What’s Your Biggest Business Problem?

Last week I ran a photography survey to find out what your biggest concerns were for building your business this year. Thanks for your answers.

I thought I’d let you in on the answers so far – so you can find out if other’s are facing the same issues as you.

1. What is the biggest thing you need help with right now?

Your biggest challenge is to find more clients – this is the definite clear winner. Next in line is to learn more about running the business.

2. If you were to invest in training during 2008, where would you most likely spend your money?

The big winner here is to learn more about marketing a photography business, leading almost 50 percent over the next highest task of learning more about photo manipulation.

3. What’s your biggest challenge in 2008?

Again the clear winner here is learning how to create a steady stream of income.

Thanks so much – I see a trend here. Though I know from talking with many of you that  marketing your business and building up a strong clientele base is your toughest challenge, I really enjoy hearing directly from you how you’re currently feeling about your business. Your answers to my 4th question – What question would you ask a successful business coach right now? – has also provided me with a lot of insight.

Watch my future posts to answer some of your most pressing issues. Thanks!

What’s Your Wienie?

If you keep doing what everyone else is doing, you’ll never jump ahead of your competition.

Sure it’s easy to emulate what other photographers are doing in your industry, but that will never set you apart from them. What you really need is … a Wienie.

What’s a Wienie? Mark Ramsey did a great post on one of the all-time great marketers, Walt Disney. Even when others thought he had achieved perfection, Walt new something was missing.

That’s really what a Wienie is. It’s that one special thing that sets you apart from all others. It might be the way you perform at a wedding. It might be the way you present your final albums. It might be your customer service. But it has to be something that you really don’t need – but you do anyway to make you stand heads above the rest.

What’s your Wienie?

The Value of Photography

What’s the first thing you hear when fires ravage an area, or an earthquake destroys a town?

I’ve lost all of my photos.

All of their memories gone in a fraction of time. Take a look at this amazing sequence of photographs as reported in the New York Times. A wedding photographer actually captured the earthquake in China as it was happening. You can see the before/after results on the church.

Images are so powerful.

1,000 True Fans For Your Photography Business

How many true fans do you need to have a successful photography studio?

A true fan is someone that doesn’t just buy from you – they love you. They follow you all the time. They buy whatever you are selling. They are lifetime clients.

But what does it take to get enough lifetime clients to have a successful studio? Kevin Kelly says it best in his post on 1000 True Fans.

In his post he specifically talks about an artist needs to grow his list to 1000 true fans in order to become successful. In theory, if you can sell $100 to 1000 true fans every year, you’ll easily become a six figure business.

Sounds easy, yes?

But the problem lies in business and marketing skills. Frankly, some people just aren’t cut out for finding and keeping true fans. Kelly says:

A more important caution: Not every artist is cut out, or willing, to be a nurturer of fans. Many musicians just want to play music, or photographers just want to shoot, or painters paint, and they temperamentally don’t want to deal with fans, especially True Fans. For these creatives, they need a mediator, a manager, a handler, an agent, a galleryist — someone to manage their fans.  Nonetheless, they can still aim for the same middle destination of 1,000 True Fans. They are just working in a duet.

For those that prefer to “do” their art, not their business, it’s time to hire someone that can help you find your True Fans.

Photography Survey – What’s Your Opinion?

Why Can Photographers Command Such High Fees? Number 1

[I recently posted an article entitled, >10 Reasons Professional Photographers Charge What They Do. As I was writing this article, I realized my 10 could be expanded and have even more detail. So this is the start of 10 Reasons Why Photographers Can Command Such High Fees.]

1. In any profession, it always comes down to trust. Do you trust who you’re hiring to do the best job possible?

Professional photographers have the knowledge and the skill to make you look the best you can be. That’s their job. That’s their passion. That’s what they’ve chosen to do for a living. That’s what set them apart from amateurs.

I can buy a hammer for a few dollars at the hardware store. Yet I spent hundreds of dollars for a handyman to repair my deck. I can buy a needle and thread for a few dollars at the fabric store. Yet I spent over $100 on alterations at a local tailor. It’s not about the tools; it’s about the outcome.

If you just want a snapshot, go to a friend with a camera. But if you have the desire for an experience like know ot her, hire a photographer. The results will show the difference.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

Photography Studio – Going Out Of Business

How long can a photography studio stay in business if it isn’t making any money?

I came across a photography site today in which the photographer had listed prices. I won’t use names – but I guarantee you can find prices like this on many, many different sites.

Event fee $300, includes photographer and assistant for 3 hours of time, plus a DVD with images. Additional hours available as needed.

So let’s do a few calculations.

$300 for 3 hours of work – that’s $100 an hour

Let’s assume an hour each before and after the event getting organized – down to $60 an hour

Let’s assume 3 hours of meeting time to book the client and to deliver the DVD and final products – down to $37.50 per hour

Let’s assume 2 hours of production time, transferring raw images to computer, editing and burning DVD – down to $30 per hour

Normal business expenses:

• Vehicle
• Gas at $4 per gallon – depends on the distance of the event
• Camera equipment costs
• Costs of brochures, business cards, paper, envelopes, advertising – everything to bring in the clients
• Rent
• Office supplies
• Phone expenses
• Utilities

Okay, with all of those expenses to add up, I’ll be conservative and say it costs about $30 per hour – which means we’re now down to $0

Oh, and did I mention that there are two people at the event – which means you have to pay that second person per hour – I guess we’re now into the negative.

And does this person really have a chance of making a huge additional sale? They are giving away the DVD, so I think chances are pretty low.

Becoming a professional photographer means you have to make money. You have to give yourself a profit, and pay yourself for your expertise.

If you don’t, you’ll be hanging that Out Of Business sign very soon.

What can you do? Charge what you’re worth, and charge to run a profitable business. One of the reasons our studio became a Six Figure success in under two years is because we charged what we were worth for our services. We made sure our expenses were completely covered – including our own salaries – and made a healthy profit on top of it all.

It doesn’t take luck to become a Six Figure Photographer. It takes business planning. What are you doing to guarantee your success?

Paparazzi Photo Services … Really?

So you want to add some “fun” to your photography services? Why not become the paparazzi?

Really.

Think about what’s making news now. All of the greatest celebrities from Pairs to Britney are hunted by the paparazzi. They are photographed every step of the way, from morning til night.

In reality, isn’t it just photojournalism – a day in the life of…

That’s what people want, and that’s what some photography studios are offering. Hire a paparazzi studio, and they’ll show up at your event in paparazzi style. They’ll roll out the red carpet and mob your guests with photos as they exit their cars. They’ll follow you in and capture every moment of your event. They’ll make sure they get every wild moment, and give you the photos to prove it.

Basically event photography – with a twist. A new way to see an old service. A new way to add life to your event business.

Anyone ready to be the paparazzi?

Is A Studio Necessary To Start A Photo Business?

So you’re ready to start a photo business. Does that mean you have to open up your home to your clients every day?

When we first started our studio, I had only one requirement – not to open up a home studio. Very few houses are set up in a way meant for client traffic.

They have to shuffle through your living room and kitchen to get to your back office.

They have to walk through your main living areas to get to your basement stairway.

You simply use your entire entry level as a studio, limiting your actual living space all together.

So what do you do instead? Can you have a successful studio without brining people into your home, or opening up a commercial location that will cost a significant amount of money each month?

Yes.

It’s called running a virtual studio. A virtual studio is one that is run with technology; one you can take with you wherever you go. You run it with a website, a blog, email, and a voice message that directs them to your online portfolio.

If you need to meet people, you do as much as you can from the phone or from a coffee shop. You choose locations for portrait sessions that are convenient for you, and offer a world of possibilities.

And if you are looking for corporate, events or wedding work, destination is the only way to go. Where else can you get paid to travel anywhere in the world?

It is possible – you just have to create a business that sells the benefits of not having a central shooting and meeting location.

Why Can Photographers Command Such High Fees? Number 2

[I recently posted an article entitled, 10 Reasons Professional Photographers Charge What They Do. As I was writing this article, I realized my 10 could be expanded and have even more detail. So this is the start of 10 Reasons Why Photographers Can Command Such High Fees.]

2. If you go to a chain studio, you’ll get the most popular sellers. They won’t offer it unless they can sell it to the majority of their clients.

Professional photographers watch for the newest, most innovative, creative products available. They stay up to date on industry news, and find things that perfectly match their clients taste. They realize each client is a little different, and try to pinpoint unique products for each individual. They don’t try and fit you into something you don’t like – they find out what you want and search the world over for the perfect things. They are the professionals.

Helping your photography business, how to start a digital wedding photography business and wedding photography business visit virtualphotographystudio.com and keep up-to-date with all of the photography happenings via our free newsletter.

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