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What to Charge for Your First Clients

Lesson 24 from: Launch a Successful Photography Business

Philip Ebiner, Will Carnahan

What to Charge for Your First Clients

Lesson 24 from: Launch a Successful Photography Business

Philip Ebiner, Will Carnahan

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Lesson Info

24. What to Charge for Your First Clients

Lessons

Class Trailer

Chapter 1: Introduction to Starting a Photography Business

1

Welcome

02:26
2

Why Do You Want to Start a Photography Business

04:40
3

What Kind of Photography Business Do You Want to Start

05:38
4

Important Personal Note from Instructor Will

02:25
5

Case Study Starting a Photography Business

07:43
6

Quiz - Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Basics of Starting a Photography Business

7

Introduction to Basics of Starting a Photography Business

00:52
8

Choose Your Business Name

05:29
9

Choose Your Business Structure

06:12
10

Register Your Business Name

01:47
11

Get Your Federal Tax ID

01:39
12

Get Your Business License

01:16
13

Get Your Business Bank Account

02:16
14

Register Your Online Accounts

02:17
15

Branding Your Business

02:18
16

Set Your Prices

12:56
17

The Photography Gear You Need to Start a Business

03:42
18

Case Study - Business Basics

24:42
19

Case Study - Equipment

10:05
20

Quiz - Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Get Your First Paying Clients

21

Intro to Getting Your First Paying Clients

00:44
22

You Need to Prove Yourself

01:30
23

The Best Place to Find Your First Clients

02:36
24

What to Charge for Your First Clients

02:44
25

On Set - Partnering with Other Creatives

01:57
26

On Set - Getting Work in a Competitive Environment

02:38
27

Use Your First Shoot Wisely

01:20
28

Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

07:55
29

Quiz - Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Create Your Photography Business Website

30

Introduction to Create Your Photography Business Website

01:05
31

Why You Need a Website and Platform Options

04:30
32

What Needs to Be On Your Website

07:32
33

Design the Perfect Portfolio

03:17
34

Case Study - Looking at Photography Websites

12:56
35

Quiz - Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Expanding Your Online Presence

36

Introduction to Expanding Your Online Presence

00:55
37

Use Instagram to Grow Your Business

02:29
38

Use Facebook to Grow Your Business

01:21
39

Get Listed on Google

03:53
40

Get Listed on Yelp

03:20
41

Get Listed on Review Sites

04:06
42

Using Craigslist to Get Work

03:01
43

Case Study - Expanding Your Online Presence

13:16
44

Quiz - Chapter 5

Chapter 6: The Photography Business Workflow

45

Introduction to the Photography Business Workflow

00:54
46

Step 1 - Meeting Your Client

03:32
47

Step 2 - Booking Your Client

05:53
48

Step 3 - The Shoot

02:28
49

Step 4 - Editing Your Photos

06:34
50

Step 5 - Delivering Your Photos

01:05
51

Case Study - Business Workflow

15:54
52

On Set - the Shoot

02:50
53

On Set - Backdrop Placement

01:13
54

On Set - Paper Backdrop Rolls

02:01
55

On Set - The Back Light

00:46
56

On Set - Interacting with Clients

04:58
57

Quiz - Chapter 6

Chapter 7:Scaling Your Business with Better Infrastructure

58

Intro to Business Infrastructure and Continued Growth

00:46
59

Productivity Tools to Make Your More Efficient

06:21
60

Get Business Insurance

03:55
61

Accounting Tools & Tips

04:20
62

Business Tax Tips

03:38
63

Scaling Your Prices Up

02:56
64

Use Conventions and Meet Ups to Grow Your Business

04:01
65

Case Study - Business Growth

11:04
66

Quiz - Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Selling Your Prints

67

Intro to the Selling Prints Section

00:56
68

Why Should You Sell Your Prints

02:18
69

Choose a Printer

02:59
70

How to Price Your Prints

05:33
71

Selling Your Prints Online

08:06
72

Selling Your Prints in Person

02:38
73

Wrapping up This Section

01:26
74

Quiz - Chapter 8

Chapter 9: Conclusion

75

Tips for Personal and Creative Well Being

04:38
76

Conclusion

01:45

Final Quiz

77

Final Quiz

Lesson Info

What to Charge for Your First Clients

so getting content is important and there's sort of this fine line that you're going to have to walk between shooting for free, shooting for a small pay and then shooting for discounts. Um it's a it's a fine line that you sort of have to feel out with your friends and family. What I started doing was I started shooting for free at a very young age and I was able to work my way up but it takes time again. This goes back to the whole patience and hard work over a year long thing. You're not going to get someone to pay you 500 to $1000 right away. You need to work your way up to that. So you have to decide how you're going to do that a lot of times. I will shoot for family and you know secondary family around that for free, always for sure my next really close friend group group, I will always shoot for free um or just be like, you know this is how much I would normally charge whatever you can afford is fine, which is like a really good way to show your friends and family that you are wor...

th something but you're okay with shooting it for free. But you know if they can throw you some cash that's also helpful. Um when you start to meet people that you don't know is really where you want to start really charging people for sure, you can start to charge family and friends too if you like but when you start to meet people that are 123 friendships away, that's when you should really start charging. And if you get into the habit of not charging, charging way too deep of a discount or charging. Yeah, nothing. Um, that word of mouth will spread and you don't want that to happen because you'll start to get into a whole of not being paid to do what your job is. Uh, and a lot of people sort of perceive photography is sort of sometimes not a job if you're not fully invested into it. And so they'll try and sneak you out of not paying. And that's kind of a bummer because it is a full time job. It is a skill. You have spent money on classes, on education, on equipment to get to this point. So you're worth it. You're worth it. And it's worth you charging money because you have invested your time energy and your own money into it. And that's what they're paying for. So just keep that in mind that sometimes people may view photography as maybe not so much something they want to pay for because you know, their uncle or their kid or someone who's a hobbyist could be doing it, but they're investing in you and you should feel comfortable charging people for that investment. But again, it's a little bit of a fine line that you sort of have to work out yourself as you continue to go on and you'll learn as you go, Trust me, you will pick this up very quickly. Just start low next person. Charge a little more next person charged more or every year. Change your prices and stuff like that and we'll get more into that in the case study.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

15 Tips: How Your Photography Business can be Adapted to Online Services
Start a Photography Business
Workbook
Worksheet

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