Costs of running a small business - Being Ghosted.

Very strange sub-title I bet you're thinking. So let me talk you through it.

Running any small business costs money. There are a myriad of web sites / blogs out there that detail the costs for small business and being a wedding photographer I have written similar as well.

One of those costs of running a small business is incurred in advertising and then following up.

COSTS OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS. Facebook

I advertise using Facebook, get some leads (with email address, telephone nnumbers, date of wedding, venue for wedding etc). Those adverts cost me money. Couples make a consious effort to send me that info. It's not automatic!

I also follow up on each and every lead I get with an email. That costs me time...which in a small busiess is money. I may also send a text...again time...again money.

It's disappointing to be ghosted. Actually no. it's bloody annoying.

Costs of running a small business continue to add up.

Wedding Fayres

Same thing. I spend maybe £300 - £500 on my wedding fayre setups for my tablespace. They are not cheap. I talk to many interested parties and usually give out a brochure with some flyers inside that have my collections detailed along with prices.

Those brochures cost me around £3 each. Time spent designing (I do my own), time spent on printing delivery etc. The sample albums I have on display cost me. The banners cost me. The table cloths with my logo cost me. The printing of the simple contact forms I collect from couples cost me.

I collect details from interested couples such as name, telephone number, date of wedding and venue usually. They make a conscious effort to spend time talking to me and giving me those details.

Sending an email to coupes costs me time...hence money. Same with texts.

It's really really disappointing to be ghosted. Actually no. it's bloody annoying

Client Consultations

So I get a couple come back to me who want to meet up. Great. I spend time driving to their house or meeting at the wedding venue. We chat, we laugh, we discuss weddings etc. They decide to book. I send out an invoice and contract. All more time...and time is money.

And very occasionally I get ghosted. I get nothing back to indicate the couple have changed their mind or have decided to go with another photographer or something else has happened.

This is even more annoying when I make a special effort to see in person all my couples. So I drive all over the country for these meetings.

And then I get ghosted. And its bloody annoying.

It also means that I will only wait so long (and send so many reminders to pay) before I cancel the wedding out of my calendar, cancel the invoice and walk away from that couple and offer the date to another wedding couple.

Payment of the invoice guarantees the date in my calendar. No booking fee = no wedding photography.

COSTS OF RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS. Wasted time = Wasted Money

That time I waste is actually wasted money. Money that I could use to maybe keep my prices the same next year, or moey that I could use to shoot one less wedding and spend more time with my family. Or even money that I can put into a pension pot for when I retire.

It doesn't matter what the time is spent on... it's essentially wasted. And that is a cost to my business. I have to account for those brochures, those banners, the fuel for the driving etc.

Want to know why running business costs as much as it does? One of the reasons is being ghosted.

Personally, if you don't want to book me - great. Just reply to the email or text and let me now. Reply to the voice mail and let me know. I won't bite. I won't shout and scream.

It's fine. You made a different decision. Just have the courtesy to inform me, or any small business, or your decision.

Don't ghost us it's a cost of running a small business