THE INWARD DIVE
Original photo by Lisa Kennedy of Goldfeather
Hello friends,
With Coronavirus (COVID–19) in full effect, small business owners have felt a major impact on their businesses worldwide. Personally, I have experienced several project and event cancellations, postponements and a huge decrease in project bookings. All of which has taken a major toll on me and has limited the way I provide for my family. All hope is not lost because with every challenge there is a silver lining.
It’s important not to attach ourselves to the negative effects of a given challenge, no matter what the scale. We must find a balance of being aware of the challenge and allow ourselves to feel any emotions that may surface so that we don’t harbor any. With this mentality, maintaining high vibration, and nurturing our health and well being we can free some space for an inward dive. Which is ultimately going to help us get through the challenges we are facing.
My inward dive has resulted in taking inventory of all the types of services that I offer that must be put on the shelf (for now). As well as the services that I still can offer during this time (even ones a lot of people aren’t aware of). These include the following:
Shop Prints
• the online shop is still open and I am adding tons of new prints. If you are interested in framing services I have you covered.
Product Photography
• I offer shooting products remotely in my studio. This is great for social distancing. I ensure all products are shot in a sterile environment and appropriate protocols are implemented to keep products safe and sterile all the way to delivery back to my clients)
• this can include advertising, marketing and social media
Architectural Photography
• this a good time to get exterior/interior shots of your building (home or commercial)
Live Online Photography Training
• I offer remote training you can participate in from home over services like Zoom, Google Hangout, Google Meet, Skype, FaceTime and many more
Photo Printing & Framing
• ask about print packages and pricing
Website Builds
A lot of shop owners are considering creating or converting to an online store during this time to keep business moving.
Website Build Services Offered:
• basic website set ups
• brand compliant/informed website layout customization
• bio portrait sessions and/or video bios
• eCommerce/shop set up
• email list/newsletter set up
Graphic Design, Branding & Logo Design
My original trade is Graphic Design and I still offer this service to many of my clients. If you are looking for a new logo, a brand establishment or refresh, business collateral (business cards, letterheads etc) and/or any promotional materials (digital/print flyers, posters) then I’m your guy.
Photo Editing/Retouching
Digital Gift Cards Coming this week! Stay tuned…
Storytelling
I wanted to end my list off with this one because this type of work is going to take a huge precedence in how we perceive and communicate messages moving forward. Stories that will resinate will be the ones that strike a chord in us emotionally. That can be at an individual level all the way to a brand level. As we continue our fight, we are evolving and preparing ourselves for how we are going to handle things differently in the future. Through the challenges and on the other side of them we will have stories to share. We will want them to be heard. With a strategic approach, I will create the essence of all of this in a visual manner for you and your audience.
Aside from all of these services, I am very open to collaborations over the web or any ideas you may have. If you are curious about any of the services above let me know and I would be happy to elaborate or send examples of my work.
As a final note, I want to encourage everyone to do the following:
1. Put yourself and your family’s health and safety first
2. Get sunshine
3. Make a list of your favorite local small businesses to keep in mind during this time
- Support them in anyway you can (i.e. purchase gift cards, online orders)
I would love to hear your personal methods of getting through this time or how you are supporting your favorite small businesses. Drop a line in the comments! If you are a small business owner, I hope this article inspires you to keep at it and to take that inward dive. For you and everyone else, stay safe, keep the vibrations high, keep me in mind and I’ll keep you in mine.
Peace,
Raoul