Ideas for Starting a Small Business Selling Pictures
If you have a talent for photography, selling the pictures you take can be a way to earn a little money on the side doing something you enjoy. While it can be difficult to earn a full-time living selling the pictures you take, making money with photography isn't completely out of the questions. By finding different ways to market and sell your work, you may be able turn your passion for taking pictures into a business.
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Business Considerations
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Like any business, you'll need to determine how you want to structure your photography business. Are you going to come up with a business name or use your own name? The easiest way is to operate a sole proprietorship. If you have a sole proprietorship or a partnership, you can operate under a business name by filing for a DBA. This requires no lawyer, a small fee ($35 as of 2010), and simply informs the public that you are doing business under a fictitious name. The DBA option allows you to open a bank account under a business name. If your real name is part of the business name, but you must file for one if you operate under a business name. A DBA does not protect someone else from using the name you choose, but it's a good idea to do research to avoid using a name that could confuse your business with another one. Depending upon your state, you can file the DBA with the city or county clerk.
Stock Photography
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Before you invest too much money into business start-up costs, market your work through one of the many stock photography websites on the Internet. Use stock photography websites to put some money in your pocket for future business expenses, to build a name and reputation for yourself, and to get some of your work in front of the public. Working with stock photography websites can also help you get a feel for the types of pictures that sell.
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Website Portfolio
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Don't neglect a personal Internet presence. There are plenty of affordable options for web hosting and domain names. Get a website portfolio to advertise your work, as well as a domain name that identifies you or the name of your business. Many web hosts offer free domain name registration, as well as web templates designed specifically for creating photograph portfolios. The templates allow you to create professional online portfolios regardless of your knowledge of web design. An online presence will help you turn your name into a recognizable brand.
Expand Your Markets
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Do any type of photography work you can do to build your portfolio and make a name for yourself as a photographer. Do work for companies and individuals, as well as selling photographs to magazines. Purchase a copy of the "Photographer's Market," which gives you submission information to hundreds of markets where you can sell your photographs. All of these sales go toward building a professional portfolio that showcases your skills.
Product
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Expand the scope of the products you sell. Don't just sell your pictures themselves. Sell coffee mugs, keychains, T-shirts and hats with your pictures printed on them. By expanding the scope of your product, you open more avenues for the type of income that can allow you to operate a successful business selling your work.
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