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Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

Lesson 28 from: Launch a Successful Photography Business

Philip Ebiner, Will Carnahan

Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

Lesson 28 from: Launch a Successful Photography Business

Philip Ebiner, Will Carnahan

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Lesson Info

28. Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

Next Lesson: Quiz - Chapter 3

Lessons

Class Trailer

Chapter 1: Introduction to Starting a Photography Business

1

Welcome

02:26
2

Why Do You Want to Start a Photography Business

04:40
3

What Kind of Photography Business Do You Want to Start

05:38
4

Important Personal Note from Instructor Will

02:25
5

Case Study Starting a Photography Business

07:43
6

Quiz - Chapter 1

Chapter 2: Basics of Starting a Photography Business

7

Introduction to Basics of Starting a Photography Business

00:52
8

Choose Your Business Name

05:29
9

Choose Your Business Structure

06:12
10

Register Your Business Name

01:47
11

Get Your Federal Tax ID

01:39
12

Get Your Business License

01:16
13

Get Your Business Bank Account

02:16
14

Register Your Online Accounts

02:17
15

Branding Your Business

02:18
16

Set Your Prices

12:56
17

The Photography Gear You Need to Start a Business

03:42
18

Case Study - Business Basics

24:42
19

Case Study - Equipment

10:05
20

Quiz - Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Get Your First Paying Clients

21

Intro to Getting Your First Paying Clients

00:44
22

You Need to Prove Yourself

01:30
23

The Best Place to Find Your First Clients

02:36
24

What to Charge for Your First Clients

02:44
25

On Set - Partnering with Other Creatives

01:57
26

On Set - Getting Work in a Competitive Environment

02:38
27

Use Your First Shoot Wisely

01:20
28

Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

07:55
29

Quiz - Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Create Your Photography Business Website

30

Introduction to Create Your Photography Business Website

01:05
31

Why You Need a Website and Platform Options

04:30
32

What Needs to Be On Your Website

07:32
33

Design the Perfect Portfolio

03:17
34

Case Study - Looking at Photography Websites

12:56
35

Quiz - Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Expanding Your Online Presence

36

Introduction to Expanding Your Online Presence

00:55
37

Use Instagram to Grow Your Business

02:29
38

Use Facebook to Grow Your Business

01:21
39

Get Listed on Google

03:53
40

Get Listed on Yelp

03:20
41

Get Listed on Review Sites

04:06
42

Using Craigslist to Get Work

03:01
43

Case Study - Expanding Your Online Presence

13:16
44

Quiz - Chapter 5

Chapter 6: The Photography Business Workflow

45

Introduction to the Photography Business Workflow

00:54
46

Step 1 - Meeting Your Client

03:32
47

Step 2 - Booking Your Client

05:53
48

Step 3 - The Shoot

02:28
49

Step 4 - Editing Your Photos

06:34
50

Step 5 - Delivering Your Photos

01:05
51

Case Study - Business Workflow

15:54
52

On Set - the Shoot

02:50
53

On Set - Backdrop Placement

01:13
54

On Set - Paper Backdrop Rolls

02:01
55

On Set - The Back Light

00:46
56

On Set - Interacting with Clients

04:58
57

Quiz - Chapter 6

Chapter 7:Scaling Your Business with Better Infrastructure

58

Intro to Business Infrastructure and Continued Growth

00:46
59

Productivity Tools to Make Your More Efficient

06:21
60

Get Business Insurance

03:55
61

Accounting Tools & Tips

04:20
62

Business Tax Tips

03:38
63

Scaling Your Prices Up

02:56
64

Use Conventions and Meet Ups to Grow Your Business

04:01
65

Case Study - Business Growth

11:04
66

Quiz - Chapter 7

Chapter 8: Selling Your Prints

67

Intro to the Selling Prints Section

00:56
68

Why Should You Sell Your Prints

02:18
69

Choose a Printer

02:59
70

How to Price Your Prints

05:33
71

Selling Your Prints Online

08:06
72

Selling Your Prints in Person

02:38
73

Wrapping up This Section

01:26
74

Quiz - Chapter 8

Chapter 9: Conclusion

75

Tips for Personal and Creative Well Being

04:38
76

Conclusion

01:45

Final Quiz

77

Final Quiz

Lesson Info

Case Study - Getting Your First Clients

welcome to a new case study this one. We are wrapping up this section on getting your first paying client, getting your first client. So first let's just dive into with will see photo, Who was your first man with? Will see photo. It actually didn't happen till my second session. So the way everyone will see photo is that I block out a whole day and I try and get as much people in this one day. So the first day I went out and reached out to friends of friends, actors, of friends of friends of friends, I was like, hey, I'm starting a new headshot business. You want to come in for like an hour and a half and I can shoot your headshot for free. So the first day I had five people I shot headshots for for free. So right off the bat, I had five brand new headshots with three different looks on each head shots. So that's 15 photos that I acquired just for free because I put money into. So the next one, those people went out, posted those photos, you know, word of mouth and then I had three peo...

ple on that next session with our fully paying clients ready to go. So it only took like two sessions to do that. Now that's also again because I already have experience and I've been doing this for a while and you know, we'll take a look at my instagram later. But I started the instagram with older head shots that I've taken like eight years ago people and they still look and they hold up pretty professionally. But that's the best way I got my first new clients. So literally I want to break down. So the first ones that you're building up your portfolio with for free, like did you post on instagram? Did you email call text? How are you, How did I find the people? Yeah, I, I asked a few friends if they knew anyone that needed head shots. But again, that's my, that's my network. I know a lot of actors who know a lot of actors, a lot of actors. And then, so, okay, so you did those then for the next one again, Like how, what did you post on instagram and message people or? So this time, so this time I post on instagram with the new photos, like I think I posted like six and I put down, have another session looking for people. I think I got 11 person randomly hit me up. I gave them my prices. I said, okay, by the time the other two people, I had just sent emails or texts to my friends and they went ahead and said, hey, my buddies shooting headshots, caesars prices, are you interested? They just hit me up. That's so cool. And I mean that's really how to do it. I mean like you talked about in the lesson, your first plants coming from friends, family and acquaintances. It really, you gotta get out there and ask people, you got to tell people that you have a business and a lot of people or you are thinking, oh yeah, I'll do that. I'll talk to my family, but get out there and do that. Like put together an email. Send me an email blast to your friends, family and you just never know who's going to be wanting, wanting photos or whatever it is and they could be using them for anything. And for our wedding business that we had started, we shot my cousin's wedding for free. They were like, would you be down? They knew we were decent photographers. We were nervous as heck. But man, we got so much content from that one wedding that we should. I think that price list that we looked at earlier had two shots from it and it's like that. But it looks like multiple weddings because we shot in so many different ways. So, you know, you never know who needs them and you should just go for it, especially with your family. And I'll say my first paid photography gig, which again, I don't have a photography business. But if you know the skills, people are gonna end up asking you to do photography was a friend who were having a baby and they wanted a maternity session. And so I was like, yeah, sure. Actually before that, I took holiday photos. Yeah. A lot of christmas photos for people actually, that was probably my first paid Oh gosh, way back when Yeah, different. Yeah. We actually posted in the photography and friends community asking how some of our students got their first paying client, which is exciting because we've heard a lot from students who took our classes and not that it's all us, but part of it, they used our skills, We've taught them and they got their own first gig. So I just wanted to share a couple of these stories. Um, what I won't name names because I didn't ask for permission to use their name, but the ideas are great. So one posted on facebook marketplace didn't even think about just facebook has the marketplace section. You've probably seen people trying to sell shoes or cars on that. But just posted there says they, It was a wedding too with about 50 guests. I'm not sure actually how they did it. If someone was asking for a wedding photographer or if they, they were posted like an ax is still a good spot to look though. I mean facebook facebook marketplace, like a lot of people are going to see that and you never know who's willing to take a risk on a beginning photographer, especially if the price is right. So it does look like she actually posted an ad on facebook marketplace, which is pretty cool. Um, we got another story. He made a, a mug with a picture of a bird on it and that was just for his wife's birthday. But then client saw that and asked for a canvas of a bird photo. So he just made a canvas photo and sold it. Yeah, don't ask that. Another says there brother um got them a job. So again just telling people another says facebook neighborhood group. So there's a lot of groups on Facebook, especially in your community even next door.com. Hey, starting out photography. Anyone needs shots for $50. Yeah, I've seen that actually on next door in my local neighborhood. I'm just posted said, Yeah, they said they posted saying they're launching their website. Um, or someone posted, someone else posted asking saying they're starting a website and they needed candids of her working. So she responded and that's awesome. Um, let's see. One other person says they worked for a real state magazine and one of the realtors saw their work and wanted to do photography for all their listings, which hey, that's awesome. Um, and let's see, she is a project manager at one of our contractors. She loved the pictures I had of my son as my profile pictures and asked if I would take pictures of her grand baby. Dude. This is like, this is like the beauty of like modern technology social media. I feel like the consistency here is that there's no set path, but that in order to get more work, you need to get out there and get work, you get out there, get shooting post stuff, interact with people And even like, you know, you're sitting there, there are gonna be some people who are like, I don't have friends or family that are interested. I don't talk to my friends or family. Alright, Don't talk to my family, don't have friends. There are ways to get clients without that to posting to marketplaces. We didn't even mention like craigslist, but like posting to craigslist or any of these other photography boards, places like that. We'll talk a little bit more about this later on when we talk about expanding your online presence and using places like the knot or wedding wire. If you're a wedding photographer to post a profile, but just getting out there and putting your work out there, people are going to see it end up hiring. Sure, awesome. Thanks so much. I think we covered it well and we'll see you in the next

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

15 Tips: How Your Photography Business can be Adapted to Online Services
Start a Photography Business
Workbook
Worksheet

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