Life of a Business Owner

Life of a Business Owner

It's a hard life, guys. I trained for ten years as a black belt. I was a commercial Alaska fisherman. I could make it to California from here in St. Louis by day after tomorrow....without the help of an airplane. I have scaled cliff faces with crashing waves below in Washington state and I used to catch scorpions as a kid in Texas. Oh there's more, but you dont need the entire life story, right?

I have never owned a business until my pride, MJB DIGITAL was born.

I really don't think that there is one single thing that I have done that is as difficult as this first year of business ownership has been. Battling the economy, my tiny marketing budget, the competition, deadlines....even girl troubles and traffic, I've been working and working on the little photography business MJB DIGITAL. Oh I want to grow fast.....
I would love to be a big business in the morning. I would love to wake up tomorrow morning (which is a booked Saturday for me), stop by my grandiose studio, make sure my gallery receptionist is doing ok, check out my workflow with a cup of coffee, and then go and shoot my wedding over in St. Porta Desiox. I would love to return that night from the wedding to my studio, see the electric marquee glowing by the street, huge canvases lit with superb track lighting, and my name on the window.

It is going to take time. For now, I've got a system of shooting, processing, communicating, purchasing, selling and documenting that runs from a couple of computers at my desk hooked up to my 'grandiose' stereo playing something cool for me to jam to while I'm processing weddings with more than 1000 shots, magazine assignment, orders for 16x20 prints or canvases, or even self assignments.
I could advertise higher prices or market harder, but I want a surefooted and deliberate growth in my business. I want my system to be tight, fast and strong. So, I need to practice more and more workload increasing in smaller incriments. It's testing my patience, it's draining my wallet, and I love it.
It's just going to take time.

I'm working hard, guys. I was making a lot more money bartending than what is my current 'income'-which is what is left over when my business is done. (dont forget to make your tax margin!). I'm working alone. Every photo presented by MJB DIGITAL has been checked out in more than one photoprocessing program, retouched, and added to a package for someone. I'm watching the finances, creating my documents, planning my marketing strategy, meeting with clients, keeping my taxes organized, trying to build a charity event, and more and more.

It's how I'm living. It's who I am. It's my vision. MJB DIGITAL