Have you ever noticed when you talk about starting or growing your photography business, everyone wants to give their opinion?
Today, I’m going to call BS on five things that you’re probably hearing and give you what the facts are.
People love you and they want to help you and they think they’re supporting you by saying these things to keep you safe or whatever the reason.
I like to believe that people are by nature good people and they want to support others.
But I’m here to tell you these things are simply not true.
And once you think about them, you’ll be able to move past these false beliefs that have been dumped on you.
1. You Won’t Make Money the First Year
People who don’t know how to run a business, start a business or build a business are the first ones to tell you that you can’t make money for years.
Some businesses don’t make money for many years, but the beauty of what we do as portrait photographers is that we need minimal investment in equipment.
We do need investment in coaching and education on how to make the money, but then we can quickly go make the money and we can actually be profitable in weeks or months.
If you’re selling digital files, that’s where you’re trading your time for some money and you have more of a job. It’s an hourly job, and that’s fine if you want a little extra money.
The model I teach, the boutique model, is about scaling your time.
It’s where you serve hard and you make selling easy, because you’re taking care of people and you are being compensated for your time.
2. You Have to Have a Studio
Do you think people would perceive you as being worth more if you have a studio?
Probably. But if you don’t know how to attract the right fit clients and serve clients consistently to get the average order that you want to get, a fancy studio isn’t going to do that for you.
Without having those skills to be able to attract clients and serve them so that you get a higher than average order, a fancy studio isn’t going to attract them.
3. You Have to Dress Fancy ,Live in An Upscale Area, or Have Wealthy Friends to Attract the Right Clients
I launched my business without a studio, driving an old crusty Honda and living in a very normal part of town.
It was not the fancy area with the giant homes.
When I got my first studio, it was on a side street, and it had bars on the windows.
I didn’t even have a restroom or a closet.
But what I knew is that I could attract the right people.
And one day I had a really amazing client, and she knew everyone in town.
She discovered me as this young hip creative person and she got my vision.
She knew what I was trying to do, and she loved having artwork of her kids.
It was not a fancy studio and I used the very basic equipment in my very casual clothing.
I started getting traction and then I kept raising my prices from there.
4. It Takes Money to Make Money
I grew up in a small business family, so I understood that business people don’t use their own money to build their business.
They use other people’s money.
I remember my dad taking expansion loans and I watched him build two successful businesses without using his own money.
So for me, I start with putting education on credit cards when I need to because I know that I need that education to make the money.
5. You Need a Degree in Photography to be Successful
It’s interesting because I have students in my programs who have college degrees in photography, and they’re unanimously disappointed that their photography school taught them nothing about business.
Do you agree that there are people with degrees who have no idea how to make money?
Do you also agree that there are photographers who don’t have degrees but are following systems and are going out there and making money?
You can work on your photography skills as you make money.
After years of teaching hundreds of thousands of photographers, I know that so much of what’s holding you back comes from the thoughts that you’re telling yourself.
A lot of that BS came from people who are throwing their head trash and their false beliefs at you.
You don’t have to catch them.
All of these limitations that are holding you back, they’re not visible.
When you tell yourself these false stories, it is like putting a glass window between you and the life you want.
I think this is your time to build the life that you want.
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