I want to start a home based photography business. How do I market this business?
445966
Okay, let's get you going.  Start by getting a portfolio together and putting your work on line.  You can get an inexpensive web page and/or  blog and post your photo's.  Get free and or inexpensive business cards on line at a place like VistaPrint.com (your first 250 cards are free).  Then start with friends and family and see if you can start getting some opportunities to work.  Create flyers about your company and what you offer and drop them off at homes in your neighborhood.  See if the local newspaper has a section where they interview new local business'.  Join networking groups.  Hope this helps.  Most important, JUST DO IT!  Good luck.
1126936
A few ideas: \n\n1) Flyers & Business Cards - Who are your customers & where do they shop (e.g. grocery, home improvement stores, etc)? Post flyers where your customers frequent.\n\n2) Advertise Locally -- Newspapers, Craigslist, Yahoo! Local\n\n3) Word of Mouth -- Offer a great service & people will talk.\n\n4) Mailers -- Send out coupons, specials, etc.\n\nHope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!
295155
You may want to check out the home businesses listed on this site - there are a number of free how-to articles and listings of books where you can find information about a particular business idea. They have a how-to start a photography business, among other things\n\nhttp://www.powerhomebiz.com/BizIdeas/bizideas.htm
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Best Start a Home Based Business Based on YOUR Know-How\n\nFind the type of business on the link below that best describes what it is that YOU do (or want to do). Then see how to truly use the Net to make your specific business (or business idea) thrive.  http://www.wotsnext.com
902379
A home-based business like this one! www.5linx.com\nWhen you want to know more about it email me....
76771
You could play off the idea of serving home cooked meals with your marketing. For instance, send out inivitations to a "family meal," "a house warming party," etc. to residents living near the restaurant. You could do 2 for 1, list your specials, personalize it with pics, etc.\n\nSince you're in a small town, advertising in the local paper or college paper, on radio, at any colleges or universities, etc. may also be an option. I moved from a small town (less than 15,000 people) not too long ago & that's how restaurants advertised there.\n\nBasically, just keep in mind what your restaurant's personality is as well as yours. Blend those two & ideas should start flowing.\n\nBest of luck to you!
248293
Entrepreneur.com has a list of low cost startup businesses that you can start from home:\n\nLow Cost Startup Businesses http://www.entrepreneur.com/lowcostbusinesses/0,6617,,00.html\n\nSome other home business ideas:\n\nTop 10 Home Businesses with Rapid Break-Even Time http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol33/breakeven.htm\n10 Profitable “Go-Out" Home Businesses http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol31/goout.htm\n\nThe best home business that you can be sure is not a scam is one that you start yourself. It will depend on what you want, how you define to be interesting. A person may consider a pet sitting business to be the most exciting work in the world, while another person would rather watch TV than take care of dogs. \n\nThe key is to determine what your interests are, what you want to do, what is suitable for your lifestyle and your overall goals, and what can fit with your resources.\n\nDan Ramsey in his book "101 Best Home Businesses" has a chapter on how to find YOUR best home business. He suggests these 10 steps:\n\n1. List 5 things you do best\n2. List how others would benefit from what you do best\n3. Find out how to give people what they want\n4. Learn the value of your services to others\n5. Find out who else offers similar services\n6. Learn from the successes of others\n7. Learn from the failures of others\n8. Plan your own success\n9. Make low cost mistakes\n10. Enjoy what you do and how you do it\n\nHe then made suggestions on the best home businesses according to type. Here are a few of them:\n\nBest Businesses Using Craft or Physical Skills\n- antique restoration\n- auto detail service\n- carpet cleaning business\n- errand/delivery service\n- housecleaning business\n\nBest Service Businesses \n- bed and breakfast operator\n- caregiver\n- catering service\n- senior day care center\n- tutoring service\n\nBest Professional Businesses\n- desktop publisher\n- magazine writer\n- import/export service\n- income tax preparation service\n- event planner\n\nYou may also want to check out the following books:\n\n- Turn Your Talents into Profits: 100+ Terrific Ideas for Starting Your Own Home-Based Microbusiness \n- The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century \n- 121 Internet Businesses You Can Start from Home \n- The Best Internet Businesses You Can Start \n- 101 Ways to Make Money at Home
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The price will depend on the type of service you offer, going rate in your area, and extras you provide clients. There are several ways to help you determine your prices:\n\n1. Go to the Web and search for your competitors ("home portrait photography") and check the price ranges offered. There are many that do not put their prices up but you can ask for it through email, while some actually puts their prices on the site.\n\n2. Go to the yellow pages and contact the photography studios in your area. Pretend you're a client and ask for prices. Just make sure you don't sound too technical that they may detect that you are a competitor, not a client
999378
You can begin selling them through istockphoto.com.\nMembership is free.  Once you have set up your account you can upload photos.  People can visit the site and pay to download photos for use in their website, brochure etc.  If someone downloads one of your photos you get a percentage of the sale.   It is a great way for an amateur to learn what types of pictures are marketable.
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Shouldn't this be under Small Busines and not Investing?  I would do my homework on this one if I were you.  You might live in the boonies where no one has computers, but otherwise, I'd imagine Digital Photography is putting those places out of business left and right.\n\nIn facy, why not go to www.bizbuysell.com and see if there are any for sale near you?\n\nHope this helps!\n--J.
138265
Have a product or service that other people want and or need. This is the basics of it.  Now if you have that - you will have a starting point.  Then there comes the way to bring what you have to the public.  This is the part that can be tricky.  \n\nEbay is a good starting place if you trying to sell tangible things and don't have any idea about it yet.  If you already have products that you know will sell well - you should open a website.  Getting good standing in the search engines is a key factor.  This can take time.  Plus just the fact that noone knows about you can make it take a year or two before you really get off the ground.  \n\nPatience - you must have it - Here are some really good articles about small businesses (not just online) it is very valuable info - I read all the articles and found them to be helpful.
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I think it is very possible.  My business does both.  The key is finding a nitche market.  We are in the wedding business so that is always a large market.  What specifically are you looking to sell?  Product or service?
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One good way is to print out flyers and take them to potential clients where they work and/or live.  Identify exactly what you have to offer and perhaps even provide a discount for the first cleaning.\n\nIt works for many businesses.
649032
First off, make sure the parents are fine with you doing this.  Then, look in your local phone book for photo agencies.  Sometimes, agencies have promotions listed in the newspaper.
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If you are broke you have no business opening up a studio.\n\nNot only do you need enough money to pay for the equipment, deposits, legal fees, etc to get it running, but you need enough money in your account to pay for your bills for the next year.  If your business is like many businesses then it won't show a profit for at least a year.\n\nIf you don't have a good credit rating, nor anything to secure the loan (home equity, etc) then you're gonna pay loan shark rates of 30% or so.  There is no way you can make money if you're paying 30% for you loans.\n\nWhat I'd do is to get a bunch of photo business (build your business) while working from your home.  That way there are tax advantages, and you're keeping the day job until you really have enough business to pay for a studio.
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I would consider hiring an outside photographer so long as the prices were reasonable.  I am in Virginia and one of the admin. gals charges $250 to go to a listing, take what she considers to be "staged" photos and create a windows movie presentation to music on CD.  I found that I like my own photos better but it's difficult enough to make time to go and take photos of every listing, much less to then sit and put together a tour.  I wouldn't mind being able to email someone photos that I took and have them email me back a presentation which could be saved to disk.  I would think that would be more profitable because then you aren't limiting yourself to your local area.  You could procide the service to anyone, anywhere.  Of course if photography is your thing and that's what you are looking to do then I would market yourself by offering a "POGO" offer, Pay for One, Get One.  I don't really care for any of the virtual tours that require stitching because they always look like the "egg" tours, dort of distorted.  I like the ones where the camera seems to zoom in and out.  If there was a high quality 360 tour, I would consider it but I haven't seen one I like yet.  I think that having some sort of staging experience or at least being able to say you completed a staging course would be essential if you are going to actually go and take the photo.  Also, you need to consider access to the homes.  You can always ask the agents to meet you and let you in but I would think that it would be easier to check with the local Realtor board and see if they offer bus. memberships so that you can have a lockbox key (if they are even used in your area).   I know I would much rather pay someone who can let themselves in, take awesome photos, make a nice virtual tour that I could use on my website, on CDs that accomany the brochures etc.. and offers me some sort of discount for multiple jobs.  Just my input!  :)
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The first step is to know what you want - what your goals are, what is your schedule and how much time can you give a business. Then find out what business would fit into your goals and lifestyle. \n\nI suggest you research and read. Here are some resources to help you start out your home business:\n\nPowerHomeBiz http://www.powerhomebiz.com\nEntrepreneur http://www.entrepreneur.com\nInc.com http://www.inc.com\nBusinessknowhow http://www.businessknowhow.com