Tag Archives: business tips

5 Business Reminders from a Challenging Year

We will remember 2020 for the global pandemic and it’s impact on health and business. Photographers and other creative industries are hit hard with many relying on government support. Here are 5 business reminders from a challenging year.

Business Reminder #1 – Look for Opportunities

The first of our business reminders from a challenging year is that even in a global pandemic there are opportunities. In my sports photography business it has been a very difficult year with community sport cancellations applying for most of the year. The result? I’ve cancelled more jobs than we have actually shot. Where’s the opportunity? Although it has been a tough year, the opportunity has been to really connect with sports clients who are also going through a challenging year. I have been working on cementing relationships, providing support, and offering to help when more normal times return. I’m feeling positive and laying foundations for the year ahead.

In addition, there is an opportunity presented by the pandemic for stock photography. See this post for more details Ideas for Coronavirus Themed Stock Photos.

Be ready to accelerate when more normal times return

Business Reminder #2 – Be Ready to Accelerate

Are you ready to accelerate when more normal times return? Business is not going to bounce back immediately and the new year will bring new challenges. Some businesses will flourish and others will die. Are you ready to accelerate into the new year? Will your business be one that flourishes?

Business Reminder #3 – Follow Those Who Have Been Before

Not many know what it’s like to go through a global pandemic, but lots of people and businesses have been through difficult times. Do you know someone who has been through a tough business environment who can help you? Are there survival lessons to learn from them? Can they assist with rebuilding your own business?

Can you follow people who have experience with tough times?

Business Reminder #4 – Refuel Ahead of Time

It is going to be tempting to work super hard in 2021 to make up for 2020. While everyone is looking forward to being busy and good times returning, it is important to manage our energy levels and workloads. Refuel ahead of time rather than waiting for burn out to hit you.

Business Reminder #5 – Good Times will Return

Let’s remember the good times will return. People will continue to want high quality photography solutions. Be positive. There is opportunity in every situation if we look hard enough for long enough.

Thanks for reading 5 business reminders from a challenging year. Best wishes for a positive year ahead. Keep smiling.

Timeless Business Reminders for Surviving Tough Times

Around the world photographers, and many other industries, are feeling the business impact of the coronavirus. Where I live in Melbourne, Australia we are currently living with a curfew between 8pm and 5am, a limit of one hour out of home per day to exercise, and restrictions on the distance you may travel from home. Difficult times. It’s been a time to reflect on these business reminders for surviving tough times.

Many photographers are feeling the financial squeeze due to the coronavirus pandemic

Reminder #1 – Keep Overheads Low

It is now 6+ months since the coronavirus meant social gatherings and sporting events are cancelled to protect the health of the community. This has been impacting all types of events and photographers. While we hope the coronavirus is not with us for long, it’s a great business reminder to keep overhead costs low. We never know when business revenues will turn down, and I’m grateful to not be struggling with an expensive studio or office space when revenues have dropped.

Reminder #2 – Be Careful with Debt

Right now is a difficult time to have debt. Revenues have dried up, but debts still need to be repaid. Given the widespread impact of the coronavirus, many lenders are currently being flexible with loan repayments, but this will not last. Eventually, those with debts will need to repay them. Be careful with debt. In tough times, it is better to be operating with reliable old equipment than to have just borrowed money to buy the latest camera body or lens.

Many piggy banks are empty as the economic impact of the pandemic continues

Reminder #3 – Cash Reserves Provide a Buffer

Having some cash in reserve provides greater ability to survive tough times. Remember this when times are good, and tuck some cash away to help survive when times are not so good. While these business reminders for surviving tough times are not rocket science, it’s only in the tough times we find out how well our businesses are really running.

Reminder #4 – Be Flexible

In good times, it is wise to focus on the work you are best at. In tough times it’s smart to be flexible. My business mainly shoots sports. In Melbourne, there have not been community sports events for 6 months now. We are surviving be being flexible – selling prints, doing baby photo shoots (when restrictions allow), redesigning client’s websites, shooting stock images, and generating income outside photography. While it’s not easy, we will survive and sport will return. Can you be flexible and find new income sources?

Reminder #5 – Stay Connected to Your Customers

It is difficult times for everybody. Now is a terrific time to show you care about your customers, and connect with them. Can you generate reasons to be in contact with your customers? Are there ways you can assist them right now? In my own business we continue speak with sports clubs and update via our blog even though there is not a lot to say at the moment! Check out our blog over on Melbourne Sports Photography.

Thanks for reading these timeless business reminders for surviving tough times. These times will pass. Keep going.

Photographing Different Commercial Jobs

This year I have been growing my business in sports and stock photography, and winding back slightly my wedding photography commitments. Over the last 3 weeks I’ve been asked to shoot two different commercial jobs, one for a bathroom renovation business and one for a cookie business. I often find myself in a dilemma about whether I should be photographing different commercial jobs.

Where Do These Jobs Come From?

I get these requests from personal relationships or referrals. The bathroom renovation business came across me at a recent sports shoot. You can read about that shoot in More Win Win Win Photography Ideas. The owner’s son attends that gymnastics club and made contact with me after the event.

The cookie business is run by an old friend of mine. He was visiting Melbourne and we caught up for breakfast. In the course of discussion he outlined that he needed images of his product as they have new packaging. Naturally, he asked if I could help.

My simple set up for shooting boxes of cookies on a white background

Why the Dilemma?

I know that these clients want to deal with someone they know and trust. That’s why they’ve asked me to help.

The dilemma is twofold. First is that my business plan is to grow in sports and stock photography. Work outside of that is not helping achieve my business goals. Second is that I don’t regularly shoot this style of content. While I can produce acceptable results, I’m sure they could achieve stronger images by working with a photographer who specializes in the type of work they need.

What Did I Do?

For both of these jobs I decided to go ahead but for different reasons.

For the bathroom renovation business I considered that they will have ongoing work and need those jobs completed at specific times. I like clients like this, as most of the work is mid week when my team and I have availability. On top of this, they were nice people and make payment promptly. I like doing business with people like this.

For the cookie business, I took this job as it was for an old friend. So I’ve ended up photographing different commercial jobs for 2 clients this month.

This is the type of image produced for the cookie business.

What Do I Expect for the Future?

The bathroom renovation business will need images each time they complete a job. I expect ongoing work from them. I am planning that I won’t shoot all of these myself, but will outsource some to other photographers depending on the location of the property, the time frame for the job, and my own workload.

The cookie business I expect to be a one off job and don’t expect any ongoing work. My friend lives in another country so it was just chance that he was visiting Melbourne and had his products with him. That might be a good thing as I wouldn’t want cookies and photos to mess up a great friendship!

What If I Don’t Want to Shoot this Type of Job?

If you are a regular reader of Beyond Here you’ll know I have a simple mantra of making sure the customer is happy. If I didn’t want to shoot these jobs, or was not able to, I would refer them to a photographer who could help them. In that sense I would help solve the customer’s problem even if it didn’t benefit my business. You never know when goodwill generated by helping a customer will generate additional business.

What Would You Do?

Do you face the dilemma of photographing different commercial jobs? Are they a distraction to your main business? What do you do?

Thoughts on Successful Photography Businesses

I often get asked about secrets or insights to running successful photography businesses. I’m not sure there really are any secrets, so I’ve called this post thoughts on successful photography businesses.

For the State Champs we’ll be back at the same venue as Winterfest

This week I had a reminder of 3 things that are important in running successful photography businesses. The reminders came about after I was asked to shoot the cheer leading and dance Victorian State Championships in 2 weeks time. I have written two posts earlier about my experience shooting a large cheer leading and dance competition. You can read about those here:

So what are those three thoughts on successful photography businesses?

Thought #1 – Happy Customers are Key

I apologize for the simplicity of thought #1! That said, it is worth repeating and digesting – happy customers are key. I do all I can to make sure my customers are happy as that will lead to referrals and other business opportunities. Most times it is easy to make customers happy. The real test is when things go wrong. In that case I’ll do everything possible to put it right, even if it means I lose money on that job.

The opportunity to shoot cheer leading came from doing a good job shooting gymnastics

In this case my ‘customer’ was the national sports photography business I was shooting for. I knew that they needed good, reliable photographers in Melbourne. Doing a good job at the first event I shot for them has lead to a follow up job.

Thought #2 – Repeat Business is Important

Happy customers leads to referrals and also to repeat business. Again, in this scenario, the national sports photography business have multiple events in multiple locations all year round. As it happens, the State Champs are being held at the very same venue as the event I shot with them a few months ago. This will make this job relatively straight forward and definitely low stress.

I know the people I’ll be working with, the venue we are shooting at, and the sport we are covering. That’s the beauty of repeat business. From the national sports photography business point of view, they know I’ll do a good job and will be reliable. Win win.

At the State Champs I’ll aim to take some phone shots which aren’t quite so blurry!

Do you have repeat business opportunities? Can you create some by following up with some of your happy customers?

Thought #3 – Relationships and Communication Drive Everything

Behind the national sports photography business are people. (Amazing insight isn’t it!) In this case I was able to connect with the owner of the business at the first event and strike up a good relationship. She lives in a different state, and since then all our communication has been via email. She is easy to deal with and a good communicator. I try to be the same in return. It is good for both of our businesses to work on relationships and communication. So, it’s more than just being a good photographer, it’s important to be a good partner. Relationships and communication facilitate that.

No genius insights this week – just reminders of good business practices. Thanks for reading thoughts on successful photography businesses.

Potential Markets When You Are Starting a Photography Business

Last week I was contacted by a photographer who had been reading Beyond Here. She had received some inquiries in her local community, and had local businesses re-sharing her social media content. We had a brief exchange of emails which has led to this post – Potential Markets When You Are Starting a Photography Business.

The photographer who contacted me was doing some studies to help her with the business side of photography (great idea!). Her initial question for me was about pricing.

That’s a very broad question as there are all sorts of different customers with different budgets (I wrote a post about this called Find The Right Clients). It’s also a hard question to answer without really knowing the photographer, her work, or the market she hopes to address.

There is opportunity in the faces and the places of your region

Let’s look at what I do know. The photographer lives outside a main city in an attractive coastal location. She has a diverse and interesting range of landscape and lifestyle images from her local area. She has done some work for a local luxury accommodation provider. Given that information, here are some potential business opportunities for this situation.

Business Opportunities

There are lots of potential markets when you are starting a photography business. Below are some immediate ideas. My suggestion would be to experiment with several and decide what suits you and your work. Not everything will be a success, but finding your own way forward is part of the excitement of running a successful photography business.

Opportunity 1 – Sell Prints to the Luxury Accommodation Provider.

Accommodation businesses are great to speak to about prints. They need prints for their rooms, and having a range of local images can enhance their guests experience. As a photographer it is attractive as the luxury accommodation provider will likely order at least one for each room plus more for their shared spaces. Keep in mind they won’t order 40 of the same print. Make sure you have a range of images of the local environment.

Opportunity 2 – Talk to the Accommodation Provider about online images.

Nearly all businesses need quality images for their online use. I would start by researching the accommodation providers website and social media accounts. Then I would approach them to shoot images of the property for use in both. Website images is often a once a year job. Images for social media can be ongoing regular work.

Businesses, as well as individuals, can be your clients. The costs are going to be an expense to the business, so likely can be offset against their income for tax purposes

Opportunity 3 – Shoot images for Local Tourism Body.

Tourism bodies need a regular supply of high quality images to help them promote the region. In my experience, big organisations promoting tourism for big cities or large regions are less inclined to engage with an individual photographer. Smaller regional tourism bodies on the other hand love to deal with local people. Local people know the area and can be relied on. I’d suggest she gets her current portfolio in front of the local tourism body. From there she can start a conversation about helping to promote the local area.

Opportunity 4 – Shoot Images for other Businesses

Again, because nearly all businesses need images for their websites and social media use, there is lots of opportunity to shoot images for businesses. Local people like dealing with other local people, particularly in regional communities. I’d suggest this photographer has the potential to approach other businesses and see if she can help them with their image needs.

Pricing can be tricky. Have you considered deciding on your price and then looking for customers in that price range?

Opportunity 5 – Sell Images as Stock

The photographer who contacted me appeared to have a relatively large existing portfolio. If that is the case she could upload several hundred images to micro stock sites to get started in stock photography. Keep in mind that stock images of a major city are going to have a bigger market than a regional town. She lives in a regional area so her stock portfolio is likely to have a limited market unless she can produce generic images.

There are 5 immediate business opportunities for this photographer as she starts out in business.

For more resources for starting a photography business please see:

Thanks for reading Potential Markets When You Are Starting a Photography Business. There are lots and lots of potential markets when you are starting a photography business so don’t be limited to just these five! Happy shooting!

A New Way to Boost Productivity

Many of us are running micro and small businesses. There is a constant challenge in this type of operation to be making the most of the available hours. Some people are excellent at this and always seem to have spare time, while others seem to work endlessly without ever really getting ahead. I pride myself on running a healthy business which leaves me time to do other things in life. In the last month though, I’ve found a new way to boost productivity. It’s not one I’m particularly proud of (!) but there is a lesson in here.

I like the wisdom and irony in the saying ‘the bleeding edge of technology’. It’s similar to the leading edge of technology except it’s one that comes at a cost. It can be painful. I have several friends in this space. They feel compelled to have the latest photographic equipment and will buy new equipment whether they need it or not. They’ll also buy it regardless of whether they have existing equipment which can do the job. I prefer not to be at that expensive, bleeding edge. I typically don’t buy the latest model camera body as soon as it comes out. I will wait until it has been in the market for some time, and has been proven to be effective. I’ll typically buy when the price comes down, perhaps 12 or 18 months after the model first came out. Where’s this heading and where is a new way to boost productivity?

Greater productivity in my post production work leaves more time for shooting.

While I’ve been good at steadily updated my photographic equipment, the same can’t be said for my computing power. I’ve been using an old laptop, which I have stuck with for too long. It runs slowly. It takes too long to start up. It’s weighed down by the thousands of images I’ve shot and downloaded onto it.

So, I’ve recently got a new computer and am in the process of using it more and more, and using the old one less and less. So where is a new way to boost productivity? You won’t be surprised to hear that the new machine runs much more quickly than the old one. I estimate my productivity for post production work (and even writing blog posts!) is up approximately 25%.

Is Christmas the time for you to upgrade your businesses computing power?

While it’s an embarrassing story to tell, I really believe my ‘computer time’ efficiency has improved 25%. That leaves me more time to speak with clients, or do more shoots, or just enjoy the Melbourne summer.

I definitely should have upgraded my computing power at least 2 years ago. In future, I will be thinking of this as an investment in an asset for my business. I might not be at the bleeding edge of technology, but I’ll make sure my computer is adding to my business and not slowing it down. How good are you at upgrading your computer assets? Are they adding or detracting from your business?

Thanks for reading a new way to boost productivity. I hope it’s given you reason to consider your own business needs.

5 Great Reasons to Have a Break From Your Business

I have just had 3 weeks overseas. It was a great time to have a break and to reflect on my photography business. I had plenty of time to consider where it is at now, and where it is headed. I feel refreshed! It has also enabled me to make some really significant decisions on where my business is going – more posts on that to come in the next few weeks! I was reflecting that isn’t it funny that I was looking forward to a holiday, but I was going to miss my business and my clients. And I did! But it has made me really appreciate getting away for a break. Here are 5 great reasons to have a break from your business.

This isn’t me (obviously!) but after a 3 week break I feel physically refreshed and energized

Reason 1 – A Physical Refresh.

Many of us are running one person businesses and while I love the hustle and bustle of my business, it wasn’t until I got away that I realized I was tired! I was too busy to realize it before! For most of the first week on holiday I relaxed and slept really well. For the next 2 weeks I ate a lot healthier than I normally do, and did some exercise. I feel much better for it. Do you need to schedule time for a physical refresh?

Being on holiday it was fun just shooting the people, places and experiences in South Korea. That made it one of the great reasons to have a break from your business

Reason 2 – Shooting was Fun Again.

When I’m at home I rarely find time to just shoot for fun. While I am quite good at setting personal projects for myself, it’s very rare for me to shoot random stuff just for fun. Taking a good break enabled me to shoot for fun again, and to experiment. I would never do that when I am shooting for a client. It was great to be experimenting and to shoot for fun again.

Reason 3 – Space Helps Perspective.

Being a long way away (14 hours flying time!) helped me to detach from day to day business issues and to reflect on the overall shape of my business. That helped to then re-shape where I want to move to in the future. I like to be busy shooting and meeting with clients. It was a blessing to be not able to do that for 3 weeks.

Without the pressure of immediate deadlines I had the space to plan for the future

Reason 4 – Time Drives Considered Decisions.

I have been thinking about taking a major step in a different direction in my photography business. When I was on the first long plane ride I had a lot of time to think through that option and to write down all of the issues associated with it. Over the next 3 weeks I had time and space to revisit and challenge my earlier thinking. It was this space that has helped me reach a significant decision on the next steps for my business. Are you making space for yourself to assess progress and future direction? or are you buried in the day to day busy-ness?

Reason 5 – Realize What You Miss and What You Don’t.

Being away from my business for an extended time made me realized what I missed the most! It also made me realize what I didn’t miss – which was the extensive time I can spend in front of a computer. I know I’m better in front of clients than in front of computer screens, and am going to start to make that work better for me.

I hope my experience and the great reasons to have a break from your business have been helpful to you. Schedule a break and make the most of it!

6 Photography Business Tips from the Under 12’s

Last night I watched an under 12 girls basketball match. Our team has been having some ups and downs, and have lost more games than we have won. As I watched them trail for most of the game, hit the lead for the first time in the last quarter, fall behind again, and come through for a close win – I saw the parallel in their journey with the journey of most photographers. Here are 6 photography business tips from the under 12’s!

Tip #1. Hard work can produce results.

When people enter the photography industry they think it is their unique way of seeing the world, and being able to translate that into images, that is the key to their success. For most photographers running successful businesses, they know that their success is built on a combination of talent and hard work.

The under 12’s reminded me of that last night. The team they were playing were probably more talented, but our team kept working hard, and eventually got the win. If your photo business results aren’t coming, it might not be a lack of talent. Are you working hard enough to produce the results? Are you contacting enough potential clients?

Sport shows us that success from hard work can be very sweet

Tip #2. Practice pays off.

This group of girls have been together since November, training twice per week and playing once per week. It is a long season for them. We are in March and this is only the third game of the season proper. Encouragingly they are starting to play together as a team. The effort they are putting in at training is starting to pay off.

Are you practicing your photography when you don’t have a paying job? Honing your skills in the off season? Are you learning a new play? Practice pays off. Perhaps you should be practicing your shooting techniques, or post production, or client meetings?

Tip #3. Teamwork matters.

In junior sport, sometimes one or two dominant players can carry a team to success. Last night, out of a team of 10, 2 players were unavailable and 2 were in early foul trouble. The remaining 6 players got a lot more court time than usual. They worked together and shared the scoring. They cooperated to add defensive pressure.

Often photographers running their own business think it’s a one person show. It’s not. You are in control like the coach was last night, but you are not the only one contributing.

Who are the team mates who help drive your business? An accountant? A second shooter? A model? Someone to do your post production work? A mentor? A ‘go to’ person who knows how to help you out of a creative rut? A partner to do your print jobs? A strong team is key – even in a ‘one person’ business. Teamwork matters – build a strong team.

Tip #4. There are hurdles to overcome.

Last night, one of the dad’s couldn’t come to the game. I sent him messages every few minutes to keep him up to date with the score. When I look back at those messages, we were behind, 8-3, then 12-10 at quarter time, 22-18 at half time, and we were tied 31-31 at three quarter time. The first time we hit the lead was 36-35 with 4 minutes left. With 1 min 16 seconds left we were up 40-36, then 40-38, and with 2 free throws with 8 seconds left we won 42-38.

Just like in a photography business, they didn’t have it easy. The other team were tough. They had to persevere. And like a determined group of under 12 basketballers, there will be hurdles to overcome in your photography business. It’s easy to give up. Don’t. Expect hurdles and keep going.

Tip #5. It’s Important to be adaptable.

In the basketball team we have 2 tall players, and typically one is on the court while the other rests. Given the early foul trouble to other players they both needed to be on the court at the same time last night. The team adapted (and got a few more rebounds!) As a working photographer you also need to be adaptable.

Your path to success might not be exactly as you originally thought. You might have to shoot some local events and build a network before the high paying weddings start rolling in. You might need to shoot some corporate portraits before celebrities are knocking on your door. Be adaptable and be patient. Sometimes business success avoids the highway and takes the scenic route.

Tip #6. Success is very sweet when you have to work for it.

This basketball team has had more losses than wins so far. But the look of satisfaction on the girls faces last night showed how much it meant to overcome a strong team and come away with a win. They had to work for it. The stadium was hot, and there were some very tired kids at the end of the game. But there were some very satisfied looking kids. They had achieved something important.

And in our photography businesses, it won’t be easy. Success after struggle is very satisfying. If you are currently struggling, re-visit the five previous lessons, and trust that success is coming. When it does arrive it will be sweet.

Thanks for reading 6 photography business tips from the under 12’s. Remember that whether you have had a good week or a bad week, there are lessons to learn to take forward into next week. Like the under 12’s, your next opportunity is already looming. Be ready for it. Happy shooting.

Editors Note: if this post has been helpful to you, please see How to Start a Photography Business. This is put together by ShootDotEdit. I’ve been using their post production services for my wedding clients for several years now. Their work is a huge time saver for my business and helps streamline my wedding photography workflow. In addition, they compile a really helpful blog with lots of content for photography business owners. The post I’ve linked outlines 4 ways to prepare your photography business for growth. Check it out!

5 Productivity Killers to Avoid

A photographers workflow is key to business success. A well organised and efficient workflow sees them getting jobs completed and delivered to clients – allowing time to find more clients and shoot more jobs. As I work with photographers to improve their businesses, I see weaknesses in their workflows which hold them back from booking and shooting more jobs. It’s ironic – they are struggling with booking more jobs, because they are captive to an inefficient workflow. Check out the 5 productivity killers to avoid.

Using your time well is key to an efficient workflow

Productivity Killer 1. Believing That All Time Spent on Social Media is Productive. Social media is very, very important to most modern day photographers, but how you use it is key. When I hear from photographers that they have spent all day working on their marketing I ask what they have achieved. Too often, it has really been hours surfing on social media. Staying connected with friends and topics of interest is fun and important, but does not generate income for your business. Make sure your business social media time is effective, not glorified time wasting.

Productivity Killer 2. Sitting at A Computer with No Objective. It is really easy for today’s photographer to sit down at their laptop or tablet and get very little done. I see it with nearly every photographer I talk to about their business. It seems to come from the idea that ‘being busy is good’, and ‘I must work on my business’. I see people talking about working on their business when the reality is they have no objective and no outcome. So what’s the alternative? Before you sit down with that coffee and your laptop decide ‘in the next 2 hours I am going to finish editing last Wednesday’s family portrait shoot’. Sitting at a computer without an objective is likely to be a time waster and enthusiasm killer. Set an objective. Get it done. Complete. Deliver. Bill. Next please.

Set the task, set the time frame. Get it done.

Productivity Killer 3. Spending Too Long Editing Images. Editing images is a really easy way to fill the week, especially when you haven’t got any other jobs to shoot. Sound familiar? Running a successful business is about getting jobs shot, edited, packaged, delivered, and billed. It’s not about spending 70 hours a week working hard and not making a return. Do yourself and your business a favor – get into the habit of getting jobs completed promptly. Give yourself time to find more clients. Too long editing images is not the way to make a strong business.

Time really is money. Refine your workflow and spend more time finding clients

Productivity Killer 4. Allowing Distractions to Your Workflow. This productivity killer sits right along side numbers 1, 2 and 3.

Most of the photographers I work with are running owner / operator businesses from their home. Working from home has advantages, mainly the commute from the bedroom to the lounge room. And it has disadvantages – like household jobs and the kitchen being just a short walk away.

To minimize distractions – create a work space where you work, not one where you sit and then get side tracked. Make it separate from your living space. Know that when you go there, it’s to get your business moving.

Don’t allow distractions to slow your business. There’s thousands of potential clients waiting for you to get out and meet them!

Productivity Killer 5. Using Multiple Devices at Once. I’ve been amazed to find photographers allowing their workflow to be interrupted. And more amazed at how they do it. One of my photographer clients regularly sits down in his ‘editing time’ with his laptop open, his smart phone alongside, and his ipad next to him. He doesn’t want to miss a message or a phone call while he edits. Needless to say, he is not efficient at getting jobs completed, delivered, and billed. Then he suffers by not having enough clients. Focus is needed. Don’t let multiple devices distract you.

Thanks for reading 5 productivity killers to avoid. Let’s focus and get the job done.

7 More Questions for Photographers Going into Business

I wrote this post for photographers considering getting into the business of photography. It outlines key questions to ask when you are getting up and running. This week I have spoken with two readers of Beyond Here who are in the early stages of their photography businesses. It prompted me to consider other questions which you should consider when you are starting out. Here are 7 more questions for photographers going into business.

Define what success looks like so you can see business danger coming

1. What does success look like? To know how you are going you first need to decide what success looks like. To do that, I suggest you break it into 3 sub questions.

1a. What income do you want to generate? This is the financial measure of how the business is performing. It gives you a point to focus on. Regardless of how busy you are, and whether you are enjoying the type of photography you are doing – this measure answers the question – is my business financially successful? An example might be – in you first year of operation you would like to make a profit (revenue less costs) of $30,000.

1b. How do you want to spend your day? Think about what balance you would like between shooting, editing, marketing, delivering product, taking time off, having a holiday and other responsibilities in your life. This question will determine whether your business is meeting your lifestyle needs.

Keep focused. If you are a wildlife shooter, don’t let other work distract you

1c. What type of photography work do you want to do? This is a really important question. It will help determine whether your business is meeting your artistic need.

Let’s take an exaggerated example. Imagine you got into business because you love landscape images. Then you are asked to shoot a friends wedding. You do a good job and referral business rolls in. Soon, you are spending 2 weekends per month shooting weddings when you got into business to enjoy the great outdoors and shoot nature images.

Determine the type of work you want to be doing to help you stay focused.

It’s okay for a landscape photographer to shoot an occasional wedding – just don’t let those occasional jobs take over your business.

Define what your ideal client looks like.

2. What does your ideal client look like? Define what type of client you are looking for and your marketing will become more focused and effective. Consider the difference between – ‘my ideal client would like family portraits’ with ‘my ideal client is a family. The parents are in their thirties and work in professional roles. They live in an upper-middle class area in the eastern suburbs. They own their own home and appreciate the value of fine family portraits to hang on the walls. They have 2 children, one in primary school and one in pre school.’

3. What hours are you prepared to put into the business? This is where the line between hobbyist and business owner becomes clear. The successful business owner is clear on the number of hours they are prepared to put into the business – and will work those hours even if they “don’t feel like it”. The hobbyist will focus on other activities until their ‘phojo’ comes back. That’s not a criticism of the hobbyist – its that the business success is very important to the business owner and they are prepared to keep working at it.

4. How much do you need to charge per job? This is a simple calculation but is often overlooked. If you are planning to generate an income of $2500 per month and anticipate shooting 10 jobs per month – you need to charge enough to make a profit (revenue less expenses) of $250 per job. Yes, the calculation is that simple. Make sure you do it.

Getting started in a photography business is a very exciting time. If you are clear on the answers to these questions you are well ahead of most. At this early stage of your business its about being clear about what success looks like and having goals to keep you focused. Thanks for reading 7 more questions for photographers going into business. Go find some of those ideal clients!