How to Start a Home-Based Photography Business

If you've been thinking about starting your own home-based photography business, you've picked one of the easiest businesses to start. With so many other business start-ups being complicated and expensive, you can literally get a photography business up and running in a matter of a couple of weeks or even days!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a camera
• paperwork to make your business legal
• business checking account
• insurance

1. Assess your equipment: All you really need to start is a camera, preferably an SLR, either film or digital.

2. Make your business legal: Go to your county clerk’s office and fill out all the necessary paperwork to set yourself up as a sole proprietor and get a DBA (“doing business as) and your tax resale certificate so you’ll be authorized to collect sales tax from your clients.

3. Open a business checking account and savings account: Be sure to open a new account just for your business to keep that money separate from your personal money. It is also a good idea to open a savings account to put your sales tax into so you have it when it comes time to pay your taxes.

4. Get insurance: You should always do everything you can to make your equipment safe for those being photographed, by using sturdy backdrop stands and instructing adults about not allowing their children to touch your lighting equipment. But as careful as you are, accidents still do happen. It is important to have insurance for your business to protect yourself in case anyone ever gets injured during one of your sessions.
   
   That’s all there really is to getting your business started! Next, you'll need to start promoting yourself to get your phone ringing and booking portrait sessions.

Tips & Warnings

• Now that you've started your business, you'll need to let others know about you. Find out the best ways to get your name out there by visiting my website at www.photomarketingsuccess.com.

Resources

• Make Money with Your Photography in as Little as 2 Weeks!

[beckybb]

on 4/4/2009 I love how #1 says: "All you really need to start is a camera, preferably an SLR, either film or digital."HMMMM, what about all of the training you need before hand, and the creativity? It seems like it would be a given, but sadly, many people buy their first SLR and within days are charging to take pictures when they don't even know how to operate the camera out of the "auto" mode.But thank you for the tip about keeping the sales tax separate...good advice!

[lilvani]

on 11/17/2008 good advice thanks for sharing!

[madeinrio84]

on 6/26/2008 Aweesome tips

[harleychik]

on 5/29/2008 This is the most easiest way I've heard on starting a business, especially in photography. I have a degree in Graphic Design and can't find a job in it. Photography is a considered backdrop for me. I've done one wedding for my friend as her photographer.

I'm recently interested in Wedding Cake Decorating and hope to eventually enroll in couple classes.