Photography Business: 7 Steps To Make Today Your Independence Day

Today is Independence Day here in the United States and, although I feel a little strange celebrating it (I am British after all!), I can certainly understand the great significance of the day, and can enjoy the food and fireworks along with everyone else.

This got me thinking about the basic concept of independence, and what it means for those of us in business for ourselves. If anything, running a business is one of the greatest embodiments of “independence“, and I know that many people wish for the day when they can give up their “day job” to become an independent business owner.

The Ups (And Downs) Of Business Independence Can Be Yours

The feeling of independence one gets from running a successful business is not something that can easily be quantified. Being your own boss, not having to suffer the plague of office politics, creating your own schedule, working from home, and being the captain of your own ship are all wonderful compensations for taking the plunge into the world of running your own photography studio (whether from home or from a brick and mortar retail space).

Of course, there are downsides to the arrangement too; being responsible for your own success or failure, having to do a multitude of jobs, putting in seemingly more hours than actually exist in a work week, learning how to market, figuring out how to sell, to name but a few…

However, for those willing to invest in their own personal growth, I believe the rewards far outweigh the small sacrifices required, and I would encourage anyone with a passion for what they do, and a strong drive to be in business, to give it a go.

7 Steps To Your Own Business Independence

So what advice can I offer someone considering making a move into the business of professional photography? Here are seven areas I feel are important to take into account before making the transition to a full-time business:

• Don’t jump in lightly
• Master the technicalities
• Choose a specialty or niche market
• Conquer your own psychology
• Understand how to price your work for profit
• Learn the best practices of marketing and sales
• Develop your client relationships

#1: Don’t Jump In Lightly

Most professional photographers start out life as dedicated amateurs, and then go pro as and when they feel that the time is right for them to do so. This can be a double-edged sword, as it can be tempting to jump in too soon, and risk going off half-cocked, or conversely you can find yourself in a continuous state of procrastination, waiting for the perfect time to come along.

The truth is that there is no perfect time for anything in life, let alone starting a business. No matter how long you wait, there will always be something to prevent you from making the move, keeping you exactly where you are.

The secret is knowing when you are ready, when you feel that the risks can be sufficiently well justified and managed, and that the time is ripe for you to start to get serious about becoming a true professional photographer.

The question is, “how will you know when that time has come?” Only you can answer that one, as it relates specifically to you, your personal life, your tolerance for risk, and your own particular business.

I believe that, if you are constantly aware of where you are, what your goals are, how far along the path you’ve gone, and if you keep your finger on the pulse of your life, then you will instinctively know when the time is right for you.

#2: Master The Technicalities

Before you can call yourself a professional photographer you must first have a good understanding of the technical aspects of the trade. I’ve lost count of the number of photographers who don’t know the basics of exposure, lighting, posing, composition, digital editing, printing etc.

I’ve seen people who seriously want to know how to book weddings, yet have no idea of how to create a good exposure or use flash lighting (on or off camera). Using someone’s real wedding is not the way to practice your skills!

There are more than enough instructors and resources around on these topics, so take advantage of them.

One of the best resources I’ve found is PhotoVision, a bi-monthly DVD that explores a wide range of topics of interest to the professional photographer. Each issue is packed with videos on wedding photography, portrait techniques, interviews, marketing & sales advice. I always look forward to every issue, and come away with new ideas and things to try. If you aren’t already a subscriber then you can get it for the amazing price of only $49 per year. Just click on the banner below and use the promo code “PVFAN” to save $150:

#3: Choose A Specialty Or Niche Market

Being truly successful in the photography business requires that you focus on a niche market, for which you can become known in your community. That doesn’t mean that you can’t take on other photography projects too, but you should have something that forms an anchor, if you like, to all your marketing.

But what niche should you choose?

That depends very much upon where your passions lie. If you don’t know the full answer to that yet, then you should try to narrow it down as much as possible. This will require that you be totally honest with yourself and not fall prey to the idea that you can be good at everything, just because you love photography for photography’s sake.

Perhaps you have a special affinity for the romance and excitement of weddings, or you love the challenges that come with photographing small children. Celebrating families through traditional portraiture might be the thing for you, or maybe you are in love with the energy of creating senior portraits.

Whatever you choose, you should aim to put your own mark and style on it, to make it your own, and distinguish yourself as much as possible from the other photographers in your area.

#4: Conquer Your Own Psychology

This is a big one! Often, we are our own worst enemy, in business as in life. Before you go into business for yourself, you should sit down and try to identify those areas of your psychology where you are strongest, and those where you are weakest.

For example, you might have a mental block around the idea of asking people for money, or even presenting your work to them in the first place. You might be great at presenting your marketing ideas on paper or online, but have issues when it comes to talking to people on the telephone or in the salesroom.

This is an area where you will definitely want to hire a business coach to help you work through these potential minefields. Until you do so, you run the risk of sabotaging your business from the inside through toxic behavior or procrastination.

Don’t underestimate the power of this step to either make or break your business!

#5: Understand How To Price Your Work For Profit

Pricing causes more headaches in the photography business than anything else. For some reason, photographers everywhere struggle like crazy when it comes to preparing their price lists, and they are usually found constantly tweaking and updating their prices when they should focus instead on their sales skills!

You must bear in mind that you are in business to make money, and to generate a profit. You are not there to alleviate people’s discomfort about paying the prices you’re asking by offering constant sales and discounts, or caving in to the complaints of your clients about high prices. Believe me when I say that some of your clients will complain no matter what you charge, so you may as well give them something to complain about!

The key to pricing your work effectively is to know your costs of sales, and how much revenue you need to generate in a year to make the profit you want. From those two things, you can easily work out how many sessions you need to book, and at what average sale, in order to be profitable.

The next step is to then get out there and market yourself accordingly!

#6: Learn The Best Practices Of Marketing & Sales

Where can I start here? I know that many photographers got into the business to avoid having to work in the corporate world, or because they specifically didn’t want to be marketers or sellers. The bad news is that being a professional photographer means that you are a marketer and seller. There are no ifs or buts about it, you are in the business of marketing your work as a photographer, persuading people to hire you, and then selling them the end result of your creative talents.

To that end, you need to learn how to market and sell effectively. No marketing means no clients. No sales means no revenue, which means no business.

Marketing and sales are actually fun, when done properly and with the correct mindset. Manipulation and trickery are out, while helping people get what they want is in.

Again, there are plenty of resources around to help in this area, so take advantage of them to learn the skills you need to be a successful marketer and seller.

#7: Develop Your Client Relationships

Lastly, in order to stay in business, you will need to develop your client relationships and ensure that you keep in touch with them long after you’ve made that initial sale. That means keeping up with them through social media, connecting with them through a regular email newsletter, and letting them know that they are appreciated with thank you cards, occasional gifts and holiday cards etc.

Group Q&A Opportunity For Emerging Professionals

I can’t possibly hope to answer in this short article all the questions and potential issues that face a photographer who happens to be considering making the jump into the professional photography business. There are simply too many questions out there, and many of them are unique to the individual asking them.

So, I would love to put together a live Q&A session, which we can record and add to the blog at some future point for both yourself and others to benefit from.

Is this something you might be interested in participating in, to help answer your most pressing questions about getting started in the photography business?

If so, then head over to the Group Coaching Q&A page and sign up NOW for this FREE Q&A call – I will only be taking the first 7 people to sign up, and then registration will close, so hurry!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below, too, and let me know if you found the article useful. In the meantime, happy July 4th and all the best to you in your endeavors wherever you are.

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