Business Tips for Photographers for 2023

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Article: description: Do you have an existing business you want to improve? Or are you ready to start a new photography business? Use these business tips for photographers to get started?
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Your photography business success in 2023 depends on multiple factors; not all are self-evident. Your success primarily stems from being a competent and talented photographer. Still, there are also some business tips for photographers that have little to do with photography by itself that can be highly valuable to your success. 

Whether looking for tips for starting a photography business or desiring better performance from your existing professional photography business, here are a few photography business tips you should know.

Table of Contents:

Beginner Business Tips for Photographers

Photo by ljubaphoto via iStock

Among the most vital business tips for photographers is to treat your photography business like a business. What I mean is it’s not only about being a great photographer. You also have to be a fantastic businessperson.

Running a successful photography business requires so much more than photography skills. It requires being able to network, handle bookwork, have a budget and a plan, and satisfy all of the legal, banking, website, and insurance needs of a business operating in 2023.

Let’s examine a few key business tips for photographers that help you address these needs.

Photo by ARMMY PICCA via iStock

You may have already taken on some gig work by providing a photo service for someone or perhaps selling your prints as art. You know you can handle the photography side of things. Now you want to ensure you don’t get put out of business before you even start.

In the United States, running a small business, even a part-time one, has some rules and regulations to follow. The great thing about these rules is that they provide you with all sorts of protections and benefits, too. 

Register your business according to what is needed in your local area. States often have websites that tell you everything you must do to operate a business. The forms and instructions may be online through the secretary of state, or you might access them from the state’s taxation website.

You’ll need to figure out whether to register and operate as a sole proprietor, an LLC, a limited partnership, or as a corporation. Each has its own advantages and special practices for tax purposes. A separate sales tax application may be necessary in your area, but the documents and instructions will have that information for you.

I’ve found that among the most important business tips for photographers is keeping up to date with all tax issues. There’s income tax, business tax, sales tax, sales tax exemptions, state fees and taxes, and so on. Thankfully, your accountant (and you should definitely have one!) will keep you informed of any changes.

Insurance You Must Have

Photo by imamember via iStock 

I separate this item from other photography business tips because it is both extremely important and because it is so easy to get done. We have articles detailing photography insurance, but as a short blurb, here’s the insurance policies you should consider:

  • Liability Insurance
  • Property Insurance
  • Health Insurance
  • Errors and Omissions Insurance

For the most part, these insurance policies are simple to get and are very affordable. Basically, you're covered across multiple types of emergency issues for around the price per year of getting a new camera or lens. Remember, once you engage in photography as a business, your regular homeowners, renters, and auto insurance no longer covers anything that could come up - it needs to be a specific business policy!

Partner with a High-Quality Printing Company

Another of the more important business tips for photographers, and one that is photography specific, is to partner up with a high-quality printing company. Saal Digital comes immediately to mind as an exemplary company with which to partner.

Even with all of the digital formats for display, use, and delivery, physical prints are still very much in demand. In fact, it seems that physical goods are even more in demand now than just a few years ago.

Photography is special, and people like to have access to that specialness in multiple ways. Plus, nothing beats a large, well-crafted physical display of your impressive artwork to immerse a viewer in the experience of the image.

The quality of the image is only half of the picture (pardon the pun). The quality of the printing should not subtract or distract from the quality of your image in any way.

This is why creating a partnership with Saal Digital is a great idea. Saal Digital is one of Europe's premier photographic printing companies. You can tap into their pipeline right here in the USA (or anywhere in the world) by going online to their website.

Saal Digital has many unique products and processes that give your images the extra boost of being seen in the best light. Saal Digital makes paper prints, acrylic prints, metal prints, canvas wraps, and some truly spectacular specialty items such as photo bricks, puzzles, photo books, and calendars.

Check out this video from their YouTube channel that highlights Saal Digital metal prints:

Other reasons for using Saal Digital as your printer are their quick shipping services, professional options and tools, and reseller program for professionals.

In other words, it’s not just traditional paper prints that you can order from Saal Digital. Instead, they’re a one-stop shop for dozens of different high-quality, well-made products you can use to highlight your photography.

Package Pricing Business Tips for Photographers

Photo by paparazzit via iStock

With package pricing, you can give favorable pricing discounts to your clients. The more you use them, the lower the per-item prices go. This saves you money on each item you offer, yet gives your clients the packages and features they desire. It’s a win-win. 

Pricing packages are an excellent method for increasing the profits from your photography business by being able to add on extras such as photo books and large enlargements on specialty surfaces like metal, acrylic, and canvas.

Again, having a partner like Saal Digital makes pricing packages even more lucrative. You can offer dozens of different items to your clients, all of which are beautifully made and ship quickly to their door. What’s not to like?!

Network with Other Professionals

Photo via AzmanL via iStock 

Finally, networking with other professionals in services other than photography is essential to your success. Examples I like to point out are networking with makeup artists for your portrait photography, florists or wedding planners for your wedding photography, or Realtors for your commercial real estate images. You get the idea! 

Networking with professionals in adjacent fields is an excellent way to drum up business for yourself. With referrals from others, combined with your usual marketing strategies, you might see your business grow exponentially!

As you can imagine, we could have a list of business tips for photographers that goes on and on with many more ideas. But to give you a quick start, let’s focus on the tips outlined above.

We would love to hear any of your ideas, by the way. Just log on to our forums at PhotographyTalk and share what you have found helpful.

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