The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan

Book excerpt: NEW RULES FOR A NEW BUSINESS WORLD Thinking about starting a photography business? The first thing you need to know is that the rules have changed. Yesterday’s business models have collapsed. Creating a successful business in today’s "Digi-Flat" era requires a sharp new approach, one that Dane Sanders has practiced successfully and taught at Fast Track workshops and seminars all around the world. Some of the things you'll learn in this book: How to turn the very technologies that are "killing" professional photography—such as the Internet—into your tools of success -How to lead your business, not let your business lead you -How systematizing, scaling, and outsourcing are critical concepts even for a one-person business -How to radically rethink marketing, sales, and customer service for the 21st century -How to hone a creative vision that works—the most powerful step you can take as a businessperson The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan is not about building a "traditional" business plan that looks good on paper and impresses investors. It's about creating a vibrant, living business plan that will help you thrive in today's digital "Wild West," where creative content is freely distributed, where no one plays by the rules anymore, and where customers have unprecedented freedom in choosing what to buy and whom to hire. It's a groundbreaking look at running a creative business. Whether you're an amateur looking to go pro or a professional whose business has stalled, Dane's practical, on-the-ground advice will launch you on the fast track to business success. Includes free access to Dane's online "stress test" to diagnose your business's strengths—as well as where it needs help!