5 Online Tools to Organize Your Business

I like to consider myself an organized person (but don’t look at my office right now – it’s a disaster zone!). Much more than staying physically organized, I love being organized with my processes and information.

When I first started photographing senior sessions, family sessions, and weddings, I would maybe photograph three weddings for the entire year and a portrait session per month. It was easy for me to stay "organized" because, well, I didn’t have too much work. But then, slowly over time, I started getting busier. And busier. And soon enough, I was in wayyyyyyy over my head without any rhyme, reason, or rhythm to my madness and it was driving me INSANE. I was the girl in high school who toted around a planner, calendar, and separate binder for each class (organized by assignment and month), but I wasn’t translating that organization into my business.

Fast forward a few years to today, and I’m photographing 20+ weddings and 50-60 sessions per year (such a blessing!), and I’ve had to force myself to get organized and find systems and processes for marking, booking, creating, culling, editing and sharing the work my clients hire me to do. Today, I wanted to share five of my favorite online tools for staying organized and streamlining my work process in hopes that someone else out there can benefit from these tools that took me way too long to find! So without further ado – here are my five favorite online tools for staying organized within my business:

1.  Wunderlist

I absolutely love to do lists and Wunderlist allows me to organize, categorize, and set dates/deadlines for all of my tasks. This no-fuss app has quickly become one of my favorites for its power and simplicity. Wunderlist lets you easily create folders with subcategories (for example: “2018 Weddings”), create sub-lists within a folder (for example: “John Smith + Amy Flowers Wedding”) and create tasks within that list category, as well as sub tasks within those tasks (for example: "edit wedding photos)! If you’re an organizational nerd like me, I know you’re going to love it. And bonus: you can even collaborate on lists and invite people to contribute (for example: my husband and I have a “Groceries” list to help us keep track of what we’re running low on - we haven't run out of ketchup since - score!).

While users have the ability to upgrade on Wunderlist, I find the free version to be full of features and highly convenient (considering it syncs between my desktop and phone app so I can add to-dos while I’m out and about). Check out my breakdown below:

2.  Mile IQ

Mile IQ was a newer find for me – actually, I discovered it while filing for my 2016 taxes when my accountant highly suggested that I keep track of my mileage (believe it or not, on location wedding/portrait photographers do a lot of driving between scouting locations, meeting with clients, and photographing sessions!). I absolutely love Mile IQ because it automatically keeps track of my drives. AUTOMATICALLY. Did I mention it was automatic? Like, that I don’t even have to think about it?! Talk about genius! I just leave my location on my phone on, and it tracks my driving and then lets me categorize those drives as “personal” or as “business” (with sub categories – and you know how I feel about sub-lists!!), along with literally showing a map of where you drove to/from. If you track mileage for business, this app is a must have!

I should also mention that the first forty drives while using the app are free – but if you drive more than 40 trips a month, Mile IQ has the option to upgrade for just a small monthly maintenance fee.

3.  Grum

One of my favorite (and most engaging) social media platforms I use to interact with current and potential clients is Instagram. In the past, scheduling posts to automatically publish at a specific time wasn’t a possibility for Instagram… until Grum came along. Grum.co allows users to not only organize content, but also to schedule content to automatically post at a specific time (i.e., when most of your clients are actively online). By now, you might be starting to recognize how much I love automation. I love it because it allows me to create a bunch of content in one sitting, schedule it out, and then not have to think about it again until after it’s posted. Though Grum isn’t free, it’s only roughly $10 per month, or $120 annually – which (to me) is worth every penny!

4.  Hootsuite

Hootsuite is very similar to Grum, except a user can manage and automate all of their social media profiles instead of just Instagram (except Instagram can’t be automated via Hootsuite – it can only remind you to post at a specific time). Hootsuite allows the user to organize and automate both Facebook and Twitter posts – plus track analytics, create campaigns, and organize contacts all from their simply laid out dashboard! There is much more to Hootsuite that I haven’t had a chance (or need) to explore, but if you’re interested in reading about additional features, I highly encourage you to check out their website! Hootsuite is free for to use for the first three social media platforms (with the ability to upgrade).

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5.  Acuity Scheduling

Acuity is a newer online tool (for me) that I recently began using for the 2017 photo season. I tend to spend a lot of time communicating back and forth with my clients trying to figure out the best date and time to schedule a session. With Acuity, I’m able to send my clients a link where they can view my calendar of available session time slots and book a specific type of session without any back and forth. I’m all about making things simple for my clients, so deciding to invest in Acuity Scheduling was a no brainer for me! Acuity also allows the business manager to set specific appointment types for specific times, as well as send follow up questionnaires to learn more about the booking client. Acuity has a variety of different paid plans – the free version has a very limited number of features, but it still very intuitive!

What are you favorite online tools, apps, and tricks for staying organized? Are there any online tools you would add to this list? Drop your favorite organization tool in the comments below, I always love to find new tools to use! But in the mean time, enjoy checking out the online tools listed above!

Kim & Darren: Myrtle Beach Couple Photography

Do you ever have one of those days (or... months?) where you just cannot wait to get away? February was one of those for me.

I have to admit, I'm not much of a beach person, but getting some sand between my toes in the off-season is one of my favorite ways to relax. While I'm not a big beach-sitter, I do love to walk on the beach and be reminded of my smallness (oceans will do that to you, I suppose). At any rate, Nick and I were extremely fortunate to be able to travel down to Myrtle with some of his co-workers and their spouses. We relaxed, walked, went the spa, hot tubbed (I think I made that up), and even had the chance to take some photos of Nick's coworker, Darren, and his beautiful wife Kim! You might recognize these two from their Geneva College engagement session last fall.

When Kim asked if I would be willing to snap some photos of her and Darren on our trip, I was THRILLED. If there's anything I know to be true about Kim, it's that she LOVES the beach. I'm not sure I know of anyone who loves the beach more than her, actually (quite a contrast to me!) - and I love the idea of taking photos of her with the person she loves most in one of the places she loves most. That's what it's all about!!!

Catherine + Aaron: New Year's Eve Wedding Photographer

There's nothing quite like a New Year's Eve wedding, and Catherine and Aaron's date wasn't randomly chosen. These two met 6 years ago on New Year's Eve and tied the knot exactly six years later in the church where Catherine's late maternal grandma was baptized. Catherine wore her paternal grandma's rings for the ceremony as a sweet sentiment, and had plenty of meaningful (and beautiful) details planned throughout the wedding day! Photographing these two in Ridgeway, PA was a joy and I'm so excited for them as they begin their adventure as husband and wife! Congrats, Catherine and Aaron!

Becca + Frank: Cathedral of Learning Engagement Session

There's something about freezing winter temperatures that make a shoot feel all the cozier! Becca and Frank's Pittsburgh engagement session started off inside the Cathedral of Learning, then gradually moved outside to the Mellon Institute (where they dealt with the cold like champs!). These two were so natural in front of the camera - I could've photographed them all day! They talked, laughed, and just enjoyed each other (plus, Frank is awesome at what I like to call the "tackle hug," which you will see below :) ). I loved working with these two and couldn't be more excited to photograph their wedding in 2017!

One Thing More Important Than Your Wedding Day (And Why I Love Weddings)

Every girl dreams of her wedding day. Disney movies, romantic comedies, and Nicholas Sparks novels set expectations in our minds for what a path to marriage (and even what a wedding day) should look like. But you know what’s so much more important than a wedding day? A marriage.

I used to love weddings. Well, I still love weddings. But now, as someone who’s married, I love weddings for a different reason. I used to love weddings for superficial reasons – for the details, the flowers, the centerpieces, the wedding dress, the venue, and even for the photo locations (don’t get me wrong, I still love all of those things, too!).

But now, when I start talking with a bride about her wedding day, instead of immediately asking for the details – I ask about the couple. I want to know the story that led to that monumental moment where the two will make a commitment to trust, love, respect, and honor each other for all the days of their lives. I want to hear what they love to do together, how they met, what he loves most about her, and so on. I want to celebrate them, because, let’s face it – getting to that point can be difficult. Choosing to love someone can be challenging sometimes – because really, after you get married, you realize that loving your spouse is a choice.

I’ve only been married for close to a year now, and don’t get me wrong – I absolutely LOVE my crazy extroverted redheaded husband – he’s my best friend and the love of my life! But sometimes, loving him day-to-day isn’t easy, especially when I let my own selfish desires overshadow what’s best for us as a couple again and again. I would’ve never been able to realize this if we hadn’t had so many wonderful married people pouring into and investing in our relationship. “We all need someone who inspires us to do better than we know how.” (Anonymous). And how much more important is it to have people in your life who can lead you in the right direction in a relationship that (should, God-willing) span the entirety of your life!

So really, when it comes down to it, my love for weddings is a bi-product of my love (and passion) for marriage. There’s so much more to a wedding day than the wedding itself. Whatever I can do to uplift, encourage, and serve people on the journey towards marriage is EXACTLY what I want to be doing. Because marriage rocks.

Graham Family: North Park Family Photographer (Cranberry Township Photographer)

Hadley and her parents were naturals in front of the camera on the chilly November afternoon we took their portraits at North Park! We started off around the North Park Boathouse and gradually worked our way into the Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe, where we were able to get some photos of a cake smash for Hadley's first birthday! (Thanks to the wonderful staff at OTB Bicycle Cafe for letting us make a bit of a mess!) This family was a joy to photograph!

Meghan + Lance | Lingrow Farms Wedding Photography

It was an absolute pleasure to photograph Meghan and Lance's beautiful day. They had a small, intimate ceremony with family (10 kids total!) and close friends, and a gorgeous day. Congratulations to one of the sweetest couples we've had the pleasure to work with! A big thanks to Paul Wintruba for second shooting, and to Lingrow Farms for being fantastic to work with!

Photo below by Paul Wintruba

Julianna + Josh | Hartwood Acres Wedding Photography

Julianna and Josh had a beautiful ceremony at the Hartwood Acres mansion this past August. We wish this sweet couple all the best in their new marriage! A huge thanks to Sara Dinwiddie for second shooting this wedding with me!

Sami H. | Moraine State Park Senior Photography (Cranberry Township Photographer)

Just a few of our favorites Sami's senior session at Moraine State Park! This Seneca Valley senior is planning on heading to West Virginia University after graduation - I love how she incorporated a WVU jacket into her shoot! Best of luck to you for your senior year, Sami!

Kate + Taylor | Shady Elms Farm Wedding Photography

Sometimes weddings make me really excited to get married. This was one of them. Kate and Taylor had a gorgeous day at Shady Elms Farm in Hickory, PA. The couple incorporated so many fun details, including their mutual love of hamburgers [BRGR catered!]. Their love for each other is so evident, and we wish them all of the best!

Bride photobomb!