Photography business start up concerns

[Gingersnaps82]

HI,

obviously i am new here and this is my first post so please bear with me.

My problem is this, i have gradually been startiing up my own business and have great reviews of my work. Once deciding to start the business i registered with a small business centre aimed at my loal area and the business advisor said it would be a good idea to rent some temporary space in our local shopping centre as my first business move. I have just come back from the centre manager meeting and whilst very nervous but excited about having booked a weeks space in there i am now questioning this decision.

The reason is this. The space costs just under £500 for the week, this is without marketing and additional costs before. The space will be within 400ft of thier annual xmas grotto and they advised me they have other photography businesses in for 4 weeks prior to my booking. Having excitedly advised a friend they said it was a waste of money as its so close to xmas everyone will be spending money on presents and will not be interested in the photography i am offering. The space is booked for 13-19/12/2010. logically this does make sense but i also beleive i would then face even harder times after xmas if i was to change my booking as everyone is always a little light in the purse after xmas.

I am in a real quandry about this as i cannot afford to waste money especially a sum this large (i am a single parent and have not yet obtained a business loan)

Can anyone please advise me if this is a complete waste of money or if i am doing the right thing to make the most of the xmas rush? all advice is welcome.

thank you
Jen

[candidrachel]

I think it's too close to Christmas to be honest. If it was late November I think people would be more inclined to consider photography for xmas pressies.

I'm shocked at how much it's costing to rent space! What do you get for the money. I was thinking about hiring some exhibition stands when I'm ready but not at that price lol!

If I was you I'd wait until after Christmas and offer a "Winter Warmer" promotional offer with a cut off date. You know the kind of thing "Book your portrait session TODAY and receive x amount off enlargements (or whatever you're offering) book before the end of Jan to take advantage of this special price.

Also, have I got this right that another photography business has booked for 4 weeks so presumably from 8 November onwards?? I think they'd take the lions share of bookings. I'd cancel your week and start again in the New Year.

[AnneWynne]

Make some lemonade quick! I think you followed some sour advice without first thinking it through. Now that you have the space you need a plan on how to make it work for you and how it works into your overall business plan.

Portraits make a great gift, but unless you can offer an incredible turn around on prints, people may not see you as an option. Too late for photos for Holiday Cards. You can offer gift certificates as a gifting option.

To get the walk in traffic make sure you have a number of large, really good, very nicely framed prints to draw people in. Have informational fliers outside your space so people can pick them up as they hurry past. These flyers need to be very professional, done on thick paper so they stand up.

If you have prints to sell (ie, landscapes of the area), again, make sure that you have them nicely framed for display (I price in a "hassle of reframing factor for these) and have matted prints available to sell...make sure they are in clear bags to keep them clean.

Be prepared to spend money on your set-up. Framing, marketing materials, prints with mats, bags, and backer boards, decorating, and setting up you space with wait chairs, a desk for you to work at, etc, all cost money...probably a lot more than the 500pounds you spent in rental.

What is the payoff? Hard to tell. Could be a lot of good exposure, but people need to see you over and over before they remember you, so a week is probably not long enough. You may sell some sittings and you may sell some gift certificates. But you will probably not make enough to cover the expenses for that week.

Now if you are the photographer for the Santa Sittings in the Grotto, you might make a little more money, but here in the States I have seen kids on Santa's lap and parents snapping away with their phone cameras and not buying prints. You may want to make sure you have lots of images of children up to draw in the parents who have brought in their nicely dressed child to see Santa in an effort to draw them in for a "real" portrait sitting.

As for gift certificates, try to get the recipiant's name and contact information so you can follow-up after Christmas. Many gift certificates lay forgotten in a drawer for a very long time. Be very specific in what the recepient receives, put a deadline for booking on the certificate (but ignor it if someone calls after the deadline to book, book anyway), and (very important) put a line on the certificate that it has no monetary value (to keep people from trying to get the cash value from you instead of their session.) Get some others to look at it before using it (I am sure you can post it here for feedback).

Good luck

[Jim Bryant]

Have you thought obtaining liability insurance, studio lights purchase or rental (your stobe on camera won't work), backdrops, props, and Santa Suit rental? Seems like a lot of money to waste in such a short period of time. You might want to think this through and plan better for next year.

[BCampbell]

How much of a kickback does the business consortium get for referring you to the shopping center...?