5 More Insights to Know to Grow your Business

Navigating the field of the photography and videography industry is hard for beginners. Once you get your footing, the march is long and steady, with hills and slopes, rough ground and soft. There’s success and failure, and you need to know how to get through it with the right amount of effort to move forward while still managing a successful, profitable business. Somewhere along the line, thinking about ten things at once, you might forget how to walk - the basic of basics and the simple things can slip past you. Here are 5 of those forgettable tips that might help you get your footing back.

Mind Over Matter - Your Skills Add More than Tech

Is an iPhone enough to start a business? Yes. Some clients may disagree, asking where your DSLR or big local VHS camcorder is, but technology has advanced enough that even the most basic cameras include multi-tool suites. Advertise with your results and show them what you can do with a smartphone.

Everyone Needs Content - The Choice Is Yours

Someone with a business of any kind will need some kind of content to help sell themselves. They’re in the same boat as you. Restaurants, dog kennels, dentist offices - everyone has a marketing budget, and pictures or video is easy content to host that should be easy for you to make. Seek the clients you want and offer service to them directly. Don’t wait for your favorite job to come to you.

Take a Long Look - Is 360 a Gimmick?

360 cameras and 360 panoramic camera functions are great at taking wide sweeping snippets of interiors or positional shots to add an interaction for client-side users. Is it worth forming a whole business over? Not really, but it is a cool trick that a lot of people will appreciate. Learn how to do it and how to make it look good, and you can use it as an upsell service for clients who want to see everything from one spot at a time.

Get Familiar with Contracts - Your Picture is Worth 1,000 Legal Words

Big companies tend to slip in the language in contracts which limits your ability to work freely or return for work in the future. They do this by rushing the contract phase, agreeing to whatever you have, and then slipping in extra language on theirs, which might override the rights and securities you intended to provide. A job that’s been promised as “work-for-hire” may have some “we will not hire you” text in it. An honest client will be upfront about their intentions. If they aren’t, ask. If they are dodgy about what your work will do for them - maybe invite a lawyer to read with you.

Extensive Beta Testing - Keep 3 Levels in Mind

Beta clients help you by giving feedback on your work and asserting a certain price for performance with it. They’ll tell you what they think your work is worth, sometimes not in so many words, and you can confidently adjust your prices based on that feedback. Try to have three for each level of service that you offer - a basic, a standard and then a high-tier premium so that all your clients feel fair and well treated.