Hey there creative friend! Have you been searching high and low on the internet to see if it’s “ok” to outsource areas of your business?

I’m here to tell you… hell yes it’s “ok”, in fact it’s more than “ok” to do what ever the heck you want to do for your business! Gone are the days that you should be giving two craps what others say you “need” to do for your business unless it aligns with what you want to do!

Alright so let’s get to it…

Why I Outsource Areas Of My Business

As a wedding photography business owner with a full-time career, on top of being a single full-time mom outsourcing is what ultimately saved my sanity, my business, and my relationship with my kid. There was no amount of planning my day out that would give me back hours in the day that i needed. Outsourcing is what ultimately helped me more than anything. I finally have a life again! 

“Outsourcing is what ultimately saved my sanity, my business, and my relationship with my kid.” -Heather J. Keys, How Outsourcing Helped Save My Wedding Photography Business

I was starting to heavily feel the growing pains of my business early on as most most often do. I was getting behind on responding to emails, posting on social media, editing client galleries, and sending out proposals.

I kept pretty quiet about it since I knew it was ultimately my own choice to be taking on as much as I was. I certainly didn’t think anyone would have sympathy, let alone was scared that others couldn’t relate.

But I’ll tell you, as a single mom and working a full-time position as a Marketing Manager plus running my photography business, I knew something ultimately had to give. I felt like I was drowning and all alone.

At first I was afraid to say anything, I didn’t want anyone to think I was not capable of running my business and working full-time. Then I grew incredibly worried that those looking in from the outside would judge me.

I frantically read  in photography community Facebook groups that outsourcing meant you weren’t servicing your clients authentically (that buzz word 🙄)

Then when I did a little more digging and asking questions in the groups I was in about outsourcing my editing…  I often read that if someone outsourced their editing it meant they weren’t a “real pro photographer”.

“Needless to say, I was freaked the hell out. I didn’t want anyone thinking I wasn’t a real photographer just because I outsourced my photo editing!”- Heather J. Keys, How Outsourcing Helped Save My Wedding Photography Business

But wait… I needed to outsource, I was drowning. I had weddings and engagement sessions that needed to culled and edited and they were backing up quickly.  I needed to give my daughter time with her mom, who wasn’t stressed the hell out.

Needless to say, I was freaked the hell out. I didn’t want anyone thinking I wasn’t a real photographer just because I outsourced my photo editing!

I took the plunge, I finally stopped giving two rips about what other photographers would think about me for outsourcing my editing and went on a search for an editor. I searched high and low, I tested out about 4-5 different editors. I finally found and landed on ShootDotEdit, my editing team with SDE is nothing short of amazing.

SDE has helped me provide galleries to my clients in less than 2 weeks. The galleries I receive back are edited to perfection and I’m never worried that images won’t be ready to deliver to my clients. My clients have been so incredibly happy with the quick gallery turn around I’ve been able to provide and the consistent edits are wonderful.

If you’re looking into outsourcing your editing- be sure to check out SDE! Click HERE and you’ll receive FREE CULLING when you sign up for Unlimited Editing. Feel free to reach out to me if you’ve got any questions about ShootDotEdit and getting started.

Transparent Moment

I didn’t have consistent editing before outsourcing my editing to ShootDotEdit, this was due to editing at all hours of the day and night… not to mention editing through tired sleepless eyes, which is the absolute WORST!

Let’s Get Real

I’m here to tell you… outsourcing saved me and my business. Don’t listen to the old-school bull crap about outsourcing being bad. I’m here to shout it from the rooftops… outsourcing your editing doesn’t mean you’re not a real photographer! It means you’re a smart photographer and business owner. It means that you truly want to service your clients in a manner that will ultimately make them happy.

“Outsourcing your editing doesn’t mean you’re not a real photographer!” – Heather J. Keys, How Outsourcing Helped Save My Wedding Photography Business

Besides outsourcing my photo editing with ShootDotEdit, I’ve also outsourced a few other areas of my business. If you’d like to know more about how I run my business… drop a comment below! I’ll be writing more blogs soon that will be dedicated to creatives who are here to “Connect & Create”.

Have a rad ass day!
Heather J. Keys

My beautiful daughter and I during our branding shoot.