Are you looking to monetize your photography skills? Make a profit from your love for photography by starting your own photography business today. It can seem like a daunting task. But we promise it’s not as complicated as it appears. Besides, we’re here to help. Learn how to start a photography business with our helpful guide.
It has become easier than ever for people to start their photography businesses. Thanks to more affordable cameras, equipment, and editing software. And many digital tools that empower people to connect with prospective clients around the world. Anyone with the needed photography skills can start their own business.
The added benefit of flexible working hours and managing your own time and rates is a convincing reason for anyone looking for independence to start their own business.
Follow this guide to start your business as a photographer successfully today.
1. Identify your target audience and create a pitch that sets you apart.
Every business needs to have an area of expertise that sets them apart. If you’ve been taking photos for years in an area of expertise or niche, you already know what to focus on. But if you don’t have a specialty yet, you need to figure out an area in which you want to specialize.
Here is a list of some of the most sought-after areas of expertise:
Stock images:
You can capture different scenarios and sell them on stock photo websites for businesses and individuals who need them. There are many stock images online, but if a few achieve success it can quickly make you earn a lot of money.
Scenery, nature, and travel photography:
One of the most competitive areas of expertise because so many amateurs take these types of photos.
Food photos:
Help restaurants highlight their dishes and atmosphere by taking delightful food photos.
Baby photos:
Hold photoshoots for families with newborns to help them celebrate this big event.
Portraits:
Headshots or photos for big companies are not always fun. But it’s lucrative work and a great way to gain experience.
Wedding photos:
This involves a lot of work during unpleasant hours like the weekend. But you can earn a lot of money as a wedding photographer.
Real estate and architecture photos:
Take attractive photos for real estate agents to help them sell apartments or houses. If you do a good job, this could lead to steady work.
Product images:
Images for e-commerce websites are always in high demand. The hardest part will be getting that first contract.
Event photos for businesses:
Another great source of income. Businesses tend to pay a good price for professional photos of different events.
Once you have established your area of expertise, you can prospect and reach out to potential clients in that industry. Target businesses or clients in that niche to find work. You will need to train if you have less experience than your competition. Find resources and shoot opportunities in your niche to grow your portfolio.
To become the best photographer in your niche and earn the most money, find out what separates you from others in that area of expertise. What can you offer that they can’t? How is your service more valuable? Once you have a convincing pitch, it will be much easier to attract clients.
2. Create your business plan
The success of your future business depends on a solid business plan. So, create a solid plan. It doesn’t need to be perfect. But there are a few things it has to go over.
Prepare an executive summary. This short brief will outline your mission statement, your business’s organization, expansion objectives, and where your business is.
Write up your company outline. This text will resume what your company does, what issues you’re trying to solve, your key selling points or advantages, and your target audience.
Conduct a market analysis. This is an essential step as it allows you to gauge if you can compete in your niche or industry. You need to know your industry really well to be competitive. A SWOT analysis will also help you figure out your Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats compared to your competition.
Create your service description. It’s your selling pitch. You need to be factual and also sell yourself. Explain the equipment you use, your resources, and why you’re the best person suited for the work your client wants to achieve
Prepare your marketing plan. You will need to attract new clients by marketing yourself for your business to be successful. Build a solid brand and use the proper tools to prospect for clients. Prepare social media accounts to showcase your talent and for people to find you.
Prepare your financial plan. You’re going to need a solid financial plan for your business to take off. You also need to figure out things like insurance or tax. There’s a lot of software to help small businesses just starting out. Leverage them to maximize your time.
3. Determine your initial costs
Getting started in business always requires an initial cost. You want to make sure you can afford that cost and find solutions to be profitable as soon as possible.
If you’ve already been doing photography for a few years. You will have some equipment you can use. But there’s also some that you will need to buy.
Here are some costs you will need to account for:
Operation costs
These are costs to cover to run your business. You will need a business license (for an LLC), contracts for clients, payment software, insurance, and other operational software.
Operational costs for professional photographers can vary. The most common expenses can be found below:
- Business insurance: Around $50 per month
- Business license: Between $25 and $600 (it depends on your state)
- Software for organization and scheduling: Around $100 per month
- Billing and accounting software: Around $150 to $250
While these are the most common expenses, there are also other other expenses you may have to consider. Hiring an accountant is highly recommended if you don’t have much experience dealing with taxes.
Equipment
You will need a high-quality professional camera, a second camera for emergencies, camera lenses, accessories for your camera (like extension cords, batteries, adaptors, power banks, camera flash, tripod, camera bag, memory cards) and accessories for shoots like reflectors, and lighting. In addition, you will also need a computer, your preferred editing tool, and software.
As a photographer, you know that photography equipment can be expensive. Here are some of the usual fees:
- High-quality DSLR camera: Over $2,500
- Camera lens: At least $200 for one lens (but you might need more)
- Memory cards: At least $80
- Bag for your camera: Around $200
- Image editing program: At least $100 (it depends on which software you use. We recommend Photoshop or Lightroom)
These are only the basic things you’ll need. You will most likely need a tripod, lighting, and other tools. So, make sure to account for that as well.
Marketing software and tools
You need to plan for your website software (like hosting), email marketing tools, analytics tools, and other platforms to attract new clients or retain existing ones.
For your marketing tools, there are many free alternatives. But you will still have to pay for some basic things:
- Website hosting: From $5 (depending on the service you use. Some have free trials)
- Email Marketing platform: Free at the beginning. But can increase to $50 per month depending on your contact list.
Make sure to leverage social media and other free online marketing resources.
Once you know your initial costs, you’re ready to start making your business official.
4. Meet your legal obligations.
Start by legally establishing your business. It doesn’t matter whether you’re doing it full-time or to earn extra income on the side. The first step is registering.
Get your business registered
There are two main types of businesses for small companies and individuals. You can either register as a LLC which is a limited liability company, or you can register as a sole proprietorship.
A sole proprietorship is owned by a single proprietor. That person is fully responsible for the business legally and financially. It mixes your personal belongings with your business belongings. While this structure is often used for beginners, once the company grows, the business registration is often changed to an LLC.
An LLC is an independent legal entity separated from the person who owns it. It separates personal and business belongings. So, in case of bankruptcy and issues with debt, your personal assets can’t be taken. There’s another advantage for LLCs.They can take advantage of different loans, insurance benefits against liability or benefits for taxes.
Whichever option you choose, before you register your business, you need to choose a name for it. Brainstorm some ideas and see which name strikes a cord. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has a Trademark Electronic Search System you can use to look up the name you find and make sure no one is already using it. Once you’re ready to register your business, you can start the bureaucratic procedure.
Obtain a permit and business license
Go to your state licensing board and the city hall in your area to find out what you will need to obtain a license. Your business needs to have a license as it will help you get tax cuts and make sure your business is not closed by tax officers.
Get insurance
People are sometimes hesitant to get insurance, but it’s vital to protect you from all the different scenarios that can happen. Whether it’s lawsuits from an unhappy customer, an injury, or an accident, you need to be protected.
Get your employer identification number (or EIN)
Another thing you will need is your employer identification number or federal tax identification number. You can find them on the Internal Revenue Service website here.
Get your bank account and credit card
To ensure you efficiently keep an eye on your business finances, both earnings and expenses, you will need to have a bank account for your business. It will also help you with your bookkeeping for your taxes and tax returns.
5. Create your photography service
Your service is a basic description of what you offer. You need to give as many details as possible about what you do, what they can expect to receive from you, and your costs to potential clients. You can create a simple service description and then offer consultations to offer tailor-made offers, or you can have a set pricing plan with different options.
This description is also an opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition.
6. Create your photography portfolio
Clients need to know that you can deliver high-quality work to trust you with their projects. A well-curated portfolio showcases your skills and is the perfect opportunity to convince them that you are the right person for the job.
Make sure to only add your best photos to your portfolio and that they are related to the photography services you offer.
If you have recently begun your journey as a photographer, you may want to take advantage of every possible opportunity to grow your portfolio. Intern for more experienced photographers, take photos at events you can showcase, and take on more casual projects. Whatever you do to grow your portfolio will have a positive impact. You also want to show range. So, if you have varied photos, it can help convince clients that they need your services.
7. Choose your Price
Choosing the right prices can always seem like a daunting task. There are many things to consider. You don’t want to price your services too high or people will go look for photography services somewhere else. But, you don’t want to price them too low and undersell yourself. Then you’d be hurting yourself and others in the industry. Besides you want people to understand your service is truly valuable.
Do some research in your area of expertise and compare other professionals’ pricing structures. This is where your market analysis comes in handy. You should have all the different prices at your disposal. Compare your services to your competition and figure out how much you can price them based on the value of your proposition.
Consider all your running costs. Your initial investment, your time, effort, taxes, your regular costs like subscriptions, your experience. All these factors impact the cost of your services.
There are even more factors to consider. Like your output. What will the images you produce be used for? How many hours does the project take to complete? The area in which you specialize.
Test different formulas if needed, but keep in mind it’s better not to change your prices too often.
8. Assemble your marketing strategy
Develop your online presence
Branding is a key part of any business’s success. So start by establishing a strong brand identity. You will need a nice logo and graphical charter to present a cohesive brand and appear professional.
Your marketing strategy is essential to help you attract new clients. So, build a solid strategy that will attract, engage, and delight clients. Use the Flywheel method to grow your business and delight your customers.
Consumers rely heavily on the internet nowadays to find the services they need. Develop your online presence as much as possible to attract lots of customers.
To grow your online presence you’re going to need a website. It’s the perfect place to showcase your talent by highlighting your portfolio and providing lots of information to people who go to your website. You can leverage SEO to attract even more visitors, but you’ll need to use the right keywords and follow the best practices. If you don’t have any knowledge in that area, you can hire a freelance SEO specialist on ComeUp to help optimize your SEO.
Besides a website, you will need to leverage social media. It’s a great way to reach a new audience and stay in touch with existing customers. It’s also another place where you can showcase your talent. Platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn are perfect to post your best shots on. LinkedIn is especially a great place to reach out to businesses for professional photographers.
Whichever media or platform you use online, make sure to keep a cohesive brand image and remain professional across all channels.
Design your photography business card
Besides online marketing methods, there are also some things you can do to appear professional and sway potential clients. Photography business cards are a great way to get people you meet to contact you with projects. Whether you meet them outside, at networking events, or through friends, having an elegant business card that presents your brand in a great way will open new work opportunities for you. If you need a business card designed for you but don’t have any design experience, you can find a freelancer on ComeUp to design the best photography business card for you.
Leverage ComeUp
On ComeUp, you can sell online services for free. It’s a great way to find new clients and be present on a platform that has tons of visitors and orders every day. It’s a great way to get more orders for your photography business and to grow your portfolio. Just create an account for free and create your first service. Once it’s online, people looking for help with their projects will reach out to you to hire your help.
9. Start your Photography business
Now that you know all the steps, you can confidently launch your own business. It’s not easy every day. There are a lot of challenges, but it’s also really rewarding to build something that’s yours from scratch.
While all these steps may seem overwhelming, take them one by one and you will get started in no time. We wish you good luck and lots of success.
