Day 12

Today was exciting. I found myself on Facebook and the phone talking to a multitude of people about the business.

I talked to my good friend Trey Tucker all about webdesign and website everything... I am uneducated regarding how a website is made and how the internet works haha. He helped by giving me an action list to get things moving.
1. Buy a domain name.
2. Start with a Tumblr account.
3. Once those are done to call him back and get the next step going with capabilities.

I talked to my friend Kim Horodowitz about business cards and logo making
1. I plan to meet up with her in a few weeks to discuss trademarking and copyrights
2. I get to hang out with her and she's awesome!

I got a random email about prophetic photographs from Johnnie Cummings
1. I was encouraged in my talents and giftings... total confirmation
2. I got an inquiry from a church about purchasing some of my prints for their prayer and intercession room! Awesome!


So... it's been a great day! Also spent some great pray time talking to Jesus about this business, seeking guidance and wisdom on making this happen... reminded that God is in the center :)

Day 10 and 11: Ikea and OFFICIAL NAME!

Yippeee... I have been to Ikea, pricing different frames for the launch of my business... i found some sweet deals, and pretty much need to go back and just buy them!

I also went through my files the last 2 days searching through and figuring out which to print, and file for the launch. I found great pictures that I had forgotten about and am excited to get them printed.
I am frustrated as I am figuring out the best way to "sign" my prints.

Do I sign the matting?
Do I sign the actual print?
Do I add a label to the back with my information, business info, or what?

There is so many little things and preparation that goes into getting this thing set up and moving.

I also just created an email account with gmail for RADIANT PHOTOGRAPHY!

LiveRadiant@gmail.com

I decided officially as the name and need to register it with the US Patent and Trademark Association.

Pretty exciting. I am spending a lot of today figuring out sizing, matting, and which pictures to definitely print out.
Then I need a way to organize and display them best.

Some need watermarks, some need the logo, some need nothing but a frame...

Day 9: A day of searching

United States Patent and Trademark Office

I checked out this website and it is quite fascinating... I'm reading a lot about trademarks, patents and copyrights... and why they are necessary and I have created a chart for them.

Trademark

What does it do: protect words, names, symbols, sounds, or colors that distinguish goods and services from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of the goods. Trademarks, unlike patents, can be renewed forever as long as they are being used in commerce.



Patent

What is it: A property right granted by the Government of the United States of America to an inventor “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States” for a limited time in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.


Copyright

What does it do: Protect works of authorship, such as writings, music, and works of art that have been tangibly expressed. The Library of Congress registers copyrights which last for the life of the author plus 70 years.


I am going to start designing business cards this weekend, and once I get some more information about creating a website, buying a domain name, etc... I will hopefully then continue to print them.
If you are in Baltimore in May, I am going to have a booth set up to sell my photography at one of the independent school fairs. I am excited to sell my photography. I've learned a lot since the first time I sold including customer expectations, quality, and so much more :)

PS... I also found that Radiant Photography is NOT already taken, nor is Globe Photography. Interesting... I have a dilemma now... what to officially choose... I gotta pray! But YES!!! PROGRESS!!!

Day 7 and 8: Website/ Business Cards

Today I was talking to a good friend of mine and she was telling me that her husband knows all about business card printing. I talked to him yesterday and gave him my vision for my business and cards. He said he would love to help me out and informed me that he was able to get me a great deal and get a bunch printed off! Yippeee! I can't wait!!

I am really excited to meet up with him, give him some design ideas for a business card, but of course, I need to get the website up!!

More to come!!

Day 4,5,6: A delay

Alright, well, it's been a hectic weekend and thus why I did not blog Day 4, or Day 5.... but I have to say that it was not because it was on my mind, nor did I forget. INFACT... exciting things have been brewing...

I keep stumbling upon different websites, photographers, and entrepreneurial people who have some sort of experience with what I want to create in the near future. I've been able to inquire, ask questions, and look more into getting this up and running. I have also realized that I need to create a realistic budget and really put some money aside to invest into this dream that God has given me. I believe that he is orchestrating and providing resources and networking for this to happen.
This weekend, though I didn't blog... I was able to take some pictures and they are just some fun ones. I've been playing with them in photoshop and I really liked how they turned out... I think they turned out great! So below you will see them... Enjoy!!

Day 3: How to make a business

So I was looking online today to find information on how to create and get my business up and running.
There is so much that goes into getting a business started and I've realized that if you look at it as a whole it can get rather overwhelming: legal stuff, business plans, website, business cards, patents, document after document, and the list goes on.
So instead of looking at it as a whole, I am gonna start step by step. I found today a few websites on the beginning process of creating a business.
I first have to say that I got an additional job as a part-time booking agent with My Flower Box. It is a floral design bridal and event company. I will be working with a floral designer and will be getting paid to schedule consultations with her clientele. She's teaching me everything she knows about event and wedding planning, as well as how to start a business. Towards summer I will most likely step in as the photographer for the company and hopefully have my company on the move.

Anyway to continue, this is what I found:

I need to create a business plan and a start-up plan. This is any plan that works for a business to look ahead.

A start up plan consists of a summary, mission statement, keys to success, market analysis, and break-even analysis.
If you don't know what those things are, don't worry. I'll brief you when I make them :)

I also found information on a trademark and Copyright!!! Yippeee... that is exciting!

Check out these links:

Trademark

Copyright

Day 2: My tools and Some pics

I thought it would be important for you to know what I am using to take my pictures and what software is helping me also.
SO here they are:



I took my camera with me today and I've decided that I need to invest in a better one. Action shots are fun but not when you're camera doesn't take them fast enough... oh well, mine will have to work for now.

I decided for day 2 to put up a few of my favorite pictures from my trip to India this summer. There's a lot but here are a few to start out with:

Day 1: 82,300,000

82,300,000. Thats how many options appeared when I looked into getting a business card created. Wow. So many options. Looks like I have to just go for it. Good thing I can use photoshop and create my own. I will have to definitely look more into what it will look like and really nail down what I am going to put on it.

I had a few networking things happen today as well. As I was telling some friends about this blogrimage, I basically found 3 people who potentially could help me with a website. I will have to pin down some times to meet with them and ask about capabilities and capacities for a website for something so small at this time.
I was pumped because all I did was start talking to people about it and then they said, "I know... and I will connect the two of you" and with that told me to look up different website layout designs for what I'd want to do.

This is even more exciting than I thought it would be. :)

Day One Starts Tomorrow: March 17th

When I was in middle school, I was gifted my first camera.
It has been an addiction ever since.
I love photography. I love it so much that from 2006 to 2009, I had AT LEAST 15,000 pictures on my computer. I'm pretty sure my Apple computer erupted because of it.
I currently have 133 Albums on Facebook full of pictures, and am convinced that if my friends ever need pictures from college when they are in their old age, they know where to look. My bedroom currently has about 10 photo albums recording my life over the past 15 years. Crazy, I know! However, besides the family vacation pics, or bowling night pics, or whatever, I also have pictures that I have taken and specifically set aside. Pictures containing people, places, different cultures and more. I have been to 8 different nations and been all over the US. I have tons of pictures, but for what??? Well, let me tell you...

I have always wanted my own photography business. It is still in the works and unfortunately I have put it off due to other commitments and things going on. I started "my business" in college, but it is in the making. I have sold some of my stuff. Some to people who wanted them just cause and some for fundraising for mission trips, but nothing more. People always say, "YOU NEED TO SELL THESE!"
It is something I really want to do. As of today I only have a business name that was dropped into my heart, a bunch printed and ready to go in different sizes, and the start of a portfolio.

For the next 30 days, I am going to be working on my business. Each day I will either post pictures taken in the past, or that same day, or I will find information on starting a credible photography business. My hope is that 30 days from now, I have a better picture of what it will take to get this business up and running, and learn a lot about myself and the photography business as well.

I am doing this blogrimage for a few reasons:

1. To put action to a dream in my heart.
2. To challenge myself to get the word out that I want this dream to come to pass and for people to pray.
3. To gain more business knowledge and entrepreneurial skills to make this a reality and become more successful.
4. To have fun and do something that may have been put off and never brought to pass because of my postponement/ lack of intentionality.

I’ll blog everyday during this time for accountability and documentation.

I hope you follow along, and better yet, document a journey of your own.

Enjoy!