REBECCA MUSAYEV

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Moving Your Business

Moving Your Business

Re-starting Your Business In Another State

As you know, Musa and I just moved from Columbus, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee. It was a decision we made for a bunch of reasons (mainly to be close to family). But, moving states also meant moving Sweet Williams Photography. Just as my business started to take off in Columbus, I was now going to move it to another state. What was I thinking?! Through a lot of prayers, Musa and I both felt Nashville was the place where God wanted us to be for this next chapter in our life.

I didn’t feel worried about moving my business. I probably should be more nervous than I am, after all this is my full-time job that we financially rely on, but I truly trust in God and know he has a plan and purpose for me.

Here are some helpful tips I found useful when moving my business! I hope you find them useful too!

Move Before You Move

I “moved” my online business to Nashville about 6 months before we actually moved. This meant switching Google Business, Instagram, Facebook, and my website over to the Nashville, Tennessee area. This helped me get into the Google SEO’s for the Tennessee area as well as start booking down in Tennessee. Although I had to do some traveling for clients I booked down in Tennessee while I was still living in Ohio, I was starting to build my clientele.

Research Other Photographers

Start to get a feel for other local photographers. What do they charge? What is their style? This will help you stand apart when you are down there full time. Here in Nashville, I’m finding that the “dark and moody” editing styles are more prominent than “light and airy.” This is not only a good tidbit to know, but it helps me stand apart in the market.

Get Your Paperwork In Order

The dreaded business legalities. This was the least fun part about switching states. I had to dissolve my business in Ohio and refile it in Tennessee. From updating your insurance address, to getting your business license it is tedious work but so worth it. I also checked in with my accountant to make sure I was doing everything correctly.

Research The Area

Research your area for permits. In Ohio, we don’t have a lot of permits for parks and buildings. However, in Nashville, there are permits that are strictly enforced for photography. It is good to know this ahead of time before you start suggesting locations to your clients.

Honor Previous Bookings

Half of my wedding season will still be in Columbus for 2019. That is okay! I am still booking in Columbus as we still want to visit our family frequently. It will be a little bit of a commute for a while but I’m excited about my 2019 couples. Also, I think I will book about 5-7 Columbus weddings every year. This may not be the same if you want to move states for good, but for us, we still want to go back to visit Musa’s family.

Get Involved In Your Community

After all, your best marketing is your personal word-of-mouth network. So get to work! Get involved with your community and get your name out there! Moving a business is like starting from scratch but without the “what am I doing” learning curve.

Work Is Called Work For A Reason

It is going to be slowly building up a clientele, but once it takes off it will take off. In the meantime, focus on your website, blogging, your word-of-mouth network, and any projects you’ve been meaning to do. Get ready for what’s in store and for all the new people who will be apart of your life.

Re-starting Your Business In Another State

As you know, Musa and I just moved from Columbus, Ohio to Nashville, Tennessee. It was a decision we made for a bunch of reasons (mainly to be close to family). But, moving states also meant moving Sweet Williams Photography. Just as my business started to take off in Columbus, I was now going to move it to another state. What was I thinking?! Through a lot of prayers, Musa and I both felt Nashville was the place where God wanted us to be for this next chapter in our life.

I didn’t feel worried about moving my business. I probably should be more nervous than I am, after all this is my full-time job that we financially rely on, but I truly trust in God and know he has a plan and purpose for me.

Here are some helpful tips I found useful when moving my business! I hope you find them useful too!

Move Before You Move

I “moved” my online business to Nashville about 6 months before we actually moved. This meant switching Google Business, Instagram, Facebook, and my website over to the Nashville, Tennessee area. This helped me get into the Google SEO’s for the Tennessee area as well as start booking down in Tennessee. Although I had to do some traveling for clients I booked down in Tennessee while I was still living in Ohio, I was starting to build my clientele.

Research Other Photographers

Start to get a feel for other local photographers. What do they charge? What is their style? This will help you stand apart when you are down there full time. Here in Nashville, I’m finding that the “dark and moody” editing styles are more prominent than “light and airy.” This is not only a good tidbit to know, but it helps me stand apart in the market.

Get Your Paperwork In Order

The dreaded business legalities. This was the least fun part about switching states. I had to dissolve my business in Ohio and refile it in Tennessee. From updating your insurance address, to getting your business license it is tedious work but so worth it. I also checked in with my accountant to make sure I was doing everything correctly.

Research The Area

Research your area for permits. In Ohio, we don’t have a lot of permits for parks and buildings. However, in Nashville, there are permits that are strictly enforced for photography. It is good to know this ahead of time before you start suggesting locations to your clients.

Honor Previous Bookings

Half of my wedding season will still be in Columbus for 2019. That is okay! I am still booking in Columbus as we still want to visit our family frequently. It will be a little bit of a commute for a while but I’m excited about my 2019 couples. Also, I think I will book about 5-7 Columbus weddings every year. This may not be the same if you want to move states for good, but for us, we still want to go back to visit Musa’s family.

Get Involved In Your Community

After all, your best marketing is your personal word-of-mouth network. So get to work! Get involved with your community and get your name out there! Moving a business is like starting from scratch but without the “what am I doing” learning curve.

Work Is Called Work For A Reason

It is going to be slowly building up a clientele, but once it takes off it will take off. In the meantime, focus on your website, blogging, your word-of-mouth network, and any projects you’ve been meaning to do. Get ready for what’s in store and for all the new people who will be apart of your life.

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