Growing Your Photography Business (Part 7): Design Attractive Business Cards, Offer Partnerships with Local Businesses, Save up and Set a Budget
Design Attractive Business Cards
Despite being in the digital age, business cards are still powerful. They not only provide your contact details to potential customers but also give your brand a tangible look and feel.
Sometimes, it’s easier to hand business cards instead of giving away your details verbally. Someone could spell your name or business wrong, the environment can be too noisy, or your contact may be in a hurry. Sharing your details in a digital way like Bluetooth or Airdrop may sometimes cause you to be lost in the sea of digital storage and be forgotten.
You can hire a freelance designer, use Canva or contact a local printing shop to make your business cards. With business cards, your contact details are within reach both physically and digitally.
Partner with Local Businesses
The wisest man once said, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9)
Yes, you can do all the digital marketing stuff, but let’s be humble enough to say that no one knows about tomorrow. What if your website fails one day? What if your Instagram or Facebook account suddenly gets disapproved? However, if you have invested in relationships with the local community, you have expanded diversified your network and have “shoulders to lean on” both in good times and bad.
Creating worthwhile relationships with the local community is rewarding. And did I mention it can cost you virtually zero risks?! First, figure out potential partners. Look for providers that serve the same customers as you are, but with different services- they could be a videographer, an event coordinator, a DJ, a host, or a catering service. Pitch a deal: Maybe offer a 20% discount for the customers of that partner or give back 10% commission in return. Run campaigns: Send out an email to your clients or post an offer that promotes your partner, and vice versa.
I’ve created a practically-informed Finance Sheet that can help you reach your financial goals.
Save up and Set a Budget
Starting a photography business or expanding your services can be hard. To make it a reality, consider saving up to finance your operations and to help you focus on your fundamental role.
Consider raising capital when you have identified your objectives, establish your team, and finalized your pitch deck or portfolio. Most companies worked out the funding AFTER they have gained traction, not before. At best, after excellent traction. Traction usually comes in the form of revenue. The ideal figure is 20% growth month after month.
How, then, will you start operations without funding? The answer is Bootstrapping. You can do side jobs, consulting, resource-sharing, budget-cutting, among others to cover the operations and expenses.
Consider convincing a highly-skilled person to work with you, not for the salary, but for the concept that will make the difference. You may also consider moving to a city with cheaper cost of living, or hiring freelancers until you gain traction.
Again, without good traction, it will be difficult for you to face potential investors if you haven’t proved your idea along the way.
Use a template for your portfolio and give the intro to your company. Tell your story and introduce your members. Clarify risks, make a good projection, and share historical figures. Browse your Linkedin network, look for those active in investing and share the link to your pitch deck. Start attending events, and building relationships. Ask for referrals. Cold emails should be your last resort.
I’ve created a practically-informed Finance Sheet that can help you reach your financial goals.
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In case you missed it,
Here's the rest of my business tips for photographers:
Part one
Success in your business involves establishing a solid financial foundation. Thank you for reading my photography business tips and I wish you many years of success!
XoXo…
