What are the tough lessons one should know before starting a photography business?
The hardest lesson I learned when starting my own photography business was that there is no room for error. When you're first starting out, you're bound to make mistakes. But in the world of business, those mistakes can be costly.
I remember when I first started my photography business, I made a mistake with one of my clients that cost me a lot of money. I was new to the whole sales process and didn't know how to properly communicate with my client. As a result, the client was frustrated and I ended up losing money to make the client happy.
It was a hard lesson to learn, but it's one that I'll never forget. Now, I always make sure that I communicate clearly with my clients from the start, so that there are no surprises down the line. If you're thinking about starting your own photography business, just remember to keep communication open and honest from the very beginning. Having welcome packets that communicate the next steps and show your pricing will help ease any potential problems down the road.
What are some of the top difficulties I faced on this journey?
Starting my own photography business was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I learned so many new things and made so many difficult decisions. Here are some of the top difficulties I faced on this journey:
1. Learning the business side of things: I had to learn about not only photography and lighting, but marketing, sales, social media, branding, accounting, and a whole host of other business-related topics that I knew nothing about before starting my own photography business.
2. Making tough decisions: From deciding what kind of photography business to start, to choosing which clients to work with, there were a lot of tough decisions that I had to make along the way.
3. Managing my time: Once I started getting busy with bookings and shoots, it was a challenge to manage my time effectively and ensure that I was still able to produce high-quality work.
4. Overcoming self-doubt: There were many times when I doubted my ability to succeed as a photographer. It was only through perseverance, endless training with mentors, and a lot of hard work that I overcame these doubts and built a successful photography business.
How did I deal with these challenges and learn from them?
When I started my photography business, I quickly learned that there were a lot of challenges that came with being a self-employed photographer. From managing my finances to dealing with difficult clients, I felt like giving up plenty of times. However, I'm glad that I didn't give up because I've learned so much from these challenges.
When you're self-employed, there's no one to help you keep track of expenses and income. I quickly realized that I needed to be organized with my finances if I wanted my business to succeed. It was challenging at first, but I eventually got the hang of it with the help of great software and training, and now it's way less stressful.
Another difficult lesson I learned was how to deal with difficult clients. As a photographer, you will inevitably run into clients who are unhappy with your work or who are just plain difficult to work with. Learning how to handle these clients professionally and efficiently is essential for any photographer who wants to succeed.
These are just a few of the hardest lessons I learned when starting my own photography business.
What would have made this experience easier?
Starting my own photography business would have been a lot easier if I knew then what I know now. I would have been better prepared for the challenges and obstacles that I faced, and I would have had a clearer idea of what I wanted to achieve. Here are some of the things that would have made this experience easier:
1. Investing in quality education: Learning is essential in any business, especially photography. Getting connected with other photographers and industry professionals would have helped me learn more about the business and find opportunities for growth. Education costs money, so when I was new, I wanted to try and learn as much as I could spending as little as possible. In the long run, this cost me time and more money that I left on the table if I had invested in quality education upfront.
2. Planning ahead: Another thing I wish I had done before starting my business is to plan ahead more. Having a clear plan and goals set from the beginning would have helped me stay on track and avoid making costly mistakes.
3. Don’t overspend on equipment: We are creatives; we see a shiny new technique and think if we purchase that new light, camera, or lens, that will make us a better photographer. So we drop cash on that shiny new light, and it doesn’t change what we create. Instead, you are better off investing in quality business education so that you can learn how to market and sell your images better. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m always working to improve my photography skills but only after mastering the skill of sales first.
My Final Thoughts
After starting my own photography business, I've learned a lot of lessons - some hard, some easy. But of all the lessons I've learned, the hardest one was also the most important.
No matter how passionate you are about photography, running a business is tough. There are a lot of moving parts and it's easy to get bogged down in the details. It's important to remember that your business is only as strong as its weakest link.
Your business can quickly become a money pit if you're not careful. You have to be mindful of every penny you're spending and be sure that each expense is justified. There are a lot of tempting products and services out there that can quickly eat into your profits if you're not careful.
The most important lesson I learned was to always keep an eye on the bottom line. No matter how much I love photography, at the end of the day, it's still a business and I need to make sure it's profitable. This has been the hardest lesson for me to learn, but it's also been the most important.
SU Insiders
Are you interested in learning more about running a successful photography business? Do you want the fast track to success and avoid the problems I faced above? If you said heck yeah then, check out SU Insiders where I cover marketing, sales, social media, shooting, editing, and much more with the monthly live training!
Learn more here: SU Insiders
3 Comments
Aug 11, 2024, 8:39:25 AM
Sharon Christensen - Curious as to what you offer.
Jan 19, 2024, 9:26:57 PM
Kelly - Thanks Dan! You are a huge inspiration and I so appreciate your training. I have learned so much from you on this journey I'm on.
Apr 29, 2022, 10:23:07 AM
Lisa Lincoln - I’m supposed to leave a comment 🤷🏼♀️ 😃