Ok, so there are more than three things that your photography needs to survive and prosper over the long term.
There’s the typical stuff - photography skills, a business plan, and a solid reputation as a good photographer.
But, there’s a host of business-related products and skills that factor into the equation for your success too.
When it comes down to it, there’s just a lot of elements at play. If you’re already in the business, you know that firsthand!
If you’re just starting out, though, it can be a bit overwhelming to think about everything that needs to be done to make your photography business thrive.
In this article, we’ve identified three simple factors that can make or break your success. As noted above, these aren’t the only three things you’ll need to worry about, but they are three of the most important.
Get Insured
Right along with developing a business plan, deciding on a location for your office or studio, and outfitting yourself with the needed gear is the all-important task of getting proper insurance for your business.
Let’s face it. If you’re operating a business without insurance coverage, you’re essentially biding your time until disaster strikes and completely ruins your chances of making it as a photographer.
It doesn’t take much either - a damaged lens here, an accident that causes a client injury there - and you’ll be well on your way to closing up shop.
That is, unless you have proper insurance coverage. For that, we recommend National Photographer’s Insurance.
What sets National Photographer’s Insurance apart is that they are a small business, just like what you’ve got going. That means their agents understand the unique challenges of starting and sustaining a business, so they can work with you to get you the coverage you need without busting your budget.
What’s more, since National Photographer’s Insurance specializes in policies for photographers, they understand your unique needs and that those needs change over the course of the year.
In short, National Photographer’s Insurance works with you to get the policies you need so that you can concentrate on growing your business. With numerous policies that cover everything from stolen equipment to professional errors to fire or water damage and everything in between, you can rest assured that you’ll have the right coverage. And, since they’re licensed in each of the 50 states, no matter where you live, you have options.
Don’t start your business off on the wrong foot. Get the right insurance coverage today from National Photographer’s Insurance.
Develop Your People Skills
A lot of photographers think that their skills with a camera and lens are what will bring people through the door with their wallets open.
And though having photography skills is a must, if you don’t know how to engage people, work well with others, and take care of your clients, your business is doomed to failure.
Think about it this way: in a given day, you might spend a couple of hours actually behind the camera. But you’ll likely spend twice that (or more) engaging with other people. You’ll answer phone calls, send out tweets, respond to emails, and so forth.
You’ll also have the inevitable dissatisfied customer to deal with, and if you think you can do that without people skills, you’re dead wrong!
Since photography is a service-based industry, the chances are that you’re already a pretty good people person. But, if you have any doubts about your ability to interact with others in a genuine, positive, and income-producing manner, you’ll need to brush up on those skills to give your business the best chance of success.
Work on Word of Mouth
Once you become a master of interpersonal relations, a positive outcome of that will be more referrals.
Again, you’ll get plenty of business based on your ability to create compelling photos. But, at the end of the day, your people skills is what will sell your products and services.
Consider this: word of mouth is one of the most productive means of securing new gigs for a photographer. People are much more apt to trust the judgment of their friends and family who already have experience working with you than they are to trust your Facebook posts or ads in the local newspaper.
Part of getting referrals is actively seeking them out. Though it might feel awkward at first to approach a client for a referral, it’s the best way to encourage them to give you a shout out to their friends and family.
Those shoutouts can come in just about any form. Ask a client if they would mind giving you a positive review on Facebook. See if they’ll send out a Tweet of their recent portrait with a virtual high five to you for a job well done. You might even establish a rewards program for clients that send business your way.
However that word of mouth marketing occurs, your business is sure to benefit, especially if you’ve developed your people skills and insured your business appropriately. There’s much more to be done, but tackling these three elements of business will get you started off on the right foot.