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Business Tips for the Freelance Photographer

By Ira Gostin © 2003 www.gostin.com

1. Be in Business. If you are going to be in business, then be in business. The business side of freelancing is as important as making great photographs. Learn the skills you need, assemble a support team, and know where your resources are. "Nah, I don't need those licenses and insurance, I just make pictures." Sorry, but that attitude just doesn't cut it anymore! The biggest mistake a freelancer can make is to ignore the business side of it all.
   
   Don't take your successes for granted. When business is good, that's when it is time to promote, because when things slow down, it's too late.
   
   
2. Be Professional. Always remember that when you are working for any given client, they are the center of your universe. They don't want to hear about your other clients, your personal problems, or the fact that the lab ruined a roll of film. They don't care. They do care about getting the best value for their dollar. Be prompt, polite, well mannered, a business professional.
   
   And of course, be ethical. Know what's right and wrong. The ethics you learned as a photojournalist are very applicable as a freelance commercial photographer.
   
   
3. Know the Law. Take time to find out the specific business laws of your community. Business licenses, sales tax and resale laws, and liability insurance are just a few things that are extremely important. It is a hassle to deal with all these requirements, but if you put them off, they will haunt you in the end. I have heard stories about photographers who were fined thousands of dollars for not following the sales tax laws. There are also business practice laws that are specific to your state, in addition to Federal copyright and release laws.
   
   It sounds intimidating. But I was able to utilize some free services that the Small Business Administration provided, a weekend workshop at the University of Nevada, and a two-hour consultation with a local attorney reviewing all my forms and paperwork to have everything in good operating order. The cost was about $250.00, which was very inexpensive insurance.
   
   
4. Personal Time. This is definitely easier said than done. However, burn-out can cause your photography to suffer as well as the image that you project. No matter how rough things are or how stressed or tired you may be, you have to project yourself as energetic and ready to take on the world. Allow yourself some time to relax, exercise, get fresh air and in general, just wind down a little and recharge. Schedule this time as you would an appointment so you are sure to do it!
   
   Even a half day in the middle of the week away from the pager and scanner and phone can give you some time to recharge.
   
   
5. Plan, Plan, Plan. A business plan is instrumental in keeping your business on track. It does not need to be some multi-volume document with hundreds of footnotes. Just a simple outline with your goals and strategies clearly outlined will keep you on track.
   
   I have a morning protocol sheet that is on colored paper, laminated and posted near my computer. This gives me an outline to follow of my morning activities and takes me about 45 minutes every morning. This includes straightening the office, scheduling things on the calendar, emptying voice mail, responding to email, checking for outgoing faxes, etc. I also have a protocol that I follow when returning from a long trip to assist me in getting organized back in the office. I have found that these two protocols have increased my productivity as well as decreased my frustration when things are extremely busy. When we get scattered and tattered, from travel or sheer work volume, having some direction, no matter how obvious, keeps things settled and on track.
   
   Staying organized keeps you professional in the eyes of your clients. A good calendar and some basic organization skills will keep the business moving in a positive direction and ensure that you are where you are supposed to be at any given moment.
   
   
6. Be Portfolio Honest. Your portfolio should be as professional as you are. It should display your images in a professional fashion that is easy to look at and conveys a bit of your personality as well. Your portfolio should show the prospective clients something about you that they might not already know or they might not have seen from your promo materials. Your promo materials should always reflect the type of work in your portfolio. If you do not own strobes, don't show a lot of lit images that you are not able to create on a regular basis.
   
   
7. Learn & Associate. Just because you are out working does not mean that your education curve needs to come to a slamming halt. Attend workshops, seminars, association meetings. Plan at least a one-day seminar every quarter and strive to attend a workshop for a week. Continuing education keeps you sharp, in-tune with current business trends, and may even land you a new client. It's easy to get stagnant when you are working every day, hustling and trying to make something of your business, so a seminar or class now and then gives your left brain much needed time to re-charge.
   
   This includes attending ASMP meetings, NPPA seminars and associating with others in your area. In our business, you don't have competitors, you have colleagues.
   
   
8. Just Promote It. "I'm no salesman, I just make pictures." You are the one that will make the phone ring. Sales and promotion are every bit as important as being a good photographer. Let the editors that you want to work for know what you are doing. Show them images on a regular basis. Keep your name out there. Send follow-up cards and notes after jobs. Keep your name out there. Let the world know who you are by making great pictures, and ... keeping your name out there!
   

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