A Business Update

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.0.48″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.0.74″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]You may have seen me post recently about some coming changes to our business, and in this post I’m going to let you in on whats happening!

As many of you know, wedding photography has been our main business for about 5 years now. Ashley and I started the business in 2008 and things have been growing steadily since then! I attribute all of our success so far to our amazing clients, all of the fellow vendors that support us, and a few incredible mentors who poured wisdom and knowledge into us so freely.

Over the years, we have both discovered so much about ourselves, our business, and what we stand for. We’ve also found out what its like trying to run a service business with a family. Our growth has caused us to re-evaluate how we want to run our photography business in the future.

I’ve also found that photography isn’t the only thing I’m passionate about. We both love photographing weddings, but photographing 30-40 weddings per year and trying to raise 2 kids doesn’t allow us to serve our clients at the level they deserve. It also doesn’t allow us to spend the kind of time with our kids that we would like.

Going forward, I will be focusing on a few main things, and Ashley will continue to focus primarily on raising our children and supporting our businesses in various ways:

1. Family. Ok, I had to make sure to mention this because if I would rather fail in business and be a great husband and father than to fail my family to be a great businessman. Ashley has always wanted to be a full time mom, and I want to support her in this as much as she has supported me in our business.

2. Wedding Photography. Its a skill that we already have and we LOVE doing it. The business will change some, but it will still be one of our primary focuses and sources of income. Ashley will continue to photograph weddings with me.

3. Helping business owners find and nurture their true fans. For right now, I’m looking to help local small business owners with the marketing to find the right clients or customers (I specialize in Facebook marketing and website conversion optimization), and then helping foster relationships with those clients/customers (creative strategies that drive referrals and goodwill). You can keep up with this venture at http://www.findtruefans.com or http://www.facebook.com/findtruefans.

4. My other business ideas. I have dozens, and I want to devote some time to seeing which ones are worth starting.  I’m an entrepreneur at heart and I love starting and growing businesses. I also love being around other people who this.

Finally, I’ll give you some details on the big change to the photography business!!
Starting this week, we will be taking new clients under a brand new business name…
Ablaze Photography!!!

We’ve been working on setting up Ablaze for about 6 months now, spending hundreds of hours thinking through exactly how we want to run our photography business. You can read more about Ablaze and why it exists on our new website (https://ablazephoto.com/about/about-ablaze/).

Although the number of weddings we photograph will be smaller, the customer service will be better than ever. In fact, we intend not only to photograph weddings, but to provide an experience that enhances marriages.

If you’re a current client of Corey Potter Photographer, there will be no changes to your packages or experience (except naturally making it better because we are striving for excellence more than ever before). The business will still exist and operation will continue as normal except for new marketing. The current Facebook page will stay and be used for all current CPP clients. The website will migrate to a different domain at some point, but will stay around indefinitely. After 2015, a message will appear on the contact forms directing people to Ablaze.

IN SUMMARY
Over the next year Corey Potter Photographer is transitioning out, Ablaze Photography is taking its place.

I’m working with small business owners to find the true fans that make their businesses thrive.

I am surrounding myself with local thinkers and entrepreneurs who want to make Columbia (and the world) a better place to live.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
1. Like (and share!) our new Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/photographyablaze
Check out the Ablaze Website: www.ablazephoto.com

2. Get in touch if you are a business owner (or know one) who wants more TRUE FANS.
Like this page: http://www.facebook.com/findtruefans

3. Help me connect with fellow thinkers, entrepreneurs and awesome people.
Tag them in the comments, introduce us in person or introduce us via email ([email protected]).[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]