Getting Started in Photography - 10 Steps to Jump-Start Your Photography Business

Getting Started in Photography - 10 Steps to Jump-Start Your Photography Business

Here are ten key steps to start and grow a profitable, debt-free photography business.

1. Practice!  Keep a camera with you all of the time.  Study other photographers and try to emulate images that you love.  Spend time learning basic and advanced image editing.  Learn your camera in and out, and practice with settings and modes that you don't normally use.  Take advantage of free and low cost photography blogs and web sites.  Consider joining PPA, WPPI, SEP or a local photography group or club.  Make a list of 50 things you want to do with your photography and try to cross of one item each week.

2. Define Your Business. Create a business name and get some cards printed up.  You can get several hundred cards for under .  Do your web research to make sure you aren't choosing a name that is already used.

3. Define Your Finances. Get a separate business checking account.  You will want to completely separate your business financial activities from your personal finances.  Get online banking so you can check your balances.  Keep a spreadsheet at home or use a program like Quicken to track and record your expenses.

4. Get online.  Hosting a website is not expensive.  You can purchase great photography web templates for under 0.  Create and feed a blog.  Get on Facebook and create a business page.  Search for and join web-based business locators like Merchant Circle and Google Local Listings.  Create coupons and special offers to draw in customers.

5. Define your target market, both geographically and demographically.  What kind of work do you want to be known for?  Seniors?  Weddings? Landscape?  What other work would you take?  Draw three columns on a sheet of paper.  In the first, note the kind of work you would love to do; in the second, what you would be OK doing, and in the third, what you would rather not do.  It will help you formulate your mission and marketing messages.

6. Set Your Prices. Define your value proposition to your customers.  You can't give work away, or undercut everyone, or you'll go out of business.  If you factor in your time and the cost of everything to keep your business running once you get established, you will understand why prints cost what they do from other professionals.  Benchmark your competition and understand their pricing and offerings.  It's better to be in their range but not highest or lowest as you are getting started.  If you price cheap, people will undervalue your contributions and as you grow it will be harder to command the prices you need to be profitable.  It's OK and expected to change pricing.

7. Spread the word.  Read "Guerilla Marketing" books by Jay Levinson, and "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin.  Blog like crazy.  Study "Search Engine Optimization" to make your web's page rank higher.  Look for ways to generate publicity.  Approach family, friends, co-workers and people in church for special "starter" sessions.  Offer your customers rewards for referrals.

8. Develop Partnerships.  Create cooperative relationships with local businesses, nonprofits, schools, churches and other organizations.  Become their "go-to" person for event photography and promotional photography.  Donate sessions, products and gift certificates to fund-raising auctions and galas.  Get to know the leaders in your community and find ways to make them successful and visible through your work.

9. Grow your business debt-free.  Create a list of the hardware, software and purchased services that you would like to have.  Price them out and rank them in order of your need.  Only buy them when your business bank account allows it.  Make sure you have reserves in the account to cover samples, upcoming fees and taxes and insurance.  If you devote a high percentage of your first few years profits into growing your business assets, you will be able to stay debt-free and keep the business growing, while still taking some profit each year.

10. Pay your Bills.  Make sure you collect and pay sales and use tax.  Retain and pay quarterly federal and state taxes if appropriate.  Have the right amount of liability insurance.  Keep good records of mileage, supplies, prints, office expenses, education, advertising and any other expense category that would count as business expenses.

What about equipment?  Of course you will need a camera and other equipment, but don't assume you need to run out and get the latest and greatest SLR and lighting systems.  Start small, with your current camera or an older model picked up off of Craigslist or other used gear source.  Add some inexpensive reflectors and/or home-grown lights to start with.  As you earn money, you can work your way through your list, and you'll appreciate every new piece of gear even more.  The same goes for software.  Free, open source image-editing software such as The GIMP is a great way to get started.  Corel's Paint Shop Pro is also excellent and very reasonably priced.  And you don't need a printer, other than to print normal business correspondence.  Hook up with a good local or national professional lab and you can get great prints and great support.  One idea I have found useful is to put your wish list on Amazon, and drop some hints around the holidays and other occasions.  Your family will appreciate knowing that what they buy you will be put to good use!

There you go!  By following these ten steps, you can take your vision of being a pro photographer and make it a reality!  What are you waiting for?

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3 Easy Steps to Starting a Business With Practically No Overhead Costs

3 Easy Steps to Starting a Business With Practically No Overhead Costs

It has always been the American dream to start a business and have it become extremely profitable with little work. The fact is, it's not only an American dream, but actually a world wide dream. Nearly everyone wants to find some way of making money without having to deal with bosses, schedules, or having to commute to work. People want to stay in the comfort of their own home and work as little as possible to be able to live life to the fullest.

In this article, I will let you know 3 simple facts to starting a business. If you play your cards right, it is very simple to start making a lot of money with minimal work and minimal costs.

The first step is finding or making a plan. You will have a very small chance of success if you jump into starting a business without a plan. One needs to know where they are going and how to get there. The best thing to have when starting a business plan is a coach. Someone who has been down that road before and that has become successful doing it.

It may be hard to find a coach or mentor that is willing to put their time and energy into helping you. If you follow the link below you will find that I have found someone that was willing to put his time and effort into helping you out. He has spent years upon years perfecting his plan. All you need to do is carbon copy what he is doing and you are sure to succeed.

The second step is to make sure you follow through with the plan. Do not make a plan and decide to quit. A lot of people get bummed out after the initial planning and give up. A lot of those people probably could have made a lot of money, but instead they quit. It can be a variety of different reasons. Maybe a friend or family member telling you that you will not succeed or maybe you think it will cost too much money. Whatever the case may be, you need to stick to the plan and execute it.

Step three is simply keeping the ball rolling. Lot's of people start out with a great plan, continue to follow through with it, but somewhere down the line decide that they don't wish to continue. A large percentage of these people are either impatient or they want the money to fall into their lap without any work whatsoever. I'm sorry to break it to you folks, but there is no "get rich quick" scheme. There is no way of making money without any work whatsoever. BUT there is a way to make a very decent living with minimal work so that you can enjoy life instead of working through it.

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7 Reasons Why Starting Your Own Business in an Economic Downturn is a Grand Idea

7 Reasons Why Starting Your Own Business in an Economic Downturn is a Grand Idea

Starting your own business in an economic downturn is a plucky rather than reckless thing to do. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted.

With the economy in a downturn there is a great deal of uncertainty in the air. Some folks are clinging desperately to their jobs, afraid to seek other opportunities despite the fact that they are unhappy in their current position. Thousands are reeling from being abruptly dismissed from a job that was bringing in a sizable income and thousands more can expect to face ax over the coming months.

Yet, these are precisely the reasons why you should be considering starting your own business or looking at ways in which you can boost an existing business.

So here are 7 reasons why starting your own business in a downwardly spiralling economy is a grand idea:

1. Control your destiny

Do you want your future in someone else's hands or yours? If you run your own business you are responsible for its success. Yes, it's a big responsibility but you can succeed in business even during a recession. Instead of living in fear live in anticipation of the new opportunities that each day will bring.

2. Write your own pay cheque

If you are working for someone else, unless you are a commissioned salesperson, then your pay cheque is fixed. As a business owner you can decide your level of pay. Okay, you might not immediately achieve your desired income but once you do, you can simply work on improving your business skills and expanding your business so that you continually increase your level of income.

3. End the daily rush-hour commute

Commuting to and from work can be a very stressful experience. Did you know that 9am on Monday mornings is the time when most heart attacks occur? If you have a job you generally have to travel at peak times when the roads and the public transportation systems are crowded and congested. It's not the best way to start and or end your working day. Instead, how about a 60s commute to your home office? Think about the time you'll save and what you can accomplish in that time.

4. Set your own working hours

When you work for someone else they generally decide your working hours and even the times at which you can take breaks. Work for yourself and you can choose your working hours. You can take time off to spend with your children or to take care of an elderly or convalescing relative.

5. Decide where you want to work

Naturally, this will depend upon the type of work that you do but many occupations allow for great flexibility regarding you choose to work. In many cases, individuals decide to relocate and work in a different country or even travel and work so that they can experience life in several countries. Individuals with an Internet-based business may simply want to take advantage of a beautiful day and work outdoors. It certainly beats being stuck in a cubicle.

6. Choose your team

At work you generally do not get to choose who you work with and some members of your team can be a living nightmare to work with. If you have you own business you can choose your team. Hiring the right individuals for a particular role is a highly skilled task but there's great expert advice available such as from Brad Smart of TopGrading. And here's another thing, a down economy is a great time to scout for top talent.

7. Follow your passion

The majority of people dissatisfied with their current jobs but they stick it out because they have bills to pay. This is the worst reason to be in a job when you can do something you enjoy and are passionate about and get paid. You don't have to jump ship and go full-time into starting your own business. You can start on a part-time basis and when you're earning enough to take care of your monthly bills and have money set aside for at least six months living expenses you can abandon your J.O.B. and start living your dream.

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Starting the Right Business

Starting the Right Business

More now than ever before it is becoming the desire of a majority of people to start and succeed in their own business. People are tired of working for someone else and having their dreams deferred while life passes them by. If you are one of the millions thinking about a business to start, I need to ask you a very important question:

What wakes you up in the morning and keeps you up at night?

It is the answer to this question that will lead you to the business that you should start. Your success in life and business depends on the passion you have for what you accomplish everyday.

Before you begin your business venture ask yourself three very important questions?

o What things in life excite me?

o What would make me work through the struggles and accept the risks that could end in failure?

o What sends chills down my spine when I think of doing it well?

If you don't build a business in an area where passion and excitement motivate you everyday, you will ultimately become bored with your business and it will fail. Now understand that when I say fail I don't necessarily mean you will close the doors and turn out the lights. Your business may indeed continue to provide you with income, but it will fail you because your life will loose meaning as you become a slave to a business that bores you!

This is why I struggle so with most pre-packaged online business ventures. They offer you the opportunity for making a lot of money. However money is not all that it is cracked up to be if there is nothing but money to be had in your life. (Otherwise there are some very unique not to mention illegal ways to make lots of money quickly!) In networking as well as franchising and other businesses where you buy into someone else's dream, you either love it forever or it looses its luster rather quickly. That is why even the best of these internet entrepreneurs generally move from company to company looking for the thing that excites them for the time being.

I prefer finding out what really turns my crank and going after it. My dream is the one that wakes me up in the morning and keeps me up at night. Your dream is what will do that for you as well.

So ... before you jump into something that you will hate worse than your job, take some time and answer this question for yourself. When you come up with the answer that is best for you, you will know it. You will not be able to turn from it. It will eat at you and take up valuable time in your day. At that point you can begin the research process that will lead you to creating a value that you can offer to others who have the same interests as you.

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4 Things You Must Know Before Starting a Network Marketing Business

4 Things You Must Know Before Starting a Network Marketing Business

If you are looking for a way to make money from home then you should consider network marketing. This is a proven business that can bring you a significant amount of income in your spare time. In fact, there have been countless network marketers that have been able to quit their 9 to 5 jobs and work online for themselves in a matter of weeks. But before you jump into starting a home business in network marketing, you need to educate yourself on what to look for in a good network marketing program.

A network marketing program or plan is sometimes called an MLM plan. This is where you join a company and get people to sign up under you. You are compensated for the products that you sell and for the products that the people under you sell. But it is critical that you are aware of the fact that not all MLMs are not the same. The following are things you should do before you sign up for an MLM program.

1. Make sure that you research the history of the company you are interested in. How long have they been in business? Are there any reviews of the company? Do they have many complaints? These things are very important to research before you invest any time or money.

2. Research the products you will be selling. Determine if there is actually an active market for these products. Buy the products and use them yourself. Are these quality products? Would you not hesitate to recommend these products to your family and friends? It is highly important that the products you will be selling are of the highest quality. You want happy and repeat customers. Research the amount of competition that the products have. If the market is saturated with similar products, it may be very difficult to sell them.

3. Investigate how you are supposed to market the product. Does the company expect you to market by telephone? Are you expected to speak at seminars or do home demonstrations? If you are not comfortable with public speaking, you need to be aware of how much is required from you. If you are trying to market in a way that you are not comfortable, you will not be very successful.

4. Finally, research the compensation plan. Know exactly how you will be paid and how often. Understand the levels of compensation and what you must do to reach each level. Determine if you are expected to buy a certain amount of the product each month. You don't want to get stuck paying out all of your profits in products.

Over the years I have joined a number of different companies. Some were good and some not so good. But out of the bad experiences I learned how to spot a viable company from one that's all hype.

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