Don’t Sugar Coat It.

I struggle to remember names, places, and life events but every so often somebody says something and for some reason, it sticks with me. The old brain engages, soaks it in, and stores it in the foggy depths somewhere.

I remember having a beer with a friend who had twelve months previously started their own business in Adelaide. As we first sat down I asked how they were going and mentioned that they seemed to be ‘killing it’ with all their work which I had mainly seen through their social media content. Their reply was swift and memorable, ‘I’m going all right, there’s slow weeks and busy weeks but it is not what you would call flat out, and social media does not tell the entire story of those slow weeks”.

I think many sides of social media are truly disgusting or maybe that is too strong a word, how about disappointing? The excuse I have always given myself to remain on it is that I can communicate with friends I have met throughout the world and be able to keep updated on their lives. In reality, I struggle to keep up to date with my close friends and hardly have the time lately to peel an orange before eating it. When I do a scrollathon (not a real word but I like it) on Facebook more often than not I see ads, divisiveness, conflict, and people tearing others down behind the safety of a keyboard. The social network is about as social as the pokies at 2:00 am. It seems that being easily offended or argumentative is a prerequisite to logging in these days.

The main part of being online is my photography and business page where I can quite comfortably say that would spend 90% of my Facebook time. Most people who engage are fellow lovers of photography or the outdoors and I enjoy communicating with the like-minded community.

That all being said some aspects of Facebook do inspire, give hope, and do good but with the ever-changing news cycle now taking over the majority of our ‘social feeds’ it can be hard to see or grasp everyday reality.

If we are all connected to this social media machine trying to portray the best aspects of our lives then how do we realistically compare where we are at and do we even need to? Does it just set unattainable realities leading to a feeling of inadequacy especially when it comes to running a business?

With all that being said, I am going to try and give an honest review of starting a business, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and tell you simply how it is.

What has spurred me to write today?

Well for one, I locked myself out of the shop today, and two, a random person came up while I was photographing at the races and said thanks for not sugar-coating your photography journey. As I gave that some more thought it occurred that we all know sugar-coating goes hand in hand with social media and we are all guilty at one stage or another.

The reason I am writing this is because this morning as I dashed across the road to secure my caffeine hit, I forgot a few very important things. My keys, my spare keys, and my car keys which I realised at the same time as the door was shutting were all locked in the studio. A quick realisation that without any tools I wasn’t getting in and before long I was making a pleading call to the locksmith. I was down $110 before even turning on the computer. To make matters worse the coffee had to be put on hold while I waited for the locksmith who in reality only took a couple of minutes to arrive and solved the problem instantly. I couldn’t help but feel that if I had those lock-picking skills, I would try to be a member of a real-life Oceans 11.

My experience in retail is limited, to say the least. Running a small business from the corner of my garage, buying a new shirt every six months, and frequenting Kmart for a new paw patrol toy was about the extent of my knowledge before diving into this shop front. How hard could it be?

I am lucky, I have a wide variety of friends who run successful businesses. Not the ones that only look successful through a filter but the ones that have been chipping away over a long time and are still standing. When I voiced my plans to open a studio I was met with back slaps and compliments but some of these friends let me know some truths right away which I was very grateful for. The hidden costs will get you and I needed to make sure to allow for them, which is a work in progress.

It turns out the costs may not be so hidden but there are a lot of them and they do quite quickly add up. Rent is a no brainer but there are unseen additions on top of that such as,

-          Product Insurance

-          Public liability Insurance

-          Photo editing software

-          Accounting software

-          Transaction fees

-          Utilities

-          Damaged stock/equipment

And in saying all of that I don’t have any staff to pay yet either which I could only imagine would add another layer entirely.

The following are a few of my misadventures so far.

Early on just after opening, I was starting to see a little light through the financial tunnel but it was then that I noticed my rent hadn’t come out of my account for that week. With a daunting feeling scratching at my stomach lining, I decided to check my online banking. It turns out I had set the deductions to fortnightly instead of weekly and was up for about six weeks of back pay….. Bugger.

I came into the studio one morning after a significant rainfall and noticed a large quantity of water built up all over the floor with no idea how it got there. I checked the ceiling, and windows and was a little stumped. I placed the detective cap firmly on the head and I traced it back to the side sliding door where the outside drain had completely blocked funneling all the water back over the door into the shop. ‘You are f*&^ing kidding me, what are the chances of that’. I ended up with a wet carpet, and some water damage but luckily nothing major.

I have dropped photo frames, creased large prints, stained clothing, and much more. If operating a retail space is a learning curve then it is safe to say I and well and truly on the bend.

I haven’t felt the nervousness that I feel when photographing events since having been in the changerooms before an important game of football. It is super weird and I am getting a grasp on it, but it’s the feeling of not wanting to mess up. Whether that is because I don’t want to let the client down or the fact that I don’t want to embarrass myself.

I believe the more we can talk about and normalise the hardships of running a business the fewer people will stress and worry because it is a part of everyday life and all businesses are going through it. There’s no point looking at others and comparing your business to theirs because we honestly don’t know their ins and outs and if you’re worrying about them you’re not worrying about yourself.

It sometimes feels like if you let your guard down and be honest about the situation you are in and openly talk about your mistakes then you are open to criticism. But you need to ask yourself, are those who criticise worth worrying about?

Now comes the happy ending. As I was waiting for the door to open again the local SA Power Network crew arrived for a job and noticed my predicament. We had a chat and one of the lads shouted at me for a coffee while he was grabbing his own. During that time the locksmith arrived and I was back in business.

I have sold more prints in the last month than I have sold in the last year and I have to admit that when a stranger purchases a print it gives me satisfaction to know that it’s not just friends and family who like my work and that I am making some small gains.

Hindsight gives you the best view of progress but it is hard to see that progress while you are in the moment. I had two local businesses and a B and B owner contact me this week seeking me out for some work. I find myself super happy and content with my work/life balance and truthfully look forward to sitting in the studio and creating each day. I understand this could be the honeymoon period of a new career but I have been photographing for a long time now and if I am not sick of it yet I don’t think I ever will be.

If you are in the same boat with your business and you are starting just remember, it isn’t all filters and endless wins. The reality is we are all doing the best we can to get to where we want to go.

Deep breaths, keep swimming, it will all work out.

Cheers,

Doddy