If I had to start a photography business today I would do a few things differently. With age comes wisdom and the same is true in business– you learn as you grow. After over a dozen years in the wedding and portrait photography business, I’ve learned a thing or two– thousand. So if you’re here because you would like to start a photography business and have no idea where to start, that’s why I’m here! I’m sharing the three things that I would do if I was restarting my photography business today to help you get started on the right foot.
Three Things I Would Do if I Were to Start a Photography Business Today
1. Take a business course/Hire a business coach.
Here’s why I would start off with a class/course/coach – running a business is HARD. It’s even harder when you’re doing trial and error instead of having an actual business plan. But if you never learned how to do that, you won’t know what to do. I learned how to run my photography business with a lot of trial and error. While I don’t regret learning as I went, because sometimes it’s best to get off the fence and start doing, I do wish I would have had some resources to help me create a business plan and actionable items.
Side note: It’s why I LOVE Roadmap to Riches so much. I wish I would have had this course available when I decided to start a photography business because the first few modules cover all the things that I learned I should have done before even opening up my calendar for sessions! If you’re interested, you can click here for more information or you can always send me an email with the subject line: “BIZ COURSE”.
2. Treat it like a business not a hobby that makes money.
What I mean is– SET BOUNDARIES WELL! When you start a photography business you tend to make yourself available because you want to book clients. But in the long run, it’s going to hurt you. Just like if you work a 9-5, you clock out and *hopefully* leave work at the office, you need to do the same thing here to maintain a healthy work/life balance. This will look different for everyone, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you what boundaries you should set, but I highly recommend these two to get started: set business hours and decide how you will communicate. Your emails can wait till the morning and you truly don’t need every client texting you past your office hours asking for a specific edit or when they’ll get their images. I promise!
3. Build a team early.
I know it’s scary to hire someone else when the business can’t entirely cover the cost, but let me tell you, IT’S WORTH IT. If I were to start a photography business today, I would hire outside help as soon as I could manage. Virtual assistants weren’t a thing when I started my biz, so I give myself grace for that. But because I didn’t see the value in having someone help me, I spent a lot of time working in my business instead of on my business. And trust me, there IS a difference. When you’re working in your business, you’re setting up workflows, scheduling social media posts, you’re doing the things that take time away from working on your business– photography business way “BOOKING CLIENTS”. The other steps are necessary for your business though– so build your team early.
I know I said I had three things to share with you as you start a photography business, but I do have one more piece of advice to keep close:
Have patience and be realistic
Unfortunately our passion and excitement doesn’t translate into instant success. I wish it would, but so far, I haven’t figured out how to do that. So until we do, remember to set realistic goals and be patient as you start your photography business!
Now that you’re armed with what I would do differently if I were to start a photography business (or any business really), I hope they help you get started on the right foot! Starting a business is not for the faint of heart, but I’m here to be your cheerleader if you decide to do it!
Want to know more about that business course I wish I would have had years ago? Click the image below to get started!
