If you haven't noticed yet, we are now in 2010. Like most bloggers out there, I've been evaluating 2009. Evaluating my personal and business decision and how I did on my goals checklist. This checklist is put together every year around this time and briefly lists, well obviously, my goals for that year. Now as you may or may not know, 2009 was a year of firsts. I was fired, or "let go", for the first time in my 12 year professional life. I'm wasn't too upset about that because I not only started my first business, but at the same time my first successful business.
I learned more about myself last year than I probably wish I had. Growth wasn't necessarily a goal of mine, but I'm happy it happened. He'll, I didn't even think it was needed. Well that's one thing I learned.
Growth is not one of those things you can plan for, it seems to happen when you are most comfortable and the metaphorical rug gets pulled out from under you. What else, well I suck a few things I had never even considered to be that difficult.
A monkey can run a business. At least that's what I used to say. Really, you make a product or offer a service that people want, don't make it crap and people will want it. Now in my case, I started a photography business. 2009 was the first time I learned about invoicing, taxes, marketing, customer service, etc. All the "monkey business", as I put it, isn't "monkey business" at all. I offer a great service, which last year was focused on photo assisting. I am more than capable, knowledgeable, and experienced to offer a great reliable service to my potential clients. Well then why aren't they calling? Oh wait, duh dumb ass! They don't know you exist. Well that's where the marketing comes in. Now some are calling, I do a job and everyone is happy and now what? Well, I'd like to get paid. How much to charge for a job I've never invoiced or better yet, I've never actually invoiced anyone before. So I figured a competitive rate and how to invoice and taxation, both income and gov't. Then come the collection once the invoice is sent out, etc, etc. Every step of the way, I had questions and not many resources to get answers from.
So i searched, read, emailed and blogged, or more recently twitted, to get answers. Well I got them. A ton of them accompanied by another ton of questions and it went on. Growth just happened.
I'm looking forward to trying to decide on a preliminary list of goals for 2010. I know shit will happen along the way, like impromptu trips abroad or to Alberta or car accidents. So I'll adapt and learn and change the list. But for now here they are.
1- work more. 2009 was a food year for a starter but I'm greedy. I want more!
2- learn more. Again, I'm greedy, I want more.
3- meet at least one new person in my industry per month. So far that's the one I'm most excited about. Why isn't it number one? Well I'm greedy! Come on, try to keep up.
4- travel for work. I not asking for anything fancy, but I'd like to get away for a short time and combine my work with my passion for travel.
5- shoot more. Last year was a good time for learning new things about myself, nut none were artistic in nature. I need to meet more people (that's number three, still paying attention) and shoot more. I've got ideas.
6- blog more. I tend to only blog when I realize I haven't done it in a while. Now in definitely hooked on twitting, but that's a little restrictive. I sometimes wanna say more.
I'll stop there for not because that's all ice come up with for now.
I'll leave you with a few of my fav iPhone images I've taken.
Now, I take several a day, but I don't share all of them. Maybe that should a goal.
7- share more.
That's all for now. Stay tuned for more to come. Like a new website design.
- Posted from my iPhone
