match.com pricing

[ShaneKislack]

Originally Posted by nitromike

Better work on that workflow .. if its taking 30 minutes to resize and upload you're slow.

Yep, I'm slow. Fortunately people don't hire me for speed.

[Mike G]

so you're seriously saying it takes you 30 minutes to resize and FTP 2 images for web use only? I call BS.

[ShaneKislack]

OK, ok...I can do better, but I'm sure that there are things that take time I didn't consider. I think my point was that even though you get paid for that particular hour, there are hours pertaining to business that you aren't getting directly paid for.

[Mike G]

And I have to disagree, for a shoot like this and being for web use only you can easily do the 2 shot 30 minutes or less shoot and be done including uploading to the server in under 45 minutes .. and thats considering the max time for shooting. match.com is doing the scheduling even .. so there is no time there, All you do is shoot. Might not get rich, but you'll make money.

[ShaneKislack]

Fair enough. I don't think I can compete with it.

Out of curiosity, are you just going to take 2 shots? If you shoot multiple, will you let the client look at them and choose? How long does that take? (These are serious questions, not smartass questions)

[srwatters]

I also look at the opportunity to sell some real portraits to them once they hook up with someone through the dating service. And yes that does happen.

My time is worth more, but it's also cheap advertising. Word of mouth is worth something too. Look at the business Tracy gets from the MySpace girls. The first few are free to get the ball rolling, then off we go. Having a live person in the studio is perfect target marketing.

I'd love to have every shoot be a $1K sale, but I'll take the paid marketing efforts to start with. YMMV.

[ShaneKislack]

Fair enough, Scott. I don't have all the answers...just know that I can't compete.

[Mike G]

For something like this I would already have the lights set. camera set and 2 shots only .. no choosing, no extra time. Its a bare bones shoot and they would get that.

[srwatters]

I agree. For the same reason I won't try to compete for a $1500 wedding package. We all have to decide our own business models.

[akimartymar]

One more thing you forgot to add to that list of expenses....how about all the spent posting about this subject on this board?

[ShaneKislack]

I know you're joking Martin, but you also have a good point. Believe me, I hope to get to a point where I have no more time to post here.

But the practices you set in place now are the ones that will stay with you.