It’s different here

No, it’s not.

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I was tempted to leave that as the entire post today. See, I hear this all the time. Photographers in Kansas saying they can’t do X because they aren’t in Los Angeles; photographers in Los Angeles saying the same because they’re not in NYC; etc. ad infinitum.

Geography is a BS reason not to do something marketing/business-wise. Today there are many reasons for this but the biggest one is the simple fact that where you are doesn’t matter unless you make it matter. Technology has erased borders. If you are willing to travel or you do studio work, then you don’t need to limit your potential clients geographically. Where they, your targets, are doesn’t matter relative to where you are. You can choose to live wherever you want to and make your business work.

What this means is that you can no longer hide behind the excuse of not being in a so-called major market to cover for your own fear of success. In fact, you may actually make it easier for you to be more successful if you are located in a smaller city (or in the country someplace). Why? Prices. Your overhead will be significantly less in, say, Cleveland versus Los Angeles, NYC, or places like Boston, Miami, and San Diego. However, you can bill as much as you would in those bigger cities (remember, creative product should be priced based on value, and that doesn’t change no matter where you are). Lower overhead means your profits will be greater and your business will have greater funds for reinvestment and growth.

Of course, all this presupposes that you have to have the guts to create fantastic work and to market your business as the special one-of-a-kind entity it is. If you don’t, then it’s still not different where you are; you just need to think more deeply about what it is you are trying to do with your creativity and business.

So no, it’s not different where you are. You need to do great work, market to the right targets, and price appropriately. Everywhere.