Things I’ve learnt from running a business

It’s okay to say no.

When I first started my business, I would say yes to everything. And I mean everything. Which was great because I wanted work and I wanted to get my name around. I also worried that if I didn’t take the booking and I didn’t book anything else I would kick myself.

Now, ten years down the line, I have learnt to say no. I have learnt to take on less and I have learnt to balance work/life better. I will no longer take 8 weddings a month or do 3 in a row because it kills me. So now, I (try to) stop worrying that I won’t ever book a job again and I realise that to be a good creative, I need breaks and a life.

Social media is fake.

It’s great to have a big following and lots of likes – or is it? Is it better to have 500 followers who are going to buy your product, or 10,000 who never will?

A lot on social media is fake. From buying followers to only posting the best of the best. It can be fake, and now I know to not compare myself to other people that I deem are doing better. As Taylor Swift says, we scroll through everyones highlight reel of other people’s perfect lives.

No-one is posting their failures.

Communication is key.

Communicating to your customers is key. If something is out of your control, if you’re going to take a day longer editing photographs or if you won’t be able to send over a contract until tomorrow… communicate. Chances are your client won’t mind, but as long as you keep people in the loop you’ll keep people a lot happier!