Running a youth sports photography business is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, perseverance, and the ability to navigate through various challenges that may arise along the way. A couple weeks ago we did a survey asking you about the challenges you faced in growing your youth sports photography business. We received some very interesting responses. Some of them we will not go into here 😀.
For instance: When asked, what are the top 3 challenges you face with growing your business?
The top 3 responses were:
- Sales & Marketing (getting the business)
- Finding Enough Time for Everything (time management)
- Hiring (Finding staff to cover the shoots).
Let's dive deeper into each challenge and explore why overcoming them is crucial for success.
1. Sales & Marketing
According to our survey, the biggest challenge with the youth sports photography business is sales and marketing. Many photographers are great at taking pictures, but they struggle to market their business and make sales. Effective sales and marketing is the lifeblood of every youth sports photography businesses. If you are going to succeed and scale your business, you must be good at sales and marketing.
One of the reasons for this is that many photographers don’t have the necessary skills and knowledge to market their business effectively. The first step towards overcoming this challenge is to educate yourself on sales and marketing. Attend workshops, conferences, and read books to gain the skills you need to get your business out there.
2. Finding Enough Time for Everything (time management)
Running a youth sports photography business requires juggling multiple tasks simultaneously – from scheduling shoots to editing photos and delivering final products to clients. Time management becomes critical when trying to meet deadlines while maintaining quality work.
To improve time management skills, one of the techniques I have found most useful is time blocking. Time blocking is a method where you allocate specific blocks of time for your priority activities. If you want to grow your business, you have to focus on the items that will move the needle in your business. For example, sales and marketing. In our Sales Planner for Photographers we recommend 90 minute time blocks.
Start by setting aside dedicated 90 minute time block for each priority task. You must prioritize your work and ensure that your most important task get done. Delegate tasks whenever possible and streamline your workflow by utilizing automation tools or outsourcing certain aspects of your business.
3. Hiring (Finding staff to cover the shoots)
As your business grows, you may find it challenging to handle all aspects of photography shoots on your own. Hiring reliable staff members who can assist with shoots and production can alleviate some of the workload. It will also help with the number 2 item in the survey (finding enough time to get everything done).
Things are getting better now, but hiring has been more challenging ever since Covid . My number 1 tip for hiring would be to always be hiring. Many photographers wait until 3 or 4 weeks before since season to begin the hiring process. We will discuss hiring in more detail and future articles.
In conclusion, while the youth sports photography business has its challenges, it's important to remember that each obstacle presents an opportunity for growth and improvement. If it was easy, anyone could do it. By focusing on sales and marketing strategies, improving time management skills, and finding the right team members, you can overcome these challenges and thrive in this competitive industry.
If you're interested in learning more about how to tackle these challenges or want further insights into growing your youth sports photography business, stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts where we'll dive deeper into each topic.
