Ask any school photographer and they’ll tell you that once you reach a certain level of business growth, it gets more and more challenging to keep on top of orders. Organising, managing, editing and printing high volumes takes a lot of time – it’s probably the most time-consuming part of running your school photography business!
When you reach that business crossroads and take stock, you may need to take decisive action to manage your working processes more efficiently. There are easily actionable options to try, for example, enlisting the help of an assistant, or deploying specialist software to streamline your photography workflow.
Here, we consider a few options to help grow your school photography business and improve your operational efficiencies.
Increasing headcount
Hiring an assistant to come on shoots and help with your photo purchasing and organisation can be a good solution, giving you an extra pair of hands and a fresh set of eyes on projects and processes. But whether you employ or contract, it comes at a cost and one you must factor in.
Deploy volume photo editing software
If you’re currently battling with disorganised spreadsheets and millions of images in thousands of different folders, high-volume photo editing and image management software such as MaxLab will help manage your photography workflow efficiently and automate many of the manual processes which are taking up so much of your time.
So let’s take a look at some of MaxLab’s timesaving features.
Auto face detect – with face count, blink score, smile score and new blur detection (currently in MaxLab beta testing), these features can minimise production errors, speed editing, and improve your efficiency and productivity by automatically cropping shots to a consistent head size and position. Auto-reject blurry images and auto-select the best image from the face detection scores = time saved.
Powerful search function - to keep track of all your files and photos, helping you mine your database in seconds and locate the specific files you’re looking for. Images will be profiled with meta-data and tagged so you can access them quickly = increased efficiency.
Streamlining print fulfilment – can result in enormous productivity gains for your business, freeing up time to focus on your business growth. MaxLab integrates directly with the leading wet or dry mini lab printers, including the latest models from Fujifilm, Epson, Noritsu and pretty much any printer with a Windows driver or a hotfolder interface. Use QR codes for bar-code proof card systems or on-the-day QR codes to give parents fast, secure and direct access to their children’s images, all available within MaxLab = greater productivity.
In combination, these three digital asset management software features enable you to take control and deliver a whole range of efficiency and productivity benefits, enabling you to manage your workflow and oversee your printing process in a fraction of the time it would take using manual systems.
Offer unique & innovative products
Win new contracts and consolidate customer relationships by offering new, innovative and unique products, such as composites. Images can easily be personalised and tailored to each school’s individual requirements with the help of MaxLab’s Layout Designer templating tool, along with MaxLab’s data driven rendering capabilities.
Try bespoke options such as Star Composites, where each child becomes the star of a group shot, school house colours and emblems can be incorporated, and you can even add school buildings as a backdrop – the possibilities are endless. You create an idea for a unique product and we can make it happen through linking data and other advanced functionality of our MaxLab volume photography software.
Online special offers & QR codes
Growing your business hinges on driving sales and maximising order value. Utilising an online platform that has the functionality to reach out to prospects with enticing and engaging offers, such as discount coupons or incentives to nudge pending purchases to complete, can prove highly effective in sealing the deal. Getting images in front of parents quickly after photo day is critical; a QR code for pupils to take home will accelerate getting the image, contact and order information into parents’ hands.
Boosting efficiency
Whatever method you choose to help boost your business efficiency, make sure you’ve factored in all the costs and you are still in creative control. Being able to oversee your business and manage your processes effectively puts you in a far better position to make better business decisions. Finding the right photo organising software will increase your operational efficiencies, allow your creative flair to flourish and help you design new and interesting products to attract customers, beat the competition and, ultimately, help to grow your business.
If you’re interested in learning more about how MaxLab volume photo management software or any of our product solutions, can help you take your school photography business to the next level, please contact our team. We’d love to hear from you!