Welcome to Part Two of 2025

Hey friends, how’s it going? Did you know today is the true midpoint of the year? Fun fact: with 365 days in a year, the exact halfway mark lands at noon on July 2nd. Which means… we’re officially in part two of 2025. Time for a mid-year small business check-in.

Honestly, it feels like it was just February. Time is flying. We’re folding long sleeve shirts while sweating in July, and it’s making us feel very aware of how fast life is moving these days.

Today, we wanted to pause, take a breath, and do a mid-year small business check-in. Where are you in your business right now? What’s going well? Where are your weak points? This halfway mark isn’t to overwhelm you. Think of it as a little hug of encouragement to keep going.

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Reflecting on the First Half of the Year

So what’s gone really well so far in 2025? For us, it’s been a unique year. As photographers, we’ve had a heavier first half of the year than we will in the second half, which feels strange but also peaceful.

One big win? Client management and delivery. We’re always intentional about delivering galleries early, but this year we’ve taken that to another level. Getting images back well before contract deadlines has felt amazing – for us and for our couples.

Another win has been our work-life balance. October is usually our month of chaos with weddings, mini sessions, family sessions, and personal life events stacked on top of each other. But this year, we intentionally structured our calendar to create space to enjoy life — especially with Niles starting kindergarten this fall. It’s been so worth it.

What Didn’t Go As Planned? – Mid-Year Small Business Check-In

Social media… again. We dream of a business that doesn’t rely on it, but we also know it’s part of serving our clients and showing up well. That said, our new monthly calendar system launched this spring has made it feel less stressful and more consistent. It’s not perfect, but it’s an improvement we’re sticking with.

We also wanted to shout out our business retreat earlier this year. We spent a couple of days away at a hotel in Charlottesville to dream, plan, and reflect. It was such a smart move. Working from home with toddlers means uninterrupted vision planning is nearly impossible. Getting away gave us fresh perspective. We didn’t implement everything (we may have overplanned a bit!), but it set a beautiful foundation for the year ahead.

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Systems & Workflow Check-In

How are your systems feeling right now? For us, pre-wedding chats with clients have saved our sanity this year. We’ve always done them, but lately they’ve felt especially critical. These calls make sure we’re fully prepared for unique moments and expectations, and we get to connect one more time with our couples to make sure we have every detail. If you aren’t doing a wedding day chat, start right now.

Another system we’re loving? Our end-of-day office checkout routine, which helps us mentally and practically step away from work to be present with our family. If you work from home, you know how hard that transition can be – this system has made a huge difference. Our most recent free webinar topic was on our end of day office checkout, and it’s a short 15-20 minute routine that is a game changer, not only to feel less stressed leaving the office, but also prepped and ready for what tomorrow brings. Its part of our free webinar series that you can listen to here.

What Needs Simplifying? – Mid-Year Small Business Check-In

For Michael, it’s gear prep. In the past I packed everything days in advance, but lately it’s been happening the night before, and maybe some the morning of – which isn’t ideal. For Laura, it’s updating template emails to better match what clients are needing right now. Trends and client expectations shift, so our workflows and communication need to shift too.

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Financial & Scheduling Reflections

Bookings this year have been… interesting. COVID changed how far out couples book weddings. We went from people planning two years ahead to now getting full wedding inquiries for dates just a month or two away. It’s wild.

If you haven’t recently, now is the time for a financial check-in:

• Are you on track with income goals for this year?
• What does next year look like so far?
• Do you need to adjust packages or pricing to serve your family and lifestyle better?

Also, start looking at fall scheduling. Mini sessions, holiday offerings, and family travel plans come up fast. Every time we see photographers posting fall mini session promos in July, we think “wow, that’s early” – but it really isn’t. Planning now creates peace later.

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Reclaiming Your Vision for the Rest of 2025

Finally, re-look at your goals. Are they still serving you? Do they need to be adjusted? Are there things you set out to do that no longer align with your life or business right now?

Remember, you don’t need to overhaul everything. Small tweaks make big differences. Instead of adding ten new projects, identify one or two things that will truly move the needle for you and start there.

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Your Mid-Year Encouragement – Mid-Year Small Business Check-In

Here’s your mini mid-year review to do this week:

1. What’s working?
2. What isn’t?
3. What needs adjusting?
4. What do you want the rest of this year to feel like – personally and in business?

Small changes, friend. They add up to big results.

If you want someone to cheer you on, shoot us a DM at @michaelandlauraphotography on Instagram and tell us your goals for the second half of 2025. We’d love to encourage you as you keep moving forward. Go do your own mid-year small business check-in.

Enjoy the long weekend and we’ll talk soon. 💛

Looking for other busines blogs? Here’s one on keeping your workday more focused.