• Survey
  • Book Becky to speak
  • The book: Small Town Rules
  • Shop Local video
  • SaveYour.Town

Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops
  • Front Page
  • Latest stories
  • About
  • Guided Tour
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • RSS

The invisible shooter

By JNSwanson

In a Father Brown detective story, a man is dead. It is clear that he has been killed. There were two guards at the door who knew the man was inside. No one entered, no one left.  Father Brown, a priest with detective instincts, keeps asking  Finally, the guards acknowledge that the postman had come, but no one else.

The murderer disguised himself as a postman, knowing that no one would notice him.

Many small businesses provide services which no one notices. Bill Heins is one of those people. He is a photographer, the kind that shoots senior pictures and portraits and large group pictures. He works quietly, thoughtfully, graciously.

He sets up in the lobby of the church, ready to take pictures of children in their choir uniforms. Parents hover, he waits, and then talks to the child about how to sit.

While sixty singers file onto the platform, he stands quietly, watching, planning. His wife, Anita, works her way slowly across the front row of children, adjusting uniforms. Bill waits and then directs the children, one by one, group by group, row by row. As he aligns the children, it’s clear that he has experience with groups.

And he does. Before he started taking pictures, he directed high school choirs.

He never yells. He never demands. He simply gets them ready and takes pictures. And then, last shot taken, he packs everything and disappears down the aisle.

I never think of him as a small business owner. I really don’t think of him much at all. Formal pictures are, for me, a necessary evil. In an age when everyone can take pictures, who really notices a quiet guy who shows up, shoots, and leaves.

Even all of us who have copies of his pictures. We look at the choir picture and hear music. We look at our high school seniors, stopped, looking at the camera, smiling and think, “I love that smile, I love that kid.” We never think, “I love Bill.”

Which means that he’s been successful. An invisible shooter.

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates.

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About JNSwanson

Jon has been a regular reader and occasional contributor around here since 2006. Jon works as a pastor, but he understands business better than many so-called business people. He gets that it is about people, relationships, service, and yes, even love.
  • When the planes are coming in to land - July 18, 2016
  • Are you mortgaging your time? - April 24, 2013
  • A customer service story - September 12, 2012
  • What to do when a blog post is suddenly popular - May 2, 2012
  • Review: The official guide to QuickBooks 2012 - January 23, 2012
  • Two discussion questions for you - December 8, 2011
  • From scrap metal to skilled crafts - November 23, 2011
  • How a small business can be huge - November 16, 2011
  • Banding together - October 12, 2011
  • Show the love - October 1, 2011

December 24, 2009 Filed Under: entrepreneurship Tagged With: Jon Swanson

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Comments

  1. maesz says

    December 24, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    As the grown child of a VERY professional photographer, I can verify all of that. Invisible. But the producer of photos still cherished by all who were the recipients of his work–after more than 50 years.

  2. Judy Dunn says

    December 25, 2009 at 5:23 pm

    Perfect example of how getting out of the way and allowing others to shine is really an under-appreciated art.

    I always marveled as an elementary school teacher at how the visiting photographer would show up and could somehow get all those kids focused at once for that prefect class shot. I would fuss and fiddle with one child to get her calm and centered and then another kid would need attention. But he just knew how to get them together.

    And the memories they deliver for parents and families are priceless.

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

What is holding us back? Why does every project take so long in small towns?

How any business can be part of downtown events by going mobile

Concert-goers talking and enjoying the evening in downtown Webster City, Iowa.

Why do people say there’s nothing to do here then not come to our concerts?

Retailers: Fill all empty space, floor to ceiling

More of the best of Small Biz Survival

Copyright © 2021 Becky McCray
Front Page · Log in