So, you’re ready to start your own photography business? At The Insurance Emporium, we love when people can turn their hobbies and passions into part-time money makers or full-time careers! Starting out on your journey to setting up your own photography business can be daunting, but don’t lose focus! It’s the first step in a truly magical adventure. Read on to find out our top tips on how to develop your photography career.
What Kind of Photography?
An important first step is working out what kind of photography you’ll be specialising in. Will you work for property developers and estate agents, capturing the interiors of homes? How about working for magazines dealing with specialist topics, or even a food photographer? You could also consider non-business photography, like portraits, weddings, and family photoshoots. Just remember, there’s a lot of competition, so make sure you carve out your niche early on!
Plan, plan, plan!
If you’re serious about stepping up your hobby to a part-time, or even full-time business, you’ll need a business plan! Make sure it’s comprehensive. Cover setup costs, expenses, cash flow. How much are you going to charge? You could spend around three hours editing for every hour spent shooting, so don’t sell yourself short! And remember your personal finances – you still need to put food on the table! Without a proper business plan, your venture could be over before it begins.
Setup Costs
There can be some pretty hefty setup fees with photography. You’ll want at least two cameras – which could easily cost you over £1,500 each, depending on your specifications. You’ll probably want to set aside around £10,000 in total. This might sound like a big number, but there’s a few ways to get around it. You may already own much of the equipment you’ll need. If you’re a hobbyist, you’re bound to have at least one camera! You could also buy second-hand equipment to crop even more off that £10,000. Just remember, don’t spend £8,000 on a lens if you’re not making any money yet!
Create a Name
Once you’ve figured out your setup costs and business plan, you’ll need to name your business. This could be as simple as “Your Name Photography”. Bonus points if your name is “Your Name”! If you want to get a little more ambitious with your nomenclature, just remember to keep the name relevant. Corporate photographers will want their name and branding different to wedding and family photographers, for example. Make sure your branding is eye-catching to your target audience!
Marketing
Once you’re all set up, you’ll need to drum up some business. Luckily, as a photographer, you create your own marketing assets! Prove your services are good enough to charge for, with online and physical portfolios of your work. Social media will be your best friend when looking for new leads, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in a great website. A quality website will act as a professional online storefront for your services, making you seem more professional to potential customers. And lastly, network, network, network! Make sure you’re putting your business in front of new people and talking to potential customers whenever possible, either online, or in person!
Are you looking to turn your hobby into a part-time or even full-time career? You could benefit from taking out camera insurance. You could benefit from a 25% Introductory Discount* when you take out either an Amateur & Semi-Professional, or a Professional Camera Insurance policy. Head on down to The Insurance Emporium to find out more!
* The 25% Introductory Discount is available for the first 12 premium payments on lunar and calendar monthly policies or one premium payment on annual policies.
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