Photography
If you’re thinking about starting a photography business, congratulations! But as any professional photographer will tell you, it’s not easy. It takes time and money to get started and there are lots of things that can go wrong along the way. That said, there are also ways to avoid common mistakes that can make your business-building process easier and more effective. Here are five mistakes I’ve seen many photographers make when getting started:
Working alone
- Working alone.
One of the biggest mistakes new photographers make is working alone. If you’re just starting out in business, there’s no way you can do everything yourself. You need to build a team and find other photographers who will help you grow your business. You also need to find a mentor who can guide and inspire you along the way, as well as a business coach who will help keep your finances on track.
Not investing in your business
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the technical aspects of starting a photography business. You want to look good, you want your website to be perfect, and you want to make sure your portfolio is flawless. But these things are only part of the equation—if you don’t invest in marketing yourself and growing your business, none of it matters.
There are many ways to invest in your business (or even just one specific aspect of it). Some options include:
- Advertising on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook
- Buying equipment that will help expand what you’re able to offer clients
Trying to do everything yourself
A common mistake is trying to do everything yourself. Hiring a team of people who are experts in their fields is the key to running a successful photography business. This means it’s important for you as an entrepreneur to be able to delegate effectively, which can be challenging for some people.
There are two types of delegators: those who delegate tasks but feel as though they’re not done until they’ve checked on progress and then there are those who hire others, give them clear instructions and trust that they’ll get the job done right while they focus on other areas of their business. If you want your company to grow, it’s best if you fall into the latter category.
Not having a good workflow in place
- Not having a good workflow in place.
- Making changes to a workflow as you go along.
- Not documenting the workflow clearly and concisely enough for others to follow it.
- Not communicating the correct steps of your workflow to all relevant parties, such as clients, colleagues, and staff members (if you have any).
Setting unrealistic goals
Setting unrealistic goals is a common mistake, but it’s also easy to correct. Start small and build your business up from there. If you don’t have any experience, be realistic about what you can achieve in the first year or two of being self-employed. You might want to choose a smaller target market than you would like initially—start with people who live in your city or state before moving on to bigger markets. And make sure that you have a plan for how to achieve your goals!
These mistakes are common and make it harder to get your photography business off the ground.
These mistakes are common and make it harder to get your photography business off the ground.
- Setting unrealistic goals
- Not having a good workflow in place
- Not investing in your business
- Working alone
Conclusion
Investing in your business is not just about buying expensive gear. It’s also about investing in yourself, by learning new skills and taking courses. It’s about investing in your workflow so that you can free up time for the things that are most important to you and your clients (like creative photography). And it’s about hiring people who can handle those tasks that don’t interest or excite you—so that when it comes time to do what matters most (like shooting), everything goes smoothly.
