Welcome, fellow photog! I’m Brent, owner of Fun Sized Photo Co., dad to three, and taco aficionado. I’ve been a professional photographer for over 10 years, and now that I’ve successfully grown my business into my full-time career, I’m sharing what I’ve learned with others who want to do the same.
Today I’m here to remind you to keep investing in yourself.
I know the struggle all too well – You want to improve your skills, upgrade your equipment, and improve your business systems, but the idea of investing money into this new or slowly growing endeavor feels absolutely overwhelming, stupid even. But the truth is, it is imperative that we invest in ourselves as well as in our business if we want to grow it into something profitable and rewarding.
I have good news, though! Not all investments need to be financial. You can also grow your business by simply investing time and effort. Below are the three main areas of your photography business that you should be investing in.
Where to Invest
- Your Skills and Knowledge. No matter where you are in your journey, there is always more to know and learn. If you aren’t in a position to financially invest into trainings, take advantage of all the free content you can get ahold of. Blog posts, YouTube, TikTok, and free courses are all readily available to help you improve your photography knowledge. Invest the time and watch yourself grow.
- Your Systems and Website. You can keep investment costs low by doing more DIY website and CRM efforts or you can hire it out to others. Either way, you must invest in having a professional looking, customer-friendly website and solid Customer Relationship Management systems. Both will make it easier for you to book and build trust with clients.
- Your Equipment. Photography equipment will obviously be your largest investment when it comes to your business, but you do not need the biggest and best equipment to be a qualified and skilled photographer. I used the lowest end canon DSLR for the first 5 years of my career and still produced beautiful images for my clients.
It is a complete waste of money to purchase high end equipment if you haven’t mastered the basics in photography and your editing technique. You should only upgrade your equipment as you grow your skills – not to make up for the lack of skill. When you can tell that the quality of your camera or other equipment is holding you back, then it is time to invest in an upgrade. (This is my current camera body if you’re curious.)
No one creates a thriving photography business overnight, but with determination and continued investment in yourself, you can absolutely get there.
Invest your time.
Invest your energy.
And wisely invest your money.
You’ve got this.
Want more? Be sure to read this post where I talk about putting yourself out there.
