The best things about having your own photography business that makes money is the freedom to start work when you choose, finish the day when it suits, attend your children’s school functions, meet someone for lunch etc. You can structure your day the way you see fit and the work is interesting and enjoyable. Your camera and bag can stay in the car and your home becomes your office. You just get better and better at taking photos. Beautiful…
My grandmother once told me as a youngster “Make sure that when you are old enough to earn a living, try to make it something you enjoy and in which you have an interest – then you’ll do a good job & you’ll be happy for a long time to come!”
Unfortunately, I didn’t take heed until much later in life I began to understand what kind of hell is to earn an income from a job you despise, and working with people with whom you do not agree and know that you perhaps never will. But you don’t have to wait that long, especially if you enjoy taking photos, starting a photography business will be easy and achievable. You just need to know how to make it profitable and earn a decent income from it. And Roy Barker – an expert at this field- is willing to share some of his know-how :
1. First, you should always have a business plan. Think of the market you’re going to sell your pictures. What kind of photography will you be doing, and who is your target customer going to be? How much can you get for your work? How much can you afford to spend on business expenses and still turn a profit? Don’t be afraid to modify the business plan later as you go. It will be a dynamic record of your goals and what success you have with them.
2. How much should you charge? You should first make sure that you can cover your business expenses – although some leeway is allowed at the beginning because it’s to be expected, eventually you have to be making more than you spend! After covering raw expenses, take a look around your market. Do you have a lot of competition, who are charging very cheap? You can compete either on quality, price, or services. By ’services’ we mean specializing in a niche all your own.
3. On the spending side, make out a budget for your new business, and be sure that you have made it realistic. You will need to spend some money before you’ll be able to make money. You may have to temporarily take on a large debt at the beginning. Be sure to budget for marketing, staff and services, and legal needs. As you go on in your photography business, your prices will start out low but after a while it’s time to keep your prices up to date. Keep an eye on your competition, making sure that you are not charging too much or too little.
4. Now, consider your marketing strategy. Trying to get your business noticed in today’s Internet era will feel like swimming upstream through molasses, but you’ve got to persevere! Look at your advertising material. Does it give the right impression about your business? Does it answer the questions that the customer would naturally be asking? Will it get you some exposure? Would potential clients remember your name after they view the ad? Get some feedback from family and friends. Test different strategies and see what works.
Roy has released an in-depth guidance on how to start your photography business. You can see at his site by clicking HERE. But there are some facts you need to know. The guide does not teach you how to take better pictures or the latest lighting techniques etc. There are other people who do that better than Roy and after you get his guide he will make sure you know who they are. What Roy will teach you is how to make a sensational income from photography. That’s what his guide focuses on – setting up and running your own photography business. Plenty have done this without guidance and have failed, that’s why it’s imperative to know how to get business (and keep it) straight away, not later.
So, if you want to start making a good income from a photography business, then Ray will be your perfect business mentor, this guy really know the ins and outs of the business. Go for Ray !
(Jay)