Starting a photography business is hard work.

In fact, let's be honest...

It will take years of planning, preparation, and implementation of your plans to get your business off the ground.

But starting your business is just the beginning.

Once you get into business, you have to continually do things to keep the business growing.

Marketing, networking, and getting referrals is certainly part of the equation.

But so too is finding ways to get more business and increase your revenue.

It's the old, work smarter, not harder routine...

With that in mind, let's take a look at three simple, yet effective things you can do to increase your revenue this year.

Expand Your Offerings to Clients

One of the easiest ways to increase your profits is to simply offer more products and services.

Granted, this doesn't mean that you should overwhelm your clients with choices. Instead, if you focus on expanding your products and services to include something exciting and unique, you'll have more clients spending more money, and that's good for your bottom line!

If it's something unique you're after, I'd like to recommend ModiBooth.

ModiBooth is a portable photo booth kiosk that you can set up in about 10 minutes.

All you have to do is put the base, pedestal, and top box together, add your camera and a tablet, and ModiBooth is ready to go to work for you.

And that's really where the profit comes in...

ModiBooth is totally self-contained, so it's like having a second shooter with you!

While you're working on more formal portraits of guests, other event-goers can essentially take their own photos with ModiBooth.

That means you can double the number of people you can photograph and double the number of pictures you can sell. Talk about increasing your profits!

It's versatile too. Set it up at a corporate event, take it to a wedding reception, use it to get candid shots at a kid's birthday party...the possibilities are endless.

And since ModiBooth is made of lightweight steel, you can rest easy that it'll be durable and stand up to years of use. ModiBooth was built with branding in mind too, so you can wrap it with a vinyl or magnetic wrap to really make it stand out and advertise your brand.

When it comes down to brass tacks, this thing is affordable too. In fact, some ModiBooth customers find that their photo booth is so profitable that they buy a second or third booth in short order.

Put yourself in a position to reap the benefits of increased profits. Get yourself a ModiBooth and see how expanding your offerings to clients helps you realize your financial goals.

Make It a Habit to Ask for Referrals

You can post on social media, write blogs, make YouTube videos, and hang fliers around town all you want, but when it comes to marketing to attract more clients, word of mouth is the most powerful method.

The truth is, it doesn't matter how great of a photographer you are - if no one is talking about you and the products and services you provide, you won't be getting phone calls from prospective clients.

That's where referrals come in.

Every single person you photograph is a potential referral, and you need to make use of that relationship to try to generate more business.

There is certainly an art to asking for referrals, though.

First, don't ask for the referral at the end of your working relationship, especially not when you deliver their invoice.

Even if you've gone above and beyond (which you should!) no one is excited to get a bill.

Instead, ask for a referral when you send proofs to the client. They'll be excited to see your photos and capitalizing on their excitement will make a referral more likely.

Second, when asking for a referral, it's best to be casual about it and not pushy. Work your request into the conversation naturally, like so:

"I've loved photographing you and your family. If you have family or friends that need a photographer, I'd appreciate you sending them my way!"

This request gets to the point but doesn't try to guilt someone into calling everyone they know, either.

Lastly, asking for a referral is much easier if you focus on building a solid relationship with your client.

The people you photograph aren't just a means to an end with your finances. Instead, treat them like your friends, be genuine, strive to give them the absolute best service possible, and the result will be clients that are so happy with their experience that they'll often spread the word about you without you having to ask!

Get even more ideas for getting referrals in the video below by Behind the Shutter with Taylor Cincotta:

Find the Best Quality Print Company

It goes without saying that your photographs can be as beautiful as can be, but if you print them on poor quality paper or go with a bargain-basement printer, you run the risk of all that beauty being wasted.

It's like using an inkjet printer at home to print your photos when you should have an experienced lab produce prints for you...

There are tons of online labs that offer plenty of services for professional photographers. From heavy stock paper to canvas prints to even printing on wood, you'd probably be surprised at the variety of prints you can offer your clients.

It's just one more way to expand your offerings to increase your bottom line!

But not all printing companies are made alike, so do your due diligence. When finding a printer, consider the following:

• What is the cost? Select a printer that allows you to make a good profit off of each product.
• Where are they located? The best printer might be in another country, but that doesn't do you much good if shipping takes weeks.
• What are the reviews like? Just like your potential clients will trust referrals about you, you should trust reviews from customers that have used the printer before. Check to see how the printers that make your final cut have fared with previous customers.
• Do they guarantee their work? You want to work with a printer that offers some kind of quality guarantee. After all, your client won't want a print that's damaged, and you don't want to be stuck with it either.

You also want to inspect the printer's selection of products. Look at the papers and inks they use, identify the types and sizes of frames that are available, and like mentioned above, see what they offer in terms of other printing products, like printing on metal or acrylic.

Get the scoop on some of the best online printers in the video below by Tony and Chelsea Northrup:

When you select the right printing company for your situation, make a habit of asking for referrals, and expand your product line to include things like ModiBooth, you're only setting yourself up for success!