inFOCUS by APPO

inFOCUS APPO’S MAGAZINE FOR PHOTO ORGANIZERS

SPRING 2015

2015 APPO NATIONAL

CONFERENCE EDITION www.appo.org

Welcome | SPRING 2015

Welcome!

Welcome to the “Conference Edition” of inFOCUS! This quarter we want to bring you the essence of our 3rd National Conference in Orlando, Florida. While it’s not the same as being there in person, the training tips in this edition will give you a glimpse into the high quality speakers and trainers at this year’s event.

This year I was excited to kick off the conference with a founder’s message based on the theme of collaboration. I shared my two goals for APPO: 1. We want APPO be an association you never want to leave; 2. We want to create a culture that embraces an abundant and collaborative mindset so that people seek us out not only as the industry leaders and experts, but as a group to build meaningful relationships with as well.

In addition, I shared an overview of our efforts to date to achieve those goals and I offered ideas that you could implement in your own communities to help achieve this goal. To view my entire message from conference, click here.

A FEW FAVORITES

Cover photo by APPO Member Tara Benson taken at the 2015 APPO Conference.

“As I began to grow, I realized that “getting by” wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to have more – after all, I started my own business to make a living, so why couldn’t I think bigger? Like six figures bigger?” p. 12

I really believe that success for all of us lies in our willingness and ability to work with one another, our partners, customers and other businesses. The quote “a rising tide lifts all boats” is a great word picture of this concept. All of us working collaboratively will raise the visibility of our industry and we all benefit when that happens.

Cathi Nelson Founder

inFOCUS

A 6-Figure Photo Organizing Business? Yes, please! p.10

APPO’S MAGAZINE FOR PHOTO ORGANIZERS

Lisa Kurtz PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Janet Blunt CREATIVE DESIGN CONTRIBUTORS Sylvia Cuillo, Darla DeMorrow, Christine Gelsomino, Nick Kelsh, Lisa Kurtz, Jenn Lee, Cathi Nelson, Jill Yesko

FOR INQUIRIES, please visit www.appo.org or call (860) 904-5365 ext. 101

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Cathi Nelson FOUNDER

Lisa Kurtz

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

photograph by Becky Ball

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Contents

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08 24

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Issue 03 SPRING 2015

FEATURES 06_Bake in Small Business Profits Maximize what you love to do while making a profit. By Darla DeMorrow

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08_Decluttering the Mystery Behind Printed Photo Organization. By Christie Gelsomino 10_A 6-Figure Photo Organizing Business? Yes, please!

By Jill Yesko.

TIPS & TRAINING 16 _Understanding Metadata Why industry standards for applying metadata should matter to us. By Lisa Kurtz 18_Remote Digital Organizing Ten solutions to the obstacles you face. By Sylvia Cuillo

IN EVERY ISSUE 24_Meerkat Love Social media apps bring our APPO community together at conference. By Coach Jenn Lee. 26_Nick Kelsh Photo Safari An afternoon of friendship and fun. By Photographer Nick Kelsh.

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Bake in Small

Business Profits Maximize what you love to do while making a profit. BY DARLA DEMORROW

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Have you written down your revenue goal for 2015?

Is your business paying you a salary?

Have you figured out what your “vital few” are in your 80/20?

Would you like to give yourself a 30% raise without doing any more work?

Have you identified and thanked your team members even if you are a sole proprietor?

Have you figured out exactly how all the services you learned about at the APPO conference are going to get you to your revenue goal?

Do you have a written business plan?

IT MIGHT NOT SEEM SEXY, but there’s nothing more fun than making regular deposits to a healthy business checking account and then watching that account grow - allowing you to build your business, self-fund maternity leave, fund your retirement plan, or take an extended vacation.

Less than 20% of the attendees for the “Bake in Small Business Profits” session are currently paying themselves a salary or have a written

business plan. But you can be one of the elite, one of the successful, one of the profitable, if you learn how to manage your business like a business from the start. Even session attendees who have been in business for years took steps to improve their business finances.

“But you can be one

Go to The Pregnant Entrepreneur and grab the Super Simple Business Plan from the Free Downloads. Complete this one-page business plan in less than an hour and revisit it at least twice a year to ensure you are working towards your revenue, salary, and prioritization goals. Revise it yearly to stay on track.

how to manage your

of the elite, one of the successful, one of the profitable, if you learn business like a business from the start.”

Dave Ramsey, financial expert, says that when people love your work, they love giving you Certificates of Appreciation. Those “certificates” just happen to be backed by the full faith and trust of the United States of America. They are called dollar bills!

We already know that the public needs our services and is happy to award us certificates for those services. Build a business plan that maximizes what you love to do, so that you can be profitable and happily in business for as long as you want to be. photograph byJennie Griggs

DARLA DEMORROW’S award-winning business and blog, HeartWork Organizing LLC, helps people lead more peaceful and productive lives. Darla helps people find their keys, their calendar, and their sanity. She holds an MBA from Temple University and brings over 20 years of business experience. She is a member of NAPO and APPO, as well as a certified Re-Designer, and a home stager. Darla earned the coveted Certified Professional Organizer® designation -but even her kids still leave toys on the floor! She is the author The Pregnant Entrepreneur, which she calls “a business book wearing maternity clothes.” It was the first book to help women navigate their physical, emotional, and financial baby bumps while running their own business. Darla has been running her profitable business for the last 10 years, doing motherhood for eight, and wrestling social platforms for the past five years.

But she’s loved pie longer than any of that!

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De-Cluttering the Mystery Behind Printed Photo Organization

BY CHRISTIE GELSOMINO

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This breakout took place on Saturday morning of the conference with a full-house of very interested beginner and seasoned photo organizers. The session was so full, in fact, that we needed more handouts! I was honored to be introduced by Rick Lippert from E-Z Scan and Cathi Nelson. Cathi and I go back to beginning days of APPO. Thank you, Cathi!

OUR BREAKOUT was divided into five sections: 1. Photo safe handling and storage; 2. Assessing project scope, estimating time to complete the project, and your client contract; 3. What to include in your printed photo organizing toolkit; 4. Organizing pitfalls and how to avoid them; and 5. Managing your client through the process.

require. Of course, this is going to take time and cost money!

Photo safe handling and storage.

What’s in your toolkit?

measuring the scope

We introduced this first point with two very important items that were passed around the room for participants to touch and feel - white archival gloves and non-abrasive wipes. Everyone loved these and I have heard since that many have already bought their own white gloves and non-abrasive wipes, so they can present themselves more professionally and offer “white glove” service to their clients.

We discussed an organizer’s toolkit which includes all the fun “stuff” we get to bring with us to a session. My toolkit is fun and stylish and includes many items - from a magnifying loupe, to floss, to archival pencils. What about all those great vendors that we have! Why not compile a resource binder (or a digital folder) to house information about APPO vendors, your local retailers and neighboring APPO members who offer services that you do not provide? Get your toolkit together today!

of the physical photo

We discussed physical photo storage which, of course, includes the APPO Legacy Photo Box Collection. The small and the large boxes were on display for everyone to view, touch and feel. I highly recommend this collection for your clients. It is a great investment and a safe option for storing their photos and memorabilia.

Assessing and estimating the scope of the project.

Understanding the client’s goals and expectations is very important when measuring the scope of a printed photo project. We discussed how time and money can be a tough subject for even the most seasoned photo organizer to broach. Many clients want to know from the very beginning “how much will it cost?” and “how much time it will take?”. Because I offer all aspects of home and photo organization in my business, my services can include organizing my client’s home, organizing their photos, transferring media, creating scrapbooks, and tracking their ancestors! I will also refer out any additional services they

And what about those contracts or agreements? While this topic was only one slide in my presentation, I quickly learned that it could have been a whole breakout session on it’s own! Point is - have a client contract or a client agreement!

Avoiding the pitfalls.

Learn from them, grow from them and continue to educate yourself. You may even need to “fire” a client, from time to time.

Its all about the relationship.

Lastly, we learned about managing the client through the organizing process. Building relationships and communicating effectively are two of the best ways to manage your client.

“Understanding the client’s goals and expectations is very important when

project.”

Christie Gelsomino is the owner and operator of Vision to be Organized (2006) and Scrapbook Designer (2003).

She is a Professional Home Organizer, Certified Personal Photo Organizer, Certified Home Movie Expert, and Personal Scrapbook Designer. Christie is also growing her business to include workshops, speaking presentations, business coaching, and genealogy studies.

An active member of both NAPO and APPO, Christie focuses her organizing business on residential home organizing, specializing in photo organizing.

inFOCUS SPRING 2015 9 photograph by Jennie Griggs

A 6-Figure Pho 10

inFOCUS SPRING 2015

BY JILL YESKO

oto Organizing Business?

“Yes, please!” inFOCUS SPRING 2015 11

WHEN JUST “GETTING BY” ISN’T ENOUGH WHEN I BEGAN ORGANIZING PROFESSIONALLY, I decided I would make “enough”: Enough to pay my mortgage, enough for the kids and what they needed and, of course, enough food on the table. However, as I began to grow, I realized that “getting by” wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to have more – after all, I started my own business to make a living, so why couldn’t I think bigger? Like, six figures bigger? Only after I began to hire did things begin to change for me in a very big way.

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There are 4 key steps to hiring: plan, advertise, screen, and interview.

Plan, then advertise.

Who remembers Mary Poppins? She responded to a very clearly-written, concise advertisement penned by two young children who knew EXACTLY what they wanted their new nanny to be like. Sit down, grab a pen and paper, and write down what you could do if there were two of you. Better yet, write down all of the things that YOU do, and then figure out which of these actions are “delegatable”.

What do YOU want?

Let’s add another person.

How are you currently structured? Do you simply offer organizing services?

What about creating albums and photo gifts with those organized photos?

Maybe you would like to introduce scanning services, but don’t have the time or resources. Or maybe you just want to do more photo organizing, but don’t have the time.

If Jane hired one more Photo Organizer, who also did scanning (another billable service), she would have less overhead and more profits from this person’s activities. Even if that Photo Organizer did 80-90% of her time in billing and the remainder in administration activities, the profits would still mean an incredible income for Jane.

Imagine the possibilities and multiply your profits!

Let’s say that Jane, the Personal Photo Organizer, works about 20-30 billable hours per week and makes $50,000 gross revenue (income before expenses). She could work more hours billing (after all, she is in demand!), but she needs to balance her time with the actual running of her business and personal commitments. Jane does her own bookkeeping and goes to networking groups when she has time.

If Jane hired another Photo Organizer to work with her, she could bill more hours through her extra person, virtually doubling her income!

There are expenses to consider with hiring that additional person, like payroll, insurance, etc. However, if you are charging a client the same amount for your services as you will be charging for your employees’ billable time, you are still coming out ahead – in fact, WAY ahead!

Having the right team is important.

Remember the show Mission Impossible? How about the A-Team?

One of my favorite movies was The Italian Job. I absolutely loved it and was completely entertained by a team of people working together toward a common goal - with all of their unique talents being utilized in the process When I hire someone, I make sure that they have a team mindset and share my core values, but I also want them to bring a different set of skills and personality traits to the client. If you have a photo organizing candidate who is an extravert and loves to influence others, she could do some marketing for your business at different events around town or, better yet, attend those networking meetings you have grown tired of going to (and maybe caused you to miss a few family dinners or soccer games last month).

Screen, then interview.

Take time to review each resume carefully, noting everything from long gaps between jobs and typographical errors. If you want someone who is loyal to you, has longevity, and has attention to detail, these things are important to look for in their resume.

Checking out their social online profile will only take a few moments, but can be very telling. Their “best face forward” might not be the one you want representing your company.

Clients tend to use Google to find out who is coming to their home, and if you are not sure of the profile and photos you see, your client might not be either.

During the interview, allow plenty of time to meet with the candidate, and do a lot of listening. You will learn a lot about a person by asking them “oh?” or “tell me more about that”, after they have shared a short story about a previous employer. The best questions are the situational ones: give them scenarios (both positive and challenging) and ask them how they handled it. Then just simply be quiet and let them tell you. It is hard to not talk about how awesome your company is during the interview, but let them ask YOU about your business.

You can find a lot out about a potential employee just by the questions they ask you, not just by the answers they provide. inFOCUS SPRING 2015 13

Kodak Picture Saver Scanning Systems PS50 and PS80

Unlock memories.

Create smiles.

Increase profits.

Discover the profit potential of affordable in-house scanning

Ask about a special offer for APPO members

Scan batches of photos quickly and safely with your own Kodak Picture Saver Scanning System. Gently transport even fragile, old photos and create great-looking digital (JPEG) images.

Build a new revenue stream by adding high-quality, high-speed photo scanning to your photo organizing business. As an APPO member, you’re eligible for special savings from E-Z Photo Scan and Kodak Alaris.

• Optional Kodak Legal Size or A3 Size Flatbed Accessories handle oversize or fragile documents, photos, and bound materials

Visit E-Z Photo Scan to learn more and save today.

• Kodak Photo Selector Accessory option lets you scan a composite image (such as a multi-picture photo album page) and save each image as a separate file – ideal when removal of a protective sheet might damage the original photos • Works with both Windows and Mac operating systems

© 2015 Kodak Alaris Inc. The Kodak trademark and trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company. 04/15

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inFOCUS SPRING 2015

Maybe you want independent contractors, but maybe you don’t.

The key word in independent contractors is “independent”. This simply means that you do not govern their work, do not supervise them in any way. You ask your independent contractor to go help a client of yours to get their photos organized; but you cannot tell your contractor HOW you want it done and cannot supervise them in any way. You develop a contract and tell them what you expect of them and you both sign it. Then they do the work and send you an invoice with a summary of what they did. I personally primarily hire my own team, so that we can all share the same culture of customer service, and consistent best practices in how we deliver our services.

Train your employees, well, like it’s your job.

Your team needs you to show them not only how to do their job to meet your expectations; but they need to learn how to work for YOU. What do you require? What do you need them to do for you to make you feel as if they are a good employee? Spell it all out in a simple employee manual. If you are worried that your lingo might be out of compliance with employment law, then have it reviewed by an attorney who deals in workplace law. We have a Career Ladder in my firm. It was designed to give those who take initiative and want more responsibility (and consequently, more pay) the opportunity to rise up two levels above their original hiring position. Employees keep track of the requirements and steps using a tracking sheet. Regular meetings to discuss their goals and any challenges are a necessity. Good communication happens during those one-onone meetings. In fact, you may be surprised by how their vision for your company’s growth is not only in line with yours, but surpasses it beyond what you ever imagined!

Become intimate with your numbers.

That’s right – get to know your numbers inside and out. Every day when you close your office door, you need to have a very good understanding of what your profitability was on each job your company performed, as well as the week’s forecast for both income and expenses. You need to have a clear knowledge of how your actions, and those of your team, impact your bottom line. Knowing your numbers gives you a daily guide as to how to take action on your business goals.

What if you are not a genius when it comes to math and finances? Get a co-pilot, but always be in charge of the airplane. Always. It is perfectly okay to have an experienced professional help you to do data entry, process and run reports, and give you hands-on instruction on how to manage your money. However, make sure that you make the decisions guided by the numbers – they will tell you all you need to know in black and white. Your bookkeeper will help you to stay out of the red and point you in the right direction.

Practice the Rule of Thirds for business success.

As an owner, you need to divide your activities into three areas: Marketing, where you prospect and provide client care (this builds referrals); Working, where you provide the services you love to do; and Managing, which is the planning and administration of your company. There might be weeks where you spend 50% of your time in the Working area; but as a rule, try to spread your ownership duties into these three sections of time.

Color-coding your schedule into three categories (Marketing-blue, Workinggreen, and Managing –red) onto your electronic schedule or paper calendar will give you a great picture of how you are budgeting your time. Your additional team members or staff can be heavily weighting their time in the

Working area, but your time should be managed differently, if you want to feel like you are in control of the flow of the business. The E-Myth Revisited,

by Michael Gerber, is a fantastic little business book that explains more about how to work less IN your business, and how to work more ON your business. I read the entire book in one airplane ride 12 years ago and it changed my business model entirely!

Whatever you decide to do to get to six figures, do it with a plan, and don’t do it alone.

Strategize, form a plan, and then make it happen - day by day, week by week. Engage others who care about the success of your business and who will help you grow your company with their strengths and skills. Set your goal number now and post it where you can see it every day. Keep track of how you are doing and stay focused.

You have combined your passion, mission, vocation and profession into a tremendous means to live a more abundant life for yourself and those you love. Now it’s time to grow that purposeful business into a 6-figure success!

Jill, CPO of Discover Organizing Inc., has been organizing professionally since 2003. Beginning as a small onewoman company, the business grew to become a six person firm practicing in multiple states in 2008. Jill has been featured in several local and national magazines, and has been a guest multiple times on the CBS affiliate KDKA Pittsburgh Live morning show. Jill has been a professional speaker since 2004. She speaks at Pittsburgh-based corporations and has spoken at national conferences for various associations. Jill is a member of NAPO, APPO, NSA, and NAIPC. She is an avid scrapbooker, and her family’s most enthusiastic (and only) archivist. inFOCUS SPRING 2015 15

Tips & Training |

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Understanding Metadata Why industry standards for applying metadata should matter to us.

BY LISA KURTZ

photograph by Rodel Casio

Lisa Kurtz shares her knowledge of digital photo organizing during General Session.

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How well do you know your image?

When I ask you to think about your digital images, you’re probably envisioning faces and remembering stories and places. This is the emotional side of your image - the heart-warming “visual” aspect of an image - that is the end result of a collection of pixels and digital data.

I want to take you below the surface of your photograph, so you begin to understand where the real story lies.

What is metadata?

Metadata is information about the digital photo file itself - data about data. When you add descriptions and tags (metadata) you make it easier to filter your images and find the exact photo you are looking for in your library.

Did you know many social media websites, photo websites, and software applications do not embed the metadata directly into the image file itself? Some applications put data into a “sidecar” file that is only attached to the image while it’s being used by that specific application. Think of it like a sticky note that is attached to your picture and where important information about the photo has been recorded. Learning how to embed that metadata directly into the image file itself ensures that the information will always be there. Some photo sharing sites actually strip this metadata, and

some software applications do not adhere to any of the standards for applying metadata that are commonly used in the industry. So who set’s that standard?

Meet the IPTC or International Press Telecommunications Council.

“The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard is the most widely used standard to describe photos, because of its universal acceptance among news agencies, photographers, photo agencies, libraries, museums, and other related industries. It structures and defines metadata properties that allow users to add precise and reliable data about images. In the early 1990s, IPTC schema was developed to organize, systematize and unify the way information was stored and transported with images.

Prior to it, every management system had its own way, which did not transfer data between other software.”

(Source: IPTC.org)

LISA KURTZ is the Director of Operations and Training at APPO and a seventeen-year veteran in the photo industry. Prior to APPO, Lisa owned and operated her own Photo Organizing business. Formerly a toplevel leader in the Canadian market for Creative Memories, Lisa provided sales training and leadership coaching for a large, top performing team and was a frequent speaker and trainer at numerous national and regional conferences.

To learn more about the IPTC and the Photo Metadata standards, visit IPTC.org.

For more information about metadata and digital photo organizing best practices, check out Lisa’s conference presentation, Digital Photo Organizing for Photo Organizers.

Why is this important to you?

These standards are the measuring stick you’ll use to make good choices.

Some software applications and photo sharing sites do not follow the “Photo Metadata Standard” which means your metadata may get lost between applications. For this reason, whenever you are evaluating a new software solution, photo organizing website, sharing platform, or backup service, it’s important for you to know if they adhere to these standards.

photograph by Jennie Griggs

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Tips & Training |

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

photograph by Lisa Brueggemann

inFOCUS SPRING 2015

10 SOLUTIONS TO THE OBSTACLES YOU FACE

Remote Digital Organizing by sylvia cuillo

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Tips & Training |

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

photograph by Tara Benson

THIS IS A HOT TOPIC RIGHT now so let’s jump right in! If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re either interested in adding remote digital services, or you want to solidify your existing remote practices, or you could just want to know what all the hoopla is all about.

To start, let’s define remote, or virtual, digital photo organizing. At the core, it simply means organizing your client’s digital photos when they are not physically in the same room with you. That sounds simple enough, right? You might already even be doing this with printed photos.

As a business owner, most of you already know or can imagine the benefits of having the option to work remotely with digital images.

But just in case, they can be summarized in three points:

1. More clients - you have access to a larger audience without geographical boundaries.

2. More money – you can sell more, while saving on travel time and other expenses.

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3. More freedom & flexibility – you can literally work in your pajamas or at the summer beach house every year with your kids playing all around you (I do!)

So if it’s a simple definition and the benefits can be so significant, why aren’t more photo organizers doing it?

What’s holding YOU back?

Given my chosen lifestyle as a busy mom of five young children, four of whom have special needs, I decided right at the start of my business that my business model would be remote digital services. And even though it was carving out a new niche within the already new photo organizing industry, I knew that I had to make it work to honor my priorities.

Over the past few years I have had the privilege of speaking with many photo organizers who want to learn more about offering remote digital services. Drawing from my experience so far, here’s a concise list of straightforward actionable solutions that you can implement right now to overcome the 10 biggest problems/obstacles to successfully providing remote digital photo organizing services to your clients. See if they resonate with you.

OBSTACLE ONE

“I only use a PC (or Mac).

How can I possibly help Wclients who use the other platform?”

TWO

“How will I know who is in the photos if my client isn’t there to tell me?”

THREE

“How do all the client’s scattered photos get compiled into one place, if I’m not there to do it or to show them how?

FOUR

“I can’t keep up with all the technological changes and all I have to learn.”

FIVE

“How do I know what photo management software to use for my client remotely so that all the organization works later?”

SIX

“What happens to the client’s new photos that are taken while I am in the middle of the project?” ”

SOLUTION You have three options.

1. Own both platforms (PC and Mac) 2. Get super “book smart” on the “other” platform and don’t be afraid to ask your client to assist you with the navigation.

3. Do the platform you have and outsource the other platform.

Two-step attack: 1. Do an awesome assessment upfront to capture the essential information.

2. Use technology to get a sample image of key people (email, texts, Dropbox, Basecamp, Forever, share sites, remote access, etc.)

Gathering digital photos can be tricky even if you are right there in person, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Having a Photo Gathering Checklist with each step is essential.

And enlisting someone else onsite for this early step is pretty standard, along with your step-by-step guidance (client, her assistant, teenage son or daughter, IT person, etc.).

There’s no doubt. You absolutely must invest in your professional growth. The key is to do it strategically (learn to ignore distracting shiny objects) and in small bite sizes (to avoid feeling overwhelmed.) Start by focusing only on what your existing (or potential) clients need. Gradually, you will build your knowledge repertoire. Niching helps too. And writing the procedure down every time you do something new is critical to saving time and your sanity.

The key is to ensure the photos are “future-proofed.”

As photo organizers, we need to understand how different software programs behave. Learn about metadata and file handling. That is indispensible knowledge and once you “get it” you’ve cracked the code! You can then assess the value and appropriateness of ANY program thrown at you!

From the start, create a folder on client’s desktop labeled “Interim Photos” and instruct client to add all new photos only to that folder. One of your first steps, after you have organized their photos, is to incorporate that folder into their new HUB. (HUB = master home base for all original photos)

photograph by Jennie Griggs

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photograph by Becky Ball

Sylvia is a certified photo organizer who specializes in digital photo management. In 2011 she started her own business, PhotosOrganized, with a focus on remote services, and joined APPO. Prior to that she worked for 20 years in the field of social services, in supervisory and quality assurance roles. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.A. in psychology and lives in Florida with her husband of 21 years, their five children and a Chihuahua.

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OBSTACLE

SEVEN

“What happens if the client’s EHD gets lost in the mail

or there’s a system failure while their digital photos are in my custody?”

EIGHT

“How do I get access to my client’s photos remotely?”

NINE

“How do I communicate with my client remotely, while maintaining a personal touch?”

TEN

How do I estimate a digital organizing project remotely, if I can’t even see it?”

photograph by Darla DeMorrow

SOLUTION You know the drill… backup, backup, backup!

I do not work with client photos unless there is a “VERIFIED BY ME” current and active backup in place and my client signs a Backup Certification form beforehand. I do another backup on my end immediately upon receipt of any client images.

Also it’s a good practice to mail with tracking option via postal service. Make sure client knows that postal insurance does not cover lost photos, only the hardware up to a certain price.

These issues need to be covered in your Contract Agreement and reviewed with your client beforehand..

There are many ways you can do this, from costly invasive remote access programs to inexpensive hands-off phone guidance and everything in-between. Each method has pros and cons, as well as tips and tricks to smooth out the process.

Pick one or two methods that you are most comfortable with and focus on those to get you started. You can tweak as you go along. This is one of those things that you just have to do and get the experience. It gets much easier as you go along!

Treat this as you would any long distance relationship with a loved one. Just remember that EVERYTHING communicates. And communicate often and regularly.

Having a central command station, such as Basecamp, that allows easy client involvement as well as easy storage and access to the whole trail of information is vital to building trust remotely. One easily overlooked tip is to use your smart phone (or Jing) to record and send brief video snippets of you answering the client’s questions or just giving the progress update on their project.

Inject personal touches anywhere you can. Be creative!

It goes a long way.

The gazillion dollar question!

There are many different pricing strategies (hourly, packages, project, value based, etc.) But at the core, here are four tips that play a major role in estimating for remote services: 1. Time track everything you do! You need to know how long common tasks take you to complete. An easy free time tool is toggl.com. Or some accounting programs have time tracking integrated, such as Freshbooks.

2. Try to first virtually “see” the bulk of proposed project whenever possible, via remote access, screen shots, EHD, etc.

Again, be creative.

3. ALWAYS have written good faith estimate clause with clear statement about outside scope of services being charged at hourly rate or other measure.

4. Add 10% cushion to final estimate because technical problems invariably come up. It’s the remote digital way of life, but oh so worth it!

inFOCUS SPRING 2015 23

In Every Issue |

COACH JENN LEE

Meerkat Love

Social media apps bring our APPO community together at conference. BY COACH JENN LEE

National Speaker, Small Business Consultant and TV Contributor COACH JENN LEE is on a mission to get America’s business owners back on track, moving forward and making REAL money! Obsessed with helping entrepreneurs with sales, marketing, branding and social media strategies, she is unapologetic with her straight forward “lets get this going right now” approach. Right to the point with a good dose of humor, Jenn’s go-getter attitude and creative strategies quickly landed her a regular spot on Orlando’s FOX Morning show. A regular guest on BLOG talk radio shows, Jenn has been featured in publications such as Redbook, CBS MoneyWatch, Entrepreneur and SUCCESS Magazine and was recognized as A Woman to Watch by Orlando Womens’ Magazine

“Because of your participation on social media, APPO attracted over 400 unique visitors to their website, including 250 downloads of their photo organizing guide!”

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photographs by Jennie Griggs

Earlier this month, my team and I had the honor of working at your National Conference in Orlando, Florida. Our goal was to promote your organization across social media platforms to bring awareness to this amazing profession and all the hard work you guys do.

Organizers from all over the country, including several from Canada, joined us to invest in their small businesses with training on everything from sales to social media marketing.

While the four day event was heavily attended, not everyone made the trek to Orlando (who in their right mind would skip Florida in April?), but this didn’t mean you couldn’t participate!

We gave those of you who were stuck at home, a look at what we were up to.

One of our favorite apps for events like #APPO2015 is, without a doubt, Meerkat. Thanks to this fun, live streaming video app we were able to bring you down to Florida to have some fun with us!

My gals were all over the conference streaming bits and pieces of the Intensives and giving members a peek at the goodies APPO offered. If you weren’t part of it, here’s some of what you missed: Julie Morganstern’s training on how to become the go-to expert; Pixologie’s breakout session on helping your leads convert; even snippets of Dawn Brolin’s presentation (ball throwing included!).

And you got to experience it all, while in your PJs! (At least we think you were.)

You (even one from Australia! Holla!) were allowed access to the Expo Hall where we grabbed interviews with all the vendors, and live demos of brand spanking new products (a total benefit to APPO members who are in the market for new photo scanners, organizing apps & print methods).

Not only did you get to meet the vendors, our team used Meerkat, along with Instagram & Twitter, to capture the keynote from Forever’s leader,Glen Meakem; as well as, breakout sessions from Ali Craig, Nick Kelsh, and yours truly!

Another reason we adore Meerkat for the APPO Conference is how simple it is to use! All you needed to do was log in, click the stream and watch. If you had questions, you could ask directly in the app & presenters answered! A win for all, if you ask us!

And you’re the not the only one who benefited from the Meerkat love, APPO did too! Because of your participation on social media, they attracted over 400 unique visitors to their website, including 250 downloads of their photo organizing guide! #NailedIt If you missed out on the Meerkat fun, make sure you make plans to attend the conference next year in Anaheim, California - March 2-5, 2016. Take advantage of APPO’s “Lock in your rate” promotion and register now!

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NICK KELSH PHOTO SAFARI AN AFTERNOON OF FRIENDSHIP & FUN

photograph by Becky Ball

In Every Issue |

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PHOTOGRAPHER NICK KELSH

SIDE FROM THE FRIENDSHIP AND THE FUN, I was struck by everyone’s unique vision at the Nick Kelsh Photo Safari. I mean, seriously, how many different ways can you photograph a swan and eggs? The answer appears to be quite a lot.

Thanks for being so nice to my boy, Teddy. He’s already asked me if I need a photo assistant for next year’s Safari. I didn’t say yes (he was only allowed to come this year because spring break happened during APPO’s conference) but I can promise you that I will be there next year and I hope you will be too.

It was absolutely terrific and we all love the pictures—me, Anne, Alexander, and, of course, Teddy.

Clockwise from top left: Holly Corbid, Marie Booren, Danielle Studer, Signe Pagel

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Clockwise from above: Becky Ball (2), Judy Bujold, Becky Ball, Deb Soutar.

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Clockwise from left: Becky Ball, Holly Corbid, Laura Woolsey, Lisa Tonjes Moritz

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Clockwise from left: Chantal Hine, Laura Woolsey, Jean Gurding, Cathy Bauer

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Clockwise from top left: Marci Wilkinson, Nancy Hilbert, Signe Pagel, Stacy Cochrane, Trish Wolting

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Clockwise from above,: Becky Ball, Lisa Tonjes Moritz, Lisa Brueggemann, Joan Merritt

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Clockwise from left: Becky Ball, Grethen Laiuppa, Fancy Ruff-Wagner

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Clockwise from left: Jennie Griggs, Kathleen Dunn, Marie Booren, Stacy Cochrane

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Clockwise from top left: Cari Dawson, Kim Smith, Marie Booren, Sheila DeHart, Marion Goosen

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Clockwise from left: Trish Wolting, Carol Wolfe, Judy Bujold

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Clockwise from top left: Laura Woolsey, Teri Winfield, Judy Bujold, Darla DeMorrow.

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Clockwise from above: Trish Wolting, Darla DeMorrow, Sue Thornton, Trish Wolting

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See you next year at the 2016 APPO National Conference in Anaheim, CA!

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Leave a legacy.

Mylio considers APPO a valuable partner ...in evangelising our mission to change the way the world remembers. We are ready and willing to work hard to bring the right information and solutions to APPO members using Mylio, to enable those members to grow their busi-

nesses and increase their revenue stream. Mylio seeks to be a platform agnostic solution to organization, allowing photo organizers and their customers to use Mylio for a year or for a lifetime to gather, protect and share their memo-

Email noel@mylio.com to receive your free copy.

ries. Whether for their community or for their family, Mylio and APPO together want to help clients create a legacy to leave for those who come behind them.