The progress I’ve made to date has been great. If I had to predict where I wanted to be and compare this to where I feel I am I would say I’m a little ahead of schedule but there is still a very long way to go yet. Things are starting to pick up though and I’m not getting more enquiries. My conversion rate is still very low but that will change over time. Considering I have actually spent very little on marketing at the moment, about £80 in fact, I’m really pleased that things are starting to pick up already. Particularly as the advert I’ve placed in a local magazine hasn’t actually been published yet. So far, so good.
It doesn’t stop there though. This is merely the beginning.
The Route to the Future…
If you’ve had a look at my qtweddings.co.uk website, in particular the prices page you’ll see I have a single package with a price and a list of upgrade options for the client. This price is just my starting out price and I’ve set it to be the value I have for a particular reason. I don’t want to come in at the very bottom of the market and offer the “£300 and images on a CD” deal. That isn’t the client I’m looking for. My images are better than that and I want to position myself for the top end client but I’m not going to find that client on day 1.
My strategy for growing the business is as follows…
2010 – Year 1
- The first wedding will be less than this. Why? Because it is just that, my first wedding.
- Client number 2 and upwards will be charged the price on my website
- Target: to book and undertake 5 weddings before the end of the year
2011 – Year 2
- My prices will increase for bookings taken from the middle of 2010.
- I already know what I will charge, but I’m not putting that here for obvious reasons.
- My package offering will change too, in line with the increase in price.
- This is the beginning of my migration from the mid-market.
- Target: to book and undertake 10 weddings by the end of the year.
2012 – Year 3
- Another price rise
- Further migration away from mid market to top end
- Starting to be more selective of clients
- Target: to book and undertake 20 weddings by the end of the year
2013 – Year 4
- Should now be specifically targeting the bottom of the top end of the market
- Starting to book more exotic and extravagant weddings
- Magazine feature of at least one wedding this year
- Starting to work towards an award nomination
- Target: to sustain weddings at 20 per year
- Target: to be self sufficient this year
Conclusion
I have a plan and just need to make it happen but as a very wise man once told me during my apprenticeship: “plan the work, work the plan” This plan is both workable and achievable. I have my aspirations and a strategy for how I can get there. It will change over time, there is no denying that. It might seem far fetched, particularly the magazine feature, but I would ask “why not?” There is nothing wrong with having a stretch target to aim for and having spent some time with three award winning photographers this year, seeing how they work, the images they are making and how easy they make it look I know I can up my game to achieve this lofty status too. It isn’t easy either, they just make it look that way. It isn’t all that difficult though. It’s just knowing what to do then how, where and when to do it.
Simple as that.
