Goals for 2008

I'm just wondering what everyone's goal's are for 2008? Do you plan on changing your pricing? Do you plan on doing more marketing? Do you have a goal for the number of weddings you want to shoot? etc etc

I want 10-15 weddings, a 40D body, a 70-200 2.8 L lens, and a 50 1.4. My pricing is set for 2008, and I will be doing a bridal show February 16, but otherwise will be continuing my normal marketing plan.

Want 18-22 weddings. Limit destination weddings to under 4. (the travel was just too tiring this year... only one destination left!! woohoo!)
Raise prices likely by about $500 per package
Do my usual re-vamp of my website gallery for new years.
Book at least five $6000 packages.
Sell the premium package to current clients and get at least two to shell out the extra 3 grand. I truly believe that the premium package best serves the couples and will make them happier long term.
Improve my turnaround time to two weeks.
Spend more time with family and friends rather than being isolated all summer.
Maintain a healthier lifestyle during the wedding season. (i.e. more exercise. the diet is already good)
Try to get onto page 1 of google for my chosen keywords
Attend at least one Seminar/tradeshow
Get off my butt and finally join the local PPA, something I've put off for years.
Win at least one award in print competition
Take better pictures, so I can look at 2007's pics and see definite improvement

Weve kinda messed up our first goal already which was to shoot 20 weddings in 2008, but were already booked for at least 21 and were doing a wedding fayre this Sunday (all be it a small one) so I think next years gonna be pretty crazy..... it wasnt really planned like that and we didnt intend to do more than 20 because thats plenty when your working full time as well but it is what it is now so we will get on with it and make the most of it. I have to say that because its my fault.

Others

* Develop our skills - I feel like we have learned a lot this year but we still have so much more to learn, a better knowledge of off camera lighting is one of the goals for 2008.

* Develop our brand - Starting with our website I would like us to create a strong identity for the business that we can use all the way through it.

* Increase current additional revenue streams and find new ones - Were gonna put some more time into our boundlessinfo site this winter and see what we can develop that into but I can also see us starting some other side ventures.

* Keep pushing our package prices up - We both earn a very good salary from IT but would prefer to do photography full time so to make that happen we need to charge quite a lot more.

* Personal goal - Lose the weight I have put back on and run another marathon, applied for London again but if I dont get in that again I will do a different one. Need to get things in balance again and that means finding time for exercise again.

* Blog more often - I have seen how this has helped us this year and we will continue to use it more and I will hopefully get Jon and Kate adding to it as well instead of it just being me.

* Do more of our own album designs - Weve done a couple this year but I would like this to be something we do more of.

* Deliver proofs within 2 weeks - 1 week is our long term goal.

* Have our new client area set up for the new year - Were converting our double garage in the new house into a cinema/client area and although its a tight timeline our goal is to have it up and running for December 25th. This is part of our plan for getting the customers to come to us rather than us going to them which will save us time and also give us better tools for showcasing our business.

* Increase our website traffic - My goal is to at least double our daily web traffic whilst continueing to spend virtually nothing on advertsing.

* Be in the black for the year - This year with new equipment purchases, investment in our portfolio combined with our low starting price will mean that we will have made a loss ... next year we plan to be in the black.

I am sure there will be a few more before the start of the new year !

I don't know...

Since I'm looking for employment (as I'm finishing my Ph.D. soon), I may relocate where work will be. Because of this instability, I can't really take any bookings

Book fewer but make more doing it. Make it nothing but fun. Take the pressure out of it as much as possible using more tools to my bag of tricks.

JJacula wrote in post #4067541
I want 10-15 weddings, a 40D body, a 70-200 2.8 L lens, and a 50 1.4. My pricing is set for 2008, and I will be doing a bridal show February 16, but otherwise will be continuing my normal marketing plan.

Jennifer -- fwiw.........raise your prices. Your work is worth it.

stathunter wrote in post #4069316
Jennifer -- fwiw.........raise your prices. Your work is worth it.

Thanks ... but I'm of the opinion that I suck, LOL. Once I get established and am happier with my work on a more consistent basis, I'll jack up my rates.

- So far, I have only 2 weddings booked for next summer and hope to have at least 10
- I plan on buying Showit Web Pro or something comparable to do slideshows at receptions
- I'm keeping my prices the same ($800 to $1600) but want to offer more creative packages
- Definitely buying a 40d and another flash
- Attend a wedding photography workshop
- Lose the 10 pounds of fat that I gained during my wife's pregnancy
- Enjoy my new baby boy that will be born in a few weeks

Great thread here. I still have to sit down and write out my goals for the year, but, since it'll be my fiscial year for weddings, it'll be a lot different than the goals here.

This is a great thread Mrs.Opie! Very thought provoking. Inspires me to sit down and write my goals.

Off the top of my head:
1. Assist on as many weddings as possible- 20+
2. Assist with at least 2 additional photographers to gain new perspectives
3. Build awesome portfolio and website
4. develop and follow workflow
5. do at least 10 paid weddings on my own
6. purchase 70-200
7. complete lighting setup
8. quit day job!
9. assist on more commercial shoots, preferably fashion, editorial, magazine
10. expand business beyond photography...

Jimbo24 wrote in post #4069531
- Lose the 10 pounds of fat that I gained during my wife's pregnancy
- Enjoy my new baby boy that will be born in a few weeks

Congrats on the baby!!
How did you gain weight from your wife's pregnancy? Are you carrying it?

SENSEI wrote in post #4070224
Congrats on the baby!!
How did you gain weight from your wife's pregnancy? Are you carrying it?

Taco Bell

- 10-15 weddings booked (have two booked already)
- raise prices (two booked weddings are at the new rates)
- get my website done and online
- actually be good at wedding photography so I can drop the "fake it 'til you make it philosophy"
- get better and use off camera lighting more
- get some remote triggers to run an additional camera set up in obscure locations.
- Work with at least two POTN wedding photographers at some point. (most difficult goal to achieve, but who knows... ).

My goals for next year:

Improve my wedding photography & experience. I'm not so much concerned about a number of bookings just yet because I am hooking up with a more established photographer/company and will be doing a lot of 2nd shooting with her. This is good for me right now because with a full time (non-photography) job, I just can't do a lot of editing.

I'm working on my web site now, and hope to have something (anything) up by the end of the month. For next year, I want to have a very nice site up and running smoothly.

I want to increase my portrait work. I've got a few ideas in the works, so I'll see how it works out.