This post is going to be yet another one of those posts I felt compelled to write because I didn’t feel like there’s really that much of a conversation happening about it in the industry right now. Being a small business owner can be kind of isolating sometimes, especially if you feel like you’re always going through something alone. Or if you’re newer in the business, you can sometimes feel like “Well, so and so doesn’t go through this, they’ve been in business a while now”. That’s just not true! I think we all go through similar things and today’s post is something I have personally dealt with first hand and know that many fellow photogs (and other vendor friends too!) have too.

When I went full time with my business in the summer of 2012, I was so scared because all of a sudden I didn’t have a bi-weekly paycheck coming in and nothing was guaranteed. The first time bookings were slow I immediately panicked and thought to myself “Is this the end of my business? What if no one ever wants to work with me again?”. I pictured the demise of everything I’d worked so hard for up until that point and wondered if I’d made a huge mistake.

That didn’t happen. And it hasn’t happened yet…knock on wood. I got through that tough first season as a full time photographer and then went on to exceed my goal for the next year, despite all of the time I spent worrying about whether or not I’d have to crawl back to my old boss and beg her to take me back.

Though they sometimes frustrate me, I’ve continued to experience slower booking seasons in between those busier times when I feel like I’m booking right and left. The thing I’ve learned over the past several seasons on my own is that these peaks and valleys are kind of inevitable (unless you are, like, the Beyonce of photogs or something) and dealing with them is a big part of what it means to be a small business owner

I picture the booking process for any particular wedding season as kind of like a mountain range:

A Peak Booking Season is when you’re booking effortlessly and inquires are coming in super regularly. You’re feeling great!

A Valley Booking Season is when inquiries are coming in a lot slower and things are a lot quieter. It may have been a while since a booking or meeting with potential clients. This is when anxiety can start to settle in. Valleys can be deeper, or not so deep. They can be kind of short, or last a little longer.

What is my biggest key to making it through each valley until I’m back at another Peak Booking Season? Ensuring that I’ve got my business finances in order. That means having a plan set up to make sure that I get paid throughout the year even though cash may not be flowing as freely into my bank account at that time. I’ve got a post in the hopper about business finances soon that I think will help with this!

I also tend to try to look at Valley Booking Seasons as a gift that you didn’t ask for, but can’t return. I try to look at them as a challenge to step up my game within my business! That’s a good time to start re-examining your branding, updating your website, investing in education, etc. I think without any challenges, we can become complacent and not keep continually striving to get better. If you’re in a Valley Booking Season, consider looking at your business and seeing what you can do to better your business and create more bookings for yourself.

If you’re in a Valley, keep your spirits high and remember that if you continue to keep climbing away and putting in the work, you’ll find yourself at a peak again before you know it!