Introduction into Lala Lu Photography
RISE Commercial District asked Laura to tell us more about what Lala Lu does…. “Lala Lu Photography is a creative photography studio specializing in maternity, newborn, baby milestones, and creative child portraits. From creating a lot of my (Laura) own backdrops and sets, to digital hand painting on photographs, everything I do has an artistic backbone. I’m passionate about creating something unique for my families that they can treasure for generations. I advocate for professional printed art work in a digital world that can be fleeting with how fast technology moves. My growth has been pretty substantial over the last 13 years. I started with regular outdoor family sessions, and pretty quickly discovered studio work and loved it so much more because I could control it more as far as my artistic vision, lighting, weather, and being able to do set designs which I really love. I still do outdoor sessions too, but my heart remains with studio. A fun fact about me is that I seem to love doing things the hard way, or the longer way around. For example, a lot of photographers will get their cutouts for session sets printed, while Im spending a few house hand painting them myself. I do this because it brings me joy! My clients really like to see all the work I put in to make their day special, which is also my source of joy.”
A lot of what Lala Lu offers comes from a consistent passion of arts and photography and finds joy in making other people’s days special.
Tips to entrepreneurs in the Photography space
We asked Lala Lu Photography about any tips that she has for upcoming entrepreneurs or those in the space right now….“My biggest tip for anyone starting out in the photography industry is to explore it all, learn from your mistakes.” This is one of the more common downfalls in entrepreneurship as many businesses fail and fail to learn from that. Persistence and recognition in the failure creates a stronger brand presence. She goes on to say, “and then hone in on what part of it/what genre brings you the most passion so that you will always love working!” Finding work that you enjoy is a large stress eliminator. If you wake up every day dreading what you are going to do, then it may not be the best route for you. You can see the passion and love that Laura has for Lala Lu through her passion for work.
She says, “After that, or during that process, I cant stress enough how important it is to learn about the business side of a business. Photography being an art, is really personal to an artist and we often dont consider the fact that we need to actually treat it like a business instead of a hobby and price yourself profitably to earn a livable wage instead of a starving artist’s wage.” It’s very common for artists to love what they that aren’t able to make a livable wage. As many starting guides will tell you, find your niche. Create value in your brand and learn the business side of it.
What is the most exciting thing about being an entrepreneur?
What is the most exciting thing about being an entrepreneur? Laura says, “I think what makes being an entrepreneur exciting, is that it’s kind of scary! It can be scary or stressful not knowing if you’re going to book enough to make ends meet, but it’s exciting because that’s where the motivation and drive comes from. Energy flows where energy goes is my (borrowed) saying and it’s always been pretty true in my experience. Putting myself out there with my work has become easier over the years as my confidence has grown and meeting new families and being able to stick with them through the years watching their family grow before my lens is a very exciting feature and a true reward.” Laura Anderson
It’s common to feel stressed as a start up business when it comes to the fear of not making ends meet. Luckily for Laura, she continues to have a love for art and photography that drives her business forward. RISE Commercial District enjoys offering warehouse, office, and flex space to entrepreneurs that helps them grow and focus on their business.
Tips on getting new business from Laura
Laura explains that, “Getting new business did not used to be as hard as it seems to be in this day and age! My industry is flooded with hobby photographers using the same social media I use to get clients, and because its not their full time job, or they are just starting out, the pricing over the years has become very inconsistent and weakens the perception of the client who will see these fly by night businesses offering it all for next to nothing.” One of the hard things as an entrepreneur is seeing competitors offer a similar product at a lower price. For Laura, this didn’t bother her because she understood the value of her work and her client experience.
She says, “I dont worry about them, as it’s not the kind of clientele I serve as mine know my value, but it can make it harder to find my people in a sea of not my people. I’ve been very lucky to work with so many families, that word of mouth is a very substantial amount of my new business. I put myself out there on socials and my website.” Having a brand presence is important when it comes to marketing your brand and building that recognition. She says, “I personally do not pay for ads, so finding new clients is not especially expensive to me, other than my time of scrolling and looking for posts about families looking for what I offer or announcing new sessions that I have.”
This is a great example of how not every business needs to spend a boat load of cash to drive company engagement. The quality of Lala Lu Photography speaks for itself.
How have you enjoyed RISE Commercial District?
Laura says, “RISE has been a godsend to me. For years I had been contemplating getting a studio outside my home but could just never justify it or find anything that fit most of my needs until I found RISE. I walk in each day with a smile that I have this wonderful little world of my own where I can do what makes me happy.”
RISE Commercial District is home to many entrepreneurs that are looking to expand their space outside of their home, but most people are afraid to take that leap.
How long has Lala Lu Photography been at RISE Commercial District?
Laura has been at RISE for almost a year now and continues to grow her business.
What are the main factors that influenced Lala Lu Photography’s decision to choose RISE Commercial District?
“I chose RISE based on the space and more importantly the layout of the space for my needs, utilities being included which I never found anywhere else on my search, strong security for safety being that I have a lot of expensive equipment, close proximity to my home as I often need to go back and forth when im changing up sets, and affordability. Also talking with a few [facility] managers along the way sold me because everyone was so helpful.”
Closing recommendations from Lala Lu
Her advice is to “take a tour of the spaces, if it’s right for you, don’t sit on it.” She later says that you won’t regret it. Taking a leap of faith in your business is a very daunting task. Once you are able to reach the other side of the hump, you’ll be glad you made that risk.
Contact/Follow Laura at Lala Lu
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lalaluphotographyart
Instagram: @lalaluphotography
