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Getting Started by Giving Back - part 1 of 1 2 3 4

Published 01/02/2007

Starting a business can be a daunting task. Perhaps you've had a career change and decided to pursue photography, perhaps you only were a photographer part time and now are seeking to be pursue it as a full time business. Either way, building a client base that is going to be loyal and that is going to give you respect can be quite difficult.

Where should you start? Some say building a client base and then pleasing those clients will build the respect you need to keep them. But in our case, we built our business on the reverse philosophy. We asked ourselves; why not first build respect in your community before building our client base? Why not go out in the community, donating our services to worthy causes, and showcasing our talent to the very people that need us most? In fact, not only were we correct in doing so, we found that the latter concept actually brought in more clients who are loyal to us to this day and who have become referral voices for us.

So why is this so?

We believe that charitable marketing is one of the most powerful ways to earn new clients. By giving and giving and then giving more of yourself (and your skills) to worthy causes in your area, you will find that people are watching and appreciating what you are doing. You are earning the notoriety, not of a salesperson, but of a generous artist. You are putting your efforts in front of a watching community who are also giving of themselves to these causes. And by doing this you are gaining respect and prestige from those who are being helped and by those who are contributors as well.

So this sounds complicated?

It's very easy! That's what's so great about it. And often it costs nothing but your time. Most charities need digital files for brochures, websites or posters, not prints. If they need prints, they often have a company that donates those services, so all you need to do is supply the imagery they need. We have photographed everyone from doctors, to children, to dogs, to celebrities. Our images have been plastered all over walls, on huge highway billboards, emailed to every contributor, etc... Our name is on all of them. That is all we ask. We are proud of our work and want to be recognised for it. We never have had a charity say no to this request - why would they?

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1st Published 01/02/2007
last update 09/12/2022 14:54:41

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