When photographers are preparing their businesses for the new year, most write down a few goals for more profitable sales or a booked out calendar, and then go from there. But where most of us go wrong is that we fail to look at our current brand presence and client processes and update them with those goals in mind. That would be like trying to build a brand new house on top of an old existing one that doesn’t meet code. YIKES. Let’s not do that! 

It’s time for us to get our business ducks in a row for the new year! That means we need to Marie Kondo the EFF out of our current systems, platforms, and pipelines! Can I get a HECK YES?!? 

So let’s talk about the four areas you need to audit in your business and upgrade for the new year BEFORE setting your sites on those new and shiny goals!

1. Social Media: now is the time to go through all your platforms and do a deep cleaning. Check your links, posts, followers, posting schedule – all of it. Are you maxing out your content or just posting once and moving on?

2. Website: remember that this is the window to your online store front space. Comb through your homepage and secondary pages and look for anywhere you could add better messaging opportunities as well as update your work. 

3. Newsletter: if you have a newsletter system, now is the time to check your landing pages and welcome sequences for accuracy, update any seasonal announcements, etc. 

4. Client Workflow: start from the beginning (the inquiry) and work your way through your entire e-mail pipeline. Where can you make improvements or streamline your efforts? How about your pre-session prep education? Your post session workflow?

Now that you’ve completed updating and overhauling your current platforms and processes, it’s time to tackle those new year goals. Let me tell you a secret: a goal is NOTHING without a plan. Yeah – I know it’s not a sexy hack or an easy button to success, but it’s so true. You need a plan of attack to meet those goals! 

Wanna know my tried and true secrets for hitting your new year goals? Keep reading…

1.  Realize that DONE is better than perfect. This was a hard one for me to swallow… I am a perfectionist and if all the little things don’t line up, my eye twitches. Getting a goal DONE is your shining accomplishment here.

2.  WRITE IT OUT. Like, seriously… write it down on a post it, a piece of paper, in your agenda, on a freaking poster board. I don’t care – get it in writing. You become 42% more likely to achieve your goals when you write them down REGULARLY.

3.  Hold a one person MEETING. Yep – sit down with yourself every Monday morning and look at your week ahead. You know it’s coming so there’s no excuse. Look at what you need to accomplish for the week ahead of you and write down your goals and deadlines for them. Doing this is called “chunking.” Instead of writing random goals down all week long and trying to juggle them around, you’re making time to sit down and give this specific action all of your attention for the entire time. It allows you to dive in and get it done.

4. Make an ACTION PLAN! Detailing out your process is going to make you that much likely to nail those goals. So start on a pipeline description of how you’re going to make these goals happen!

5. Your goals MUST have a deadline. UGH! I know. This part sucks and adds a ton of pressure, but guess what… most of us do VERY well under pressure. So, while you’re writing down your goals you might as well put a date on them. When are you going to achieve this goal?!?! This will keep you focused on that finish line!

If you’d like a step-by-step audit plan that takes you through each and every nook and cranny of your business to prepare it for 2022, it’s time to join our A-List Society community! This month’s membership not only includes a 4 week series live audit with me, but also 10 copy and paste captions for your IG, a social media plan for the entire month of December, shooting videos, marketing methods, editing videos, and tons more!