Author Topic: I've just registered my business (Read 688 times)

Ripsnort · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2006, 02:43:22 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Eagler
you can probably make more money from the site by selling advertising once you get the site established and get the eyeballs going to it..
something to think about if the photo orders don't roll in like you hope they do
good luck with the new biz!

Thanks Eagler! I plan to establish it within the community by word of mouth. I've gotten a couple contracts doing DVD Movies for baseball teams this past summer (They supplied the pictures and music, and I put it together) but this is my first attempt at selling the pics I've taken. I have business cards made up that I will distribute at the practices at the food booth. If I get real enthusiastic I'll have a booth set up on Game day at our home stadium (This is what other photographers for the other teams do on their home turf) I'd need someone to man that booth since I will be on the field though! Wife can't do it because she can't be around all day....so for now advertising is word of mouth and business cards at the concessions stands at home games and practices...

Its not a living, its a hobby that I can potentially make money from and help generate $$ for the team doing so.

lukster · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2006, 02:49:17 PM »

Looks like you're off to a good start Rip. Hope ya make lotsa money.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #17 on:** August 07, 2006, 02:54:59 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lukster
Looks like you're off to a good start Rip. Hope ya make lotsa money.

Thanks Lukster. Printroom has a recommended Sports Picture price list to use, I took it and cut the prices in half so that its cheaper for the parents. I don't care as much about making money as I do about generating $$ for the team. I just want a fair compensation to pay for the website ($100 year) and my time.

Sometimes I just think that its not worth the hassle and to watch the game with both eyes instead out of one eye through a view finder! But then whenever Baseball, Football or Soccer starts up again, there I am with my camera!

I think its a natural reaction for photographers to seek out that "Hole in one" picture, the one that gets people saying "Ohhhh!".

Maybe MiniD can relate, I know he's a good photograher with an eye for nature../.

Eagler · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2006, 02:59:13 PM »

Rip
what did you charge for your DVD movies?
I have made a couple for friends of my sister in the DC area but between scanning the photos and putting it all together it didn't pay well when calculated into an hourly dollar amount.
I did feel good about the last one I created as it was a 50th Wedding Anniversary for my sister friends parents and was the highlight of their family celebration at the party. It was nice to get to know them if not just through the photos & telephone/email. The dad was a paratrooper in WW2.
It made it painful though when the dad/husband passed away a week after the party when he suffered a heart attack.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2006, 04:48:14 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Eagler
Rip
what did you charge for your DVD movies?
I have made a couple for friends of my sister in the DC area but between scanning the photos and putting it all together it didn't pay well when calculated into an hourly dollar amount.
I did feel good about the last one I created as it was a 50th Wedding Anniversary for my sister friends parents and was the highlight of their family celebration at the party. It was nice to get to know them if not just through the photos & telephone/email. The dad was a paratrooper in WW2.
It made it painful though when the dad/husband passed away a week after the party when he suffered a heart attack.

Let me tell you what my sister charges as she does this for a full time living:

If she takes the pictures, she charges $250 for a 15 minute DVD with about 150 pictures in it.

So now that you have a baseline in mind from someone who does it for a living, I will tell you what I charged the teams this past summer:

If they provide the pictures (Mixture of photos all the parents take, put on CD for me to use) and the supply music, 125 picture maximum, 15 DVD's movies for $125.

If I shoot the pictures, and add the music (has to be Karoke or computer generated or you get into copyright infringement laws) 125 pic maximum, 15 DVD's for $200 and $5 a DVD above that price. Anything over 125 I add $1 per picture.

So, lets say I shoot 150 good pictures. I tell the client that it will be $225 and they get 15 DVD's.
Base: $200 (125 pics, 15 DVDs)
Extra Pics (25) $25
Total $225

If they say they want 20 DVD's, then I add another $25 for a total of $250.
Base: $200 (125 pics, 15 DVDs)
Extra Pics (25) $25
5 extra DVD's (total of 20) $25
Total $250

Make sense?

I

Masherbrum · « **Reply #20 on:** August 07, 2006, 06:08:28 PM »

Congrats B! Looks like all of the ducks are in a row on this one. I wish you the best.

Rolex · « **Reply #21 on:** August 07, 2006, 09:56:02 PM »

Hi there Ripsnort. Good luck taking something you enjoy doing to the next level.

Couple of comments and questions - all meant to be constructive.

1. I think your site needs a lot of work. It isn't intuitive or gives the user the info they need or want. There are many coding problems and layout problems. You could use some help from someone experienced in layout and design. I think you should buy space from a good host. There are plenty of good hosts with all the server side tools (MySQL, PHP) you need to make a decent site. It's only money and less than $100/per year will get you the space and bandwidth you need.

If you are giving a portion of the proceeds away, just say how much and say it clearly. It throws up a red flag to some people that you are using it as a sales trick, but not doing it. Is it a % of profit or gross?

2. I think it's a reasonable assumption that people would like these photos available for a long time. To be able able to see them in 20 -30 years would not be unreasonable, right?

I don't think enough photographers have thought about this:

How am I going to view these images on a DVD 10-15 years from now if there is no hardware to support it? And will these DVDs even survive for 10 years since consumer-grade recordable DVDs do not use the same process as commercial grade pressed disks. The data can become unreadable because the record layer of recordable CDs and DVDs chemically breaks down over time when exposed to UV.

Anyway, something to think about. Maybe there really is a better market for good old-fashioned prints?

Ripsnort · « **Reply #22 on:** August 07, 2006, 10:04:47 PM »

Thanks for the feedback Rolex. Saw was kind enough to give me feedback on the "website" too, however, this is Printroom's basic website layout...they state right up front that "we're not in the business of web design, but you may link your website to your Printroom ordering website". In a nutshell, its very limited.

If the business turns out to be successful this year (I'll know by November) then I'll shell out some $$ and kick it up a notch with a real website (then link the Printroom stuff into it for ordering.

I'll change the percentage per your feedback and make sure I state "on the profit". Talked to the head guy tonight and changed my mind on the percentage...I told him "10% until I get my investment back, then 20% from there". I've only got $100 invested in it not counting the business cards.

Regarding prints, that is what this website does, gives the user prints, jpegs, coffee mugs, t-shirts, you name it, they place the picture on it. No DVD options but that is what I am giving our team at the end of the year (It's put to music, some funny stuff added, etc.) The DVD will be unsuitable for printing from so I don't see it competing with the pictures I'm taking.

Thanks again for the feedback, off to change that "percentage" statement.

Quote

Originally posted by Rolex
Hi there Ripsnort. Good luck taking something you enjoy doing to the next level.

Couple of comments and questions - all meant to be constructive.

1. I think your site needs a lot of work. It isn't intuitive or gives the user the info they need or want. There are many coding problems and layout problems. You could use some help from someone experienced in layout and design. I think you should buy space from a good host. There are plenty of good hosts with all the server side tools (MySQL, PHP) you need to make a decent site. It's only money and less than $100/per year will get you the space and bandwidth you need.

If you are giving a portion of the proceeds away, just say how much and say it clearly. It throws up a red flag to some people that you are using it as a sales trick, but not doing it. Is it a % of profit or gross?

2. I think it's a reasonable assumption that people would like these photos available for a long time. To be able able to see them in 20 -30 years would not be unreasonable, right?

I don't think enough photographers have thought about this:

How am I going to view these images on a DVD 10-15 years from now if there is no hardware to support it? And will these DVDs even survive for 10 years since consumer-grade recordable DVDs do not use the same process as commercial grade pressed disks. The data can become unreadable because the record layer of recordable CDs and DVDs chemically breaks down over time when exposed to UV.

Anyway, something to think about. Maybe there really is a better market for good old-fashioned prints?