So the burning questions is… “Is it time for me to start outsourcing my editing?”

Well, let’s break it up into 3 solid reasons why outsourcing may be the best thing you have ever done for you and for your business.

 

TIME

Think about all the hours you spend editing a wedding. No seriously…think about all of those long, long hours. What could you be doing with that time if you could have it back? Would you like to be more connected on social media and blog more? Or, how about having the time to make a 30-minute call with your Bride to go over any last minute details about her wedding day? You can answer emails quicker, market to new clients, meet with new brides…the list goes on. I haven’t even touched on the increased family or personal time that we all need!

To put it into perspective, let’s say it roughly takes you 8 hours to edit a wedding. Then multiply that by 20 weddings that you have booked for the year. That is 160 hours you spend editing. That’s four full work weeks a year!

Let’s free that time up to run and grow your business more efficiently. You can take on more weddings without adding to your stress and time commitments. What would you do with 160 extra hours?

 

Let’s not forget PERSONAL TIME!  We all need it and most of us in the wedding photography industry are not getting it.  Again, outsourcing can and will free up time to spend with loved ones and some much needed R&R!  Isn’t that why some of us went into business for ourselves in the first place?  More time and freedom to do what we want?

 

PROFITS

With extra time comes extra profit.  So, what can you do with that extra time to gain more profit? Well, here are some ideas!

• Book more weddings & portrait sessions
• Double your hourly rate because you are using your time more effectively
• Start offering additional streams of income like mentoring, workshops or courses
• Massively increase your visibility to attract more clients overall

You already know that “time is money.” When you start thinking about the details of how more time directly translates into increased profit for you and your business, you can see how hiring a private editor pays for itself pretty quickly!

 

CLIENT EXPERIENCE  

Beautiful photographs are a luxury item, not a necessity. So the experience of working with you should feel like a luxurious one. You’re already giving your clients a great experience – by outsourcing and freeing up your valuable time, it can help you make it AMAZING and unforgettable by dramatically cutting down your turnaround time.

With your newfound extra time and profit, you can think up additional ways to design that premium experience (champagne and chocolate strawberries go a long way!) You already have valuable referrals. Now you can create raving fans for your business so you can build your empire.  Think referrals, referrals, referrals!!!

 

 

So now that I’ve gone over what I feel like is the main 3 benefits of outsourcing, let’s go over if your business is in a place to start outsourcing.

 

So what do I mean when I say, “is your business is in a place to start outsourcing?”

 

Basically you need to have some things in place to make outsourcing really work for you and ultimatley get you to your end business and personal goals.

 

KNOW YOUR STYLE

First,  You NEED to know your style!  I can’t stress this enough!  It would be really hard if not impossible to tell your editor how to edit your images if you yourself are not quite sure yet.  All of my clients have a consistent editing style and a base preset to go off of.  This helps me really understand their style and stay consistent to their brand.

 

HAVING A PRIVATE EDITOR PAY FOR ITSELF…AND NOT COME OUT OF YOUR PROFITS

Second, let’s talk about how paying an editor should work for you NOT against you.  How you might ask?  Well, in my calls with my clients I actually go through this with them and help them see and work through all of this.  Here are a couple of points I usually bring up while helping them figure out how to make it work financially…

• The easiest way would be to add the cost into your pricing structure.  You would be surprised at how small of an increase it is and most couples that inquire will not even notice the small increase.  You guys, I’m talking about a 3-5% increase.  That’s it.  Really!
• Another way to do this, is if you are wanting to outsource your already booked weddings and you didn’t account for the editing costs when you booked them, you can always book another wedding.  Yep you heard me right…one more wedding will usually cover the cost of an editor. (depending on where you are priced)  AND  if you think about it further… you won’t be needing to edit that wedding either.  Sounds amazing right!

 

 

I hope you found this helpful!  I have such a passion for private editing and what it can do for my clients and their business!  I’ve seen it change not only their lives, but their businesses are thriving as well!