| Starting a home photography business is steadily | | | | very important especially when you work out of |
| increasing in popularity with stay at home moms (and | | | | your home. At a minimum you should obtain liability |
| dads). If you own a professional digital camera, have | | | | insurance to cover yourself when clients are in your |
| some basic business sense and have an artistic flare, | | | | home and you may wish to get an add-on to cover |
| starting a home based photography business might | | | | your equipment if you are shooting on location. |
| be the answer for you. | | | | 5. Collateral Materials - How you present yourself to |
| While you may have decided to start your own | | | | your clients is very important. This includes your logo, |
| photography business because you enjoy taking | | | | website, business cards, letterhead, etc. You should |
| photographs, there are still some business issues and | | | | find a company who can design some materials that |
| decisions that you must address before getting | | | | will give the best impression of your photography |
| started. While this doesn't cover every aspect of | | | | business. Keep away from self printing jobs on your |
| starting your business, it is a great starting point to | | | | home computer and send it out to a professional |
| get you going in the right direction. | | | | printing such as Vista Print. |
| 1. Register your business - No matter how small you | | | | 6. Determine Your Services - One of the most |
| think you are you still need to ensure that your | | | | important decisions you will make will be what line (or |
| photography business is legally registered with your | | | | lines) of photography you will go into. You may |
| local and/or state. Some cities don't require business | | | | decide to stick to children's photography, family |
| registration at all if you use your own name, while | | | | photography, commercial photography, fine art |
| some require DBA announcements in the paper, fees | | | | landscapes, business photography or any other |
| and extensive paperwork. Check with your city and | | | | product line you choose. Determine these up front so |
| state requirements before you open your doors for | | | | that you are prepared when a customer calls you to |
| business. | | | | answer questions about the services you provide. |
| 2. Sales Tax - If you plan on taking even $.01 from a | | | | 7. Marketing Plan - A solid marketing plan most |
| client, you are legally required to collect sales tax on | | | | certainly cannot be explained in a short single |
| that sale if you are located in a state that requires | | | | paragraph but it is definitely necessary to stress the |
| sales tax to be collected. Some people believe that | | | | importance of having a good solid marketing plan. A |
| they don't need to collect sales tax when they are | | | | marketing plan will help you design your marketing |
| portfolio building, charging only their cost or don't | | | | strategies and monthly plans for your promotions and |
| make enough to even claim it on their income tax. | | | | public relations. If you have never written one for |
| Not true! It doesn't matter how much or how little | | | | yourself, there are dozens of examples on the |
| you make. The second you take even a penny from | | | | internet. Just use your favorite search engine and |
| a client, you should be collecting sales tax. Obtaining a | | | | you will find many articles, templates and guidelines to |
| sales tax id is an easy process and in many cases | | | | use when starting to write your own marketing plan. |
| can be done online at your state department of | | | | 8. Equipment - Obviously, if you don't have any |
| revenue website; many times resulting in an | | | | equipment starting out your investment is going to |
| immediate issue of a sales tax id. | | | | be quite large. However, when you are just starting |
| 3. Bank Account - It's very important to separate out | | | | out you don't need to drop your life savings into |
| your personal finances from your business expenses | | | | equipment. Add things to your inventory as you |
| for accounting purposes when you are starting your | | | | grow your business. Let it pay for itself if you can. |
| home based business. Opening a simple business | | | | Basic needs will include cameras, various lenses, |
| account is for easy by just bringing in your DBA form | | | | tripod, flash units and digital cards. In addition, |
| or business license into the bank. Many banks also | | | | depending on the services you offer you may also |
| have small business bank accounts designed | | | | want to invest in studio lighting, backgrounds, props |
| specifically for those just getting started. If you think | | | | and other studio related items. |
| you will want to accept credit cards for payment, | | | | While there are probably about a hundred more |
| having a business checking is required and your bank | | | | things you will do in the startup stages of your |
| is a great place to start shopping for credit card | | | | business, addressing these issues will give you a great |
| merchant accounts. | | | | start to getting your home photography business |
| 4. Business Insurance - Insurance for your business is | | | | ready to do start taking clients. |