Starting a business can be scary. You know you have the talent but what now?
I started my business Take My Photo Ltd in 2002 just shooting in the weekends for myself and contracting to another company. The extra pocket money was great and it was nice to have a creative outlet that I got paid for. After working a full-time job during the week, editing at night, shooting in the weekends something had to give and I decided to do photography full time – best decision ever! Now I run 3 photography websites Photobiz.co.nz – commercial photography, Take My Photo – for weddings and portraits, and MissTpinups – for pinup and boudoir style photography.
Since I didn’t have much knowledge about business and no mentor early on it forced me to figure things out for myself. Here are a few tips that I learnt along the way that will help you get things started.
Tip One – Plan it out
Knowing what you want for your business both short term and long term saves a lot of time. Having a plan in place keeps you focused and and makes decision making easier. Of course the details of the plan may change as you learn more about the industry and what is possible – but starting off with a vision for your business is key. Get really specific with your plan – how much do you want to earn per month/year, what gear do you want, what services will you provide, what marketing tools are you going to use to promote your business, how many staff do you want, do you want a studio – where, do you want a company car – what make/model, etc. If a certain job or opportunity comes up that could deviate you away from your plan or take you back a few steps, then simply don’t do it. Another part of the planning process is to find out what the actual cost of being in business is. Look at your overheads and how many jobs you need to cover these along with how many jobs you need to be making a profit. A great resource called the Base Rate Calculator can be found on the NZIPP website www.nzipp.org.nz
Tip Two – Avoid doing “free” shoots
So many photographers starting out take any and every job they can get and sometimes do it for “free” just to get the experience. There is some merit and logic in doing this (building new contacts) however you have now set an expectation that you will do it for free the next time. This is both damaging to your client relations and the industry as a whole. One way to avoid this is to give them an invoice outlining all of the actual costs as if you were charging them the full amount. Then do a credit line subtracting the full amount. This way they can see that your time isn’t free and an actual value for your work is set in their minds for the next time. Your time is worth something no matter how experienced you are. Once you have a look at the Base Rate Calculator mentioned in Tip One, you will soon realise that doing those “free” shoots is actually costing you money.
Tip Three – Know your strengths & weaknesses
What can you offer that no one else can? Why would someone book you over a more experienced photographer? Find out what your strengths are and promote them. Find out what your weaknesses are and work on or eliminate them. Knowing what your strengths are will give you confidence when trying to get a booking. Don’t try and be something you’re not – people can see through the BS. Don’t tell them you have lots of experience if you don’t. Be honest then focus on how your core skills will benefit your potential client’s wants and needs. Focus on the value you can offer. They wont know if you don’t tell them.
I hope these tips have been helpful. Please let me know if there are any specific tips you would like see covered.
More tips to follow next week…
Tip Four – Contracts, releases and promises
Tip Five – Surround yourself with the right people
Tip Six – Portfolios
Starting a business can be scary. Model: Honey L'Amour
