Daily Post – Richard Schulz

A personal touch.

I was at work this morning and a regular customer entered.

He comes in every few months and orders portions of biltong to be vacuum sealed. Afterwards we started talking about him calling ahead to cut down on his waiting time. He mentioned he already had one of our businesses cards.

A window with letters written on it. The business sells platters, pies, cupcakes and birthday cakes. — Window dressing.

The words personal touch came to mind. It is what sets apart a small business from a big corporation.

A big business launches a new feature: membership rewards. It personalizes the hell out of things. “Shop your regulars”. “Specialized deals for you”. I had a problem with one of my orders a while ago – they sent me an item I didn’t order.

“Hello, [mystery brand], how can we help?”

The person on the other side of the line doesn’t know my name despite it being on my app. The same business didn’t care to respond to previous complaints I had. This same retailer makes an estimated R20.38 million profit per day. It tries to solve problems with refunds. Instead of addressing issues causing the problems.

A small business who doesn’t make an estimated R20.38 million profit per day needs to approach clients differently. You stick with it and become an institution. My previous job was like this – I saw children grow up. I saw people date, get engaged and then get married. I spoke to people about good things, bad things, politics, sports, etc.

In a small business – you need to get to know your customer. You need to become one of the family. Apart from a great product this is how you survive against the R 20 million a day corporations. You’re customer service, the one to one interactions needs to be above exceptional.

Coming from a background of working for small businesses I look at customer service a lot different than the average person. Is the cashier friendly? Are they talking to other people while serving me? Is the waiter attentive to what I ordered the previous ten times I drank my regular cappuccino at the establishment?

In a tight economy and customer service these small differences often helps to sell. It helps you to retain customers when you know how they like their food prepared or you ask about how their vacation was.

Food for thought.

This is a bit different from my usual writing but I often sit and wonder about these business related ideas. How do you incorporate something like this into your small business? How do you use these types of things to sell? I don’t think pushing something down someone’s throat will do the trick. Believe me I’ve tried.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on this. And tell me what you think about these business type posts? Yay or nay?

Thanks for reading : )

Support the small businesses.

It’s Thursday 1 May.

I’m sitting outside a small takeaway business in the town where I live. Because of the public holiday I only worked half-day which meant I had some time to spare.

Earlier in the week we decided to have smash burgers & chips for lunch. Double smash burgers. I have worked in the hospitality industry before and I can tell you stories about what happens in a kitchen.

I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Delicious burgers and a nice portion of chips (fries).

A sign outside a small restaurant with all the products writing on it. — A local takeaway shop.

I try to support the smaller businesses in the area. The ones which were started years ago and are now being run by sons or daughters. The ones which compete with the big corporation who earn billions a year. Who doesn’t care if they send you a bad product because they can just refund you. Or who doesn’t care if you have a bad experience with their staff because you’re just a number. You won’t be missed if you leave.

The small business tends to have an overload of customer service.

Because the small business doesn’t move the same volume they need to rely on other methods to retain customers. Yeah, good product is definitely a must but good product minus people with manners aren’t going to do you any good.

I’ve always done this when possible. Big business doesn’t need more money. They have enough and they way they treat customers shows it.

End rant.

In part inspired by Mr Werkheiser. And the other part by big business being a bunch of tools.

Thanks for reading : )

Take something from everything

One of the reasons why I enjoy autumn / winter so much are scenes like this.

A beautiful tree covered in a mix of yellow & green leaves. The sky at the bluest blue. Sure, summer skies are blue as well but not like this IMO. And on the ground, dead leaves waiting for be walked through. Crunching underneath your feet as you move over them. Dancing in the wind finding their final resting places.

I had my phone with me so this was the shot I took. Not high on the details but the colors are spot on. Tomorrow when I head into work I’ll take my compact camera with and see if I can get a better photo.

A tree covered in autumn leaves. — Yellow and blue.

I’m currently working on two interviews. This is something I have come to enjoy. I’m also planning to talk to a few more photographers on Google Meet.

Over the past year I’ve done about ten (or nine) interviews.

I thought about it one day and said fuck it. At least I tried. And then I got a yes. Then another. Rinse repeat.

But I also got a few no thanks. And a few people who ghosted me.

It’s cool though. Not everyone has the time. Not everyone is interested in it. Not everybody likes to talk about themselves. I’m not a popular interviewer. I get it.

But I do take something from the yes and the no.

And this transcends my newsletter and interviews. It teaches me to take something from everything. Instead of thinking why everything is against you ask yourself what can you learn from the ‘defeats’. Change things up. Try something new. And it pushes me to do thing. Even if they don’t work out.

JUST DO IT.

Even if it doesn’t work at least you won’t be wondering about the outcome and have any regrets on it.

Thanks for reading : )

Taxis.

When you hear the word “taxi” what do you think about?

Perhaps a yellow New York city Ford Crown Victoria. A black cab in London. Or maybe the Toyota Comforts zipping around in the traffic in Shibuya.When it comes to a South African taxi, the phrase “ride of your life” is something many people will say comes to mind.

The South African taxi, minibus, is a different beast. The drivers aren’t loved by other drivers. For the most part they treat road rules as suggestions. They will stop on the side of busy roads to pick up passengers, often without indicating of any sort.

But I’m not here to bash the taxi.

It’s part of the South African culture. There are jokes about it. There are more serious aspects to taxis and the taxi business. It’s become a part of South Africa like a braai or the Springboks.

A taxi on the side of the road before pulling into traffic. — Taxi.

This is the latest image uploaded to my storefront. The full size image and a full size image with a white border is available for sale online.

If you’re interested in checking it out, you can find my Paystack store front here.

As always, thanks for reading : )

My first photo for sale.

The idea of selling photos didn’t originally fit into my photography ideals.

I used photography to escape. To get outside. To step out of the comfort zone. I can say with a fair degree of certainty I have ticked all those boxes. Starting with photography coincided with a time in my life where I went through a patch of depression. Hence the escapism.

Over the last year or two I got pulled into and ground up by the gears of capitalism. And I realized having options available gives you more freedom. Gives you more options.

Gives you more time.

I’ve tried selling photos before on Etsy but it didn’t go as I hoped it would. Many things weren’t in place. Most importantly my mind and my heart. This isn’t a small endeavor. It takes time. It takes effort. In a way, if you monetize the thing you enjoy doing it becomes a job.

Enough suspense for the moment. Below is the first image I am offering for sale on my Paystack store front. You can find the image for sale h ere.

An image taken through a fence. The scene in the background is a traffic intersection with shopping mall signage to the right of the image. — Through the fence – sometimes we decide what we want to see.

I am hoping this first image gives me the impetus I need to keep moving forward with this project.

I now understand the time, the effort and the sweat which goes into getting something ready to sell. Finding people who are interested in what you sell and the continuous process of marketing yourself. Putting yourself out there and being patient.

As always, thanks for reading : )

The moon.

It’s the first morning in a few days which wasn’t overcast.

As winter approaches the moon flips on it’s back. Waning Crescent is the proper astronomical term.

A black and white photo of the moon and a star. — Cold autumn morning.

No phone. No book. No podcast. No computer. No paper. No instagram. No X. No substack. No music. No one. Just me & Acre, a coffee (and a camera), listening to the birds, sitting in the sunshine. This is part of every day lately and in many ways the best part.

– Lawson Chapman

Read on Substack

Sometimes you have to break away from tech. I used to sit in front of my computer before I went to work in the mornings. Then I decided “let’s skip today”. Which turned into I don’t sit in front of my computer in the mornings.

Am I missing out on some free time where I could be productive? Perhaps.

Do I have to compress each available second of time into a hobby or a passion project?

I don’t think I should.

Sometimes it is good to do nothing. Keep it super simple. Drop the phone somewhere. Set it to silent for a few minutes. Or an hour. Technology is really good. It has a lot of applications. Good and bad. But what did we do before the internet? What did we read before newsletters? What did we listen to before podcasts?

Many of us grew up without the internet to guide us in our formative years. We turned out alright. We didn’t spend hours with a phone glued to our hands. Time away from tech should be an important thing for anyone trying to get away from the fast paced rush of modern life.

Thanks for reading : )

Trying PRO mode.

A cloud in the background. In the foreground trees. Photo taken over a roof. — Morning Sky.

This morning was one of the first really cold ones. 64.4F according to the math. For Friday the expected high is going to be even lower.

This photo was the scene this morning as I stepped out the front door. Dark clouds lining the sky. Wind blowing in from the south east. A cold one.

My phone camera is the only camera with my during the morning. I want to leave my bicycle at home during the winter and take walks to work with my compact camera. Especially in the early morning when there isn’t a lot of light. I’ve taken some good photos in these low light conditions.

If you’re an Android user you’ll be familiar with PRO mode. It gives you an option to set the ISO, fool with the white balance and then adjust the exposure too. There is also a spot metering option. Something interesting which I might try in the next few days is the ratio option.

I like flipping the phone on its side and taking landscape shots. I will include the full landscape from the photo above.

I’ve tried the PRO mode a few times before. I don’t often use the exposure settings on my phone camera since it happens in the editing process. There seems to be a big difference in the two modes I think mostly related to the exposure. In the normal mode the scene seems a lot brighter.

I did some reading and one article mentions RAW files in PRO mode. I haven’t seen this option on my phone so it could be related to the Android version or perhaps the phone type.

In the past I’ve used the mobile version of Adobe Lightroom. It had the option to take photos using the app and this gave me some good results with longer exposure photos.

The phone camera is a great tool for me but I feel it is a bit of a crutch for me. Because it is always handy I often leave my other cameras at home and tend to fall back on this. It has it’s upsides but I don’t get the same experience (or quality) from the photos I take. And I feel disappointed in not opting for a proper camera.

Many photographers have made a name for themselves using phone photography. Nothing wrong there. For me, it’s not what I really have in mind for my work. I’d rather shoot with my Kodak compact camera and get a bit higher quality photo and a better all-round experience.

Dark days.

A man sitting on the side of a street in the shadow cast by a tree. — Difficulty.

Sometimes you’re the bug & sometimes you’re the windshield.

I’ve read this quote before. But lately I’ve been trying to stop attributing quotes.

It’s been a tough few weeks for me. I’m not getting the traction I’d like with writing. Same with photography. My compact camera hasn’t seen any serious action in the last two weeks.

I’m used to this type of rollercoaster. We all have good days. Bad days. And then the days where nothing seems to be working. Your alarm clock fails you. A flat tire on your car or bicycle. The one person at work who knows what ticks you off – and today they bring their A-game.

Each time I get into this type of funk I think to myself “How can I be better prepared for the next time this happens?“

And it’s part of the problem.

I read a book around depression remedies¹ and one thing they suggested was to enjoy the fall. Know it will happen again. Know it is often a losing battle to try and get yourself out of the funk. Sometimes just take one step or do one thing to keep yourself going.

I don’t really enjoy writing about my battles with the black dog. Comparatively speaking my life isn’t bad. It’s tough but I know people who have it worse. So I tend to keep quiet when I shouldn’t. And I tend to make jokes when I shouldn’t. This creates a nice little feedback loop of negativity.

I’m writing this purely to get it out of my system. Because this mental block usually stops me from writing which makes me more depressed. And after writing and getting it off my chest I feel much better. My mind is empty and new ideas can take shape again.

Thanks for reading : )

Notes.

1. If you’re suffering from depression, and have been going in the to-and-fro for a while you’ll know a cure isn’t something which is possible. You learn to live with it. IMHO.

First steps.

Sunday afternoons tend to bring out the creative in me.

It’s a day where I don’t have to put on a fake smile. It’s a day where I can be myself without all the pretending.

I thought about starting. If you’ve been reading some of my thoughts here and over on Substack you’ll know I want to start selling photos. The photo selling is one aspect I am looking at but realistically speaking I’d like to become financially independent.

A year ago, give or take a month or six, I had a bad experience with a business I worked for. TL;DR business got sold, staff didn’t want to work with the new owner so he retrenched everyone.

This (coupled with ten years of retail work) left a fairly sour taste in my mouth. And it left me with the realization of no job being a safe haven despite what I might think. By the same token I can say working for yourself is not safe either but at very least you’re doing something you enjoy.

So I sat down and started working through some ideas about how I can start earning additional income. It was natural for photography to fit into this plan.

A dark road lit by street lights. — Early morning.

Getting started.

The first steps in this, or any related journey, is to get started.

The level of your desire to become financially independent will not help one bit if you don’t start. And trust me, if you’ve never done this – the first steps are the most difficult.

A long time ago I did freelance website design & development. The search for clients took time. There was a lot of knocking on doors. After a few months I found my first client. The thrill of making money for myself, off my own efforts doing something I enjoyed is indescribable.

The first victory is the most important.

It sets you up for the next one. And more importantly it shows you what is possible when you work hard enough. You are responsible for the results you want. You might not succeed initially but trying is better than not trying.

An old man walking past an open door. — Keep moving.

And it won’t be easy.

Wishing for things to be better only serves to make you more miserable. You sit and think about how you want to move to a different point in your life but you don’t do something to achieve it. This is a key ingredient for depression.

Think about what you’d like to achieve with your photography. Do you want to sell prints? Do you want to become a landscape photographer or a fine art photographer? Is it event and wedding photography which tickles your fancy?

Just start.

Take one photo of a landscape. Shoot with one model. Start looking at platforms where you can sell your work. Post online. Find a community. Get yourself out there. Make people aware of your work, what you can do. No one knows about the photos you want to sell. No one knows about your dreams unless you tell them about it.

Caveat.

As with most things in life it is best to be carefully optimistic. That’s my take anyway.

Does taking the first step mean your endeavor will be a success?

No.

Success isn’t a guaranteed thing. It isn’t promised to anyone. This is where the hard work comes in. Emailing potential clients looking for a website. Placing adverts. Marketing yourself. All these steps are going to make your successful. Even if you don’t achieve success you have gained the experience for your next attempt. Rinse and repeat.

If you got to the end I thank you for taking the time to read my work. Should you want to support me and put me a little bit closer to my goal of being financially independent please have a look at my Paystack page or consider subscribing to my newsletter on Substack.

Thanks for reading : )

Ethics in photography.

I was reading this post about ethics in photography and it occurred to me how different photography has been for me in the small town I call home.

You can’t go full Bruce Gilden here. I promise you it won’t end well for you. I’ve seen people start fights for a lot less than someone pushing a camera in their face.

Two women walking on a sidewalk. One of the women is carrying a baby on her back wrapped in a blanket. — Baby.

People tend to think about cameras in two ways here.

First, as something used by people working for a newspaper. Perhaps a reference drawn from a movie or television series. When I went out with my camera a few years ago I regularly got the question: “Do you work for a newspaper?”

Two, cameras are ways of capturing indiscretion. Cameras are means to expose people. Used to make people pay for crimes or as tools to gather evidence.

Knowing this makes street photography here a bit more difficult than say New York. A camera draws attention. Not only for the interested or the curious but also for the potential thief. Theft is something which happens a lot. People stealing to eat or to feed a drug habit.

Having written all this – the ethics remain the same. Not matter where you take photos.

If you’re a hobby photographer, I think it weighs less on you than someone in a professional capacity. The photographer going into war zones, who has the mandate to document, is different. The photographer on assignment, looking to capture a gritty photo to share a different way of life.

When I go out I think about situations: if I see someone in a bad situation, do I want to take a photo to showcase & share their misery? Just because I can take the photo doesn’t mean I should. Will I lose out on a moment which could have made for a stunning photo? Perhaps. It is something I will have to live with.

With these things in mind I adopted my approach and style to suit the conditions. I capture moments where I aim to show the subject but also leave them unidentified. I like the “back of the head” photos. Subjects walking away, subjects walking past. Subjects not ever looking directly at the camera.

If you’re interested in more about this topic please have a look at the newsletter I linked to, you’ll find it very enlightening.

Thanks for reading : )