I’m going to talk a bit about money. It takes money to get into the photography business. A lot of it. Don’t be fooled. You cannot adequately go into business with one camera and a kit lens.
Startup money is generally money invested by a team of owners/investors to start up a new company. Sometimes, in a publicly held company, shares are sold as part of the initial startup process. You’re not going to be that big, so unless you’re independently wealthy, you’re going to have to figure out how to finance your new photography endeavor yourself.
Several years before I actually went into business, I began planning for that eventuality. I worked full-time for a chemical company in a professional capacity. I opened up a separate checking account and arranged for the payroll department to direct deposit $100 per pay into this separate account. This was not a business account, just a separate personal account. I used it as my “allowance” to purchase camera equipment one piece at a time.
One of THE biggest mistakes I see with new (especially female) photographers is using household funds for their photography business. Do NOT, under ANY circumstances do this. Do not co-mingle your photography funds and your personal funds. Make a commitment to invest in your business on a regular basis like my example above. Once that money leaves your household account and enters your photography account, it is no longer household money. Time after time I have seen/heard/read stories of ladies who are frustrated with trying to convince their husbands that they need money for such and such (insert photography gadget name here). Don’t do it! Unless your husband/partner/significant other is a photographer, and a TRUE 50% business partner, he does not need to have control or say over the photography finances.
Oh, I can hear you now. You’re a little bit pissed and a little bit offended. Get over it.
When it comes to photography, you are not a wife, you are a BUSINESS OWNER. Act like it.
So … where do you get startup money? Well, if you can’t afford to invest in yourself (perhaps your budget won’t strech far enough to give you an allowance), you’ll need to get a little creative
First of all, do NOT start trying to make money from photography. You aren’t ready yet and you probably don’t have all the skills and equipment you need.
Take a look around you – do you have some other hobby that you’ve let go by the wayside? Collect those items together and sell them. Do a little eBay work. Have a yard sale. Stop buying a mocha skinny latte every morning on the way to work and save that $5 a day. Find something you can do without, find something you can compromise on.
My husband used to tell a story about when he was newly divorced and had custody of his two children. Money was tight. The budget was stretched as far as it could be stretched. Instead of chips and cookies, he would buy popcorn and he and the children would make popcorn for their snacks. The last time I checked, a bag of chips was nearly $4 a bag and would last a family of 4 one evening. I bag of popcorn is slightly over $1 and will last a family of 4 more than a week. You do the math.
And for god’s sake don’t put anything on a charge card! You do not want to start out your business in debt.
If photography is the passion that you claim it is, you will figure out a way.