Starting a photography business requires a lot more than a camera, a studio space, and a business plan.
Now, when it comes down to it, I think the major aspects of getting your business off the ground are pretty obvious.
You need to get relevant experience, have an awesome website and social media presence for marketing purposes, and network with other business owners to build relationships that could lead to referrals.
But that just scratches the surface...
Here's a few insider tips - photography business tips that you can do to help your business thrive.
A Second Job Doesn't Hurt
When you're a new photographer - heck, when you're a veteran, too - there will be ebbs and flows in your business.
That's especially true if you specialize in something like wedding photography, which has its high and low seasons.
Given that photography can be cyclical, you need to have a secondary source of income while you work to get your business off the ground.
There's plenty of photography-related jobs that you could pursue, like working as an image retoucher or as a second shooter.
But you don't even need your second job to be specifically related to photography.
Wait tables. Work at the health club. Be the front desk person at a hotel. Whatever you can find that fits in your schedule will be just fine.
View it not as something that takes you away from your photography, but something that brings in money that will allow you to pursue your photography dreams more effectively.
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You Need Partners You Can Rely On
As much as you might want to build your photography business all on your own, the fact of the matter is that you're going to need to work with other people who can help you achieve your goals.
From a lawyer to an accountant, an insurance agent to a website designer, there are all sorts of professionals you might need to consult with as you try to get your business off the ground.
Likewise, you'll need to identify vendors that can supply you with the materials you need to get the ball rolling.
You'll need business cards, props, photography backgrounds, and so forth, and developing relationships with vendors you can trust will help you get those things quickly and efficiently so you can go about the business of making money.
Speaking of making money...
When you investigate vendors to handle your printing needs, don't opt for the bargain-basement website that has prices that are too good to be true.
As you might imagine, if it's too good to be true, it probably is!
Instead, since the prints you deliver to clients are so important, work with a printer that has a long-standing reputation for putting out high-quality work.
I've gotten prints from my fair share of printers over the years. Most have been okay, some have been pretty good, and others have been downright awful.
But far and away, the best prints I've gotten are from CanvasHQ.
These guys use only the best materials, and it shows.
The archival-grade canvas holds up beautifully over time, as do the inks that are UV-resistant, water-resistant, and scratch resistant.
In other words, these things are ultra-durable, which is precisely what you want your clients to have!
That's not to mention the kiln-dried wood frame behind the canvas that keeps things nice and straight and square.
CanvasHQ has a reputation not just for quality, but for excellent customer service as well.
If you have a question or a problem, you talk to a real, live human being. They answer your questions quickly, too, which is something that not every printing company can say.
This family-run operation treats your order with care and respect as well. You aren't just another order number...instead, you're a valued member of the CanvasHQ family.
I have a few dozen prints from CanvasHQ, each one just as gorgeous as the last.
If you want to truly impress your clients, get on board with CanvasHQ - their prints will help you make a name for yourself as a top photographer!
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You Need More Than a Website
Today, building a website is easier than ever before with the likes of Squarespace and Wix providing ready-made templates to help you get online and fast.
But you need more than a website for your business, you need to think purposefully about what your website domain will be.
This is a crucial step because your domain name needs to be something unique and catchy, but also something that's easy for people to spell and remember.
That's where Uniregistry comes in...
Uniregistry has two domains just for photographers - .pics and .photo.
Clearly, these domains are super simple, easy to spell, and easy for prospective clients to remember.
What's more, they're short, sweet, and inform people right from the get-go what kind of services you offer. Not bad, right?
Better still, since .pics and .photo are the brainchild of Uniregistry, you get top-notch customer service and a great domain without paying through the nose.
I was with GoDaddy for the longest time, but I switched to Uniregistry. It was a fantastic decision, and I wish I'd done it sooner!
So, give your business website a home it deserves. Get a .pics or .photo domain today.
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Do Market Research
I've seen it time and time again...
A photographer opens up shop, offers a specific kind of photography service, struggles to make it, and ends up closing their business after a year or two.
And while there's plenty of reasons why businesses fail, one that seems to be common in the photography industry is simply not understanding the local market and offering services that are in demand.
For example, if you want to specialize in cosplay photography, but you live in a rural town with 400 residents, the likelihood that your business will survive - let alone thrive - is pretty slim.
Likewise, if wedding photography is your passion, offering your services in a town in which the majority of residents are 55 years of age and older is probably not the wisest choice.
Though there's something to be said for finding your photography passion and pursuing it, if that passion can't pay the bills, you won't be a photographer for long.
Instead, try to balance your love of photography with a solid understanding of what the market demands are for photographers in your area.
Visit with the local Chamber of Commerce to get an idea of what photography businesses in the area already offer, and seek to identify a niche that's currently unfulfilled.
Look at census data to see what the demographics are like, and consider ways that you can play to your audience, so to speak, with the services you provide.
When thinking about how to start a photography business, these kinds of business tasks might not be all that exciting, but in the end, the more effort you put into figuring out what the buying public wants and needs, the more likely you are to build a successful photography business.
Learn More:
- The Legalities of Setting Up a Photography Business
- This is How to Increase Your Profits as a Photographer