I have one more tip to add, that Chris actually followed (whether he knows it or not). Find clients that have defined marketing budgets (like govt departments). This is money allocated for only marketing. Amateur clients don’t do that and so they’re always asking “how much” before you’ve even defined the project. That’s because they’re gonna have to “steal” the money from somewhere. I call that “stealing your lunch money”. I never want to do that. Professional clients with marketing budgets are so much easier to work with, and as Chris says, they’ll pass your name around to other pro clients. Best of all, if they have money left in their budget at the end of the year, they “need” to spend it. That’s good for you.
Chris Hau Quick follow up. Ask clients what their budget is. Pro clients will tell you (because they know), amateur clients can’t tell you (they don’t have one). Knowing ahead of time helps you scope the job, and of course you’ll over-deliver anyway, right?
@@strote I started asking clients for their budget up front this year. I used to be hesitant to ask because I felt it was unprofessional for some reason. Definitely not! But a question for you guys - how do you find those larger clients (with marketing budgets)? I'm trying to break into commercial work recently and I've been struggling for months to find them.
Paul Howard That’s a long discussion. It’s difficult if you’re just starting. You do have to work your way up. Larger companies have lists of preferred suppliers. You need to get onto those lists. They periodically review them so you need to find out when that happens. Governments do the same. It’s a process. Won’t happen over night. However, you need to development professional ways of working even with smaller clients, and part of that is having realistic and honest discussions about budgets before you start.
@Andy Strote this is so true. My best clients are government or government-funded clients. So reliable and easy to work with. It's individuals that want photoshoots that are the ones to give me problems.
It's interesting to me that minimalism has been trending but it makes me insanely happy. I feel like people miss out on story / strong content / better clients because they're too focused on the stuff to do it rather than what the stuff should focus on. Thanks man!
So weird, i just watched Matt’s Minimalism documentary for the first time last night! So good! And you killed it with these tips! Having only pulled pork as opposed to a whole menu def has so many positive effects 🤙🏻🤙🏻
I am in the automotive detailing industry and I have been implementing a lot of the stuff you mentioned in this video for a few months. Already I am starting to see an increase in profitability. I now specialize in high performance car care services and have been seeing bigger ticket sales. Thank you!
Love niching down to a weird niche like govt videos. I take portraits for some pretty dry professions where I feel many professionals have been short changed for years. It's always neat when people ask if that's really how I support my family, but when I explain that my photos help people look awesome on their proposals for 7-9 figure deals it all starts to make sense.
You're so right on your first point. It's so hard to not say yes to everything. Sometimes you see the dollar signs and you dont want to "be that guy". but it makes a BUNCH more sense to focus on less jobs, but higher priced ones (for those that get booked), so that the dollar amount coming in is the same (or more) and you're not wearing yourself too thin.
I was literally just thinking about you Chris and if you had already uploaded a new video. Right that second I got a popup with this video. I don't know how you did it, but you did!
Totally agree with your gear point. I always make sure that any new gear has a payback by the client. It’s the reason why I still have an 3 year old gimbal and the original magic pro.
If you want to add the light, trying swapping it to the other side so feels like the natural window light in terms of through but it would still add the soft fill into the shadows
Hi Chris! I just found your channel this week and pretty much watched all your videos. I’ve been into photography for about two years now but I learned a lot from all your videos. Just want to say thank you for all the advice and effort you’ve put into all these videos and that I’ve subscribed to you and can’t wait for all your future content.
Matt D'Avella's advice is gamechanging. I subscribed to him a while but seeing how he's making a huge impact on people, including creators, really shows how effective minimalism is
Damn Chris, that was such a good video with so much info! I'm in the stage where I'm generating revenue with my photography and want to branch out in actually creating a freelance business kind of like yours. LOVED IT!
I dig with and without the light fr. With is more typical youtube like you said, but without gives that moody vibe that I kind of already associate with your stuff. Also, this video was freaking great and I needed this!
Wonderful video for creators! I would love to see more videos that dive into the aspects/processes of owning a creative media business. Videos like this are hard to find and I think a lot of creators would benefit from learning more about owning and operating a business like yours. Once again, amazing content!
You totally do that shoulder wiggle thing! 😂 I never noticed until you put it in that video a couple ago. Nothing wrong with it, it’s just kind of funny to notice it now.
Love the tips Chris, if i could suggest to new creators that are self designing their personal websites. I love that squarespace allows us to work on our website which are viewed from phones, tablets, and desktops. Majority of the statistics show that traffic is seen through the phone and tablet more than a desktop. So, concentrate on designing your site specific to the smaller hand held devices :)
Public libraries are an AMAZING resource (if well funded) that is unfortunately underutilized. If you are a Boston Creative or live in the greater Boston area The Copley Library is more than just a historical tourist trap.. the Kirstein Innovation Center/Innolab is a true gem and a great resource! Just make sure you have a VPN if you connect your own computer to public wifi
Excellent advice! This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Time to do some spring cleaning on my website and focus on only a few specialty projects!
Awesome video, food for thought! I've found I'm generally quite a lazy person (Not really but compared to Gary Vee) so having 3 to 4 consistent clients has been the real gold mine. They're not a single niche but it's so much easier when you're not in constant hunting mode, which costs huge amounts of money and time!
Chris. Thank you for the video. But , i have a question. Can you make a video about the leagal side of the Media business. For example, about registering our business, the legal terms and conditions of working for clients abroad and all. It will be really helpful.
Was one of the first things I learned in business.. less is more, by all senses. Investors will start to argue and will not be happy if you spend money on "things" that are not 100% necessary, etc. :)
Nailed it, wasn't expecting the government video sphere route! One question though, when you started to cut out smaller clients did you mostly pass them on to others or try to manage the projects remotely and still make a profit off it? Sometimes feels easier to just say no but feels a bit stupid to just say no to money.
Thanks for all the great content as usual Chris! I'm about to start my free lance adventure myself so videos like this bring some peace of mind! Oh and with the light, definitely. Are you planning to come to Japan any time soon?
Awesome vid Chris. Been thinking about minimalism as it applies to my life but never thought about how it could apply to business. I've been dabbling with the idea of taking on paid work again but felt my structure and/or set up wasn't sophisticated enough but perhaps maybe a minimalist approach would help me get off the ground again and have something sustainable
Great tips 👍 Count us as another vote for shooting with the light 💡 Thanks for sharing that practical advice/example of working on the gov videos to get a start...super helpful & encouraging 🙌
Super helpful Chirs! Just started my videography company full time this past November and hoping to find the niche :) Currently doing a lot of wedding events but want to find a few other industries.
Omg Chris since you did the video where you talked about your shoulder wiggle it's the only thing I can see. 😂 very useful tips though! I'm looking to build a videography company and I keep obsessing over all the gear I will need before I can start. I'm so jealous of Toronto based creatives, I wish I could just go to the library and work on an iMac!
Hey Chris, fantastic content. Just discovered you and Lizzie tonight. I work as a screenwriter and actor and just rebooting my site, so I'll definitely check out Squarespace. As far as the end tagline, "I hope you enjoyed this episode, thanks for spending some time here. To make sure that you don't miss any fun or secrets, make sure to hit Subscribe and that bell. If you found some value in what I talked about today, hit that LIKE button, it helps others know about the show."
I sold a few lenses a few weeks back, but I've already acquired two more in their place. I've come to the conclusion that I just collect lenses and cameras, like a hobby. I guess there are worse things to collect! I totally agree for jobs though, I only use the same few pieces of equipment over and over because I know them inside out and trust the results. The rest are just for fun 😁📷
Your awesome!! I'm just starting to take myself and, my career seriously.. You have been a huge influence for me pursuing my dreams and, business .. Thank you very much ✊🤘😎
Another point with working with a few select clients: Your workflow and communication are going to increase over time and that chemistry will save you lots of time and frustration.
Thanks for this !! How would you place differently yourself than all other in the market ? And make customer coming to you instead of big creative agency ?
I'm a minimalist due to having no clients and not being professional. I'm just an amateur trying to get into the game. But I still need better gear as well. Great video, thank you for the info and time.
Link your photo websites below (IG too)! Would love to check out your work and business :)
Okay,,,:)
instagram.com/_aritraghosh_/
ruclips.net/video/ByDDNbn13lw/видео.html.
Chris Hau www.tomw.photography 🙌🏻
@matt_azzarello :) Would love if you checked it out man! Also your intro was Super Loud lol
You are amazing! Big fan of yours
IG: @machajohn Website: johnmachacon.com (note: so minimalist that I still only have the site template there lol)
I have one more tip to add, that Chris actually followed (whether he knows it or not). Find clients that have defined marketing budgets (like govt departments). This is money allocated for only marketing. Amateur clients don’t do that and so they’re always asking “how much” before you’ve even defined the project. That’s because they’re gonna have to “steal” the money from somewhere. I call that “stealing your lunch money”. I never want to do that. Professional clients with marketing budgets are so much easier to work with, and as Chris says, they’ll pass your name around to other pro clients. Best of all, if they have money left in their budget at the end of the year, they “need” to spend it. That’s good for you.
Andy! This tip is so helpful.
Chris Hau Quick follow up. Ask clients what their budget is. Pro clients will tell you (because they know), amateur clients can’t tell you (they don’t have one). Knowing ahead of time helps you scope the job, and of course you’ll over-deliver anyway, right?
@@strote I started asking clients for their budget up front this year. I used to be hesitant to ask because I felt it was unprofessional for some reason. Definitely not!
But a question for you guys - how do you find those larger clients (with marketing budgets)? I'm trying to break into commercial work recently and I've been struggling for months to find them.
Paul Howard That’s a long discussion. It’s difficult if you’re just starting. You do have to work your way up. Larger companies have lists of preferred suppliers. You need to get onto those lists. They periodically review them so you need to find out when that happens. Governments do the same. It’s a process. Won’t happen over night. However, you need to development professional ways of working even with smaller clients, and part of that is having realistic and honest discussions about budgets before you start.
@Andy Strote this is so true. My best clients are government or government-funded clients. So reliable and easy to work with. It's individuals that want photoshoots that are the ones to give me problems.
Closing line suggestion:
"Thanks for watching this video. As always I don't just show you how, I show you Chris Hau"
lol that's awesome.
It's interesting to me that minimalism has been trending but it makes me insanely happy. I feel like people miss out on story / strong content / better clients because they're too focused on the stuff to do it rather than what the stuff should focus on. Thanks man!
So weird, i just watched Matt’s Minimalism documentary for the first time last night! So good! And you killed it with these tips! Having only pulled pork as opposed to a whole menu def has so many positive effects 🤙🏻🤙🏻
right. Now I want pulled pork.
Chris Hau legit 😂😂
Since you mentioned in one of your past videos, I can't stop noticing the swing on your shoulders.
Great video by the way, love your content.
LOVE THIS DUDE!! Really good advice by keeping the showing the your clients' logo on the landing page, so thanks for that!
Thanks Sidney!
With the light! In my opinion.
I am in the automotive detailing industry and I have been implementing a lot of the stuff you mentioned in this video for a few months. Already I am starting to see an increase in profitability. I now specialize in high performance car care services and have been seeing bigger ticket sales. Thank you!
CHRIS!!! So great to see you! Better with the light! Thank you for all your tips, you are amazing!! 🙌🏻 Value is always best!
Trying to bring as much value as possible.
@@thechrishau YOU have value and you are also valued.
Love niching down to a weird niche like govt videos. I take portraits for some pretty dry professions where I feel many professionals have been short changed for years. It's always neat when people ask if that's really how I support my family, but when I explain that my photos help people look awesome on their proposals for 7-9 figure deals it all starts to make sense.
That last point about finding an underserved niche is a killer suggestion! Thank you for that!
They all exist. It's like hacking your business.
Man I love that intro, those drums stick to my head all day long everytime I hear them. Nice video, btw !
You're so right on your first point. It's so hard to not say yes to everything. Sometimes you see the dollar signs and you dont want to "be that guy". but it makes a BUNCH more sense to focus on less jobs, but higher priced ones (for those that get booked), so that the dollar amount coming in is the same (or more) and you're not wearing yourself too thin.
The Post Color Blog exactly!
I was literally just thinking about you Chris and if you had already uploaded a new video. Right that second I got a popup with this video. I don't know how you did it, but you did!
I was waiting for your thought to come into the world.
With the light! Fits you perfectly
Totally agree with your gear point. I always make sure that any new gear has a payback by the client. It’s the reason why I still have an 3 year old gimbal and the original magic pro.
If you want to add the light, trying swapping it to the other side so feels like the natural window light in terms of through but it would still add the soft fill into the shadows
Hi Chris! I just found your channel this week and pretty much watched all your videos. I’ve been into photography for about two years now but I learned a lot from all your videos. Just want to say thank you for all the advice and effort you’ve put into all these videos and that I’ve subscribed to you and can’t wait for all your future content.
another great video.... Way to Go Square Space sponsor... great collab… totally awesome...
Chris, I totally love these business videos. So informative. Keep up the amazing work!!! BTW the light looks great!
With the light for the upbeat mood!
Matt D'Avella's advice is gamechanging. I subscribed to him a while but seeing how he's making a huge impact on people, including creators, really shows how effective minimalism is
Thank you :)
Hmm. Checking him out now
Damn Chris, that was such a good video with so much info! I'm in the stage where I'm generating revenue with my photography and want to branch out in actually creating a freelance business kind of like yours. LOVED IT!
I dig with and without the light fr. With is more typical youtube like you said, but without gives that moody vibe that I kind of already associate with your stuff. Also, this video was freaking great and I needed this!
Chris Haus Hair 😂🙌🏻 Next video will be hair tutorials;)
With the light! Cause the mood you know.
Wonderful video for creators! I would love to see more videos that dive into the aspects/processes of owning a creative media business. Videos like this are hard to find and I think a lot of creators would benefit from learning more about owning and operating a business like yours. Once again, amazing content!
You totally do that shoulder wiggle thing! 😂 I never noticed until you put it in that video a couple ago. Nothing wrong with it, it’s just kind of funny to notice it now.
haha - i feel like a lot of people probably do it.
Haha yea, probably! Keep up the good content bud. @@thechrishau
This is such a great video and so many useful tips because not a lot of people think minimalism can be applied to business
Thanks for watching guys! And this is Hau you do it!
80% of your profits come from 20% of your clients. Feel like that wasn't explicitly stated but this is great!
Amazing video as always Chris!!
Love the tips Chris, if i could suggest to new creators that are self designing their personal websites. I love that squarespace allows us to work on our website which are viewed from phones, tablets, and desktops. Majority of the statistics show that traffic is seen through the phone and tablet more than a desktop. So, concentrate on designing your site specific to the smaller hand held devices :)
I don’t mean to go all Stannis from Game of Thrones, but *fewer
Grammar aside, this is an awesome perspective for small business owners! Less = more.
I’ve been trying to implement things like this into my workflow but it can be tough sometimes :/ so thank you for the advice!
Love these tips man! Great stuff 👍 Gotta apply these tips to my videos/business!
those tips are so true and very helpful ... especially when it comes to gear most of us just believe “more=better” ... which isn’t true at all!
Love these tips. I am always trying to run my life and business lean. Less distractions equals more focus.
Public libraries are an AMAZING resource (if well funded) that is unfortunately underutilized. If you are a Boston Creative or live in the greater Boston area The Copley Library is more than just a historical tourist trap.. the Kirstein Innovation Center/Innolab is a true gem and a great resource!
Just make sure you have a VPN if you connect your own computer to public wifi
With the light!
Keep the light.
Excellent advice! This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Time to do some spring cleaning on my website and focus on only a few specialty projects!
With a light for sure!
You can never have less clients.
But you can have fewer.
Okay, aside from my jerk-grammar move, great video!
Awesome video, food for thought! I've found I'm generally quite a lazy person (Not really but compared to Gary Vee) so having 3 to 4 consistent clients has been the real gold mine. They're not a single niche but it's so much easier when you're not in constant hunting mode, which costs huge amounts of money and time!
Exactly!
i totally agree to this. give more context on number 1 chris especially for beginners. loving the hair
Great video, love the business centric stuff you post since that's what I'm trying to get into myself.
Awesome , always appreciate the thought behind your videos! Thank you
Awesome video and hilarious dramatic ending what will happen next to joe shutter on making a camera killer!
Awesome tips Chris! I'm just setting up my website (not done yet)
send it to me when you're done!
With the light!!!
Thanks for the great info, Chris!!!!
This is AWESOME! I just made a similar video focusing on business purchasing!
Chris. Thank you for the video. But , i have a question. Can you make a video about the leagal side of the Media business. For example, about registering our business, the legal terms and conditions of working for clients abroad and all. It will be really helpful.
Was one of the first things I learned in business.. less is more, by all senses. Investors will start to argue and will not be happy if you spend money on "things" that are not 100% necessary, etc. :)
One hundo p. Please it will make you feel better not spending a ton of money on stuff you don't need.
Chris Hau exactly! Embracing minimalism more and more
Dude your animations are from another level. This video is so helpful, thanks a lot!
Nailed it, wasn't expecting the government video sphere route! One question though, when you started to cut out smaller clients did you mostly pass them on to others or try to manage the projects remotely and still make a profit off it? Sometimes feels easier to just say no but feels a bit stupid to just say no to money.
This was super useful! Thanks for sharing
Thanks for all the great content as usual Chris! I'm about to start my free lance adventure myself so videos like this bring some peace of mind! Oh and with the light, definitely.
Are you planning to come to Japan any time soon?
With light
Awesome vid Chris. Been thinking about minimalism as it applies to my life but never thought about how it could apply to business. I've been dabbling with the idea of taking on paid work again but felt my structure and/or set up wasn't sophisticated enough but perhaps maybe a minimalist approach would help me get off the ground again and have something sustainable
keep things simple and streamlined. So much of our business is in the digital space. So use that to your advantage.
Great tips 👍 Count us as another vote for shooting with the light 💡 Thanks for sharing that practical advice/example of working on the gov videos to get a start...super helpful & encouraging 🙌
with a light for sure!
Valuable info here that is applicable to businesses that are non photography as well!
Jayne Nicoletti thank you Jayne!! :)
Super helpful Chirs! Just started my videography company full time this past November and hoping to find the niche :) Currently doing a lot of wedding events but want to find a few other industries.
Omg Chris since you did the video where you talked about your shoulder wiggle it's the only thing I can see. 😂 very useful tips though! I'm looking to build a videography company and I keep obsessing over all the gear I will need before I can start. I'm so jealous of Toronto based creatives, I wish I could just go to the library and work on an iMac!
yeah man! Start small. I used a 7d and a 50mm lens for years before i purchased more gear.
Great tips! Definitely some things I'm taking to heart as I work on scaling my web design business this year!
Agreed. Light on
Yes. I loved this post!!!
With the light for sure. Great video Chris, lots of great tips.
The Shoulder Wiggles will never die, no matter how hard you try, Chris. Lol
With or without light you rock Chris! Once again great advice!
This was a great video, thanks for all the input! As always, great stuff Chris!
Hey Chris, fantastic content. Just discovered you and Lizzie tonight. I work as a screenwriter and actor and just rebooting my site, so I'll definitely check out Squarespace. As far as the end tagline, "I hope you enjoyed this episode, thanks for spending some time here. To make sure that you don't miss any fun or secrets, make sure to hit Subscribe and that bell. If you found some value in what I talked about today, hit that LIKE button, it helps others know about the show."
Without a light ♥️
I almost always make myself a nice tasty cup of coffee before I sit down to record a video... and it almost always gets super cold like that too.
Quality tips. Definitely looking at revamping my website soon and will take this into account. Thanks.
Light on!
I sold a few lenses a few weeks back, but I've already acquired two more in their place. I've come to the conclusion that I just collect lenses and cameras, like a hobby. I guess there are worse things to collect!
I totally agree for jobs though, I only use the same few pieces of equipment over and over because I know them inside out and trust the results. The rest are just for fun 😁📷
Nice production, inspiring!
Thank you for the advice! Will be implementing some of these into my website that I'm building.
With the light
I won't be starting a production company but this video was very interesting.
😭😂 the Camera Killers Keanu vibes!
New favorite show tbh
Thanks for the tips Chris!!!
With a light!!!!!!!!!!! Hundo P!
Love the topic applies to alot of business
Joe Shutter and Iso More on the next episode of Camera Killers. I'd watch that!
Your awesome!! I'm just starting to take myself and, my career seriously.. You have been a huge influence for me pursuing my dreams and, business .. Thank you very much ✊🤘😎
great video Chris! Now the only thing that is left is to find any clients :)
LAMZ Cinematic Tech Reviews they exist! Small and big. You just got to put it out there
So many of these tips, if not all of them, apply in some way to business in general. Great points!
one of the best videos you've done. Thanks man!
Great stuff. Keep it up!
with the light ! Have you modeled for Loreall Paris ? you should mate !
loved this one brotha!!
With the light definitely, we need to see you! :)
Another point with working with a few select clients: Your workflow and communication are going to increase over time and that chemistry will save you lots of time and frustration.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM knowledge.
Thanks for this !! How would you place differently yourself than all other in the market ? And make customer coming to you instead of big creative agency ?
I'm a minimalist due to having no clients and not being professional. I'm just an amateur trying to get into the game. But I still need better gear as well. Great video, thank you for the info and time.