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The Mafia sounds like my kind of meeting...... too much ale and no work 
One of the main things in any professional photgraphers life is how little of their time is spent actually taking pictures. I spent more time in the air or at airports than I ever did with a camera in my hands.
And as someone else said here, so few photgraphers seem to see it as a business. Good photographers are ten a penny - good photographers with business sense are rare. They are the ones who become successful.
If you have a good personality, get on with people and have business sense you are two thirds there. The photography is easy to learn by comparison.
Quote: The photography is easy to learn by comparison.
Yup
At a presentation I saw this week, pitched to small businesses of various ages, the guy said that you're all working for yourselves/in business because you're good at something, but that whole "Running a business" thing gets in the way 
Book keeping, marketing, customer care, delivering on time - all things that are not really what you're "good" at, but things you need to get "good" at or you'll not last.
I'm chomping my way through audio books on marketing and business all the time now, I know the photography side pretty well, still learning there as we all are, but when you hear a whole hour book on using press releases and mailing lists to subtly get your name out there and get people buying, you realise there's so much to learn, it seems obvious when you hear it, but doesn't everything (except maybe quantum mechanics, that's counter intuitive!)
For the record, it's 14th Jan 2011, I've used my camera twice so far this year - one was paid, the other for "portfolio" (i.e. "fun")
You're lucky -- I have not had any 'Paid' photography since the second week in December 2010 !
Now there is cut-backs all around -- NO Council work ( the Girl on the Office does it ) , NO local Operatic Society work ( all the groups that used to give me work have a 'member with a digital camera' that does their photos), NO PR work ( the Girl in the Office does it ) NO Weddings -- (Uncle Ernie does it and takes the card to Boots, Brentwood High Street) --' No Budget for Freelancers' from most of the local newspapers and the one that used to give me a bit has now been told to send the Staffer all the way from Seven Kings near Ilford out to Brentwood to do the jobs -- at least a 25 mile round trip at £1-30 a litre + his time when I can WALK to the jobs !
Quote: .....good photographers with business sense are rare. They are the ones who become successful.
Couldn't agree more.
I may not be the best photographer in the world; not by a long chalk but 25 years in sales and marketing has paid off for me. That and being able to adapt to change and diversifying.
I was on a session talking to my dad's mate, a millionaire pet food producer, he was asking me what market I was going for, I told him, but said all this "selling" malarkey was really alien and wierd.
He agreed - and said he was rubbish at it to, so just has a man to do it for him!!!
Oh the luxury!!
Anyone want to go out and sell my shots on a commission only basis, apply to me by PM
Actually - I've just seen a 60 by 90 inch print of one of my shots.. that was awesome
Quote: Sounds like you went to the type of meeting I attended once - no names - but you have to stand up for a minute, give a pitch and say what referrals you're after this week.
I joined this kind of group when I started out and with a little practice you soon get used to it earned my annual membership fee back in 3 weeks. The local business people I have met have been very valuable even if just with mates rates for certain trade services.
I dont take it as serious as 99% of the other members proven by my memory hook which is a small 2 line rhyme or quote to promote your business some very serious and well thought out but mine is "Choose Monkeygrip the only flasher you can trust with your kids"
It has actually been adopted by the director of the region in training new members lol.
The one I went to was around £1800, when you factor in breakfasts, membership, room rent and the "joining" fee.
I may re-apply to go as a guest one more time, but I'm looking for something a little less regimented initally
It was tough for me at first this was and still is an early morning meeting all in per year you are looking at £1100 but you block it out in the diary and just like anything else you do you get out as much as you put in.
I have expanded my photographic repertoire (Sorry big words there lol) to accomodate some of the needs of the members product photography, architecture, promo video shots, as well as the wedding and portrait stuff I set out to do in the first place.
The thing you have to remember in that kind of group is after the first few weeks you are not selling to the room but using the room as a 30 man sales team.
I do happen to have a bottle of wine next to me but thats your mind not my drunken ramblings hahaha.
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