Smile! You just opened a small business.

“You just opened a small business.”

Years ago, a good friend and client at the time – a dentist – explained to me why so many ‘technicians’ struggle when they hang a professional shingle.

In dental school, students studied amalgams and x-rays and maybe even how to use that cool little suction thingie.

So, a technician graduates well-schooled in the arts of her science – whether that science is dentistry, medicine, photography or whatever.

But my friend said to me, “that same person doesn’t have any real understanding of how to run a business.”

I bring this up today for two reasons:

1) Dilbert creator Scott Adams wrote a fantastic essay for the Journal about education and entrepreneurship – what he thinks should be taught vs. what is actually taught viewed through the lens of his actual college experience. Read it. I’d love to hear what you think.

2) Our friend Rhiannon.

Rhiannon recently left behind an impressive professional résumé as VP of Marketing for a regional bank to pursue her dream of being a professional photographer.

She’s a tremendous photographer. But, really, isn’t that the easy part?

Not for you or me, I mean, but for anyone who would even remotely consider accepting money to take pictures.

You know what I mean … that’s kinda the basic prerequisite for this sorta thing, right?

What impressed us – or, more correctly, my wife – after we used her for a recent family photo session was her firm grasp on the fact that she “just opened a small business.”

Rhiannon, and her company Lollipop Photography:

1. Sent a throughly detailed email to mama (who booked the appointment) a couple days before the shoot outlining exactly what we could expect.
2. Knew who was boss from the moment we arrived: Mama. If she could keep mama happy, she knew everyone would be happy.
3. Understood that to keep mama happy, she had to be totally flexible with the whims and fancies of two young children – one of whom has special needs. In other words, every time Will started making silly faces or Sarah started running to another tree, Rhiannon acted as though that was EXACTLY what she had in mind for the next shot. She was brilliantly flexible but always prepared to shoot.
4. Delivered a longer, better experience than promised.
5. Transferred delight and confidence throughout the shoot … which continually kept mama at ease – this, in spite of the fact, that we were at times ready to place our daughter on eBay.
6. Conveyed clear expectations of when we could expect to see photos – which is really what matters more than anything. How quickly can you have those shots online so Mama can see them and share them with her friends.
7. Not just beat … but reeeeeally beat that expectation by more than 48 hours. The last time we used a portrait photography studio, they were great photographers who worked well with our son. They were kind, patient and fun. Then it was our turn to be patient as it took more than three weeks to get those photos up and online. Mama was displeased. Do not displease mama.
8. We get the digital files on CD. Why? Because it’s 2011, that’s why, and that’s the way more and more families want to receive their pictures. So many photographers still think it’s 1973, and force us to buy expensive printed portraits. No thank you. There’s a great Pensacola photographer I know who does the same thing.

That evening, as we were checking out our photos through the wonderful AppleTV, two of Dee’s mama mafia – Heidi and Heather – came over and ooooh’d and aaaaah’d.

Money’s worth. She could have charged twice the price, but in fact, as our friends swore they’d use Rhiannon next time, she – in fact – tripled her money’s worth, and possibly more – as those pictures spread like mama-fueled wildfire through social media.

Rhiannon’s starting off successfully not because she’s a great photographer, though she is.

But because Rhiannon understands what too few do — that she just opened a small business — and it’s why I think she’s the best Columbia photographer working today.

Disclosure: Lollipop Photography is not a client, but her former employer was at one time. We paid full price for our photo session just like everyone else, and my wife had never met her before we arrived for this session. Rhiannon doesn’t know I’m writing this.