PHOTOGRAPHY

When you were a kid, what advice did your parents and grandparents give you about the many ways you could make a living when you grew up?  It was something like, "Do what you love to do and you'll always be happy."  And that has to be true, because if you can spend your working week doing what you love the most, it really won't feel like work at all, but fun instead!

So, if you're passionate about photography, it's probably a good idea to start your own photography business.  But how should you go about it?  You know how there are always new little photography shops popping up all the time?  What's the best way for you to get going on your own?

When you're setting up a photography business, the most important thing to think about is how to do it properly.  When you're setting up a business, you want to make sure it'll be around for the long haul, so it's important to get it right from the start.  So don't fall for the "get rich quick" internet schemes or books that claim they'll spill the insider secrets of other successful photography businesses.  There's no secret sauce here, just the basics you need to run any business.  To succeed, you have to…

• Just a reminder to pay your dues.
• Get your education, then you'll be all set.
• Get to know the experts.
• You've got to know your stuff.
• The network
• Make your customers feel appreciated.

You can achieve the first five of these goals by going to school and working part or full time in someone else's photography shop.  You might be really down about the idea of going back to school.  But your photography business is about more than just cameras, photo shoots and dark rooms.  You've got accounting principles to get your head around and put into practice, taxes to pay, a place to rent, employees to pay, insurance to worry about, contracts to sign and all the other "stuff" that goes with running a business.  You should start early and get some basic business classes under your belt, like accounting and economics.  It'll help you loads as you head for success.

Lots of trades have an apprentice system where you're taught by a master of the craft.  But it might be a good idea for you to take this matter into your own hands.  You should try to work in a photography shop for a while to learn how to run a small business and a photography business.  This gives you the chance to learn about equipment, techniques and how to work with your subjects.

Actually, it might be a good idea to try working for a few different types of photography studios before going it alone.  You can learn all about wedding, baby and fashion photography, and more, from pros who'll teach you everything you need to know to get your own business up and running.  This way, you build skills, knowledge and experience, and you can watch and take notes of the great things others do and the mistakes to avoid.

Your bosses will be buzzing to pass on their hard-won wisdom to you if you're keen to learn from the pros and become their rival in the future.  The best thing is, you can build a client base from the many customers you work with before you start your own business.  If you take care of someone else's customers, they can become your customers when you set up your own business.  And that's good business.