^{Photo by @CVDOP Limbocker on Unsplash} 

Starting a photography business is actually the easy part...

It's sustaining a successful photography business for the long-term that proves most difficult.

With that in mind, here are four pro tips for optimizing your photography business for long-term success.

Fill the Gaps in Your Schedule

^{Image Credit: AzmanJaka via iStock}

Photography is a highly cyclical business, so you need to have contingency plans and ways of making money when business slows down.

For example, if you're a portrait photographer, try working as a second shooter a weekend or two a month during leaner months.

As another example, you might farm out your processing skills to another photographer that has too many photos to edit and not enough time or get into videography as a secondary means of earning money.

You can add things like workshops, fine art prints, ebooks, and other products to your suite of offerings as well. These items don't even necessarily have to do with the specific type of photography you usually undertake, either, which can help protect against some of the ebbs and flows of your business.

The point is that making money now and in the future depends in large part on your ability to diversify your income streams and fill the gaps in your schedule as they occur.

Learn More:

• How to Turn Your Photography Hobby Into a Full-Time Career

Treat Every Client as Though They're Your First One

^{Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash} 

Remember how you felt when you got your very first client? Remember how much time and effort you put into working for them?

Bottle that feeling up (along with that work ethic!) and use it on every single client that you have.

With so much competition for photography clients these days, it's vital for you to stand out from the crowd, not just from your photos but because of your next-level customer service, too.

After all, any professional photographer can take a great photo, but the way you make your clients feel, the way you interact with them and earn their trust is something only YOU can do.

Besides, great customer service is just about the best marketing there is! If you treat your clients right, they'll recommend you to their family and friends. It's really the gift that keeps on giving!

Streamline Your Editing Workflow

^{Image Credit: SPmemory via iStock} 

I don't know many photographers that got into this business because they love to spend hours and hours editing photos...

We all love to be behind the lens and interacting with clients, not hunched over our computers late at night editing images!

That being the case, it's important to find ways to streamline how you edit your images.

On the one hand, creating presets in programs like Lightroom can help you get basic edits out of the way (and get a consistent look to your images as well).

But before you even start working on your images in Lightroom, there's something you can do to save you loads of time now and in the future.

The worst part about working in Lightroom is that you have to manually tag all of your images. But Excire - an award-winning Lightroom plugin - changes all that because it uses artificial intelligence to automatically keyword your images as you upload them to Lightroom.

Not bad, right?

Here's how it works...

Let's say you do a photo shoot with a couple in the mountains with nice greenery filling the midground of the shot.

When you use Excire to catalog and organize your images, it will automatically tag those photos with "mountain" and "green."

What's more, if the couple you're photographing is an older man and woman, Excire can even tag the image with "adult," "man," and "woman."

There are actually two versions of Excire - Excire Search, which has 125 keywords and Excire Search Pro, which has over 500 keywords. Excire Search Pro also has a keyword transfer function so you can utilize its powers to keyword your existing photos in Lightroom.

No longer do you have to search and search your Lightroom catalogs in vain for a specific image, nor do you have to spend precious time manually keywording your images.

Instead, you can optimize your editing workflow right from the start with Excire!

Get a complete review of Excire in the video above by Anthony Morganti.

Learn More:

• The Way You're Cataloging and Organizing Your Photos in Lightroom is All Wrong

If You Need Gear, Borrow or Rent It

^{Photo by Benjamin Sow on Unsplash}

A big mistake that some professional photographers make is that they begin to stockpile gear when they really don't need it.

If you primarily shoot portraits in the studio, you probably can do without your own 300mm telephoto lens. If you find an occasion to use one, hit up a friend and borrow theirs or spend a few bucks to rent one. Either way, it's much cheaper than buying one!

Buying gear is kind of like buying a house - only buy what you need, and more importantly, what you can afford.

Just like being house poor is a bad situation to be in, being gear poor is a bad situation as well.

Why work longer hours, more often to pay for gear you don't need?!

If you can resist the urge to splurge on new gear - as well as follow the other business optimization tips above - you'll be well on your way to building a photography business that can be successful in the long-term.

Bonus Business Tip - Develop Relationships With Reliable Service Providers

One of the primary benefits of being a self-employed photographer is that you have no one to answer to but yourself.

But your success is built not just on your talent and hard work, but also on the relationships you build with the companies that provide you with critical services.

Photo by PeopleImages via iStock

From your insurance agent to your lawyer to your hosting service, you need reliable people in your corner.

Of course, the problem is that many people (and many companies, for that matter) simply aren't reliable at all.

That's a problem for many reasons, but particularly when you rely so much on your website and online store being up and running.

I've used many different hosting services over the years, and I've found most of them to be just plain bad.

Then I found OVH.

In fact, I switched to OVH three years ago, and it was the best decision I've made with regard to PhotographyTalk.

Since switching to OVH, our uptime has been 99.9% - just as OVH advertises. Get better hosting today.

They can offer such incredible reliability because they have a worldwide presence with 27 data centers and over 300,000 servers in 19 countries on four continents.

They have awesome customer service as well. It truly is the best of both worlds with OVH - superb uptime backed by people that really care about your success!

---

^{Photo by Szabo Viktor on Unsplash}

I find that some photographers are trying to build their businesses like it’s still the early 2000s. 

Building a photography business in 2019 is so different than it’s ever been before, and clients are looking for authenticity in a way they never have before.

So, how do you exhibit authenticity in your photography business? These 5 photography business tips might help. 

Websites Are Out, Instagram Is In

^{Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash}

I saw an article the other day questioning whether you even need a website for a photography business.  

Growing a photography business requires an online presence, for sure, but being online is different than it used to be. 

I have plenty of photographer friends who primarily market themselves on Instagram, and just have a photography website that serves as a portfolio should a potential client ask for one. 

They are spending 90% of their time on their Instagram presence, and 10% of their time on their website.

And their reasoning makes sense. When was the last time you stumbled across someone’s website by accident? More to the point, when was the last time you purposefully searched for someone and their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram wasn’t the top result?

Instagram and other social sites serve as a platform of discovery, whereas your individual website usually does not, which is why it might make sense to dedicate more time to your social media presence than your website.

I’m not going as far as to say that you don’t need a photography website, because I have one, and some photographers still get a lot of traffic from their websites. 

However, things are certainly changing, and your valuable time might be better spent curating your Instagram feed than working on your website. If someone is on your website, the deal is almost sealed and your lead is already warm. Work harder on cold leads and smarter on warm leads, and you’ll likely find that you get more clients. 

Get more details on the “do photographers need a website” debate in the video above by Ed Verosky.

Learn More:

• Basic Photography Tips for Beginners 
• How to Boost Your Photography Sales 

Practice Makes Perfect 

^{Photo by Chermiti Mohamed on Unsplash}

My significant other used to become upset when I would bring my camera out on dates during the first few years of my photography career. 

I carried it with me everywhere because I read an article from one of my photography idols who said she did the same thing. I got tired of Googling, “how to start a photography business,” and switched tactics. I started Googling, “how to become a successful photographer,” instead.

I figured the talent would come first and the business would follow.

 ^{photo by Pekic via iStock} 

Practice, like in any industry, is essential to photography. No matter where you’re at in your photography career, don’t forget to take yourself out of your comfort zone sometimes and try something you never have before. It’s hard to do that if you don’t always have your camera with you!

Even after more than a decade behind the lens, I still watch YouTube videos about photography tips, tricks, and techniques. There is always something to learn, something to read, something to watch that can help you improve your skills as a photographer and as a businessperson.

As soon as you stop learning how to be a better photographer, you’ll find that your photography business likely becomes stagnant.

Learn More:

• How to Get More Customers 
• Photography Mistakes to Avoid 

In Photography, There Are No Secrets 

^{Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash} 

I’ve never understood why the photography community is not more like the restaurant industry. 

Back in the day, I used to work as a waitress, as some young people trying to build a photography business do. Restaurant industry folks get together and share huge meals and make each other craft cocktails and talk shop.

They do this on a regular basis. In this way, they are simultaneously showing each other that they care for each other both as individuals and as coworkers or industry professionals, as well as learning from each other.

 ^{photo by Geber86 via iStock} 

Photography can be such a cutthroat industry sometimes, and that’s a shame. While I have many pals in this industry, there’s also been times in which other photographers have shunned the opportunity to get together and talk shop. 

If you share your secrets with others, you’ll receive secrets in turn. Likewise, if you help out your photography compatriots (say, serving as a second shooter for a colleague) you’ll more often than not get the same courtesy in return.

Growing a photography business is mostly an individual effort on your part, but don’t miss out on the opportunities to help - and to be helped by - other photographers.

Market Yourself at Every Turn 

 ^{photo by M_a_y_a via iStock} 

My number one tip on how to grow a successful photography business is to never stop marketing yourself.

Typically, creative types like photographers hear the word “marketing” and the color drains out of their faces.

But, marketing can be much more natural than you may think.  

• I market my photography business in the following ways:
• I always have my business cards on me. If I forget them at home, I turn the car around.
• I send thank you cards to each client within 1 week of the delivery of my final shots. 
• I offer referral bonuses to past clients.
• I attend small business networking groups. 

And these are only a few suggestions for growing a photography business naturally. 

Marketing is not a bad word - but it does require time and effort on your part.

Sure, marketing might not come as naturally to you as taking awesome photos, but it’s just as important to the success of your business as the quality of the images you take. 

Get a few more marketing tips for photographers in the video above by Togs in Business.

Provide Top-Quality Products 

Hopefully you’re providing your clients with top-quality photos. But, you need to offer your clients other top-quality products too. 

One way I do this is by offering add-ons like canvas prints and photo books. 

I’ve been using Costco photo center for years to create my photo books, because I love Costco and because they offer really cheap products that don’t skimp on quality. 

But, I had some issues on my quest for a good canvas printing company until I stumbled across CanvasHQ a few years back. 

CanvasHQ, much like Costco, is known for their quality products and customer service. One of the first times I used CanvasHQ, one of the customer service reps reached out to me because the photo I sent in was about a half inch off center.

I have never found customer service reps like this in the canvas industry before!

On top of superb customer service, each one of their canvases are handcrafted and hand stretched. They use top-quality ink that ensures your canvases will last for years, even if they’re hanging in an area that gets a lot of natural light and UV rays. Plus, they are almost always running a new client deal of up to 30% off.

Your clients will appreciate having your photos up on their wall, and it might just remind them to refer their friends when they are also looking for a photographer in a few months.

In that regard, investing in quality products for your clients is a double gift - your clients are happy and they have excellent referral potential when people inquire, “Where did you get that beautiful canvas print?!”

See what CanvasHQ has to offer today.

Bonus Tip: Get Reliable Hosting

^{Photo by PeopleImages via iStock}

This is a very personal tip for me because when I started PhotographyTalk, I most certainly did not have reliable hosting.

It's hard to grow a photography business without a website that, you know, works. And hosting is obviously an integral component of that.

About four years ago, I made the switch to OVH for my hosting, and since then, PhotographyTalk has been up and running reliably for the first time.

And by reliable, I mean 99.9 percent uptime!

Truly, in 20 years in this industry, OVH is by far the best hosting I've had, and our working relationship will last another 20 years and beyond, I'm sure.

It's not just the reliability that makes OVH such a great partner; it's their impeccable customer service.

Often, you feel like just a number when dealing with large, global companies like OVH. Yet, that's simply not the case with these guys.

If you have a problem or issue, they make it their mission to help you in a timely fashion and do so in a way that makes you feel like the only customer that matters. It's a nice change of pace from all those terrible hosting experiences I had years ago!

They're affordable to boot, so OVH has the trifecta of awesomeness going - reliability, excellent customer service, and affordable prices.

What more could you want from a hosting provider?!

 

---

^{Photo by Szabo Viktor on Unsplash}

Opening a photography business can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be as stressful because there’s no reason to reinvent the wheel.

Thousands of people have done this before you, so all you need to do is take a deep breath and follow these simple photography business tips that have helped other photographers build a successful business.

Let’s get to it! 

Table of Contents

• Know How Much to Charge
• Remain Organized, At All Costs
• Invest in Your Business
• Do Some Soul Searching
• Wow Your Clients With Quality Prints

Know How Much to Charge

^{Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash}

Money can be a difficult subject for us creatives…

I was stuck working with a tiny budget with a small photography business for years because I didn’t know how to grow it into something more profitable. 

What’s more, I was afraid to ask how much other photographers made with their photography business. I was afraid to ask clients to pay me more money. Because of that, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep my photography business afloat for another month.

It’s exhausting not making enough money to live off of.

So, don’t settle for charging an amount that barely gets you by. Develop a sensible pricing structure that allows you to be compensated fairly while also giving your clients a good value for their money.

Chris Hau, a famous YouTube photographer, gives some solid advice in the video above for figuring out a pricing structure for your new photography business.

Hau was even nice enough to create a budget template on his YouTube, for those of us who aren’t great with numbers.  

Give the video a watch, and you’ll learn some actionable steps you need to take to start charging more for your work.

Remain Organized, At All Costs

^{Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash}

Again, most photography marketing ideas work hand in hand with each other. So, remaining organized might be one of those areas where you need to spend some money to make more money.

Everyone that reads PhotographyTalk knows I love Holdfast Gear products, particularly their leather camera bags.

While you don’t necessarily need to spend a few hundred dollars on a camera bag, you do need to ensure you have a good bag that is weather-proof, comfortable to carry, and most importantly, has a ton of pockets to keep all your camera accessories protected and neatly organized. 

If you have different smaller bags that you take on different shoots, I guarantee you you are going to leave pertinent gear in the wrong bag at some point - at least I did!

Remaining organized in your photography business doesn’t just mean keeping your photography equipment organized. It also means keeping your photos organized (and in multiple places).

For me, I follow a simple system to organize all of my photos:

• Ensure your camera’s date and time are correct, and if possible set a custom file name before you even begin shooting
• Use the same naming structure across the board (i.e. Date-Shoot-Client Name)
• Put keywords on all of your photos after the shoot (I do this in Lightroom)
• Keep your edits with the originalsBack them all up (preferably with hard copies and in the cloud)

Is organizing your gear or your image files as fun as taking photos? Not at all. But is it crucially important to your success? Absolutely!

Learn More:

• Learn How to Make More Money With These Photography Business Tips
• How to Keep Photography Clients Happy

Invest in Your Business

^{Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash}

For the first three years of my photography business, I put about 70% of what I was making back into my photography business.

Granted, most people are not this lucky. I didn’t have student loans, and I didn’t have a family to support at this time so I was able to afford this luxury.

But, any photography business tips that tell you that you don’t need to invest back into your photography business is missing an important piece of advice.

You may need to grow your photography business at a slower pace, but even 10% of your profits being reinvested into your business will make huge changes in the long run.

After all, you can’t make money if you don’t have the appropriate gear, if you don’t spend money on marketing, if you can’t compensate second shooters, or pay for gas to drive from one art show to the next.

It’s cliche to say it, but you really do have to spend money to make money!

Now, this isn’t a license to go out and drop tens of thousands of dollars on frivolous gear you don’t need…

Be smart about how you invest money into your business, and it will help you grow it into something that has long-term financial stability.

For example, you need to invest in the tools that allow you to stay in business, like a reliable web host.

I've had the unfortunate experience of suffering through bad hosting, and trust me, it's hard to make money when your website is constantly down...

After years of struggling to find a quality host, I finally found OVH about four years ago. Since I switched to them, uptime for this website has truly been 99.9 percent, just like OVH promises!

OVH has provided me with the best hosting I've ever had, and it's really not a competition at all.

On top of that, OVH has excellent customer service that makes you feel as though you are the only customer that matters.

That's saying something in today's world when even small companies outsource their customer service.

Yet, OVH is a global company and they treat you with the respect you deserve as a valued client. They're timely, informed, and they go the extra mile.

OVH is actually affordable, too, unlike many other hosting companies. So they really are the best of many different worlds!

Likewise, investing in your business means investing in the infrastructure that's necessary to protect your work.

Backing up your images (and all your files, really), is of critical importance for sustaining growth over the long-term. Just like a thief could rob you of your cameras, and therefore your ability to take photos, a fire, flood, or another unexpected disaster could cripple your business if you don't have your files backed up in multiple places.

Personally, I follow the 3-2-1 backup rule and have at least three copies of all my files on at least two types of media with one of those being an off-site cloud storage account.

My onsite backup is the Synology Diskstation 1019+, which gives me ample room to store images, videos, and other important files.

I got the DiskStation 1019+ for several reasons, but primary among them is because it's such a small unit.

I wanted something that could be on my desk but without taking up half the desktop - and the 1019+ certainly delivers.

I also invested in this rig because of Synology's reputation for packing their NAS systems to the gills with features.

It has five hot-swappable bays, each of which can accommodate a 2.5-inch or a 3.5-inch drive.

The combination of the Intel Celeron J3455 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 8GB of DDR3L 1866 SO-DIMM RAM gives me read/write speeds of up to 225MB per second. That speed can be achieved even with data encryption enabled, giving you both fast and secure data transfer.

I wanted a NAS that was easy to set up and maintain, too.

The 1019+ has Synology's easy-to-use operating system that's simple, clean, and intuitive. Even if you've never used a NAS before, with this operating system, you'll find your way very quickly.

Speaking of quickly, you can set this thing up in a matter of minutes, which for busy photographers is a huge bonus.

Of course, you want a backup system that's reliable and has a track record of durability, and Synology's products definitely tick those boxes.

Though the DiskStation 1019+ isn't the cheapest NAS out there, for my money, you just can't get anything better for your buck!

Do Some Soul Searching

^{Photo by Mae Mu on Unsplash}

I love pancakes as much as the next person, but if I had to spend an 8 hour day doing nothing but taking pictures of them in 500 different ways, I would go crazy and I would not still be running a photography business.

But for some people, photographing food is their passion and they make it work and work well.

In order to begin a photography business, you need to do some soul searching before you figure out what kind of photographer you want to be.

^{Photo by Alif Ngoylung on Unsplash}

I love the outdoors and I love to travel, which is why I tend to focus my photography business on landscape photography. 

But, I also spend too much of my profits on the act of traveling (I’m not going to go to India and not spent 4 days traveling out of my way to visit the Taj Mahal!). I also spend a ton of time away from my family, and both of those things are deal breakers to a lot of my photography friends. 

^{Photo by Igor Reno via iStock}

One of my closest friends is a boudoir photographer because she enjoys making women feel good about themselves, but boudoir photographers often don’t have a steady income because they are constantly needing to find new clients (recurring clients in this industry are hard to come by).

My point is that there are too many photography niches to name, and they all have their pros and cons. So get out there, start shooting, and find out what you love. 

If you love what you do, the rest of these business-building tips will be SO much easier to implement!

Wow Your Clients With Quality Prints

The most important tip I learned about how to expand a photography business is to deliver your clients photos in a timely way.

The second way I began to really grow my photography business was to deliver my clients photos in a beautiful way. I do that through canvas prints.

After years of trying to find a business that has products that really wow, I found CanvasHQ. 

They use quality inks on their canvases, the kind that don’t fade over the years and are water-resistant.

They also hand craft every single one of their frames, then hand stretch the canvas over that frame for a taut, beautiful canvas with no waviness or bubbles.

Their craftsmen and customer service reps have hands on your project from the moment you send it to them until the moment you receive the print. There is no outsourcing, and as is true with most small businesses, they care that you love what you receive.

If you don’t, you get your money back quickly and without any hassle! 

The first time I saw one of my prints as a CanvasHQ print, I was dumbfounded. It simply blew me away with the quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail.

I’ve been a loyal customer ever since, and I’d be willing to bet that if you had a print or two made by these folks that you’d be hooked too!

See what your photos look like as a fine art canvas print. 

Learn More:

• Tips for Natural Indoor Light Photography
• Photography Mistakes to Avoid

---

^{Photo by Rawpixel via iStock}

If you haven't figured it out already, starting a photography business is a little more involved than buying a camera and telling people you're a photographer.

To build a photography business that has long-lasting success, you have to start off on the right foot, and that involves doing your due diligence when it comes to everything from building a website to buying photography insurance to ensuring your images and other files are backed up correctly.

In this quick photography business tutorial, you'll learn about some of the most critical - yet often overlooked - aspects of photography businesses that you need to research BEFORE you start your own.

Research Your Startup Costs

^{photo by Geber86 via iStock}

Even if you already have all the photography gear you need, and even if you're going to work from home in a space you've already established for work, you will have other startup costs to get your business off the ground.

You'll need a website, photography business insurance, accounting software (or an accountant!), you'll need to hire an attorney to make everything legal, and you'll have marketing expenses for things like business cards and targeted ads on Facebook.

And that's just the start.

^{photo by scyther5 via iStock}

The point is that you need to spend some time evaluating the true financial cost of starting your business before you ever think about opening your doors.

The better you understand the financial implications of building a business, the better prepared you will be to price your services appropriately, that way you can pay for overhead and other expenses, and still have room left to make a profit.

Get more details about the planning phase of building a photography business in this tutorial.

Decide on a Website Architecture

^{Photo by Urupong via iStock} 

Sure, your photography friend in another town might just use Facebook as their "website," but that doesn't mean you should...

Having a website for your business is critical for presenting your work in a professional manner. Think about it - would you rather hire the photographer that has a sleek, professional-looking website with a portfolio or someone that has a gallery on their Facebook page?

Don't get me wrong - Facebook can be a vitally important asset for marketing your business.

But, for me, having a professional URL on your business card is MUCH better than putting a long Facebook URL string.

^{Photo by Aramyan via iStock}

When considering your website, you have to research what platform is best for your particular needs.

Do you have the skills to make something of your own out of a Wordpress template? Does it make more sense to customize a template from someplace like Sqaurespace? Do you have the funds (and the need?) to hire a professional to make you a bespoke website?

Each of these options have their pros and cons, and part of your job at this juncture is to research which of these will work best for you.

Find the Right Web Host

Trust me when I say that one of the most critical things you need to research when starting a photography business is the web host you use.

Back in the day when I started PhotographyTalk, I did some cursory investigations, but after just a few months with my initial web host, I realized that I did not do enough research.

We had all kinds of problems keeping PhotographyTalk online, and when those problems arose, we had even more problems just trying to get the customer service reps from that hosting company to help us out.

I tried a couple of other hosts after that, but not until I found OVH did I finally find a host that gives me the reliable uptime they advertise.

Since switching to OVH, we've had true 99.9 percent uptime, and that has enabled PhotographyTalk to grow by leaps and bounds.

But it isn't just their reliable hosting that has me singing OVH's praises...

Their customer service has proven to be among the best in the industry. Not that I've had many occasions to contact them, but when I have, I've been treated like I'm their only customer and their only concern at that moment. For a global company, that's hard to pull off, yet OVH does it masterfully.

Of course, you need to do your own research and find the right host for your needs. Personally, I can't give OVH a big enough shoutout, but it's important that you see what's out there so you can make an informed decision.

Investigate Back-Up Solutions

Another photography business topic that you need to spend some serious time researching is the appropriate back-up solution for your data.

All too often you hear about memory cards getting fried or a computer's hard drive melting down, and a photographer losing all the data on those devices.

But if you take the time to research back-up storage solutions, you can avoid that same fate and rest assured that your data is safe and secure.

I personally use the Synology DS419 Slim as my back-up device because it's affordable, reliable, and portable.

This compact, 4-bay NAS offers tons of storage in a device that's small enough to sit on top of my desk without taking it over.

In fact, this rig is just 4.72(H) x 4.13(W) x 5.59(D) inches and weighs just 1.46 pounds, so not only will it be a simple addition to your desk, but you can take it with you when you head out for out-of-town gigs.

This unit runs Synology's DiskStation Manager (DSM) just like Synology's bigger storage devices, has RAID protection, file-sharing capabilities, a dual-core CPU, and read-write speed in excess of 220 MB/s and 94 MB/s, respectively.

On top of all that, you can access this device from anywhere using your smartphone and Synology's QuickConnect offers a fast connection via a secure and customizable address.

You can sync files across platforms in moments, use Cloud Sync to keep the device in sync with Dropbox, Google Drive, and other services, and the web assistant makes for ultra-easy setup.

For my money, you simply won't find a better NAS for the money than this. But, again, do your due diligence, get the right back-up for your needs, and protect your images, videos, and other files as they should be protected!

Find the Best Insurance Coverage

^{Photo by skynesher via iStock}

Last but not least, you need to take some time to figure out what kind of photography insurance you need.

What you need in terms of coverages as a portrait photographer who works from home is going to be different from what I might need as a landscape photographer that travels a lot.

And since insurance can be a little confusing for laypersons, getting guidance from the pros is a great first step to take when building your photography business.

I've worked with Full Frame Insurance for a good, long while now, and I have to say that I have been pleasantly surprised with their insurance offerings, their knowledge and professionalism, and their commitment to customer care.

And since no two photographers' needs are alike, Full Frame Insurance offers a variety of policy options that are scalable to meet your specific needs.

The have flexible options, too. For example, you can opt for one-time insurance for an event that covers you for up to three days of work, or if you already have more consistent clients, you can get an annual insurance policy with general and product liability coverage.

Whatever the case may be, you'll find that Full Frame Insurance offers highly affordable plans. Short-term policies start at just $59 and annual policies start at $99.

That's a very small price to pay for peace of mind that if something goes awry, you'll be covered!

You can check prices and buy your policy online 24/7, so don't hesitate to tick this box off your to-do list. Research insurance options, select the right coverage for you, and protect your investment!

---

If you ask me, it’s a perfect time to look ahead to the future and determine what can be done to ensure the future is as prosperous for your photography business as possible.

For some photographers, they might need to focus on improving the marketing plan. For others, a review of your website situation might be in order. For still others, it might be an ideal time to develop stronger bonds with other local businesses to expand the footprint of your own business.

Whatever the case, don’t let another year slide by without addressing the needs of your business! Let’s take a deeper look at three photography business tips that will help you improve your photography business sooner rather than later.

Editor’s Tip: You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your business shine. Get a photography-only domain name without breaking the bank.

Market, Market, Market

 

Marketing probably isn’t every photographer’s strong suit, nor is it something that every photographer enjoys. However, it is a crucial component to the success of your business. After all, if no one knows about you, it’ll be hard to book clients and pay the bills! 

The chances are that you’re already doing some sort of marketing. You should have a website (more on that in a bit). You should also have a strong social media presence (at least on the heavy hitters like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). But beyond that, there are a couple of ways you can expand your online and offline footprint to get more eyes on your work and get more people in the door.

For starters, if you don’t have a blog, think strongly about creating one. A blog is a great way to reach a larger audience with valuable posts about everything from how to pick a photographer to the differences between glossy and matte finishes on prints. Avoid making your blog into a sales-fest. Instead, offer educational posts that inform your clients about all things photography. Doing so communicates your expertise in the area while also demonstrating a commitment to helping others understand the process.

Another fruitful marketing strategy is to offer your services to local clubs, organizations, and charities for free. This doesn’t mean you need to spend every free weekend working for free; instead, seek out opportunities two or three times a year to donate your time to a good cause. Not only is contributing to charities a good thing to do, but it’s also an ideal opportunity to get your name out there, get eyes on the work you create, and build rapport with people in the community. That’s great marketing!

Learn More:

• 3 Ways to Make More Money as a Photographer
• Advantages and Disadvantages of a Home-Based Photography Business

Get Your Website in Order

I have a friend that’s a photographer, and when he started his business, he had a free Wordpress site as his host. That means that clients had to go to a website with .wordpress in the URL. Talk about unprofessional!

If you want to make the most of your photography business, you need to have a professional website. And I don’t just mean a website that looks professional, either. It also needs to sound professional.

To sound professional, you need a domain name that screams “I’m a photographer!” And there’s no better domain to do that than .photo or .pics.

These domains are reserved for photographers, so you have a professional-looking domain that tells your prospective clients exactly who you are and what you do. What’s more, since these domains are new, you’ll likely find just the name you want without much fuss.

On top of that, Uniregistry serves these domains, so you know you get the best product for the best price. That means you get a professional web presence without spending a ton of money!

Learn More:

• I Was With GoDaddy for 15 Years - Here's Why I Switched to Uniregistry
• How to Set Up a Photography Business Step-by-Step

Get Top-of-the-Line Hosting

Of course, you can have an awesome website all you want, but if you don't have reliable hosting to ensure your site is up and available for all to see, there's not much point in spending your time and energy getting your website in order.

I should know...I've had some awful hosting experiences over my 20 years in the photography industry. It's really hard to build something successful without a website that's got good uptime.

About three years ago I came across OVH, and I was so impressed with their operation that I immediately switched my hosting over to them.

I've not had any problems since...

Not only has OVH provided PhotographyTalk with 99.9% uptime, but they also manage to treat you as if you're the only customer they have.

Whenever I've had a question, I've been helped by someone that not just knows what they're talking about but also seems to genuinely care about how my business is doing.

That's tough to pull off when you're a multi-national company that's got customers all over the world, yet OVH manages to do it very well.

With affordable service, reliable uptime, and excellent customer service, OVH is a great partner to have as you build your photography business!

Get Local

As a small business owner, you know how valuable shopping local is to your business, so why not spread the love and shop local yourself?

Doing so has a number of benefits. First, and most obviously, you help support other small business owners in your area. Rather than going to a big box store to buy a lawnmower, head to the local shop to get the lawn equipment you need. Rather than boosting that ad on Facebook, think about placing an ad in the local newspaper instead.

Second, as a consequence of shopping local, you get your name and face out in the community. For a self-employed photographer, that kind of exposure is invaluable. And, because you’re shopping local, the businesses that you support are more likely to support your business as well. So, the newspaper editor might see that you’ve started advertising with them and instead of going to the mall to get holiday pictures of the family, maybe they’ll come see you.

Lastly, as alluded to above, going local can help drum up business. You never know when you’ll be standing in line at the grocery store and hear the person in front of you talking about needing a photographer for an upcoming anniversary party. You never know when the bagel you buy at the local coffee shop will lead to you hanging some of your photos inside the shop. The point is that your presence at businesses around town can lead to opportunities to show off your work, and can lead to direct referrals too. It’s about the easiest marketing there is!

So, in the coming months, endeavor to address some of the weak spots in your business. Whether that’s marketing, your website, going local, or something else entirely, make the next year or two the period of time in which you take your business to a whole other level.

---

If you’re ready to take the plunge and start your own photography business, congrats! Making such an important decision can induce a lot of anxiety, but is extremely exciting at the same time. 

The problem that many would-be photographers run into when starting their business is simply knowing where and how to start a photography business.

This checklist is intended to give you some insight into a few quick and easy tricks that will help you become more prepared.

How to Start a Photography Business: Get Some Experience

It goes without saying that starting a photography business will require you to have some measure of experience in the field.

Whether you intern with a large company like Getty Images or serve as a second shooter for a local wedding photographer, it’s imperative that you cut your teeth in the industry.

Doing so will give you an opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and skills, have access to other photographers who you can question and observe, and hopefully gain some business skills along the way as well.

Find a Mentor

Finding a mentor to help guide you through the process of starting a business can be one of the most important steps you take.

You don’t even necessarily have to find a mentor that’s a photographer, although that would help. Really, anyone that has ventured into entrepreneurship could help you with valuable insights about how to start a business, get it off its feet, and sustain it as a successful endeavor.

The key here is to find someone that has time for you and is willing to give you that time. A good mentor should be easily accessible and have at least an hour a week that they can devote to helping you realize your dream.

Be Patient

This is a tough one, but perhaps the most important entry on this checklist...

It takes a lot of time to become a master photographer - years, in fact. If you don’t have the fortitude to stick it out and keep pressing forward, the chances of success are not good.

In fact, the most common cause of business failure is simply giving up. Practice patience and see things through if you want to find success as a photographer.

Learn More:

• Common Problems You'll Face as a Wedding Photographer
• What You Should (and Shouldn't) Worry About When Starting a Photography Business

Get Your Website Lined Out

You can’t be a successful photographer without having an online presence that introduces potential clients to who you are and the type of photography you create.

The best way to do that is to build a website that not only reflects your personality and showcases your work, but that also looks professional.

With a photography-specific domain like.photo or.pics, you can do just that. Not only are these domains only for photographers, but they’re also easy to share with clients and easy to fit into tight spots on business cards and social media profiles.

Plus, since these domains are from Uniregistry, you know you get the best product for the best price, with service to match!

Of course, you can't exactly have a website if you don't have a hosting service.

Actually, to be more specific, you can't have a photography website without a reliable hosting service.

Over the last 20 years, I've used a number of different hosting companies - some good and some bad.

For the last three years, PhotographyTalk has used OVH for our hosting needs. OVH is definitely in a class of its own.

Finally, my company has hosting that's reliable to a tune of true 99.9% uptime. That's not a sales pitch or an empty promise - OVH really does perform that well!

That's thanks to their global scale of operations - four continents, 19 countries, 27 data centers, and 300,000 servers, to be exact.

But more impressive than OVH's infrastructure is the fact that despite being a global company, they put customer service first.

If you've ever felt like you're just a number to big companies you work with, you know how valuable it is to find reliable partners that think of you as more than just another customer.

If you're ready to build your photography business, start the process by getting your online presence built today.

Get the right hosting so you can show your photos to the world today!

Never Stop Networking

From moment one, you should be pounding the pavement and introducing yourself as a photographer.

Mention it to your hair stylist, the checkout boy at the grocery store, your mechanic, your friends, family, neighbors, and mail carrier. The more people that know you’re a photographer, the more likely you are to get jobs.

The good part is that networking is free - all it takes is a little time, a quick introductory sales pitch, and a business card to hand out! 

Learn More:

• How to Make Money With Photography
• 5 Things Successful Photographers DON'T Do

Bonus: Just Go For It!

Rather than waffling back and forth about whether you should dive in and start a business or not, just go for it.

We often wait for the perfect opportunity to make a significant life change, yet there is no such thing as perfect timing. Don’t wait for all the pieces to fall into place. Just start, and see where things lead!

---

^{Image Credit: shironosov via iStock} 

Let's face it...

Photography is a dog-eat-dog world. Starting a photography business is tough work, especially considering all the competition there is these days for a finite number of clients.

But don't let a little competition and tough work derail your dreams of becoming a professional photographer.

In this quick-start guide, I offer a few must-have tips that will help you learn how to start a photography business.

Be Real About Your Strengths and Weaknesses

^{Image Credit: anyaberkut via iStock}

I'm a skilled landscape photographer, if I do say so myself. It's certainly my greatest strength behind the lens.

What I'm not good at, however, is macro photography.

What's important is that I understand these facts. Landscapes come to me naturally; macro does not.

So, if I were starting a photography business today, I would choose to capitalize on my strengths and focus on landscapes, not macro.

You need to do the same thing.

If portraits are your calling, specialize in portraits. If wildlife photography is your passion, make that the focus of your business.

Don't try to be everything to everyone - that will just muddy the waters!

Learn More:

• How to Effectively Market Your Photography

You Need Good Hosting

An integral component of a modern photography business is having a gorgeous website, an online portfolio of your images, and perhaps even an online store.

But it isn't enough to simply have those things - they need to work and do so reliably if you're going to build a successful photography business.

Over my 20 years in this industry, I've partnered with more hosting companies than I care to admit - most of which were a nightmare to work with.

Image Credit: scanrail via iStock

Fortunately, I came across OVH several years ago, and I've never looked back.

Since switching PhotographyTalk to OVH, we've had excellent uptime - 99.9% just as OVH promises.

What I like about OVH (aside from their incredible reliability) is the fact that they're a global company with data centers and servers all over the globe.

In fact, they have 27 data centers and over 300,000 servers, so if anyone can ensure your company stays online, it's them.

You aren't just another number, though.

Sometimes, large companies have so many customers that you really are just one more in a long line of clients.

But despite being a global company, OVH works hard to ensure each and every customer feels like the most important customer.

Developing a successful is all about finding the best people to help you find success. In this case, OVH is precisely who you should partner with to realize your business goals.

People Skills Matter

^{Image Credit: meatbull via iStock}

You can be a master photographer all day long, but if you don't know how to speak to people and engage them in a genuine manner, being a professional photographer is going to be a much tougher task.

And this doesn't apply just to photographers that work directly with clients, like wedding photographers and portrait photographers.

Even as a landscape photographer, I still have to speak to clients, hear their wants, needs, and concerns, and communicate with them in a way that makes them feel heard and understood.

You need people skills for effectively marketing your business and for working with other stakeholders in the industry as well.

Talking to people comes naturally to some of us. For others, it's a struggle. If you fall into the latter category, now is the time to start improving on your people skills! It's an asset that you cannot afford to go without.

Up Your Watermark Game

Yes, the watermark or photography logo you use to identify your work really matters.

In fact, I'd say that photography watermarks are one of the most important marketing tools you can have.

Why?

That's easy - the logo or signature you include on your images is like having a sign for your business.

Just like you wouldn't want to put up an ugly sign outside your storefront, you don't want to put an ugly logo on your photos, either.

Yet, one look at what some pros are doing with their photography signatures, and you quickly see that a lot of people are still using ugly, amateur-looking watermarks. That's a rookie move!

Not only does an ugly watermark (like my old one, shown above) diminish the quality of the overall photo, but it also screams "I don't care about quality!"

Seriously - my old photography logo took me two minutes to make in Photoshop, and it shows.

If you want to build a successful business and keep it going for the long-term, you need to step up your watermarking game and get something that speaks to your personality and individuality as a photographer.

There's no better way to do that than with a Photologo.

I got a Photologo (shown above), and I think we can all agree that there's a huge difference between what I had before and what I have now.

What makes Photologo so cool is that they are handmade by a team of artisans. There's no robot in a back room somewhere coming up with these photography logo ideas. Instead, it's real, live humans doing all the work.

That means that every single Photologo is unique. There's nothing like a bespoke watermark for your images to really make them shine!

Besides, with a gorgeous, handcrafted signature on all your work, you can deter people from ripping off your images while also getting some great marketing for yourself at the same time.

Your photos will never be mistaken for anyone else's work, either.

It's just a sleek, elegant, and modern way to sign your photos, just like artists have for centuries.

Best of all, you can get a Photologo for less than $40. That includes a free revision and turnaround time of as little as 48 hours.

That sounds like a deal to me!

Learn More:

• Don't Believe These Myths About Being a Professional Photographer

Don't Stop Learning

^{Image Credit: Ridofranz via iStock} 

Just because you're ready to take the leap into professional photography doesn't mean that there's nothing left to learn.

There's always something to learn, be that on the photography side or the business side.

Staying on top of best practices in post-processing, learning how to use a new lens, discovering new ways to market your business, and constantly seeking to improve the way you manage your daily tasks will serve you well as you grow your business for long-term success.

And keeping engaged in learning about your craft has never been easier.

There's a plethora of photography tutorials out there that take just minutes to read and a mountain of YouTube videos you can watch.

There's also many resources for business tips, becoming marketing savvy, and learning how to brand your business, too.

The point is that dedicating yourself to learning doesn't mean you need to go back to college and get another degree.

Just spend a few minutes here and there learning a new skill, and you'll be in a much better position to be successful!

---

^{Image Credit: SIphotography via iStock}

No photographer has ever successfully started their business without making mistakes. It's just the nature of the beast.

But as you embark on developing your business, you can minimize your risk and maximize your opportunities for success.

That means learning from the mistakes of others to eliminate common photography business mistakes.

Let's explore a few things you SHOULD NOT do as you build your photography business.

Photography Business Mistake #1: Not Having a Backup Plan

^{Image Credit: meatbull via iStock}

Photography is a very cyclical business, especially if you work in the wedding or portrait photography space.

Wedding photographers, for example, are supremely busy during the spring, summer, and early fall (hopefully, anyway...). But once the snow starts to fall and the winter slump arrives, there's far less people getting married.

That means you need to establish a plan for dealing with the slower business seasons.

Perhaps you offer engagement shoots, get into the newborn photography space, or offer editing services as a means of earning extra income.

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of thinking that you'll be busy year-round. Have other options for generating income that aren't calendar specific, and you'll put yourself in a much better place to earn a good income.

Learn More:

• How Much Do Photographers Make?

Photography Business Mistake #2: Blowing Your Money on Gear

^{Image Credit: EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER via iStock} 

All professional photographers I know would love to get their hands on a Canon EOS R or a Nikon Z7. After all, they're the hot new cameras on the market right now.

But as awesome as those cameras are, they also have crazy price tags...

When you're starting a photography business, the last thing you need to do is empty your bank account to buy new camera gear.

If you have a six-year-old Canon 5D Mark III that still works as good as the day you got it, then keep on using that camera.

Likewise, if the Nifty Fifty you bought for $50 on Craigslist is still helping you take beautiful photos, there's no need to replace it.

Instead, save your money, or at least spend it wisely on things that you really need (like marketing and insurance) that will help move your photography business forward and protect your investment.

Photography Business Mistake #3: Not Having the Right Insurance

^{Image Credit: PeopleImages via iStock}

One of the biggest mistakes new photographers make is to not review their insurance coverages.

For example, some photographers who work from home assume homeowners insurance will cover things like lost, damaged, or stolen photography gear. That's not necessarily the case because many homeowners policies exclude gear used for professional or commercial use.

That's why having the right equipment insurance policy is a must-have for all photographers.

Certain insurance companies, like Athos Insurance, offer comprehensive equipment insurance policies that will protect you in the event that something goes awry.

For example, if you live in a coastal region that's hit by a hurricane and your home is flooded, damage to your cameras, lenses, and other gear would be covered.

If you travel the world with your gear, the Athos policy covers you worldwide (with the exception of countries with US Sanctions).

Additionally, companies like Athos Insurance provide coverage for a much wider range of eventualities, including coverage for lightning, wind storms, and other weather-related events. That also includes protection in the event of a fire and resulting smoke damage.

Earthquakes and damage from falling objects are covered, as are explosions and acts of terrorism.

But a good insurance policy doesn't just offer you protection against major catastrophes. It also protects you from everyday events that can derail your ability to work.

The right insurance coverage will protect you from things like accidental damages, such as a scratch on your camera lens.

You also want a policy that covers theft and damage in transit or during shipment.

With replacement cost coverage offered, this means the Athos policies can replace your equipment with a brand new or like-kind (if it’s not available) item.

As if that's not enough, Athos Insurance also offers personalized service that so many insurance companies don't seem to have these days.

So, if you have a question or concern, Athos Insurance is just a call or email away. You can even quote and purchase the quotes instantly online so it's quick and easy.

What's not to like about that?!

Learn More:

• How to Insure Your Photography Gear

Photography Business Mistake #4: Not Continuing to Learn

^{Image Credit: dusanpetkovic via iStock} 

The thing about starting a photography business is that you might feel like you know a lot, but there's always room to learn more.

Sitting on your laurels is not going to do you any favors as a photographer or as a business person.

By that, I mean that there's always something to learn - new ways to process your images, new tricks for composing your shots, marketing strategies to bring in more clients, and so forth.

This isn't to say that you need to devote half your day to learning more about photography or running a business, but setting aside time each week to sharpen your skills and deepen your knowledge will only help you as you seek to build something successful.

Photography Business Mistake #5: Not Investing in Hosting

You can have the most beautiful website in the world, but if it's never up because your host has unreliable service, there's no point, is there?

In today's world, you have to have a website to show off your photography, and that means not only having a rock-solid website that's beautiful and easy to use, but that also means having rock-solid hosting to back it up.

I've had hosting from way too many companies over the years because I could never find anyone that had that elusive combination of affordability, reliable uptime, and good customer service.

Then I found OVH...

^{Image Credit: anandaBGD via iStock}

I switched to OVH three years ago, and in that time, they've proven to be exactly what I need to keep PhotographyTalk on the straight and narrow.

I've invested a ton of time, money, sweat, and tears into this company, so naturally I want a hosting company that will help me achieve my goals, not hurt me by constantly being down.

OVH promises 99.9% uptime, and they've certainly delivered over the last three years!

Though hosting isn't as sexy a topic as website design, it's still a must-have if you have any hope up building a successful business, and for my money, no host can match what OVH brings to the table.

If you can follow these easy guidelines for building your photography business, you'll be a much better position to minimize mistakes and maximize your success!

---

^{Photo by Tommy Lee Walker via iStock}

When you're building an online brand, you need a ton of support.

You have programmers, web designers, copywriters, and social media gurus all helping you work toward your business goals.

But one of the unsung heroes of that support group is the hosting company you use.

Well...unsung hero if their service actually works!

I've used many different hosting companies over the years with varying degrees of success.

Now that I have some perspective on the good, the bad, and the ugly of hosting, I thought it would be timely to put together a review of the hosting company I currently use for PhotographyTalk: OVH.

OVH Hosting Technology and Data Centers

OVH is on the cutting-edge of technology and offers a wide range of products, with public and private cloud services, VPS services, network and security solutions, dedicated servers, storage and backup options, and more.

They are the largest hosting provider in Europe (the company is based in France) and has operations in North America and Africa as well.

In fact, OVH has 17 data centers around the world. And their data centers aren't just run-of-the-mill data centers, either.

Since 2003, OVH has been a leader in energy efficiency. In 2010, they eliminated air conditioning from their data centers to reduce energy consumption and have a more eco-friendly footprint.

OVH is a leader in developing technologies to make their services more dependable and streamlined, which means when you're starting your photography business, you can rely on them for top-notch service.

What's more, OVH builds and operates their own data centers and has complete control over their infrastructure. They even build their own machines!

You can learn more about OVH's commitment to providing quality, reliable technology and services in the video above.

OVH Hosting Pricing

OVH pricing is highly affordable with a variety of plans to suit your needs.

VPS hosting starts at just $3.35 per month, which gets you OpenStack KVM, 1 vCore(s), 2 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD, Local RAID, and more.

Other VPS plans include VPS Cloud from $8.95 per month and VPS Cloud RAM for $11.97 per month.

OVH has more robust hosting options as well, including dedicated servers from $59.99 per month enterprise hosting, $77.99 per month for infrastructure services, and $95.99 per month for storage.

Additionally, OVH offers private cloud services that give customers access to hosts and other resources on completely dedicated infrastructures.

Private cloud services start at $633 per month.

OVH Hosting Uptime Review

^{Photo by anandaBGD via iStock}

Obviously one of the most important factors in choosing a host for your website is the uptime.

And while many companies promise 99.9% uptime and fail to deliver, OVH is not one of them. In fact, on the off-chance that there is an outage, OVH guarantees a five-minute-or-less response time.

I switched hosts for PhotographyTalk about four years ago and the site has gone down one time and it was down for only a short time.

Compared to every other hosting company I have used over the last 20 years, this is something quite remarkable!

It's that kind of dependability of service that I appreciate with OVH. It's easy to take things like hosting for granted, and having the peace of mind knowing that PhotographyTalk will be up and running each morning when I wake up is worth its weight in gold. 

OVH Hosting Customer Service

^{Photo by PeopleImages via iStock} 

While I've only needed to call them one time for assistance, OVH does seem to have less people on call than other hosting companies I've used in the past. As a result, I was on hold a tad longer before a customer service agent got on the line.

Though this could certainly be considered a negative about OVH, given how strong their tech side is, I'm okay with this. I mean, one call in four years? That's pretty amazing.

It would seem OVH has invested heavily into the tech side to prevent the need for having a huge customer service department. Also, it makes sense - if they don't have that many calls coming in, then most of a big call center would be playing solitaire and Bubble Pop on their iPhones all day! 

OVH Hosting vs HostGator Hosting

^{Photo by undefined via iStock}

The last company I had hosting with, HostGator, gave me all kinds of problems on the tech side.

It was tiresome working with them. I had to call into their support line at least every couple of weeks because something was wrong.

Then the unthinkable happened: my site was hacked, and the backups I was paying Hostgator to make each day hadn't been done in three weeks. And the bummer was I had just been interviewed twice by Jay Leno and Spike TV.

As a result, we lost nearly 57,000 registered users who had just signed up during that time frame!

Needless to say, the way OVH has performed over the years, I'm not concerned at all about the same problem happening again. You have enough to worry about when you're building your brand - hosting doesn't need to be one of them!

OVH Hosting vs RackSpace

^{Photo by tihomir_todorov via iStock} 

Over the last 20 years, I've had my companies hosted a few times with RackSpace.

These guys were known for excellent customer service, and in my opinion, had just an "okay" tech side.

But again, I found myself paying an extremely high premium, and all the good customer service went out the window when they double-billed my company a couple of times.

As if that wasn't a big enough issue, there were a number of outages that took my site down for days. That's simply unacceptable!

Final Thoughts About OVH Hosting and This Review

Over two decades of building online brands, I've experienced many different hosting solutions - the good, the bad, and the "let's not even talk about it, it's so terrible."

After all the mishaps with other hosting companies, the laws of patience were bound to swing in my favor. They did so four years ago when a programmer that came on board with me recommended OVH.

At first, I wasn't excited about using a hosting company not based in the United States. However, their price was tough to beat, and to be perfectly honest, I'm a bit of a risk-taker.

You've gotta try something at least once, right?! If you don't step up to the plate, how can you expect to hit that home run?

I'm very fortunate that I took that risk and stepped up to the plate because working with OVH has definitely been a home run.

OVH has their act together with excellent technology, a track record of success, a global infrastructure, and a reputation for being one of the best hosts around.

I can attest to that track record - one minor incident in four years is simply unheard of in my book.

If you need solid, reliable hosting, OVH is the way to go if you ask me!

---

^{Image Credit: zeljkosantrac via iStock} 

When you're self-employed as a photographer (or anything else, for that matter), it can be difficult to find the right balance between personal and professional life.

Yet, if you are unable to learn how to keep those realms of your life in good balance, you run the risk of burning out.

In this guide, I offer a few tried-and-true photography business tips that have helped me achieve my business goals while also having time to spend with my family.

Let's get started!

Rely on the Expertise of Others

^{Image Credit: jacoblund via iStock}

Self-employed workers are often go-getters. But if you're like me, sometimes you think you can do it all when in reality, you need help.

As a successful professional, you must surround yourself with people who can help you build and maintain a successful business.

Whether that's hiring an accountant to maintain your books and do your taxes or working with an attorney to draw up your client contracts, it’s important to surround yourself with experts.

^{Image Credit: natasaadzic via iStock} 

One area that I see photographers neglect is having the appropriate insurance.

Perhaps you may assume that your homeowner's insurance will cover your photography gear in the event of a flood or fire since you work from home.

However, unless you rely on the expertise of an insurance agent, you might not know that homeowner's insurance does not always guarantee coverage for professional photography gear.

I would take that a step further and say that as a professional photographer, you not only need an insurance agent but one who specializes in providing coverage for photographers.

 

This is an important point because there are many special circumstances in which you need to have the appropriate coverage.

Athos Insurance Services, for example, offers a specific program for professional photographers that protects your gear whether you're at home, across town, or across the world.

Furthermore, their comprehensive equipment policy covers specific perils that you are likely to encounter such as accidental damage caused by water or fire. Their policy covers your gear if it's damaged in a windstorm, an earthquake, acts of terrorism, and even if it's damaged during shipping. Theft of your gear is also covered.

^{Image Credit: Antonio_Diaz via iStock}

But what makes companies like Athos Insurance Services so great for photographers is that they make it quick and easy to get coverage.

Let's face it - you don't have a ton of extra time to read long, confusing insurance policies and deal with difficult quoting processes.

That's why Athos offers easy online quotes 24/7. You can buy coverage that's customized to your specific needs any time, day or night!

Accidents happen, and the last thing you want to do is roll the dice and try to operate without the right kind of coverage.

Instead of spending your nights and weekends worried about what might happen to your gear or trying to decipher complicated insurance lingo, do yourself a favor and connect with Athos Insurance Services.

Relying on their experience and expertise is a great way to protect your business while helping you create a better balance between work and leisure time as well.

It's a win-win!

Learn More:

• People You Need to Rely on as a Photographer

Make a Daily Schedule...But Be Flexible

^{Image Credit: MajaMitrovic via iStock}

Let me start by first saying that working as a photographer means that you'll be working morning, noon, night, weekends, and perhaps even holidays.

That’s why setting a definite schedule for each workday can be a difficult task.

However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to create one.

My schedule today includes multiple calls to existing clients, a lunch meeting with a potential client, a Skype meeting with my website team, and various other activities.

Tomorrow, my schedule could be totally different.

The point is that I've created those schedules so I know what I need to do over the course of the day to prevent tasks from falling through the cracks. Besides, it's so satisfying to mark something off the schedule when it gets done!

^{Image Credit: PeopleImages via iStock}

Another thing to keep in mind is to remain flexible with your schedule and not get stressed out by changes that occur.

Sometimes things happen and a client will need to push their photo shoot back by 30 minutes or perhaps even to tomorrow or next week.

But that doesn't have to be a stress-inducing event for you if you have your daily tasks outlined for a few days in advance.

When that happens to me, I simply plug something else into that time. For example, if a client is going to be half an hour late, I use that time to do a little social media marketing so I can remain productive.

There's always something to do when you're self-employed, and by being organized with your schedule and flexible with it as well, you will be able to get much more accomplished during the workday and have less to worry about when it's time to unplug from work.

Learn More:

• Mistakes That Could Doom Your Photography Business

Let Others Help You

I don't know about you, but I'm not the kind of person that usually likes to ask for help. If there's a problem, I want to fix it.

But in business, there's just some things you can't fix on your own, so you have to rely on others with the right expertise to solve the problem.

When PhotographyTalk started about a decade ago, I had constant problems with website uptime. Our host was terribly unreliable, so the website was constantly down.

It's hard to make sales when your website shows an error message...

^{Photo by SolStock via iStock}

So, finally, I asked for help. A good buddy of mine that knows much more about hosting than I do recommended OVH.

I took his advice, partnered up with OVH, and it has been one of the best business decisions I've made.

I don't have to stay up nights worrying about whether the site is actually up or not, nor do I have to spend hours a week on the phone with technical support and customer care trying to figure out what the problem is.

Instead, since switching to OVH, this website has had over 99.9 percent uptime.

It might seem like a trivial thing to have reliable hosting, but trust me, good hosting is something that's easily taken for granted.

If you want a better balance between work and life, surround yourself with partners that actually deliver on their promises and give you reliable products and services.

OVH certainly fits the bill, so if you've had troubles keeping your photography website up and running, head over to OVH and experience what it's like to have worry-free hosting!

Set Boundaries and Expectations

^{Image Credit: AleksandarNakic via iStock}

When you're self-employed, you might feel as though you need to be available to clients at all hours of the day and night. That's especially true when you're just starting out.

The problem with that is that there's no way you can be available all the time - at least not if you want to keep your sanity and prevent getting burned out.

That means that you need to set boundaries and expectations not just for yourself but for your clients, your friends, and your family, too.

Obviously when you're shooting a wedding on a Saturday night, your Monday to Friday hours of 8-5 don't apply. But making your clients aware of your typical business hours and setting that boundary will help you separate work from personal time.

^{Image Credit: AleksandarNakic via iStock}

Setting boundaries with your friends and family is important as well.

For example, my wife gets home from work at about 4:00 pm each day, so I strive to be done with my work by 4:00 pm each day as well. This way I can spend time with her and my son.

And while that boundary that we've set works on most days, I have also set the expectation with her that sometimes I have to work later than 4:00 pm.

I have clients from all over the world, so sometimes I need to be on a call with them later in the day to accommodate their schedule. 

Setting boundaries and expectations is all about communication. As long as you're clear with your clients and loved ones about what you need to do and when, you should be more successful in achieving the coveted work/life balance.

Learn More:

• How Much Do Photographers Make?

---

  ^{photo by jacoblund via iStock}

Being in business for yourself is probably a dream come true. But if you’re like me, the deeper you got into it, the more you realized how utterly unprepared you were to dive into entrepreneurship.

That being said, it’s not like there’s a lack of photography business tips, tutorials, books, and other resources out there to help you along.

They usually say the same thing, though. This tutorial is a little different…

Below, I’ve outlined three photography business tips you’ve never heard before. And though they might make you scratch your head at first, I’ve found them to be super helpful in making my life as a photographer easier.

Photography Business Tip #1: Don’t Look to Other Photographers for Inspiration

 ^{Photo by Charles ?? on Unsplash}

There is a fine line between inspiration and imitation, and I’ve found all too often that photographers are doing the latter.

Everyone says that looking to your fellow photographers for inspiration is the way to go, but I have to disagree. This doesn’t mean that I don’t ever look at the work of my colleagues because I do, and I appreciate their skill and talent and hard work.

But when my creative engine has stalled, I don’t surf Instagram or Flickr to find inspiration.

Instead, I look to other creative sources - movies, music, sculptures, paintings, and so forth.

^{Photo by kevin laminto on Unsplash} 

I do that because it challenges me to find ways to adapt the creative spirit of those pursuits to my work as a photographer. It also helps me to create my own ideas rather than simply seeing something cool in someone else’s photos and trying to replicate it.

There’s a zillion photographers these days, and one of the biggest challenges each of us has is to create our own unique vibe. Getting inspired by other forms of art will help you do that. Copying the work of other photographers won’t.

Learn More:

• Photography Gifts to Buy Yourself in 2019
• Practical Tips That Will Make Photography Easier

Photography Business Tip #2: Don’t Neglect Your Camera Strap  

I know what you’re thinking…

How does a camera strap have anything at all to do with success as a photographer?

It’s simple - a good camera strap improves your workflow, helps you shoot more comfortably, and lasts for years and years, so it’s a sound financial investment. What’s not to like about all those things?

Time is money (more on that below), so you don’t want to waste your time fiddling around with a camera strap that isn’t functional or comfortable.

I’ve tried dozens (hundreds??) of straps over the years, most of which were just okay. But then I pulled the trigger on a Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo, and I found the perfect strap.

This thing is lightweight and is worn as a sling strap, so your arms are completely free for unencumbered movement. I appreciate the ability to do so whether I’m out for a quick landscape shot at the beach or whether I’m taking portraits on the street.

Another thing about this strap that makes it so functional is that it’s designed to stay out of your way, yet keeps your camera right at your fingertips.

That’s accomplished by a stabilizer strap that keeps the shoulder pad in place as well as a Belt Anchor on the opposite side that attaches your camera to your belt.

That means that no matter if you’re walking or jogging, standing or kneeling, your camera will remain in place on your body instead of sliding around all over the place.

To bring your camera to your eye, you simply pull a tab with one hand, the camera is free, and you’re ready to shoot. To reattach the camera to the Belt Anchor, just repeat the same one-handed motion and you’re ready to move again.

There’s a comfort level to this strap that I haven’t found in other straps, too. The large shoulder pad helps distribute the weight of my gear over a larger part of my shoulder, which helps keep fatigue at bay.

Something else that helps in the comfort department is the fact that the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo is made of a single piece of full-grain leather. As a result, it will conform to your shoulder over the years and become more and more comfortable the more you use it.

This thing also looks absolutely incredible, which isn’t necessarily important, but it doesn’t hurt! 

The more comfortable you are, the more functionality you have with your gear, the longer you can shoot and the more productive you can be. That’s why a good, solid camera strap is so important!

Learn More:

• Holdfast Gear MoneyMaker Solo Review
• The Worst Mistake You Can Make With a New Camera

Photography Business Tip #3: Your Website Hosting Can Make or Break Your Business

Imagine you've got a gorgeous website with a portfolio full of incredible images you've created.

Then imagine promoting your website so people can see the great work you do, only to discover that your website is down because you have unreliable hosting.

This is a problem that's a lot more common than you might think. I should know, too, because in the early days of PhotographyTalk, the site was constantly down because our hosting was just plain terrible.

^{Photo by gorodenkoff via iStock}

That's not the case any longer because I finally found a reliable host about 3 1/2 years ago. That host is OVH.

OVH is a global company with operations on four continents. They have a presence in 19 countries where they have 27 data centers and 300,000 servers. Now that'sglobal!

All of that is important because OVH has the infrastructure needed to give you the 99.9 % uptime they promise. And over the years, OVH has most certainly delivered on that promise to me!

Your website is your window to the world, and to make a success of your photography business, it's critical that your website works. With OVH as your host and with their incredible customer service team on your side, success is much more likely for you.

Take it from me - PhotographyTalk has grown faster since we've been with OVH. That's no coincidence!

Photography Business Tip #4: Take “Time is Money” Seriously, But Not Too Seriously 

^{photo bylechatnoir via iStock}

The old adage that “time is money” is very true - if you dilly dally all day long and get nothing done, it’s going to cost you a lot of money in the long-run.

That means that you need to streamline your workflow so that you’re getting as much done as you can in the time you have allotted.

Find shortcuts to get common tasks done, use your commute time in the morning to brainstorm ideas, if you take public transport, use that time to return emails or follow up with clients. 

^{photo by jacoblund via iStock}

You can also streamline your day by delegating. I know that can be hard for some people to do, but to be successful, you need to have people on whom you can rely. Whether you have an assistant or a second shooter or a website lady or a marketing dude, you need to let them do their thing so you can concentrate your time on other tasks.

Having said that, there are times when ditching the “time is money” mantra is advantageous.

^{photo by meatbull via iStock} 

For example, if you’re a wedding photographer and your contract ends at midnight, but the couple asks if you can stay another 20-30 minutes, do it, and do it for free.

Why?

Sure, you can charge them an extra $100 or whatever for that time, but how offputting would that be to the clients?

Instead, if you give them that little bit of extra time, you’re paving the way for more work in the future. Baby photos, anniversary photos, holiday family photos, and so forth could come your way.

So, value your time, but also value the opportunity to give your time to your clients as a means of building bridges for future work.

And with that, you have three photography business tips you’ve never heard!

Learn More:

• 3 Things Every Wedding Photographer Needs
• 7 Mistakes That Make You Look Like an Unprofessional Photographer

^{All photos of the Holdfast MoneyMaker Solo are by Brandon Burk.}

---

I've started a number of businesses in my life, and I can tell you firsthand that it is much more difficult than it looks.

Of course, back in the day when I started my first company, the internet wasn't really a thing yet, so I didn't have tons of photography business guides, tutorials, and YouTube videos to help me out.

Things have changed, though...

Today, starting a photography business is easier than it used to be, but don't be fooled - it's still a lot of work.

To help you get started on the right path, here's a few photography business tips regarding things you should worry about and things you can let go.

When Starting a Photography Business, Worry About Clearly Defining What You Do

One of the most common photography business mistakes that people make is not being absolutely clear about what kind of photographer you want to be.

You aren't just a photographer; instead, you need to identify yourself as something more specific like a portrait photographer, a wedding photographer, or a fine art landscape photographer.

But beyond that, you also need to clearly define your personal photography style. That is, what sets your portraits or landscapes apart from what all the other portrait and landscape photographers do?

By drilling down to a specific niche and formulating your personal style, you'll do a couple of very important things.

First, you communicate to clients that you have expertise in this specific area. If you advertise yourself as a "do-it-all" photographer, that's a much more difficult task. People want expert photographers, not just some guy that's got a camera and calls himself a photographer.

Secondly, by developing your personal style, you not only have a means of differentiating yourself from the crowd, but the chances are good that doing so also helps you iron out your post-processing workflow.

By having your Lightroom or Photoshop strategy nailed down, you'll have a much more consistent look to your photos (and post-processing won't take as long, either).

Learn More:

• Six Ways You've Set Up Your Photography Business All Wrong
• How to Make Money With Photography

Don't Worry About Gear 

If you want to know how to start a photography business, you need to understand that putting your money towards new gear is not the way to do it.

Sure, a brand new Nikon D850 would be a great rig to have, but if your Nikon D810 still works, why not use it?

Gear, as you're likely acutely aware, is very expensive, and when you're just starting a photography business, you need to keep as much cash on hand to pay for vital things like studio space, photography insurance, and advertising, among other things.

Resist the urge to splurge on new gear, and instead work with what you've got or find other ways to save like buying pre-owned gear or simply renting specialized equipment when the need arises.

The point is that most new businesses fail because of a lack of money. That means that whatever money you have on hand right now needs to last until clients start coming knocking.

Worry About Your Online Presence

Having a solid online presence is an absolute must in today's world.

And that doesn't just mean having a Facebook page and a Twitter account, either...

Instead, you need a top-flight website that highlights the work you do and makes it easy for potential clients to contact you.

A large part of making yourself visible online is your website URL, so be sure not to neglect that.

I've seen many photographers use free URLs that have impossibly long strings of words with assorted periods or dashes mixed in.

Not only does that look completely unprofessional, but such long URLs are also extremely difficult to remember (and spell).

The solution here is to get a URL that's specifically for photographers like .pics or .photo from Uniregistry.

Clearly, the advantage of doing so is twofold - your website URL is short and easy to remember while also being professional.

Additionally, these URLs are relatively new, so there's much less worry about getting the specific URL you want than if you opt for a .com or .net address.

And as if that isn't enough, Uniregistry offers these URLs exclusively to photographers at a great price.

That means that you can build an incredible website that shows off your work, is easy for clients to find and remember, all without breaking the bank.

I switched to Uniregistry a few months ago, and I haven't regretted the move in the least. The service is great, the prices are even better, and unlike other domain providers, they're actually helpful when you have a question or problem!

The same goes for my hosting company, OVH.

I switched to OVH three years ago after many, many years of putting up with expensive, unreliable hosting from other companies.

OVH promises 99.9% uptime, and so far, they've certainly delivered on that promise.

It's so nice waking up each morning confident that PhotographyTalk will be live for all to see - and that's thanks to the reliability of OVH.

When you put your blood, sweat, and tears into building a photography business, you want to be sure that people will be able to find you online.

That means not only having a killer website but also having killer hosting too!

Learn More:

• Advantages and Disadvantages of a Home-Based Business
• How to Attract Clients to Your New Photography Business

Don't Worry About What Other People are Doing

Though there is a need to understand what the market is like and what other photographers in your area are doing, it shouldn't be something that you obsess over all the time.

That's because the more time you spend Facebook stalking your competition, the less time you'll have to work on becoming a better photographer and businessperson.

So, that being said, keep feelers out there to see what the competition is doing (i.e., pricing), but don't fall into the photography business mistake of worrying about the competition all the time.

At the end of the day, what will get people in your door is what you do, not what your competitors are or are not doing!

For a few more insights into starting a photography business, check out the video above by Kristy Dickerson.

---