Reflecting on a year in the photography business

We're now entering our second full year in the photography business and I couldn't be happier with where we are.  We have 11 weddings booked already for this year and I fully expect that we'll be able to book 4 more.  With both of us working full-time jobs and Michelle working on her graduate degree, 15 weddings is about all we can handle.

This past year, we've really worked hard to improve our visibility without breaking the bank.  Internet exposure and word of mouth have done wonders to establish ourselves in the Dubuque area.  If you have recommended us to friends or family, thank you so much for helping us grow.  The other thing we've put a lot of time into, is improving our wedding packages.  At first, we weren't sure exactly what today's brides were looking for when it came to photography packages.  The answer?  Value, options, and flexibility.  Our lineup of wedding packages provides all three and thus far, our brides seem to like them.  We're always open to suggestions, however.  If there's something that we don't offer, but you wish we did, please let us know.

The website has been fully redesigned for a fresh look this year.  We actually do all of our own web design in-house which is apparently pretty rare among professional photographers.  I certainly don't fault anyone for using professional web design services, but I'm proud of the fact that we've been able to build our own from scratch and keep improving it along the way.

We've re-invested nearly all of the revenue from last year back into the business.  We're both happy with our photography equipment and home work area now, so future expenditures will be for maintenance only until we're ready to upgrade.

We're really looking forward to all of the 2010 weddings.  We've had a nice 3-month break from the action and we're getting anxious to get back at it.

-Randy