Bootstrap

Cutting business expenses: Bootstrap customer interview

The poor state of the economy gets a lot of media coverage these days, but we were especially intrigued by an email we received from one of our customers, Terrell, a professional photographer from Las Vegas. He mentioned that using Bootstrap had helped him see where he needed to cut costs. Because we thought other entrepreneurs might be in a similar boat, we asked Terrell for some more information about his story:

Q. Can you tell us about your business? What do you do? How long have you been in business? Is this your first business or have you run others before?

A. I’m a lifestyle photographer based in Las Vegas. I’ve been shooting professionally for about seven months and I specialize in family and children lifestyle photography but I love shooting people in general. This is my second business. I used to own an apparel company which I sold. I still work a regular 9-5 as a Curriculum Developer for a wireless Internet company .

Q. What do you enjoy most about running your own business?

A. I truly enjoy what I do. I get to befriend so many individuals as a photographer. They become friends, people I talk to regularly via email, or phone…though many of my clients are on Facebook we use it to keep in touch, share photos, etc. It’s great when you can build a great relationship with clients. As for running my own business I really enjoy the people aspect of it and just being in control of my success or failure. I’m hoping and striving for success of course.

Q. What do enjoy least?

A. I have to be honest. I prefer to be out shooting rather than seating behind a computer editing hundreds of photos for hours. I’ve finally decided to focus on what I love doing-which is capturing images. I’m working on farming out the post-processing either hiring someone part time or working with a post-processing company.

Q. Have the economic troubles impacted your business? If so, how?

A. It has a little but it’s also made me more creative. When I speak with potential clients I let them know that what I do is custom photography which is a luxury and not some cookie cutter chain experience. It’s an investment in time and money. From that investment the client receives something so priceless…images of their children at an age they will never be again—being themselves in the images free of cheesy posing. It’s about capturing the essence of the person being photographed. The images that are created will last forever. Some people may gasp at the price tag but if they truly want portraits that capture the moment—it’s worth every penny.

Q. Do you expect to cut back on business expenses over the next 6 months? If so, do you have a specific amount or goal in mind?

A. Cuts are sometimes necessary. Since I’ve been using Bootstrap I’ve seen where I need to be more lean. I’ve made a few bad purchases that I regret but they were learning moments and move on. The old adage is it takes money to make money. I’ve also decided to go even more green and not print out my price booklets and to use final packaging materials from sustainable companies…we only get one earth you know.. I believe clients will respect a well designed digital experience and the more earth friendly packaging. Don’t get me wrong, I think packaging is very important but I want to make sure that I keep cost low and pass on the savings to the client.

Q. You mentioned that using Bootstrap has already helped you find places to cut expenses. Could you share some examples?

A. I need to reevaluate my spending with certain online sites, find more reasonable alternatives that offer me the bang for my buck. I’ve taken more time to thoroughly investigate my options rather than going with the one with all the flashy buttons. Just yesterday, I came across a studio management system that is half the cost of my current solution and offers the same if not more features with a solid design. Can I say their name…Tave Studio rocks! It’s really important to find companies that ‘”get it”. Bootstrap is one of them. The support is fast and friendly. I can’t wait to grow with you guys! Rock on!!