Are you currently working your nine-to-five and trying to build a photography business on the side? In that case, it can probably seem overwhelming at times trying to make sure that you are getting all the work done and moving your business forward. If that sounds like you, then this blog will be super helpful when it comes to being productive in the little time frame that you do have to work on your business.

Here are my top five tips for building your photo biz while working your 9-5.

 1. Batch create content at all times

Whether that looks like sitting down and batching your content for the week every weekend, or sitting down once a month and creating it for the entire month – the best way to make sure that you can consistently show up throughout the month is to batch create. Now I know many people can be hesitant when it comes to batch creating content because of the time it will take, but trust me when I tell you that after a few months, you will have a system in place that will allow you to quickly and easily create content. It’s one of those situations where the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the more time you will save.

 2. Get help early!

If you are trying to juggle a full-time job and your business, I highly recommend Outsourcing the things that take the longest or add the most stress. The two things that I would highly recommend you Outsource first is your accounting, and you’re editing. Now I get it, paying someone to help you run your business when you aren’t even running it full time can seem scary and overwhelming. Still, if you can save four or five hours a week by not editing, that’s four or five hours you can put back into actually marketing your business and growing it. The truth is, editing your photos and prepping for taxes are two things that do not make you money in your business or move the needle forward! The best way to grow your business quickly and get you out of your full-time job is to focus on the task that directly brings you in money – like marketing! 

3.  Create systems!

Creating systems and workflows is by far going to be one of the best things that you can do to streamline the tasks that you have to do every day or every week. You can save hours every single week by streamlining tasks, creating templates, or automating portions of your business. It might take a little bit of time to set up, but it’s something that you will benefit from considerably on the back end once you have set aside the time to make it happen.

 4. Time block

When you sit down to work on your business, time block every task you have. By this, I mean setting the amount of time you are giving yourself to work on that project or task. By placing a time limit and setting a timer, you are more focused on getting that task done, and you are less likely to get distracted by notifications or other things going on in the background.

5. Market first

When you sit down to work on your business for the day, always Market first. Whether that looks like actually getting on social media and posting or just scheduling a post to go out later in the day, make sure you do that first. It is way too easy to get distracted once you jump into your inbox, start editing, or start working on clients’ projects. Always make marketing your number one priority every single day.

P.S. – If you struggle with writing Instagram captions, grab seven pre-written captions here for free!