If you couldn’t tell by now, (or if you’re new to the blog) I LOVE making lists! So as my “off season” drew closer, I started making a little list on my phone of things I wanted to make sure I got done. I feel like having a list of what I need/want to do will help me stay on task, and blogging the list will help keep me accountable! Here are a few of the things I plan to tackle now that things are a little slower!

Try out some new ways to deliver my images to clients. Part of serving my clients means that I want to give them a great experience from beginning to end…this includes the way I deliver their images. I’ve heard some really good things about a couple of newer companies and I really want to try them out and see if they work for me!

Update client lounge. There are a few things I really wanted to add to the client lounge page from the beginning, but I just never got around to doing them! I’m hoping to make the lounge more interactive and fun overall.

Revamp packaging. My packaging used to be one of the things I was most proud of. I love beautiful, tangible gifts and sending/getting mail, so this is something that’s really important to me personally. I have some really fun ideas I want to implement, but I have to see if there’s a way to make them all work together:)

Learn the ins and outs of Pixifi. I recently starting using Pixifi, an online based studio management system and I really like it! It has tons of features and is not only really affordable ($24.99 a month!), it also has the BEST customer service. And as a business owner, that is something I really value when it comes to deciding which products to use for my business. I love that if photographers post an idea or a suggestion in the Pixifi FB group, more than likely they’re going to work on adding it…or at least look into adding it! I really need to get in and set it up 100 percent and learn Pixifi really well so I can use it to simplify things next year. This year I was really only using it to send questionnaires, but I want to use it for everything!

Refresh the images on my website. I’m so excited to show off some of my favorite images from 2013 on the new site!! I love having a site that makes it SO easy for me to do this…I don’t have to contact anyone to do it for me or figure out any code or anything…I just upload, drag and drop, and save! Woo hoo! The hardest part is going to be narrowing down my favorites!

Shoot video. I love video. Since I bought my Mark II, I haven’t really had a chance to make any videos, but I want to make some short films for fun. I think as photographers, it’s such a great idea to do something else creative that excites us every once in a while!

Paint a chalkboard wall in my office. I have a passion for chalkboard walls! If you check out my pinterest you’d probably think it’s an unhealthy obsession:) My office is a teeny tiny 50 sq foot office with high ceilings, so a black wall is a reallllly bold choice, but I think it will be fun! And I’ll be able to write things on the walls without getting in trouble!

Host Envision. This happens in two weeks. TWO WEEKS. And before I hosted a workshop, I didn’t know that they are TRULY a labor of love. I feel like all of us girls have put our hearts and souls into this project and I’m really excited to see how it all comes together! Hosting a workshop was something I thought in the back of my mind “oh that would be cool”, but honestly I’m a little nervous because I’ve NEVER spoken in front  of anyone. I was homeschooled in high school and I didn’t go to college, so I’ve never even gotten up and given a report in front of my class or anything like that!! AHHH. Still, I’m really excited and I think it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Cook dinner 3-4 nights a week. I almost wrote “cook dinner 5 nights a week”, but I knew that wasn’t anywhere near realistic. I also know it won’t be me cooking all of the 3-4 meals a week, but I still think for health reasons and to save money, I want to aim to eat in more than we eat out.

Those are my goals for now! I’m sure I will think of a few more things as things slow down more, but for now I’m so excited about this list and I think this is going to be a really productive season for my business! Do you guys plan out your off season ahead of time?? Share some of your goals in the comments! I’d love to hear them!