The next step

"What can we do next?" or "What's the next step"

There are a lot of questions that I ask regularly, but these two probably more than any others. I ask out of frustration. I ask out of a maniacal need to continue moving forward. I ask because I believe in where we are going and can't get there fast enough. I ask because I usually get a concrete answer, followed by an update to my "to-do" list. And because for some reason, deciding where to go next also sheds to light on how far we've come. I would imagine this is common to all small businesses.

Building a business is probably never as simple as one might expect, but there are times when it is distinctly more difficult than others. One of the more difficult is when you realize that your ability as an artist has only a small impact on how well your business will do ('cause marketing is tough, man!). Then there are times when it's 9:30p on a weeknight and you've already worked a full day in your "real job" * and then come home to work on the job on which your heart is set.

Then there are the moments when you get to bask in the light of your hard work - the actual photography. More than that, the time we get to spend helping people hold on to the good things in their lives - the secret glances between two lovers about to marry, the first dance as a married couple, the details they worked so hard to bring into their wedding day. All the things that would be a fleeting memory without someone there to stop it from getting away...yes! That keeps me moving forward.



So that said, I'm back to where I started...What is my next step?

As a person? I'm going to look at my wedding album. Yes, it's sappy, but talking about all this wedding stuff makes me want to go look back on my own.

As a business? Tonight for me it will be working on the new and improved website we will be rolling out in a couple of weeks (I'll let you know as it gets closer). One step at a time.

But what does that all mean? Mainly that I'm learning a lot about the "business side" of things and even though sometimes growing can be tough, it is almost always worth doing.


*[Background: I work a 9-5 type job in I.T. during the week. Maggie (Mom) is a full time photographer and art teacher. When Surreal Image Studios grow to the point where it will be beneficial for me to do the same, I will. :) ]