The almost a year in business and 350 fans GIVEAWAY!

The time is finally here! This is where you will find all the details about my 350 Fan Giveaway!

I have been in business for almost a year and it's been quite a ride. I have met some awesome clients, many of whom have become friends. I've had the opportunity to take some beautiful photos and it has been so rewarding. There is nothing better than seeing your photos displayed with pride on someone else's wall. I have reached 350 fans, which for me is a great milestone, but I hope that number keeps growing!

So as a thank you to my amazing clients, friends and fans, along with two of my favourite local businesses, I am giving away some pretty sweet prizes to one lucky winner!

The giveaway will end at midnight on Friday, March 9th, 2012. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. You are required to "like" all three Facebook fan pages. The other steps are optional but by completing them you'll get more chances to win. It's super easy! Check out these great prizes!

• First, you can win a FREE photo session with moi! All you have to to do is show up and I will take your picture! And you have the option to purchase prints and/or digital files after your session.
• Next, I'm including one of my favourite products, two custom designed 3x3 mini accordion books. I have several templates you can choose from to show off your favourite photos from your session. You'll get one to keep and one to share with a friend or family member (or give them both away if you choose!) They are perfect for carrying around in your purse or displaying in your home!
• I have had the pleasure of working with the amazing Sweet Peas & Honey Bees Boutique, a local business started by a Rosetown stay-at-home mom offering beautiful custom home decor like name block sets, photo props, holiday decor and much more. I am giving away a $20 store credit for you to purchase anything you want from her little boutique!
• Finally, Jellybean Accessories is another business I have worked with. It was started by another stay-at-home mom and I am absolutely in love with her adorable crocheted hats and handmade hair accessories. I am giving away a 6-12 month size crocheted Baby Monkey Beanie in light green and light pink soft, satin yarn, as shown below.

3x3 Mini Accordion Book

Just a few samples of custom block sets created by Sweet Peas & Honey Bees Boutique.

 Crocheted baby monkey beanie in light green and light pink soft, satin yarn, from Jellybean Accessories.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Complete all the mandatory steps and complete additional steps for extra entries. MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT ALL THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE STEPS. I WILL BE CHECKING TO MAKE SURE YOU DID EACH STEP (IE SHARING ON FACEBOOK AND PINNING MY BLOG ON PINTEREST) YOUR ENTRY WON'T COUNT IF I CAN'T CONFIRM. Also, have a look at the Terms and Conditions for important information. Thank you so much for visiting and good luck!

My small business has big aspirations

So I am going to be completely honest, business has been slow so far this year. I wasn't really surprised, as I understand that Christmas took its toll on people, the winter blues have set in and people don't really want to go outside much. So I've used this time to work on marketing myself and my little business.

As I revamped my prices, looked into offering new products to my clients and researched the industry, I learned a lot. So many people have ventured into the business of photography that it's hard to put yourself out there as someone offering a special, unique and high quality product. At this point, I can't spend thousands of dollars on advertising and marketing, so I have to find other ways to make myself known.

The best form of advertising any small business - especially a small town business - can use is word of mouth. When I first started this business I told my new mom and tot playgroup friends about it, and many of them became my first clients. I put posters around town, and I started my Facebook page and told people to spread the word. I had a booth at the Rosetown Business Garage Sale and I hand out business cards to new people I meet. And now that I have acquired a portfolio of past work, I think that is a big part of why people want to book a photo session or wedding with me as well.

The biggest thing I have learned through this adventure of owning my own business is how important supporting local businesses is. I always kind of knew that and I always tried to shop locally before, but now because I AM a small business owner, I see what it really means. You can go to the city to to do your shopping or have photos taken (and believe me, I know that sometimes it's the best option), but you get so much more by supporting a local business than you do from those places.

Your business means I can help support my family by doing what I love. Because it holds such high stakes for me, I want to put everything I can into your photos. I put hours into ensuring that you have a good experience before, during and after your session. I want to create an experience you will remember and products that you love, because I want you to spread the word about me so I can do the same for other people too. And because I love seeing how happy beautiful photos can make people :)

Since becoming a small business owner, I have tried to connect with others as well. I have worked with Jellybean Accessories (handmade crocheted hats and sweet hair accessories) and Sweet Peas & Honey Bees Boutique (amazing handmade home decor, block sets and photo props) to photograph some of their products and we help each other out by promoting each other on our Facebook pages. It makes me feel good to help out other local businesses because I am one too.

So whenever you have a choice between shopping locally or not, really consider where your money is going and what you will get out of it. I can promise you that if you go with the small business, you will get a lot more than just a product or service. I put a lot of heart into what I do, and I'm sure other small business owners do too.

Newborn cocoon by Jellybean Accessories

Baby girl block set photo props by Sweet Peas & Honey Bees Boutique

Love home decor block set by Sweet Peas & Honey Bees Boutique