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My wife is working on starting a home based photography business.? |
The key behind the business is: she comes to you. She will bring her camera and other equipment and take the pictures in your home, or a park or other desired locations. We are located in the Midwest. My question is do you think this is a good idea and please offer suggestions as to what else she can offer or other advice on photography ? Sorry to say - this is nothing new. This is an option most photographer will offer. Don't get me wrong but this is how most new photography business starts (because of the lack of studio space). When you start you will be tempted to offer lower and lower price. Competing with price is a sure way to starve yourself. Compete by offering more and more service (for a price that you can live with). If you make too little money then you will go out of business too soon. Always give something that cost you little or nothing (in material) but has value to your client. I have Epson R1800 that I can create top quality prints. And enlargement can cost the client as much as $200. But if I want to sweeten the deal, I can throw in a enlargement (costing me just $5). But that's not "free". That's money I could have made later (on after sale deal). What I would do is throw in a regular enlargement (8x10) then after the deal, I would offer upgrade to large 13x19 for few more $$$. That way I can make even more money than no sales. People love upgrades. Don't give away the high resolution image on disc. This is a common mistake. Give lower resolution (if you must) for 4x6 prints - or smaller. It is better to include 5 or 10 small prints - than to give away the files. You are actually doing them a favor. Many family would walk away with the CD and then eventually never get around to printing them (you will be surprised as to how many people call back later and ask for duplicated because they scratched or lost the CD, etc.) Or worse get it printed at walmart and then blame you for poor prints. But make them return for the higher resolution. Few months or years later, call them up and say that you are re-organizing your files. If they want re-prints, then this is the time (or they can buy the high-res image files for some large figure). Nobody want their children picture thrown out. And nobody wants to spend thousands of $$ per image files. Go to the book store and get some books on the BUSINESS of photography (you'll know it because they will have NO pictures - even though they are in the photography section.) http://www.amazon.com/how-start-home-bas... http://www.amazon.com/photography-focus-... Remember you are in BUSINESS and photography just happens to be service. If you think that just good photography will get your business running, you can close your business today. Many good photographer goes hungry because they are not good businessmen. === I would suggest you stay away from wedding for a while. It is somebody's once in a life time event. But visit Gary Fongs website and listen to his advice. http://www.garyfong.com/ Good Luck. === Don't forget to vote for the BEST ANSWER - please - whoever it may be. FACT: You also get +3 points when you vote for BEST ANSWER I think that's a wonderful and original idea. Most photographers kinda demand the people go to their studio. But if customers know they can just relax in their own homes while she takes pictures, that's a major selling point. I just hope she's equipped and has the money to handle travelling and using locations she's not familiar with. She's going to have to keep herself on her toes. It's a good idea...but not a new one! I've done it for years. The only advice I can give is Advertise, Advertise, Advertise!! Let people know you are out there! It can be expensive, but they can't hire you if they don't know you are there1 It sounds like a good idea, you really do need to be Mobil even if you have a studio. She will need portable backdrops along with her lighting needs. A high gas mileage car to save on fuel costs and I would look into being bonded also. She can offer to shoot portraits, weddings and other events, catalog items for insurance purposes and items for sale in on-line auctions, kids, pets, virtual tours, vehicles for auto trader type magazines, websites, theres a lot to offer. I would recommend digital, a laptop with the ability to download the pics on site and current version of photoshop for editing. My only concern would be there are a lot of weird people in the world and going to a place and not knowing who you are going to meet up with when you get there. You might want to consider the Remington Steel approach by using a mans name so it seems like they are getting a male photographer, or just initials in the name so they don't know who they are getting. She needs to be vigilant at all times, maybe a male assistant. At the very least always let someone, like you know where she is going and who she is meeting, careful records of all jobs. Well, first. Does she know photography well enough to do a proper job. I am assuming she does. There are things to do to make bureacrats happy, and prevent problems down the road, ie., paying taxes as a contractor, state mandated workers comp insurance, etc... If she is going to be moving a lot of equipment with each job, she may want to get some insurance coverage, just in case it gets hit some real bad luck. If she is good enough (and mobile), she can do school portraits, corporate sets (employee of the month, to photographing new construction, marketing concepts, etc...), or group activitys, scouting, group rock climbing, whatever... SHe should develope her own marketing materials, as a mini-portfolio, and personally contact as many people as possible, from company owners, marketing/personel managers, chambers of commerce, etc..., and do as many local area meet and greets as possible, to network. Until she gets established, develope some sort of "referral plan" to help promote her business. She should do model portfolio developement, and work with other photogs, models, makeup artists, hair stylists, designers, etc... Work with developors to shoot their model homes. Get to know your local newspaper editors, governement dweebs, etc... You never know when those contacts may come in handy. |
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