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Starting A Photography Business from Home
Author: Roy Barker
You can search for hours and still not get the information
you're seeking when you want to do something as important as
starting a photography business. Keep in mind that some of the
photography businesses that you can specialize in, may have
varying requirements and you would do well to remember this once
you have read this article and want to learn a little more on
each of the photographic areas. With this in mind, I have
supplied a free report which you can access from my site later.
Almost anyone with the right camera equipment, and the necessary
skills can set up a home business, marketing photography. You
need only to convert a room of your house into an office, and
then you can work immediately.
Because you have modern technology in the form of SLR digital
cameras, you do not even need the room for a dark room. You need
only to have a personal computer and a photo-editing program.
The standard is Adobe Photoshop.
Don't clutter yourself with equipment you do not need. You can
hire equipment on and when you need it basis. You have the
freedom to work part time for a while until you can devote
yourself full time to photography. All you need to be is a
serious photographer. There are two types of photographers that
makes their living from photography, the serious photographer
and the very serious photographer. You can always bookmark this
link and then you can quickly access just about all you'll ever
need from here.
Whilst the technical skills needed to make a successful
photographer have never been easier, other aspects have changed
the business. The market for photographs of virtually every type
has widened, the world seems to have an insatiable appetite for
photographs. However the price has fallen as the marketing net
has broadened. Photographers are needed in many more fields. For
instance many people use car web sites, they simply did not
exist ten years ago, and they sell their products as a result of
photography. Cameras used by scuba diver's are now an excellent
quality, and whilst they are initially expensive, they have
forged a new market. People celebrate special occasions more
with photography, than they did years ago. The travel and
advertising markets have a greater need for landscape, travel
and nature shots.
It is now easier than ever to turn your dream into reality and
create a worthwhile business out of an engrossing hobby. However
in today's modern world there is more to it than simply pointing
a camera, and shooting a picture. You need to be aware of
marketing techniques, and here marketing simply means
transferring ownership of a product, in this case an image from
a buyer to seller. You also need to be aware of any local gaps
in the market in your local area. You should also try to be on
top of your competitor's prices, to undercut an existing
photographer is one choice, but to neglect to value your skills
and not charge enough to cover your overheads is another matter
entirely. Remember this, its an important point.
Use your skills to the best advantage of the business and define
what you want from it. Writing a business plan helps to keep you
focused on the areas you specifically want to exploit. A
business plan helps you to define your goals and strategies, it
will be changed and updated, but it will help you, to keep
things in perspective. You can then refer back to it when things
become confusing or complicated. Every one's business plan will
be different, as every objective will be different, but there
are certain common factors that make up a good business plan
which will help your business grow. It allows you to develop a
professional attitude to your business, which not only helps you
to increase your earnings, but also help you to finance your
business.
For the photographer it should include, your business name, or
your own, with full details of the proposed location of the
business, a copy of your logo, as well as details of your
copyright notices. What is the form of your proposed business
(sole ownership, partnership, Limited Liability Company or
Corporation). This should be followed by a table of contents,
which focuses on a logical order. There are resources that will
give you further details on such as
http://profitable-photography.com
Included after this should be the type of business you intend to
pursue, in a fair amount of detail, and it should contain the
services you intend to offer. This section should include any
future gaols or avenues you would like to explore, stating your
clear objectives. This is so you can check at a later date
whether your objectives are on course, or if you have got
sidetracked.
If you envisage at any time you may need financial help, then
you should include your personal business history.
You should also state a clear and concise marketing plan that
should demonstrate how your business will differentiate from the
businesses of your competitors. You should be able to establish
whom your customers will be, as well as where your market will
be, as in wholesale or retail or a combination of both. You
should also be able to determine how long this type of market
will be available to yourself.
The next section should clearly define your opposition, as well
as their strengths and weaknesses. This should include the ways
you may be able to exploit any gaps in the market in the
specific area where you live. A section should follow this on
how you intend to market and promote your individual services.
A financial segment should be included as to how you intend to
manage the day-to-day bills of the business. How you intend to
price your services, and what factors influence this pricing
structure, which includes a section on your competitor's
financial structures. This means a fair amount of detective work
as well as homework. Get your friends to ask from quotes from
the local competition. Or try an even more direct approach, tell
your competitor?s that you intend to start a new business, and
that you do not want to undercut them, as this reduces the cake
for everyone. They may well offer to help you construct a
pricing structure that ensures everyone?s livelihood. It is in
their interests to help. Not everyone will be cooperative, but
it may mean you can get a truer picture of the market factors
that govern your area.
Make a list of all the equipment you will need in your first
year, as well as how and where you intend to purchase. Note any
difficulties that may arise in obtaining your supplies. Note
whether the prices of your supplies have a seasonal fluctuation,
that may help you influence you when to buy. You should make a
note of any local licenses that will be necessary, as well as
any zoning restrictions, that may restrict the growth of your
business. Your neighbours may not be thrilled at a procession of
customer?s to your door, check whether they can restrict your
services. Make a study of all your business insurance
requirements.
The final segment should be devoted to how you intend to finance
the growth of your business, as well as isolating what your
financial needs will be. This should include a projection on
your future earnings, as well as an accurate assessment of your
outgoings?. This should be assessed on a monthly basis for the
first year, and on an annual basis for the following three
years. An important aspect of the financial statement is an
assessment of the break-even point of your business, in other
words the minimum you will have to take to pay your expenses.
The purpose of this documentation is to allow you to enunciate
what the core elements of your business will be, in doing this
it should help you to be able to quickly evaluate the success of
your business objectives. If you are not clear on your
objectives then you cannot possibly make a plan to bring about
the success of those objectives. Roy Barker often writes and
works closely with Start A Photography Business. This site is
dedicated to coaching you in starting your own photography
business but places a strong emphasis on profitability issues &
guidelines. You can access photography resources (some free)
from Digital Photography If you seek further guides, tips,
articles and news, you can go to
http://www.photography-business-tips.com which has a
Photographers Forum for an exchange of views with other
photographers.
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