Hi there! My name is Cheyenne Alford, and I’m part of Bywater Collective, a wedding, portrait, and branding photography team based in Englewood, FL. I’ve been working with Kara Hubbard, owner of TOGRAFY (and a photographer business coach), for about a year now, and thanks to her encouragement and extensive business knowledge, my photography business is more successful than ever!
I’m from a small town, and I’ve always worked with clients that I know or clients who know me through friends and family. When I connected with Kara, I was starting to branch out and work with people I had no connection with, which was a little intimidating. Kara gave me the tools to establish and nurture those relationships, as well as strategies that made my photography business more efficient.
Here are 3 reasons why hiring Kara as my photographer business coach was the best business decision I’ve ever made:
One: Increased Revenue
Every business owner wants to increase their income, right? I started implementing Kara’s strategies in the Fall of 2020, and as of this spring I’ve already had 10k more in sales than I did in 2020. Working with Kara has given me the confidence to take on more clients without feeling overwhelmed. The processes and procedures that she put in place set me up for the new year, and that first quarter was the biggest quarter yet! The revenue increase was definitely worth investing in a photographer business coach.
Two: More Time
Implementing Kara’s strategies has made me 100% more efficient. With outsourcing certain tasks, and cleaning up the back end of my business, I have more time to focus on my growth and my clients.
I’m so much less afraid to outsource now that I’ve had a positive experience with Kara. Handing over a part of your business to someone else can feel like you’re handing over your baby, but working with Kara has allowed me to trust other professionals and realize that they want the best for me and my business.
A lot of the work I’ve done with Kara involved streamlining my client communication with workflows. Since automating the back end of my photography business, I’ve been spending a lot less time double checking myself because I know the communication is ready to go when I receive an inquiry, or when I’m going through the process with a current client. Before, I felt like I was just reaching out to clients whenever I thought about it. Now, I have a functional system in place, and my client communication is streamlined yet personal.
Three: Deeper Relationships With Clients
Since working with Kara, I feel like my relationships with my clients have more depth. Forming a connection with my clients is so crucial to me, and Kara gave me the time and the resources to make and strengthen those relationships through our interactions. With the time I’ve saved automating my business, I can be more present within my client relationships, and I don’t feel like our communication is just another task on my to-do list.
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To be honest, this was the best part of working with a photographer business coach, especially one who has been there. Kara understood more than other coaches how much I cared about my clients. Because of her extensive photography experience, I had sincere support from someone who knows what it feels like to be in the trenches. Kara gave me the space to express my concerns with support and understanding rather than judgment.
I chose to hire Kara and the TOGRAFY team over another photographer business coach because when we first spoke, I felt like I was talking with someone rather than being talked at. She was actually listening to me instead of making the conversation all about her, and it was clear that she knew what it was like to be a small business owner. I could hear the passion in her voice and she clearly wanted my business to succeed. Throughout our time working together, I trusted her and I believed her when she said “we’ll figure it out,” and we did!
If you’re an aspiring photographer, or even an established photographer who has a solid photography business with a few kinks, hire a photographer business coach who is invested in your well-being. It’s important to have someone in your corner rooting for you, encouraging you, and holding you accountable. My time with Kara was so valuable and I would work with her again without an ounce of hesitation!