Re: [Leica] Re: It's so easy..

["David Rodgers" <davrodgers@msn.com>]

Ted,

Business manager or not, you obviously succeeded. And that's all that 
matters. You were a better manager than you give yourself credit for.

I tell people that the path to success is to do something you love; do 
something you're passionate about. Build some demand for whatever it is 
you're producing. Above all, be honest, and hope for a little good fortune 
along the way.

I was in public accounting for a number of years. I've seen can't miss 
business plans fail. I've seen crazy schemes succeed. People with passion 
can do the impossible. Passion doesn't guarantee success. But even failure 
can be rewarding if you're doing what you love.

BTW, any good business manager needs to have an open mind about the 
intangibles. Things that fuel passion but can't be quantified in dollar 
terms. I remember back in the days when people used to berate Leica users 
for spending so much on equipment. But there's something Leica is that other 
equipment companies aren't. Ironically, those same people today think 
nothing about paying even more for a digital camera that'll be outdated in 
two years. I know the rationale. Save on film and processing. Discover your 
mistakes right away.

I have a good friend who's a portrait photographer. He charges big bucks and 
is always busy. He went digital last year. He spends countless hours dealing 
with digital files now; hours that he used to spend photographing and 
drumming up more business. Back in his film days when he finished a shoot he 
just dropped the film off at the lab. He got back proofs the next day. He 
knew film and the lab knew film. He rarely had problems. He spent quite a 
bit on the normal touch up work. But the results he got were fabulous. Today 
I hear again and again how much he's saving on film. But he spends more time 
working with his files. For one things, he takes two to three times as many 
pictures. But he doesn't get any more keepers. He used to save on film by 
taking fewer shots; developing skills to make the most of the shots he took. 
Another headache now, the lab doesn't always get things right. Color 
matching is more of a problem. He spends more time in front of his computer. 
He's tried to farm out the digital work, but it costs a lot to get the same 
results he used to get with film. He spends less time relating to customers, 
and building business. His costs are down, but so is his revenue. I'm a 
friend and not a business manager, so I keep my mouth shut. Maybe someday 
he'll get dialed in with digital. This guys passion isn't working at a 
computer. It's photographing people.

DaveR





> Hi David,
>
> One of the major failings of my career is, I never had a manager of any 
> kind
> and obviously over the years without one I wasted tremendous amounts of
> money because everything was purchased on the basis of........ "I want 
> it."
> And of course lots of times it was "I don't have the money get it anyway
> cause I want it!"
>
> I probably would've given any manager several heart attacks or one really
> biggie the way I did things without any thought of "how much would this 
> make
> me? Can I afford it? Will it give me a good return if I get it? And the
> final one, "Oh hell get it, worry about paying for it later because 
> there's
> a couple of big assignments coming up!" :-)
>
> Actually I'm damn lucky I survived this long. I know I am when I hear of
> folks who have everything down to the last penny in cost vs. profit and 
> all
> the other proper ways of running a business. Me? Mine just flew as the 
> wind
> blew it and the assignments came along. And as long as I had some money in
> the bank and I could pay bills that was OK. :-)
>
> But business organization? Costs of stock and equipment? Not a clue.  I
> always figured there was someone up there looking after me all these years
> or I'd never have made it. :-) I sort of did my book keeping, "that's a
> joke" ;-) what's book keeping?
>
> I had an accounting firm that only once a year put together my company
> financial statement, figured out the taxes to be paid and generally saved 
> my
> ass.  The problem was, I just wanted to shoot and assignments never ended
> because I was always doing something producing income.
>
> Often I wished I could clone myself there were so many things lined up. 
> But
> keeping financial records and all that paper work was just a pain. Besides 
> I
> never understood it anyway so why worry as long as you've got money in the
> bank.
>
> I of course know to-day that system cost me piles of money and often
> monetary grief, but something always bailed me out, a bloody wonder I
> survived.
>
> One of the points I make to young photographers in training is the
> importance of having a proper business management plan and or financial
> manager because we as photographers, well not all, are the worst business
> managers in the world because we just want to take pictures not do paper
> work.
>
> Sorry I'm rambling, but when I see points made as you have above, I know
> those economic ways are correct for proper business management and I'm 
> sorry
> I never had them as I grew-up. I know Tina and her husband and she's got a
> firm hand for guidance that many others didn't nor do have and that's 
> quite
> a blessing.
>
> However, I bet she and Tom have some "conversations" ;-) about the 
> economics
> of her business at times.. ;-)
>
> ted
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