Business sense is a must for new photographers

To be a successful photographer, some business knowledge and sense is necessary. While most photographers get into photography to leverage their creative energy, in order to be successful, common sense business applications are a requirement. A photography business without a true business plan or financial analysis is a photography business on the road to quick failure.

Easy as Pie and Fast Track Photographer prove to be popular and informative resources for new photographers (Photo by: Brittani Bowling/Towson University Student)

As with anything these days, the Internet runs rampant with great resources for running a productive, efficient, and profitable photography business. Other blogs are great resources, and books and web documents can be found online for purchase. Many photographers are generous enough to give a no holds barred look into their business (such as Jamie Pflughoeft) to assist new photographers in setting their policies and pricing correct right from the get-go and in turn increase the value placed on the photography industry.

Last October, Monkton, Md. portrait photographer Jodie Otte wrote a guest blog for MCPActions.com which addressed pricing and basic business knowledge. Her blog triggered 195 comments, many of which ran something along the lines of “This is a reality check!” or “I’m re-writing my pricing and policies as we speak!”

Investing in such informative resources can in turn transform new photography businesses into a super profitable and fairly priced new photography business. Additional great resources include Alicia Caine’s Easy As Pie, Skye Hardwick’s The Workshop Workbook (currently on promotion today only for half off!), and Dane Sanders Fast Track Photographers. Also, The Joy of Marketing offers a free e-book on marketing strategies for boutique businesses! Get searching and find out what business policies and plans you should be implementing to improve your photography business…you might be surprised what you find!