In the spirit of continuous improvement, often times we are so busy focusing on how we can do things better in our business that we fail to reflect on how far we’ve come. It’s easy for anyone to get caught up in long to-do lists, not enough time in the day, and “how many times can I possibly reheat this cup of coffee” instead of focusing on targeted business goals and company values. Your business will never have the opportunity to grow if you spend more time working IN it than you do ON it.

Just a few short years ago, what we called a business was very much just stumbling, trying to stay afloat, running in circles, doing what felt like everything under the sun just to become profitable. There were days when we felt like we wanted to give up, hide under the covers, or just move away to the Virgin Islands.

Our philosophy on business and marriage reminds us to find balance in our business, focus on each of our strengths and be fortunate to fill the gaps for each other’s weaknesses, allowing us to build a business we are proud of and still be present in the lives of our children.

5 Tips for Business Success:

1. Building loyalty, connection and trust.

Client satisfaction just isn’t enough anymore. The creative industries are flooded with options. If you want to ensure your calendar is fully booked, you need to serve people on a higher level, and the only way to do that is to create a connection and build trust. The first step is presenting the client with a distinct and vibrant impression with our brand through our online presence. We want our clients to know who they’re working with and what they can expect, as soon as they land on our homepage. We continue to foster our relationship with the client throughout the booking process, the engagement session, bridal boudoir session, wedding planning and preparation, all the excitement of the wedding day, and finally the product selection and delivery process, sending them off with heirlooms that will leave a legacy. By building this relationship, we ensure our clients trust they can relax and enjoy the wedding experience because their memories are in the hands of experts that will far exceed their expectations. We absolutely LOVE getting glowing testimonials, and word of mouth referrals, but none of this is possible if you don’t form a profound relationship with your clients right from the very beginning and build upon that at each and every interaction.

2. Ingenuity & Innovation.

The wedding industry is ever changing! We strive to stay ahead of the trends and authentic in our approach to providing timeless deliverables that won’t ever go out of style. Each year we incorporate new and exciting products and services like our Same Day Edits, On the Spot Prints, State of the Art Albums and Wall Art display options built exclusively for The Harris Company. With each client, our goal is that they walk away knowing we produced something completely unique just for them. As soon as you become complacent in your creativity, your business will suffer. Always working on the next new product and constantly striving to elevate our services and business allows us to maintain a fresh vision in the eyes of prospective clients, and keep us inspired and passionate about what we do. (Which leads me to our next point.)

3. Passion.

We’ve committed to only offering services and products we are 100% passionate about. We choose products we use for our own family memories and provide services we WISH we had chosen for our own wedding day. Rooting ourselves deeply in these beliefs has allowed us to serve our clients on a much higher level, and not get burnt out by the repetition of summers away from our family. If you can’t get behind what you offer, how do you expect your clients to? Stay true to your passion.

4. Exclusivity.

We choose to work only with clients that are invested in the importance of storytelling and heirlooms that are made to last. Witnessing two people commit their lives to one another and being apart of the lively wedding day celebration is an honor and joy. Because we place such a high value on the importance of marriage and family, we limit the number of events we book each year so we can create family memories of our own as well. We go to great lengths to be more than just a wedding day vendor for our couples so that they will be as equally invested in building the relationship. Respecting and following those family values fuels the fire behind our purpose and has allowed us to be more committed to our clients.

5. Network & Relationships.

Owning your own business is hard. Building a solid support network will allow you to grow an efficient business where you can focus on your strengths and seek guidance to improve your weaknesses. There are days when we get stuck editing or lost in our inbox for hours not even realizing that we haven’t had lunch… and it’s almost dinner time. The support network that we’ve built and the relationships we’ve developed with other creatives (locally and around the WORLD) allows us to seek advice when we need it, encourage creativity, collaboration, and solid referrals. It is simply not possible to grow your business without growing your network and trying to go at it alone will lead to exhaustion (and a lot less fun on a wedding day!) To build an effective network, appreciate the people you work with, invest in those relationships, and provide value to others, it will always be worth it!