When you are just starting out with your new photo business, there are countless of things to set up, to remember and to make sure are covered to ensure your business will grow. In a previous article, we gave some suggestions to help you get started. Here are four more to keep in mind:

1. Get your gear – the tools of your trade will always depend on your budget, amount of space available, and the types of photographs you plan to specialize in or what your clients may require from you to take. It would be wise to start cataloging your work as soon as possible before it gets to be too much for you to handle, and do the same for all your equipment. It will take you at least a year for you to complete all the gear or equipment requirements you’ll need such as lenses, tripods, filters, flash, stands, etc. Try to minimize your purchases by determining the essentials before the luxuries such as expensive equipment you will hardly ever use during your photo shoots. Also try to make use of what office equipment you already have such as a computer, fax machine, scanner, printer and furniture. What you save on what you already have can go towards funding the expenses needed for more photography equipment.

2. Set-up insurance – always prioritize protecting your business assets as well as your personal assets. Getting the appropriate insurance to cover any major or minor setbacks is always a smart move. For most of the photographers just starting out, it’s beneficial to take out liability insurance, especially if you have a home based studio. This type of insurance will protect you from any liability in case a clumsy client trips over a cable and suffers an injury. Consider adding equipment indemnity in case your homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance doesn’t cover this. And for your own advantage, set-up health and disability insurance in case you can’t continue working on your business.

3. Finalize supply and photo lab arrangements – if you’re determined to make your business work and become a success, you would want to start building relationships with your suppliers such as camera equipment suppliers. The quality of your end product will be the driving force that will keep making your customers come back. This will also make it easier for you in the future since you might be given discounts if you patronize their services on a regular basis. In the beginning of your business, first impressions often last. Good and reliable suppliers will help keep your standards high and you will never compromise your work.

4. Join professional organizations – it always helps to join and be visibly active in your local chamber of commerce to open doors for you and your budding business. This will enable you to establish business relations and contacts that can help you along the way. This is one of the best ways to meet possible clients and get some valuable feedback and tips from other photographers in your locale and possibly even find an investor for your business. It is also by doing this that you will have a better idea of who your competition is, what types of services they provide and how they compare to yours. 

Submit a Photography Article!