The 7 Deadly Sins Of A Photography Business

If you are operating a photography business, you are in competition with thousands of other photographers all vying for your prospects attention.

When it comes to photographing, many have a natural eye for creating amazing art.

But when it comes to running a business, most of them don’t have a clue as to what they are doing. The same problems come up again and again, keeping them away from doing the one thing they want most of all – finding success.

So how about you? Do you commit one of these deadly sins with your own business?

1. Laziness

Have you ever said something like:

“I don’t have the time for this.”

“Will this work immediately?”

“This sounds like a lot of work.”

You know what is a lot of work? Getting up every morning for work, spending time getting ready, a long commute it to the office, working your 8 hour day, plus breaks, plus overtime, a long commute home, then settling in for the night. Easily 10+ hours every single day – gone with nothing to show for it but a paycheck. And if pink slips come around next month, you can only keep your fingers crossed you won’t make the list.

By contrast, operating your own business is a lot of fun. You make your own hours, you create your own schedule, you do your own thing. You are in control.

Will there still be work? Yes. But the type of work will be much more satisfying.

2.Impatience

Every photographer in the world has been frustrated at the beginning of their journey. You have all of this energy, all of this passion, just bursting and ready to come out. You want so much for things to happen. So you wait. And wait.

It takes time to build an audience. They don’t come overnight. You must build slowly. One turns into two. Two turns into three. And so on.

Yet if you build today for where you want to be five years from now, you’ll see the picture clearly. You may struggle today, but that allows you to see things a bit more clearly and try something new. Don’t think of it as “why can’t it start today”? Instead, think of it as “this will help me for tomorrow”. [Read more…]

Is There A Difference Between Women And Men Business Owners

There’s been a wide variety of information popping up online about the differences between men and women when it comes to careers and owning a business.

The White House just released its new report Women In America, and while it doesn’t release any surprises along the way, it is interesting to read some of the current facts. Women continue to be more educated, earn more college degrees, and pursue graduate and higher education at a higher rate then men. Yet they hold more part time positions, have higher unemployment rates, and typically earn less than men in the majority of fields.

The SBA continues to do research on the difference between men and women business owners, and while they still hypothesize on a lot of the facts, some things they have found over and over again.

  • Women were less likely than men to purchase their business.
  • Female owners were more likely to prefer low risk/return businesses.
  • Male owners were more likely to start a business to make money, had higher expectations for their business, and did more research to identify business opportunities.
  • Men spent slightly more time on their new ventures than women.

They also go on to state that research suggests that female entrepreneurs face more startup problems than male entrepreneurs for a variety of reasons, including

  • a lack of female role models,
  • more trouble with life balance because more family responsibilities take away from business planning,
  • a more difficult time for female entrepreneurs to be taken seriously as business people, and to gain support for their entrepreneurial activities from their spouses, family and friends.

And in the photography industry, I can see a lot of these characteristics come through.

For instance, many women jump into the photography profession as a way to stay home with the kids, and make a little money on the side for dinners out, extra spending money, or a yearly vacation. They love taking photographs of their own kids, so why not take a few images on the side of friends and acquaintances too?

Success comes from the approach. If you approach it to be a full time career, make a six figure income, and have it be your primary income source, your planning will showcase that desire.

If you start out in the business by looking for extra money on the side, you’ll never approach it as a true business model. You’ll never look at it as a way for generating income and clients day after day. And likewise, you’ll never be taken as a serious business owner who is building a professional career within the photography industry.

It can be a career, or a side project. Its all in how you approach it.

10 Things You Should Know About Running A Photography Business

10. It always takes a plan.
I talk to photographers all the time who started a business because they love photography. So they create a simple business card, and start offering their services without any thought to the business. No matter what type of business you are trying to build, you have to start with a plan. Is your goal to bring in a part time income every month? Or do you want this to become a six figure business? By setting up goals and tasks that you can see, it’s easier to find a way to make it more successful. It also gives you something to strive for each month.Online marketing for photographers

9. Understand how you will ultimately make a profit.
Even if you have a camera in place, it won’t last forever. And chances are you’ll need more equipment along the way. How about advertising and marketing costs? Insurance to protect you against damages if something doesn’t go right with a client? There are many things to think of when you run a business – not just showing up and shooting, and collecting a few dollars on the side. By putting everything on paper, you can start to see how your prices will ultimately have to cover your overall expenses. Sample – pricing your photography>>

8. Protect yourself.
Do you have adequate insurance for your business? Have you ever thought about turning your business into a corporation? There are many ways to make sure you are covered from all types of problems, accidental or otherwise. Being good at business means you think of all the possibilities before they happen, and make sure you are adequately protected from the start.
[Read more…]