Why Photographers Need to Outsource in Order to Grow

Photo by Darby Magill

If you’re a photographer running your business by yourself, you’re not just responsible for taking photos. You also have to handle bookkeeping, blog writing, customer service, web maintenance, vendor relations, marketing and tech support - just to name a few of the tasks on your plate. 

Understandably, this leaves photographers stressed, overworked and unable to grow their businesses because who has the time???

We’ve been there. As professional photographers ourselves, we know what it’s like to spend all day shooting, just to come home and realize you have another eight hours of admin work ahead of you. 

But here’s the thing: You can’t work yourself out of being overworked. Even if you answer every email at double the speed, you still won’t have the time (let alone the energy!) to grow your business.

So what’s a booked and busy photographer to do? 

Outsource.

Keep reading as we share six reasons why photographers need to outsource in order to grow and how working with virtual assistants can make the difference for your business!

But first, what is outsourcing for photographers?

Before we jump into why you should outsource, let’s get on the same page about what outsourcing can look like for photographers.

Outsourcing means hiring a person or company to complete tasks that were previously done in-house (aka by you). As a photographer, you can choose to outsource many tasks from both the creative and admin sides of your business.

Many photographers choose to outsource some of their post-production. An outsourcing team can help you edit your images, put together a slideshow, and order client gifts or prints. 

You can also outsource many of the business management tasks on your plate. This might look like hiring a company or person to assist with bookkeeping, customer service, blog writing, CRM or website updates, etc. 

With an experienced virtual assistant team, you can get support for tasks that will directly help grow your business. For example, your team can assist you in developing album sales, creating personalized workflows, submitting your work for publication or contests, and developing a workshop or course. 

So many outsourcing options! Let’s dive into why outsourcing makes sense for your business.

Outsourcing allows you to delegate your most tedious tasks

As much as you love running your photography business and being your own boss, we all know there are parts of being an entrepreneur that suck. No one wants to spend all their time updating their website, keeping track of expenses or following up on emails.

Outsourcing allows you to take the most tedious, repetitive and time-sucking tasks off your plate. Go ahead and delegate the parts of your business you dislike to a photography VA who would love to help you with them. 

With those monotonous tasks off your to-do list, you now have time to focus on more important work that moves the needle for your business.

Outsourcing keeps you in your Zone of Genius

Your Zone of Genius is a place where your talents, skills and strengths align. It’s where you're passionate about what you’re doing and so good at it that it almost feels effortless! 

For most photographers, their Zone of Genius is taking photos… not building email templates or writing blog posts. You wouldn’t ask Beyoncé to renovate your house, right? 

(Though if it means Beyoncé would be in my house, I just might!)

When you outsource, you allow yourself to spend more time in your Zone of Genius, doing what you do best. 

Anything that you’re not good at or not passionate about can be outsourced to an expert who does have that task in their Zone of Genius, such as hiring a copywriter, bookkeeper or web designer. 

You have time for creativity when you outsource 

When you outsource those tedious tasks or the ones outside of your Zone of Genius, you’ll suddenly find you have more time and space to get creative. 

Most of us started our own photography businesses because we’re creative individuals. But all the time spent on admin, marketing and management leaves very little room for creativity.

Once you make room for creativity, you can spend more time shooting, experimenting behind the lens or diving deep into your editing game. Perhaps your creativity pushes you to learn a new skill you can add to your business services, such as film photography or flash techniques. 

You may also be inspired to work on a new creative project for your business, such as developing a course or putting on a workshop, which can help you grow and boost your income. 

Your customers benefit from outsourcing 

One of the big signs that you could use a virtual assistant is when your customer service starts to slip. It can be impossible to stay on top of all of your emails and inquiries - not to mention deliver galleries on time - when you’re in the middle of a busy photography season. 

That’s where outsourcing comes in. You can outsource these tasks to a highly trained and responsive team who you can trust to deliver excellent service to your customers. 

Not only will you be able to take customer service off your plate, but you’ll also be providing your clients with faster communication and better assistance. Happy clients lead to referrals, which means more business for you!  

Outsourcing helps you build a more efficient business

When you work with a team of experienced photography virtual assistants and business managers, they don’t just take day-to-day tasks off your plate. They create sustainable and scalable systems that allow you to grow your business. 

By having these systems in place - and a VA team to manage them for you - you’ll spend less time figuring out which tasks to work on and what to do next. Everything will be laid out in a system customized to your business that you can repeat with every customer. 

Once your systems are in place and your business is running like a well-oiled machine, you’ll find time management and analysis paralysis are problems of the past. 

Outsourcing saves you money! 

A lot of photographers are hesitant to outsource because they’re afraid it’s just going to cost them money. But outsourcing actually saves you money and, in fact, can help you earn more! 

When you outsource, you don’t have the overhead costs that you would if you hired an employee. You’re also not responsible for hiring, training and managing anyone. At Together We Co, we take care of all of that for you! 

Plus, outsourcing frees you up to focus on the tasks that will make you money. No more wasted time on CRM management, back and forth emails or updating spreadsheets! 

Why outsource? It’s the only way to grow your photography business!

The most successful photographers understand the importance of a team. There’s only so many late nights and long hours in front of a screen that one person can take! 

When you outsource, you allow your photography business to grow. You get to delegate the tasks you find tedious and focus on what you’re best at (and what makes you the most money!). You make room for creativity and ensure your clients are in great hands.

Best of all, outsourcing allows you to set your business up for long term success. By putting proven systems in place, you are building a business that is scalable and ready to grow with you. 

At Together We Co, our team of experienced photography VAs and business experts are the outsourcing solution you need. We’ll work with you to develop a custom game plan for your business, and be your biggest cheering section when you win. 

Check out our monthly and standalone services and get in touch to start growing your business!