Reading about the tried and true can seem dull.
For most photographers, it is much more enjoyable to seek out the flashy new gadget or marketing technique than to focus on the strategies and ideas that have remained true for more than one hundred years.
Among the many new ideas, techniques and marketing strategies that are available today don't forget that (1) women purchase most of the products produced by a photography business; (2) reputation is the asset most likely to increase earning capacity and (3) profit margins are better at the top of the photography market.

1. Women purchase the bulk of all personal photography products.
   While technology has changed the way portrait and other photography is packaged, women still out do men when it comes to investing in photography products.
   Unless a business has a conscious strategy to focus on the male market it should not do anything that would tend to isolate women from their business.
   
2. Reputation is the asset that will increase your earning capacity.
   Photography services are not widgets.
   When purchasing a widget a consumer can be reasonably assured that the widget he is purchasing is fairly comparable to the other widgets available.
   In contrast, the value of a photographer's work is based on the an event in the future (the session) and the results of that work will not be known until after a commitment has been made (the booking), therefore a photographer's good reputation is critical to persuading potential clients that there is very little risk in hiring a particular photographer.
   
3. Profit margins are better at the top of the market; therefore, an effective strategy for growth is to move up the reputation chain.
   While there are some photographers who develop a business model based on volume, the vast majority of photographers follow the same pattern for growth.
   First, they focus on marketing to increase the demand for their work until they are getting more work than they can handle.
   Second, they increase their prices and invest some of the money from the higher prices to increase their reputation.
   They then increase the demand for their work at the new higher price.
   

While it running a photography business it is crucial to stay up on the latest and greatest.
However by doing so, don't forget those facts and ideas that endure.