Please Vote For Our Essay!

We just found out - Photo Styling Workshops was named as one of the finalists in the Business.com What Works for Business Contest which aims to identify the best solutions to business challenges. Our entry was selected as one of the best in the Web Presence category from hundreds of contest entries by a panel of business expert contest judges.

Winners for each of the 10 categories, and the overall winner, will be chosen by popular vote at The What Works for Business Contest Voting page from Wednesday, Dec. 10 through Friday, Dec. 19. The final contest results will be announced on Jan. 12 with each category winner receiving $2,000 and the overall contest winner receiving $10,000. If we win, a good part of the winnings will be reinvested in Photo Styling Workshops to offer you more great classes! (I'm also going to have a nice cappucino.)

You can help by VOTING for us with a quick click.

Sponsored by Business.com, the leading business search engine, directory and pay-per-click advertising network, the What Works for Business Contest is open to all North American businesses and is designed to help shift business focus from what’s wrong with the economy to what small businesses can actually do to survive and thrive in 2009.

Here is the entry I wrote.

Challenge:
My book about the career of photo styling had been published and was the only comprehensive guide to the profession on the market. While I had given several weekend career workshops in San Diego it was always a challenge to get the word out and find enough attendees. I made presentations at local colleges, posted the workshops on my stylist site, and sent out press releases but still did not have the turnout I would have liked.


Solution:
A photographer who attended one weekend workshop suggested the format of online classes offered on several sites for photographers wanting to improve their skills. I immediately did some research and established the Website www.photostylingworkshops.com. With a team of colleagues in various areas of the photo styling profession, such as food styling, a curriculum of online courses was developed. By setting up the site as a resource for photo stylists with articles and information, I made sure the search engine ratings took off quickly. Students from all over the world signed up for classes such as Food Styling 101, Photo Styling 101, and Producing Photo Shoots.

In just two years, the e-commerce site has grown to sell books (mine and others), videos, T-shirts for stylists and other crew, tote bags, and aprons. We have a related blog site, Photo Styling Forum, which provides a place where styling professionals - and those learning about the career - can communicate, ask questions, and network.

Last February we held a national food and prop styling workshop in San Diego with attendees flying in from throughout the U.S. This will now be an annual event with this year’s workshop being held at Macy’s Home Store and focused toward photographers in addition to stylists. And I am writing a new book, "Fashion Off-Figure," which will be marketed primarily through photostylingworkshops.com.

Please VOTE for us! Thank you!