Every profession has a dialect of its own. In fact, you could probably sit down and write a glossary of photography terms off the top of your head--terms that every photographic beginner should learn about. After all, when you're setting up shop in a particular industry, it's best to be able to speak the native tongue.

Did you know that your photography glossary should include a few vital accounting terms, too? Of course, if you're a staff photographer, you may never have to translate "charts of accounts" and "costs of goods sold" into something that makes sense to your creative brain. If you're an entrepreneur, though, all bets are off. As an entrepreneur, you need to know your numbers and how to make smart business decisions based on them.

The good news is that PPA members have tools to help: PPA's Benchmark Survey, Analysis & Toolset. With these tools, you can get a handle on your numbers and, by doing so, set key performance metrics and start regularly measuring your business against them.

But to understand the Benchmark--and be able to take advantage of it--you need to speak a little accounting. Read more here.