Are you fond of taking beautiful photos and then retouching them in Photoshop and Lightroom? Want to start a business involving photo retouching and be paid well? Many of today’s successful retouchers and photo retouching services such as FixThePhoto http://fixthephoto.com and Weedit.photos http://weedit.photos have learned how to build and maintain their retouching businesses the hard way, through trial and error. They started their careers as online photo editors and only cropped and resized images. As time went on, they became professional online photo retouching companies who provide their assistance either to beginning photographers or glossy magazines and brands.
Today, we are going to discuss how to develop a standout photo retouching business.
10 steps to starting a successful photo retouching business
First of all, don’t feel upset or stressed if you don’t see results in a few days after you have drafted your photo retouching business plan. Any business needs time, patience and a little bit of persistence. You have to achieve your business goals consistently, making one small step after another.
Step 1. How to start a photo retouching business
Make a plan for your photo retouching business. A well-prepared plan is a key to success for a businessman or businesswoman. Plan every detail, including your aims, costs, materials and the time it will take. One of the most important aspects for your successful photo retouching business is good equipment: laptops, graphic tablets, calibrated monitors, licensed Photoshop and Lightroom versions, etc. If you establish yourself as a professional photography retoucher, you have to use advanced technologies and modern equipment. It will guarantee that will be a competitive player in the business arena and that you will provide a perfect service at an affordable price.
Don’t forget about acquiring a high-speed internet connection. This is also very important. Your services must not only be professional but also fast. You must always be ready to help your client in a short time. Your client may need an urgent photo retouch and you won’t be able to do it because your internet connection is slow. Be competent and pay attention to the smallest details. It’s an important part of your job.
Step 2. Register as a legal organization
This will protect you from having personal responsibility if your business gets into trouble. If you hesitate, or if it is hard for you to make such a decision, you can always consult with a CPA. Whether you expect this business to be your main job, or a job for extra money, you should make the registration of your business a priority and get a state or local license. You may ask for help by consulting with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To establish the photo retouching business, you will need some special licenses.
Within every state or country, there are a list of licenses and permits that may be relevant for you or not. You should learn in detail what applies for your state.
Step 3. Register for taxes
It is your duty as a citizen to pay taxes as soon as your business becomes established.
Step 4. Establish a business account at a bank
A special account related to your retouching business will organize your finances and make your clients trust you more. The question of how much money you should invest for opening you photo retouching business mostly depends on its volume and position in the market. For the first time, we advise you to organize your office at home; it will be the most effective and cheapest way. Thus, the sum you may need will range around $5000. This amount of money includes the purchase of a new powerful laptop and graphic tablet, which will cost you approximately $2,500. $500 of that will be spent on purchasing additional software for photo editing. Remember the importance of advertising and investing money in it. Get ready to spend $2500 on advertisements; this includes $500 for the creation of a really professional website.
Step 5. Organize business accounting
It is crucial to record your costs, income and its sources to regulate the financial performance of your business. This will also make it easier for you to operate tax filing when tax season comes along.
Step 6. Get business insurance
Obtain business insurance. It is ideal for every entrepreneur to have insurance for their businesses and a photo retouching one is not an exception.
Step 7. Set up your rates
Your retouching business will be unique with its own rates, and this will make your collaborations with customers much easier. The charge for a single photo retouch can range between $5 and $50. Provide packages according to levels of retouching, events or volume of orders. Don’t neglect discounts and weekend sales.
Step 8. Set up your website
This is the basis of a successful online service. An easy ordering system, clear payment process and user-friendly website design are all a must. Don’t forget about including a chat box which is online 24/7 to answer your potential clients’ questions.
Step 9. Find your client base
Your business basically will rely on your client base for most of your orders and sales. Instagram, email, a photographers association and Twitter are helpful resources for finding customers. Be friendly, sociable and polite; all people like congenial people. Understand your clients’ needs and demands and make them feel confident that you are working for them and all their requirements will be taken into account. The key to your success is to position your company as a reliable, highly qualified photo editing service. Don’t feel shy when asking your clients to leave feedback on your website. Positive photo retouching service reviews will bring in new clients and make your business more productive. It is an essential part of the service to always let your customer know the status of the project. Communicate with them and inform them about all news.
Step 10. Promote and market your services
This will help you to attract new clients and ensure profitability for the business. Freebies and discounts will help to market your business. Keep in mind that a beautiful portfolio with a lot of before-and-after samples that you post on social networks will attract people. First you need to determine how many images will be optimal for your portfolio. On average, a good portfolio should contain from 20 to 30 photos and are in high resolution. A photo retouching blog also helps attract views.
Bonus Tip: Think about setting up a PayPal account to accept payments. It will be more convenient for people who want to pay with their credit cards. Consult with a lawyer or a tax expert about the appropriate structure type of your business.
Starting your own photo retouching company is a hard and long process. But if you want to succeed and you know what you are doing and why you are doing this, then you will definitely get what you’re striving for. All you need is a little bit of patience, persistence, nice professional skills and good luck. Be creative and enjoy your image retouching business. We believe in you and wish you all the best.
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