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Start a Photography Business from Home
Copyright 2005 Roy Barker
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.
With 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.
It is not necessary to 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 divers 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 competitors 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.
Everyone'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
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 goals 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
competitors 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 competitors 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 everyones 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 customers 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.
About the Author
Publisher & author: Roy Barker. Further details and help can
be found in Roy's site at http://www.profitable-photography.com.
Other related information and research sources can be found
at http://www.profitable-photography.com/html/117/
Written By: Roy Barker
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