you aim to take negativity on the chin to understand your business’s weaknesses. When your customers are informing you that something isn’t right, don’t be afraid to listen. After all, without your clients or customers, your business is non-existent. Treat customer feedback with dignity and apologize profusely for their bad experience. After all, who better has a clear grasp of what they need and want than your customers, so never undermine their viewpoints.

Bearing in mind all of these points above will see you experiencing a successful business venture – try it for yourself.

10 Common Problems Faced by Small Business Owners and How to Solve Them

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Small Business Owners|10 Common Problems Faced by Small Business Owners and How to Solve ThemStarting a business gives people a feeling of accomplishment and freedom. The ability to open a small business is an empowering way to write your future success. However, many small businesses fail and have to close the doors within the first year. Nobody wants to put the effort into a company to watch it fail. Being prepared for potential issues helps you deal with them in the future. Consider ten common problems faced by small business owners, learn how to solve them, and continue to operate for years to come.

Struggling for Cash Flow

Opening a business involves a significant investment of time and money. Spending money seems to be inevitable to invest in everything necessary to conduct business. Struggling for cash flow is a significant problem for new business owners. Trying to get more money is difficult when you are still developing and marketing your products and services. Inquire about small business loans specifically for companies looking for the funds to get off the ground.

Time Management

Small business owners often comment that there are never enough hours in a day. A longer day is never going to happen, so proper time management is crucial to running a successful enterprise. Software, smart phones, and ledgers are all ways to keep track of time on the job to ensure every hour is being used wisely. Estimate the time it takes to perform essential tasks and strive to accomplish them within that period.

Unpredictable Circumstances

The world and business are both unpredictable. Flexibility is vital to remaining profitable. For example, the recent pandemic stressed business owners around the globe. Have systems ready to handle unexpected circumstances. Invest in business insurance, generators, software to support remote workers, and other strategies that can support interrupted operations.

Finding and Keeping Talented Help

Finding and maintaining loyal employees is a challenge for small business owners, especially those on a tight budget. Create an inviting work environment with other benefits if you are unable to pay workers generously. Remote work opportunities, casual Fridays, and paid lunches are all perks that keep employees happy and working at peak levels. When the company does well, offer bonuses to show you value the employees’ contributions.

Lack of Marketing

Failing to market is a huge mistake that costs companies leads, customers, and profits. Marketing is the most effective way to brand a business and spread the word about what it offers. Without proper marketing, nobody knows who you are. Focus on multiple campaigns to reach a wider target audience. Use signage, newspaper and magazine advertising, websites, social media, and other communication methods to reach out to potential customers and encourage them to take action.

Failure to Comply With Applicable Regulations

Small business owners must learn local, state, and federal regulations for operations to ensure they don’t face fines and penalties. The cost of missed payments can add up to thousands of dollars. Work with an attorney and accountant to make sure the business is properly organized, paying taxes, and complying with all applicable regulations. Ignorance is never a defense against violating the law. Do the research and invest in professional assistance to have peace of mind and avoid facing serious consequences.

Health Care

Employees expect their employer to offer benefits such as health care, which can add up to more money. Small business loans help companies get over these hurdles. With ailments being increasingly possible, people are more concerned than ever before about having health benefits. Additionally, healthy employees take fewer sick days. Companies can depend on workers who are getting the right health care.

Offering paid vacations is another investment in the employees’ overall well-being. Taking time off helps workers feel refreshed and ready when they return to work. Some small businesses also offer gym memberships or rent office suites in a building with a fitness center.

Global Economy

The global economy has a significant impact on the success of small businesses. When the world is struggling, small business owners feel the stress. Being aware of global economic conditions helps small business owners stay ahead of the curve. Flexibility is one of the benefits of owning a small business rather than a large corporation. Smaller companies can quickly change focus and reinvent themselves to accommodate the changing times. Take advantage of this benefit by watching the stock market and business news to find out what the world is doing and how it could impact your company.

Too Few Clients

Building a solid client base is a top goal for small business owners. Having too few clients is a mistake many small companies make. Depending on two or three clients is unwise, especially if the global marketplace changes. Losing the clients would mean closing the doors of the company. Establish a wide client base to ensure operations can move forward if two or three clients leave. If you deal with large volume, continue to market for new customers. The more people you sell to, the greater your profits will be at the end of the year.

Fatigue

Small business owners must wear several hats to do their jobs well. From managing marketing campaigns to cleaning the office at the end of the day, small business owners do it all. Fatigue becomes a problem that gets in the way of creativity and reliability. Exhaustion gets in the way of working every day and makes it difficult to think. Take time for sleeping, recreation, and short vacation to remain fresh. Consider outsourcing work to take time off, and give yourself peace of mind someone else can take care of things for a few days.

Small business owners appreciate freedom and can write their own paychecks. Knowing the challenges small businesses typically face helps you plan ahead. Create a business plan and have cash flow to cover your goals. Explore small business loan options to invest in the company and realize returns that make a difference in the bottom line. When borrowing money helps you make money, you can pay back the loan and enjoy the benefits of building a better business.

How to Buy a Small Business A Step-By-Step Guide

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Buy a Small Business|How to Buy a Small Business A Step-By-Step GuideIn 2018, people sold over 10,000 small businesses. If you want a business but don’t want to start one, buying a business can be a great choice.

You can find the right company that makes you excited about running a business.

But first, you should know how to buy a small business. Here are a few things to consider.

Determine What You Want

The first step to buying a business is to decide what kind of business you want. Think about if you would prefer a product or service-based business.

Consider if there’s an industry that you would prefer the business to be in. On the other hand, think about any industries you don’t want to work in.

You should also consider the business structure. A small business could be anything from a sole proprietorship to an S corp. Each structure has unique tax codes that you should consider when buying a small business.

Work With a Broker

If you aren’t sure how to buy a small business, consider a broker. You can find a business broker to help you find the right business for you.

Brokers understand the different types of businesses, and they can help you compare different options. Your broker can also recommend a specific business that they know is for sale.

While you can buy a business yourself, having help from a broker will make buying a small business easier.

Research the Business

Once you have a prospective business that you want to buy, you should research it. Learn as much as you can about the structure and the products or services the business offers.

You should also look at any financial records regarding sales, revenue, and debt. A small business may look good at first. But if they have a lot of outstanding credit, you may not want to buy it.

This is another great time to work with business brokers. They can help you go through the more technical
information to help you decide on a business.

Negotiate the Deal

After you research a business and decide to buy it, you have to figure out a price. The current owner may have a price they want, but you should negotiate.

You can use the information you gathered from your research to help negotiate a better deal. For example, if a small business has good sales but a lot of debt, you can leverage that.

Valuing a business can be difficult, so it may take some time to figure out the right price. But once you and the seller agree, you can move forward with buying a business.

Once you’re ready to buy a small business, you can sign the paperwork. That will transfer ownership to you, and you can start running the company how you see fit.

Deciding How to Buy a Small Business

Buying a business sounds like a lot of work, but it can be surprisingly simple. If you know how to buy a small business, you will know what steps to take.

And if you aren’t sure where to start, a local business broker can help. Then, you can navigate the process much more easily.

Want to learn more about running a business? Check out our other articles for more information.

Where Professionalism Is Important In Running A Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Professionalism in Business|Where Professionalism Is Important In Running A BusinessSure, you can be as free and liberal with your brand as you want; you can present a silly and non serious front, or you can present a laid back and easy going front. Branding is all about what you want it to be, and who you want to attract!

But even with this in mind, even with the kind of customers you’re pulling in, when it comes to certain areas of running your company, there are quite a few factors in which you’re going to have to be professional. Here are three key components of business that require you to be skilled, experienced, and professional in your manner.

In Customer Security

Your customers need to feel secure when they’re shopping with you. They need to know their payment details are safe and will never fall into the wrong hands. And seeing as you’re the retail portal they’re relying on, this is up to you.

Both online and offline, you need to be professional about security. Sure, you lock up your shop and make sure there’s no cash in the till at the end of the day, but what about your website? Is it even encrypted, when the time comes to put in card details to pay for items? It’s time to check on that.

In Shipping and Delivery

You need to be very professional about the way you pack, ship, and deliver any and all products and services. You need to have a safe and secure way to get your packages from point A to point B, and without professionalism to guide your way, there’s a good chance your delivery options will be subpar for the time being.

It’s why you might want to look into courier services; this will allow you to have more control over the process, be able to bundle your shipping needs, and with a handy Transport Marketplace to make use of, you’ll have a surefire way to chop and change your delivery services as you need to. There’s nothing quite like speed to show off your professionalism!

In Running Your Sales

And finally, you need to be very professional about the amount of sales you’re bringing in. After all, when it comes to building a customer base, and then ensuring you’ve got plenty of return sales to make profit off of, you need to cast a sure and professional eye over your books.

And being able to balance your books is another area that requires professionalism; if you can’t do it yourself, be sure to outsource your issues here to a trained and experienced accountant. Bring in the skills you need to ensure there’s plenty of professional talent behind the scenes, and your business will steadily climb up the profit margins.

Professionalism is something every single business needs. If you’re not sure about what you can manage in terms of bringing the right experience to your customers, make sure you’re working behind the scenes first, and then brand yourself second.