Robert Craven - 'The Entrepreneurship Guru'

Invited by my great mate Martin Wilmott I had a terrific day today in Basildon at a marketing seminar run by Barclays.

The guest speaker was the truly inspirational Robert Craven of the Directors Centre and I am now feeling completely psyched up about making my business work. It's easy to get a bit bogged down in the every day running of the business... This seminar came just at the right time for me.

Anyone who reads this blog will see that my clients are all lovely (!) so it's probably time to ask them what they do and don't like about what I do. I can then take it all on board and make improvements and changes. I've missed this trick which seems ridiculous when I've already booked 3 of my weddings next year on the basis that they were guests at this year's weddings. Clearly seeing me in action was important.

I was told recently by another photographer than they'd never seen anything like a shoot with me... As well as being great fun, they particularly liked the way that I talked to clients... keeping them involved. Seems pretty obvious to me. Oh yes, and apparently I sing when I work... I'm not sure that this is a good thing though.

I've been mulling over my marketing plans for 2008 for some time now and it was all coming together nicely. Hearing Robert speak today about winning over customers' minds was just the kick I needed to make these plans happen. I have to admit to aiming very high next year - seeing the recently announced Photographic Portrait Prize 2007 at the National Portrait Gallery for example has forced me to make a promise to myself to enter next year. I've already raised the subject with three of my forthcoming family portrait commissions.

And as a result of a spread in the December issue of Practical Photography magazine (see image) I've been asked by them for a few more 'faces' which is also raising my profile.


I'm sure that when I wake up tomorrow morning all of the other things that excited me today will have fallen neatly into place. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing (and meeting) Robert and can heartily recommend his seminar. If you have a chance to hear him speak, GO!

Martin and I decided to combine this seminar with our annual Christmas get together at his local curry house. To all of those who sat near me at the seminar I'm so sorry... I always see eating the lime pickle as a great challenge but forget that I ooze garlic for days afterwards! Anyway, Martin and I caught up on all things photography which was brilliant as usual. He's doing really well with lots of new corporate commissions so we swapped stories about trucks (him) and dog treadmills (me) and the ridiculous lengths we go to to get a great image. Thanks Martin - it was great seeing you!