Sales - Not paid?

[rutt]

All my sales say "Not paid". Some of the sales are months old. What exactly does this mean?

[Andy]

All my sales say "Not paid". Some of the sales are months old. What exactly does this mean?

it means you have $$ coming from smugmug. how to get it, is explained right here (http://www.smugmug.com/help/reporting) in the smugmug help section for pro accounts.

[rutt]

it means you have $$ coming from smugmug. how to get it, is explained right here (http://www.smugmug.com/help/reporting) in the smugmug help section for pro accounts.

Thanks, Andy. I guess I've given away the small scale of my dgrin business. Might be time to try to do something about my site. Or the actual pictures? Or marketing?

In any case, I do have a proposal. Why not credit sales against membership fees if the sales are too small to cut a check? That seems fairly effecient to me.

[Andy]

Thanks, Andy. I guess I've given away the small scale of my dgrin business. Might be time to try to do something about my site. Or the actual pictures? Or marketing?

In any case, I do have a proposal. Why not credit sales against membership fees if the sales are too small to cut a check? That seems fairly effecient to me.

i'm sure you mean "smugmug" business, but why would you think it's given away? you can request a check any time, you simply have to fill out a tax withholding form...

the reason sales cannot be credited for membership, is due to taxing authority reasons.

[JamesJWeg]

i'm sure you mean "smugmug" business, but why would you think it's given away? you can request a check any time, you simply have to fill out a tax withholding form...

the reason sales cannot be credited for membership, is due to taxing authority reasons.
I think what he meant was that he just "gave away" how low his sales volume on SM is.

James.

[Andy]

I think what he meant was that he just "gave away" how low his sales volume on SM is.

James.


ahhhh i get it

[mercphoto]

In any case, I do have a proposal. Why not credit sales against membership fees if the sales are too small to cut a check? That seems fairly effecient to me.

I wonder if that would cause a tax nightmare actually.

And yes, Marketing. I've found that is my biggest problem myself. Not the quality of images, but the marketing of them.

[Andy]

I wonder if that would cause a tax nightmare actually.


:nod :nod

[mercphoto]

I wonder if that would cause a tax nightmare actually:nod :nod

One solution to the problem:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060875410/qid=1124826009/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3040463-8923308?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[Andy]

One solution to the problem:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060875410/qid=1124826009/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-3040463-8923308?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

:lol3 i'm just the humble dgrin shadkhonim, i'm not a tax expert :lol3

[wxwax]

:lol3 i'm just the humble dgrin shadkhonim, i'm not a tax expert :lol3
Had to look that one up.

shadchanim (matchmakers)

[marlinspike]

Yeah, I too wish I knew how to go about marketing images that somebody doesn't have an express reason to buy (i.e. how do you market images you weren't A)asked to take or B)are of sports so it's very obvious that the athletes are the market there).
Richard

[rutt]

I think what he meant was that he just "gave away" how low his sales volume on SM is.

James.

Exactly. It's pretty darn embarrassing. I won't say more. Have to do something about marketing.

[mercphoto]

Yeah, I too wish I knew how to go about marketing images that somebody doesn't have an express reason to buy (i.e. how do you market images you weren't A)asked to take or B)are of sports so it's very obvious that the athletes are the market there).
Richard
About the only thing I've learned as per sports (see my kart and motocross photos) is that you need to get to know the participants. Don't just show up, shoot, then leave and post, hoping for visitors and sales. Walk around before hand, handing out business cards. Shoot half the race, schmooze the second half. Bring sample prints. If you can, bring a notebook computer. And if at all possible, take a few orders on-site. Bring some cash and change. Take checks. Print and mail later.

The more people get to know me, the more orders I get. They get comfortable spending money with you.

[DavidTO]

Exactly. It's pretty darn embarrassing. I won't say more. Have to do something about marketing.


I would think the most basic thing is that your website needs to be up and running. I went to take a look, and the server's not responding...

[Andy]

I would think the most basic thing is that your website needs to be up and running. I went to take a look, and the server's not responding...

i just tried www.chezrutt.com/rutt and got the big gooseegg...

but - http://rutt.smugmug.com works fine, chezrutt is hosted not at smugmug...

[rutt]

I would think the most basic thing is that your website needs to be up and running. I went to take a look, and the server's not responding...

Yes, I had an IT infrastructure meltdown a little while ago and still have not recovered. But it doesn't matter. I wasn't exactly doing a land office business when it was working either.

[Andy]

Yes, I had an IT infrastructure meltdown a little while ago and still have not recovered. But it doesn't matter. I wasn't exactly doing a land office business when it was working either.

i think david's trying to hold back saying something about apple here :lol3

[rutt]

i think david's trying to hold back saying something about apple here :lol3

Apple, pc, linux had nothing to do with it. I was trying to host my site out of a home computer with a cable modem while I was 4 hours away. It wasn't exactly a professional grade solution to the problem, but it had been working for a long time, so I didn't want to mess with it. The brand new professional grade cisco/linksys router had some kind of problem and became unreliable. I just bailed on the whole tihing until the end of the summer. Then I'm planning to find a reliable hosting service for chezrutt.com/ruttenberg.org. I know this is pretty far off the original topic, but I'd welcome suggestions, especially unix/apache oriented ones.

[DavidTO]

i think david's trying to hold back saying something about apple here :lol3


You know, it crossed my mind, but there are certain people you don't argue about this kinda stuff with. Rutt being one. Mercphoto being another. And they both use Macs! Go figure. Andy, you know me well...

[DavidTO]

Apple, pc, linux had nothing to do with it. I was trying to host my site out of a home computer with a cable modem while I was 4 hours away. It wasn't exactly a professional grade solution to the problem, but it had been working for a long time, so I didn't want to mess with it. The brand new professional grade cisco/linksys router had some kind of problem and became unreliable. I just bailed on the whole tihing until the end of the summer. Then I'm planning to find a reliable hosting service for chezrutt.com/ruttenberg.org. I know this is pretty far off the original topic, but I'd welcome suggestions, especially unix/apache oriented ones.


I would feel sorry for you, Rutt, but I seriously envy your summers and your problems. Been really enjoying your shots of late from Nantucket. Yes, jealous, I am.

[Andy]

Apple, pc, linux had nothing to do with it. I was trying to host my site out of a home computer with a cable modem while I was 4 hours away. It wasn't exactly a professional grade solution to the problem, but it had been working for a long time, so I didn't want to mess with it. The brand new professional grade cisco/linksys router had some kind of problem and became unreliable. I just bailed on the whole tihing until the end of the summer. Then I'm planning to find a reliable hosting service for chezrutt.com/ruttenberg.org. I know this is pretty far off the original topic, but I'd welcome suggestions, especially unix/apache oriented ones.


a linux geek friend of mine uses jaguarpc hosting (http://www.jaguarpc.com/)

[rutt]

I would feel sorry for you, Rutt, but I seriously envy your summers and your problems. Been really enjoying your shots of late from Nantucket. Yes, jealous, I am.

Thanks very much. I've been having a lot of fun with photography this August.
Want to buy some prints?

[DavidTO]

You know, it crossed my mind, but there are certain people you don't argue about this kinda stuff with. Rutt being one. Mercphoto being another. And they both use Macs! Go figure. Andy, you know me well...


And, honestly, I also know that Rutt's knowledge runs rings around mine...

[rutt]

a linux geek friend of mine uses jaguarpc hosting (http://www.jaguarpc.com/)

Thanks, Andy, that looks very nice and very reasonably priced for what you get. When I get around to fixing my hosting problems, I'll give it a closer look.