Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am taking a 2 hour photography class once a week and feel I am ready to start getting some clients, focusing on outdoor head and shoulders portraits for now. I would appreciate any advice on the first steps to take and how to advertise, etc. Pretty much any advice or tips. Thanks!

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Jessica Coleman

you could use word of mouth, reccomendations, flyers through doors, advertising in shop windows etc....

as long as you are good you will get the reccomendations

I am just starting out also. I went out and talk to some artists who do photography. Start out doing some art shows part time by framing and matting your work.Getting into shows is not an easy task. It takes some money for deposits and u have to show slides of your works.

Let`s say I take 20 pictures. What percentage of those do you feel should be sellable before I consider myself good enough to start advertising?

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Jessica Coleman

When i started my self it was with family and friends and word of mouth started. I did flyers, i went to an elemntary school were i knew lots of the teachers and had the put flyers in the kids folders i also started a MYSPACE page, i did that before i did my web-site. I would bring my camera and my business cards with me so if you see a mom with a new baby you can give her your card. I put flyers up at the shoping centers and just about any were that would allow me to put them up in. I talked to other friends who i knew had a business and they would mention me to others or put my name on there site.I would do some trade of  services ex: i did a business event i did the pictures free for them and when they posted the pics they put my name and link down.(to advertise on there page is was something like $25 a month and they gave me 4 months of being on there page with out paying) Sometimes trade of services can have a big outcome, granted its not something you want to do ALL the time but in the start it doesn`t hurt. I donated my services to a silent auction and to a raffell.  Think simple but BIG at the same time if that makes any sense.
Best of luck,
Bryanne



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Bryanne Adler
Owner/Photographer
Adler Photography

http://www.bryanneadlerphotos.com

A friend of mine is following the same path. His approach is to take photos of people he knows and start putting a portfolio together.
My suggestion is for you to sign up with a cheap hosting company and with Wordpress.org. Wordpress.org has various free templates, including specific ones for the photography business.

Good luck.



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Andre Costa DaCosta Chocolates, LLC www.DaCostaChocolates.com

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A great reference that my attorney colleague and I have released for new business owners is a FREE step-by-step guide on how to start, operate and grow your business.  We have put together in a 60-page interactive document more than 15 years experience and countless issues that we have heard from our clients, as well as what we have experienced firsthand as entrepreneurs.  Such guide is recommended by more than a dozen government agencies.   Check it out, I am confident that you will find it helpful.  Let me know.

The first priority will be get a website done up where you can upload your portfolio onto it. You could start off by running your business from your own apartments. It's widely accepted.

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