Hello All!

I am taking the leap and hiring a full-time studio manager. I have found a girl that is an IU grad with a degree in arts and design. She has worked at my favorite camera shop for 4 years and has been referred to me by a wonderful photographer that also works at that same shop.

Andrea has no desire to become a photographer, but is more the type to support a studio, manage the influx of calendars, bookings, brides, PROCESSING, album design, placement of orders, slideshows, etc. Sound like heaven yet? I think she is going to be great!

As I enter this commitment to her financially does anyone have any advice? Any of you have a full-time employee and have some kinks that needed to be worked out or lessons you learned?

She has a great personality and I can't wait to have a life again and get back to nothing but my camera, but I don't want to make any mistakes that might jeopardize the success of this exciting new phase in my biz.

Thanks!

Jen

No advice here guys??? Sigh, ok, I am jumping in with both feet and hopefully I will have a life and a clean house again!!! Not to mention time to work off all the wedding cake I have consumed this year:)

The first - and to me, most important - thing that comes to mind is that she has the same passion for YOUR work as you do. After all - if she's answering the phones and talking to your customers, she's got to represent YOU well.

If there's one thing that makes me CRAZY it's apathetic people in a customer service related position. For those of you who know me, Customer Service is my #1 thing!

So - you obviously think she'll be great, which is wonderful! Don't just hand her the reins and expect everything to run smoothly - take your time and train her as if you were training...yourself!

Keep us posted on how it goes!

All the best,
Roxanne

Hey Jenny,

Sorry, didn't see your first post. I hope I can help a little bit.

I hired my first studio manager a little over a year ago. She was a full-time wedding and portrait photographer in Florida (I'm in North Carolina). She found me through some website, so I didn't have the great referral network and background you do. She came up for an interview and did very well. I offered her the position and things were running swimmingly for a while. It didn't take but a few weeks, and despite her and I both being married, and though I was nothing but professional with her (contrary to what some folks on the forums might tell you. I love my wife dearly ), she made an inappropriate advance towards me. Now I doubt very highly that you're new girl will do this, but ultimately, the relationship is about trust....trust to do what you ask her to, trust to edit the way you like, trust to listen and learn, and trust to be professional.

I obviously let that girl go and then started interviewing again for the position. And I scored! Jeremy Russell out of Pasadena contacted me regarding the position and was a great fit. And he's been with me ever since. (I also had another employee that was stealing from me and all kinds of bad things...and get this: Her name was Jenn Driscoll!!! Craziness!)

Having a studio manager sounds like a dream world, and in many ways it is. But there's also the added dealings of training (that passes once they're trained), some oversight on your part, and of course the cost. I feel like the expense is well worth it. I've actually been traveling for weddings and speaking engagements more and more this year, and knowing that I have a trusted manager in place to handle things while I'm away is a luxury worth every penny. It's also great to have a middle man that can pimp you to clients better than you can yourself and run interference should there be the rare issue with a client.

Having said that, I guess the short answer is no....there are not any miracle words to prep you for such a endeavor, but patience, training, and having good management skills yourself will yield a competent, reliable, and trustworthy staffer. Feel free to call or email should you have any specific questions.

Hope that helps,

Corey

www.coreymcnabb.com
coreymcnabb.blogspot.com

Jenny,
I'm a one-man-band, but a few thoughts come to mind.

1. You won't be as free from the mundane as you think. The less connnected you are to your business, the more risk you run. Yes, you'll be shooting more and thinking about the business a little less, but you need to show your employee that you are VERY committed to how the place runs. That means constant oversight.

2. Treat your employee better than you would want to be treated.

3. Random acts of kindness earn loyalty. Allowing her to leave early when work is done and things are slow, allowing her to come in a little late when you know you can easily cover, and occasional, surprise $25 gift cards to favorite stores or even gas stations will show her that you know that everyone needs a little free time and free stuff!

4. Be sure to pay proper overtime for extra hours. You should double check with your accountant, but anything over 40 hours is time-and-a-half. If she works 15 minutes over 40 hours, don't overlook it. Pay the money. And if she says, "Don't be silly. It was only 15 minutes," you should STILL pay the money. For legal reasons, but mostly out of respect for her time. You won't miss the few extra dollars, but it will make a big difference to her.

5. In Jack Welch's book "Winning," he writes about the importance of candor with employees. Always let her know where she stands, good or bad. If bad, explain what needs improvement, set a deadline for the improvement, explain what will happen if she doesn't improve and if she doesn't... enforce it. That way there are no surprises and no hard feelings.

6. The flip side of candor is to tell her that she should always speak up about ways to improve the business. You should be approachable and welcoming toward suggestions.

Good luck!

I agree with most of your post, however, the "overtime" rule usually only applies to hourly employees. While I would assume a Studio Manager to be hourly, they may have agreed to a salary + bonus type arrangement, for which extra time may be expected.

I am salaried at my day job and if they paid me for every hour worked, I would be a lot richer.

I second so much of what has already so eloquently been said here.

I just hired a studio manager this past year and was so excited to get my life back and start spending time with my kids again. However, you have to take time to really train your new manager. No matter how wonderful they seem in the interviewed they have never managed for YOU. I still have a training sessions every week with my manager and intern.

I think it's also important to have goals for your studio and gifts or fun rewards to keep up the fun, excitement, and passion of the studio. It also helps to reinforce (of, course you need to be saying it as often as possible) how much you appreciate their work, time, and effort.

The first year of a studio manager is difficult. Not because the manager is difficult but because it's a transition...mostly for you. You have to figure out where the line is for you, manage someone else until everything falls into place, and instill your vision into another person so that they are representing you well to your clients. This all just takes time. There's no way to make it happen really fast. It's just a matter of learning and being together.

And it's definitely worth the money, time and effort to have a studio manager. I have gotten back my life and I keep getting back more all of the time as we continue to work even better together. My studio manager is absolutely amazing and I am so blessed to have her. The last year has been better than the year before. Oh! and the synergy that gets going having another person in the studio is really worth it too!!

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Be patient.

Chad, my day job pays me hourly so that was my point of reference. But you're right, a straight salary would be a different scenario. Then you have to get creative to reward your employee for extra time.

IMHO, Hiring a great employee is one of the best things you can do for your business, if you can afford her, and have enough business to justify the cost.

My office manager has been with me for about 18 months, and I couldn't live without her... here is my advice:

Be VERY understanding during the first few months of training. Mistakes WILL be made, by both of you, and it's gonna take a bit of time for her to learn everything about your workflow.

Praise her for the good work that she does. Praise her as often as you can. (Don't be fake about it! Praise her for what she's really doing well.)

If something ever does need to be "fixed" and she does need to hear that she did something wrong, it'll be much easier if she has a pillow of confidence from past achievements to fall back on.

Make her feel like the invested part of your business that she should be. Ask her opinion often and LISTEN.

Renee, our studio manager boss prowls these boards from time to time; if she sees this, maybe she can add her two cents?

You should check with your accountant but I don't believe this is true. Regardless of "salaried" status, you may still be required to pay overtime depending on your local and state laws. If you are paying your employee less than the Federal minimum wage, I believe you are also required to pay overtime.

Congrats and good luck in this new stage of your business!

Corey,THANK YOU for your insight. I did interview a few males and in fact tried one out, but flop. Why put yourself in that position? I didn't mean to discriminate gender, but I think it is best I have a female working for me so I don't have to deal with the situation you did. Good for you making that decision to let her go so quickly. I like Andrea because she has no desire to go anywhere with her photography, however, she is crazy about my stuff and I hope that enthusiasm carries through with my clients. I think in the past I have failed because I didn't devote enough to training and also wasn't willing to commit financially in a "real sense". So now I am going to take a "pay cut" (no more shoes for me) and do this right. I think I owe it to my clients and I hope to fly more in other ways as a photographer.Thanks so much for your words of wisdom. Much appreciated! I will keep your # handy if I need anything.Jenp.s. I don't steal! That is cr8zy you had a Jenn Driscoll do that to ya!!! Wow!Thanks, Chad. I was thinking this. In fact, I have given her vacation time already and she can earn up to 10 days off over the course of a few years. I plan to be good to her, but being so small I couldn't possibly do overtime....although, I don't expect her to hit 40+ hours often at all:)Hmm, ok will check on this! Don't want to be in legal trouble!Carrie, very valuable! Thank you! I guess my years of parenting my three daughters is going to be handy here... I plan to be so patient, this is a huge investment I am making in her and I hope to have her working for me for many years so we can develop a trusting relationship and I can step back from the studio to "live" once in a while.Davina, thank you! I am so happy to hear you have more time with the kiddies these days. My hope is that Andrea will end up paying for herself and that after a couple of years my income will level off or exceed what is is now. I don't mind parting with it if things work out though. I really love these precious years with my children, they grow up too quickly!Great what you have said about "working for me". I am new at this...I hope Andrea has patience! I am not worried about her skills so much as my own training skills and ability to get my hands out of the cookie jar.

Hey Guys,

You won't believe this. I was so excited about Andrea and we had our final meeting and after having gone through three meetings detailing the job description when I told her Saturdays (weddings) would be something she would be required to do she CRIED. I wasn't planning on her going every wedding, but I wanted her to know about the biz, what needs to be in the album, etc. Her husband wasn't very "happy" and I didn't get a good feeling. Now she is "thinking" about whether she wants the job and I am sorry, that isn't a good start in my book so no go for me.

So! I am back to interviewing again because there is no way I am going to invest in someone who doesn't REALLY want to WORK. If you know anyone in the Indianapolis, Fishers area that would be perfect send me their name in a PM. This really sucks. Better to have found out now than later though:)

Any advice on where to look?

Thanks for all of your awesome support! I love you guys!

Jennifer

I don't have any suggestions for you, but I'm curious as to where you found Andrea in the first place - did you post the position somewhere, or did you find her through a friend, etc.?

Jenny, I'm confused. You told her Saturdays would be required, but you also told her she didn't have to be at every wedding? Which is it? Maybe if you tell her you want her to come to the first four weddings after she starts, and then let her do M-F she'll warm up to it. If it's temporary, it's not so bad. And pay her for her Saturday time of course.

I found Andrea per recommendation from my fav camera shop, which she has worked at for four years.

So here is the thing. I did tell her Saturdays would be something she might have to do once in a while. After meeting her my husband feels (and he is always 99.9% right on this stuff) Andrea is a bit too introverted to solicit new business, but she will be great at the computer work, organization, etc. The full-time commitment in pay I was giving her was based on her meeting with clients, calling on new business opportunities, etc. He is right, she wouldn't have been very good at that stuff as she is too quiet and withdrawn. She is delightful to be with, but doesn't have an "enthusiastic" feel about her. John is right, meeting with brides and clients is not a duty she could relieve me of.

So to offset the hours that she wouldn't be able to work (me still meeting with clients, etc.) if she wants a full 40 hours pay she is going to have to come on the weddings because I can't afford to pay my assistant and her if I am not relieved of those "extra duties" I was hoping to pass on.

Does this make sense? Ideally I wanted someone well-rounded with a CHEERFUL personality. Andrea doesn't possess this, but she is a very gentle and trustworthy person who has great computer skills. That is valuable to me, but not 40 hours valuable and if I only need 20 hours worth of computer work...well, I can't exactly pay her to not perform efficiently the other 20 hours, right? I asked her if she wanted to work part-time she vehemently said NO way because she hates her current job so much she wouldn't want to split the hours. I don't want someone taking a job with me because they are just needing one.

She has hated her job at the camera store for 3 years, but hates interviewing so much she that she just hasn't looked for another??? See, these are the questions my husband knows to ask and I just sit there excited about a person somewhat interested in working...I am such a complete IDIOT.

Where do you find a person with a great personality that ENJOYS sitting at a computer for hours and hours??? Please let me know. We are an exception as photographers because it is OUR work we are producing. I can't imagine I would enjoy processing another person's work for hours on end...am I terrible for this?

I am such an optimistic person when it comes to other people and perhaps I was a bit too optimistic here. Sigh, I just don't belong in the business world so John is going to have to do the interviewing from here on.

Andrea is "going to think" about the job, but I am going to have to tell her no. She didn't get back to me right away "bummed" out about having to work a Saturday once in a while (I am not booked EVERY weekend!). I don't think that is fair with all I had laid on the table for her, she cried. That tells me she is going to be miserable and I can't afford to pay miserable, right? Gosh, this is so exhausting. I just want someone to be good to who enjoys working in a creative environment, but has a good work ethic. I work my tail off and certainly don't expect someone to exhaust themselves the way I do, but I would like a little "excitement" about the job, not tears...

Am I being too cautious?

Thanks, guys.

Jen

Like you said...better to know now!

Good luck.

Oh and Matt, I don't want her to have to "warm-up" to the idea. You are either excited to have a job somewhere or you are just "hmmmm, well, OK". I want someone who WANTS it, not having to "ease" someone into it. That doesn't seem fair to me? Do you agree?See, I think you guys get it from my angle cause ya'll are suffering like me so you know the VALUE of having help. My husband looks at it from the business angle seeing the money going out as an investment in this person. I had worked in vacation time that was equal to big companies, etc. The compensation package I put together is so incredibly fair and generous so I have to remember that at the end of the day I am writing a check for this....so I don't want to have to warm-her-up. Right??Thanks, Corey. Sigh, yeah, I am glad to know now. I'd rather interview and stress through several people to find the right one. I am bummed, I felt in some ways she was perfect. I am putting my husband in charge of interviewing, he has a great way of pulling the right or wrong stuff out of people. I have had part-time help before and it was a disaster. Person after person just not willing to work and I think it was because I couldn't pay enough or commit to enough hours. I am ready for the big step! I'll let you guys know how it goes as I look...You are so lucky to have found the right one:)Jen

have any of you that have a studio manager used them while working out of your home?

i have a beautiful 3500 sq. ft home/studio, it's more a home with my office and my wife's office, then a gallery room we meet clients in and display work, with an old outbuilding that we converted to a studio on the property too. i could find a space or make it work somehow for her to be here with us, but i'm considering having her work from her home, use cell phones as the bus line etc. and shared email account so i see everything that comes in but let her reply to all the inquiries, generate work, management stuff??? thoughts?

btw she has the perfect personality for it, was a bride of mine that LOVES our work and us as people and has pursued it and swears that some day she'll work for us but doesn't want to be a photog herself.

Lastly, one great word of advice that I have regarding this matter is something I read in a book that DJ recommended to me, i can't come up with the name right now.

anyway, it pretty much say's that the biggest mistake you can make is to bring someone in, throw it all at them and say "Here take it!" cause your to exhausted, train, train, vision, values, manage, oversee etc..

Jenny, I hear ya! And you're right that you should hire someone who is jazzed about the job from day one. Regarding your question above, I'll give you an example. My day job is being an editor at 60 Minutes. I sit at a computer all day long and edit footage from 10 different cameramen (sometimes) and scripts written by a producer. I have creative and editorial input, but I am essentially "processing another person's work," as you put it. Then we have people dedicated just to color-correcting (other people's work)... yet another example.

So have hope! There are plenty of people who know how to work in a collaborative environment. Your challenge is to find someone with great processing skills, office skills, and client skills. That's quite a challenge!