How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Photography Business

Additional Book Details

Virtually anyone of any age in any location of the United States can start a highly successful photography business. Today the level of investment to get started is much less, thanks to the digital camera revolution. Armed with the right camera equipment, skills, and the necessary business knowledge, you can be in business, marketing your photography services in no time with the information in this extensive manual. With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras, you do not even need a darkroom. You need only a fast computer and a photo-editing program. The best part is that you can start it quickly, earn a high income with a low investment, and even work from home if you prefer.

This new book is a comprehensive and detailed study of the business side of establishing and running a photography business. Keep in mind it looks easy, but as with any business, looks can be deceiving. To avoid pitfalls, use this complete manual to arm yourself with everything you need including sample business forms, contracts, worksheets, and checklists for planning, starting, and running day-to-day operations. You will find dozens of other valuable, timesaving tools of the trade that every entrepreneur should have.

While providing detailed instruction and examples, the author leads you through finding a business name that will bring success, learning how to draw up a winning business plan (the Companion CD-ROM has the actual business plan you can use in MS Word ™), and selling and marketing your photographs and photography services on the Internet as well as locally. You will learn about copyrights, sales tax, cost control systems, a Web site, stock photo outlets to sell your work, and pricing issues. You will avoid trial by error when setting up equipment layouts, meeting legal and IRS requirements, and tapping into the best sales and marketing techniques. This book will even help you set up computer systems to save time and money and teach you how to hire and keep a qualified professional staff (if needed).

If you enjoy meeting people, this may be the perfect business for you. You will learn how to do your own sales planning, customer service, track your competition, keep your own books, compile monthly profit and loss statements, and prepare taxes. You will become adept at media planning, pricing, and public relations. You will be able to work with models, market for weddings, birthdays, and corporate events; generate high profile public relations and publicity; and learn low cost marketing ideas and low cost ways to satisfy customers and build sales. You will learn how to keep bringing customers back and getting referrals – the secret of continued success. This manual delivers literally hundreds of innovative ways demonstrated to operate and streamline your business. Learn new ways to make your operation run smoother and increase performance, shut down waste, reduce costs, and increase profits. In addition, you will appreciate the valuable CD-ROM resource in your daily activities as a source of ready-to-use forms, templates, worksheets, business plan, surveys, letters, Web site resources, everything you will need to get up and running.