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Opening a New Studio
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I will be opening my first photography studio in a few weeks time. Does anyone have any advice for me? Is there anything you know now that you would have loved to know before? Would love any advice you have. The nerves are kicking in now! :?
Hi, congratulations !
Will you be renting a premises to work out of ? If you are watch out for unexpected costs. I didn’t read my lease agreement properly and later realised I was liable for rates and water charges. That plus my first electricity bill almost blew the roof off my new studio. These things can break you and can take the pleasure out if the venture as well. As soon as I opened I found myself bombarded with sales people as well trying to sell me everything from training to ink to software. This is the business side revealing itself in all it’s glory, you should be prepared for that because it has nothing to do with making pictures and can potentially rob you of your dream of owning your own studio.
That said it is a great experience being able to enter through your own studio door every day so enjoy it as well. Good luck !
I’ve never ran a Studio but would love to someday, one thing I’ve noticed about a few failed photo studios was they didn’t have their marketing plan down or they simply didn’t market themselves enough. Make sure to get the word out there, best of luck with the venture!!
Congratulations!!!!
I am also setting up one at the moment, I will share my experiance soon.
Thats for your replies. I am actually very lucky I have been working in a grocery store for 2 years and my boss is a real entrepreneur and has backed me in setting up the studio and given me a room to rent and will let me market in the store and back me in whatever direction i go. Its lovely to have his backing and knowledge but its still my adventure so im still nervous about it. I will be opening in a week and a half and even with the practice you still never know what will come round the corner.
It wont work. To many photographers without studio.
Remember all new studios are open couse one reason, get grant (paid one year 80% of your rent ) spread your name, than closed it, as nobody can aford to paid rent. You have to be realy , realy good, or have a bussines on side like printing, etc . Here in Sligo there is no Studio, well not any who is paing rent:)PhotoSligo wrote:
It wont work. To many photographers without studio.
Remember all new studios are open couse one reason, get grant (paid one year 80% of your rent ) spread your name, than closed it, as nobody can aford to paid rent. You have to be realy , realy good, or have a bussines on side like printing, etc . Here in Sligo there is no Studio, well not any who is paing rent:)If you know of a grant that will pay 80% of rent on a premises please let us all know :D
Of course people have to be realistic when starting a venture but if they don’t think positively about it there is no hope. I think the main problem these days are quite simply too many ” photographers ” offering mediocre work. If you offer something of real quality I don’t see why you can’t make it work. The other thing is the business side which I would place just as much importance on if not more than the photographic side.
At the end of the day what have you got to lose, a few quid and maybe a dented pride.
Only think positive and ignore the negative, it gets you nowhere!
Best of luck.
http://www.enterpriseboards.ie/Business_supports/FINANCIAL.aspx” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false;
http://sligoarts.ie/FundingGrantsAwards/” onclick=”window.open(this.href);return false; – (you have to look in your area for those one)Yes, you have to be realistic, and saying all what you can loose is few quids for me is not realistic as opening studio is few thousand.
running it from house is more than few quids! equipment, programs, advertaising,running website,blog, SEO…. etc.
Not mention some bussines on side like printing as it will cost much much more.
And i remember big studio here ,doing something different : shooting all sports events, they have realy good quality , nice prints realy professional and at end they closed, after 2 years, another 2 photography studios opened last time (one has been doing photography courses as
well ) closed after 1 year.One moved from town somwher outside (probaly to big rent)
I think you have to do resarch, good resarch on market, and compare what you offer to other photographers (quality,price).
I started photography bussines last time and i know how it looks.
Are you running photography bussines at moment Beamer?Beamer wrote:
I will be opening my first photography studio in a few weeks time. Does anyone have any advice for me? Is there anything you know now that you would have loved to know before? Would love any advice you have. The nerves are kicking in now! :?
Best of luck with the project. I like the “opening my first studio” bit. This sounds like there are more to come and if this is the thinking behind it then fair play ……. we need this kind of optimism in the current economy. Do pay heed to the advice given above as it is very relevant and vell meaning. Most of all ….. keep costs down and keep debt at a minimum.
Best of luck
I wish you the very best of luck with your new venture!
I’d also ignore the post of Photosligo telling you “it won’t work”.
There are a lot of variables to business’ such geographics, population, overheads , supply and demand, the determination and work ethic of those involved etc. Without knowing these variables, I don’t know why someone would start a reply with such a negative remark such as “it won’t work”.
I started a wedding business four years ago and I’m lucky that it’s going well for me. If I listened to those around me giving out about the over populated suppliers market, I wouldn’t have taken the chance, and would probably be miserable in some other job. I also have a studio built onto my home, and it does bring in an income, although nowhere near necessary to make ends meet. If I was solely reliant on this, I would be looking at setting up in a more populated place ….. which unfortunately tends to bring higher overheads but in some cases it’s justified.
As Gerry said, do your homework, but don’t dwell too long on the negative stuff that may be throw away remarks as opposed to constructive views.
Some will say that I’m being gloomy and pessimistic but I think I have a pretty good vantage point from which to look at the market. But, I could be totally wrong. It’s happened before.
I heard so many times when game was lost – well done, well done …. My point of view is just different than some others here but I wont say as their said: ignore their point of view as it is worst you can do, put their point of view into account but just be carefull.
I’m not saying: not to do bussines or think negative i just saying do not open studio if you not sure about it (looks like if you asking here) as in my opinion and few other photographers (i have a chance talk about future of photography) it will be less and less studios on street.Lots of them How many weddings,families, fashion photos are done in studio now? number of this are dramaticly down.
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