I been absent
I know not a great look for someone that claims to be a blogger. But I just now I would call myself a part time part time blogger. Because my life looks totally different than it did a few years ago.
Covid changed things and how I was running my business
I finally started advertising and business picked up then slowed down then picked up then slowed down again, then it picked up with business to business work then slowed down once again to a level I haven't seen in my business. So I started working on getting more business to business work.
I had the idea that restaurants need socials and I could do them better than I was seeing
Many in my area suck at doing social media, so I started trying convince restaurants in my area to let me start taking pictures of their food and run their pages for them for a monthly fee. Most looked at me like I was crazy, and boy are many regretting now they didn't take me up on my offer. Because a business owner who owns a restaurant, a food truck, flips houses and decided to open up another restaurant, decided to give me a chance him and his wife are stretched thin, his first language isn't English and she hates social media while I love it.
I posted these three photos first
You can take food porn photos to post your restaurant or you can just take food photos. The difference is food porn brings them in to order the food. Food pictures it is a crap shoot if they are going to have to try it.
The very first day they sold 55 Tenderloins
Blew my mind they sold 55 Tenderloins the first day the restaurant launched from those 3 photos. The second day they sold 80. The 3rd day over 100. The first week over 700 tenderloins was sold. And that was just one of the menu items. The restaurant has been packed to steady business the entire time they have been opened.
I care about their success because if they are successful my new marketing venture will be too
So I told them I could get them 20K-30K views in the first two weeks. I had no clue if I could actually do that or not, but I figured that with my background over 2 weeks no problems. After 7 days I got them 200K views way more than I promised. So they offered me their other two restaurants well the food truck and their other already established restaurant to do their photos, but they also have a silent business partner who owns two Mexican restaurants in the area, and he wants me to do those too. So basically over night I went from struggling to book sessions to contracting with 5 places to do all their photos and social media.
Today as I was leaving the two owners was talking
I made small talk with them both, and they don't want me contracting with other restaurants in the area, and told me they are talking about what they can afford because they want to negotiate with me to be exclusive to their restaurants while leaving me the freedom to do other products and socials but to only work with their restaurants.
So now I have to figure out what that is worth to me
How much do I need to make an hour to be exclusive to them? Or is a weekly salary, or yearly salary the better way to negotiate it? I am not 100% sure. I know I have talent to take photos, I know I have talent (At least some even if it isn't a lot) with the written word and know technology, but I bluffed my way into this and to find success right off the bat with it, blows my mind. And it is why I haven't had time to blog.
I will try to update as I can and hopefully I find a rhythm that allows me to blog regularly again
But life happens and being self employed you have to make the money while you can make the money. So I have now expanded into Social Media Marketing while doing what I love taking photos. Okay did I picture taking photos of food for a living no. But am I glad I thought hey I should try this? Hell yes I am. Cause it sucks not to know when you will get another job. And exclusive means I won't have to worry about when I will land another gig.
This is a fantastic story. What a great use of your talents and dedication!
I'm not sure what to think about going exclusive to one business (or chain). I'd be nervous about getting locked in so soon after discovering that you've got something to special to offer. On the other hand, the security of a regular paycheck would be nice...
In any case, don't sign any contracts without consulting with a lawyer! Something like this calls for real professional advice.
Congratulations on this new adventure!
Oh I won't and I am being paid really well for the jobs I am doing, so if the offer is good enough the steady paycheck is something that would be nice. Been looking into what people make annually doing this and with what I have already contracted to make for a year, I am on the higher end, but my business just isn't social media marketing but photography too. So I figure it is worth more so it should be at the top of what a social media manager makes. So if they come with that, I have to take it as I will still be running my portrait business and I will still be able to do the smoke shop down the road that wants me to do inventory photos and take over their social media in July. (I am fully booked till then with photo cataloging the menu of the restaurants) So since as I can still do other products, I am really thinking that maybe this will be the right move, but I won't do anything without having my lawyer look over the contracts. But man, I excited about the moves I have been making and the results. Oh and ironically this week my phone started ringing again to book portrait sessions again, and with my flexible schedule I can still book those. And if I do go exclusive I think I will insist on a trial run, because you know how people can turn if they think they have you by the balls per say. That way I will never be stuck for a longer period if it isn't working out.