tell me if this is the order in which you started your business

[texangal]

1)po box first
2)dba
3)tax id

i guess my dilemma is when you register for a dba it is public info with the address you put in.....correct?

[brad]

1) Hired a lawyer
2) Let him file the Incorporation papers, DBA, Tax ID
3) Sales Tax license
4) First job

[toverman]

1. make sure I could perform photographically in any situation
2. written business plan
3. research research research
4. more research
5. tax id
6. dba
7. Web site
8. clients/second shooting/education
9. More research
10. Marketing (lather, rinse, repeat)

[Richard DeYoung]

I am retired and considering starting a photographic business in the area I live in. It is a small county 100 miles north of Houston with no photograhy studio or photographer. Population is about 25,000 rural and small town residents.. Nearest photographer is 30 miles away. Population is relatively poor with a large contingent of seniors living in a gated senior community. I am quite well known having taken over 400 seniors photos for a directory as well as being president of the local garden club and Mens golf association. I have relatively good equipment (canon 40D) with numerous lens and lighting stuff. Can also produce quality prints on my Epson printer. I asm not looking for a large income since I have some investments as well as retirement income but am primarily looking to augment my existing income and perhaps stay busy.
No studio since I usually go to customers dwellings to do work.
Any thoughts or suggestions will be helpfull.

[ShaneKislack]

This is how I did it...

1. Start shooting.
2. Decide I know everything.
3. File DBA, get business bank account, file for tax id.
4. shoot.
5. yellow pages and google ad words advertising.
6. shoot
7. Open a studio.
8. Go broke
9. shoot
10. Realize I don't know crap.
11. shoot
12. Look for people I want to shoot like.
13. Swallow pride, cold call photogs, start assisting.

There's probably a thousand ways to do it better, but I honestly believe that if I hadn't had that early reality check, I wouldn't be where I am today and where I'm going.

[Tedi17]

Congratulations on making the decision to do it! Good Luck....

[Valadilene]

So.. this is what Ive done so far.

1) Take Photo classes
2) Made website and business card
3) assisted 3 wedding photogs and one commercial- decided I hate weddings and lvoe commercial
4) On the verge of contacting all the commercial/ad photogs in my area for assisting
5) researching marketing
6) flounders about when the term 'business plan' is used
Future plans:
7) figure out how to write a business plan...

Any pointers? =P

[brad]

Originally Posted by Valadilene

Future plans:
7) figure out how to write a business plan...

Any pointers? =P

There are lots of self help books out there to walk you through writing one... read one or two for better advice than you're going to get in 5 or 6 lines of a reply here. :)

[pbyd]

This is what I have done:
1} 1969 discharged from USMC
2} 1969 start on my BFA in Fine Arts Photography
3} 1969 couple ask me to photograph their wedding, turn them down because I was an “Artist” and we did not do weddings, couple offers $75.00, change my mind about this artist stuff and book a wedding, fall in love with wedding photography.
4} 1969 start to work as a civil service photographer for the state of Louisiana, my boss has been a portrait and wedding photographer for many years. Read, go to hear speakers, Read, Study, Learn, Learn, and Learn.
5} 1969 file for my sales tax and DBA and start an in-home studio doing portraits, commercial and weddings (and anything else anyone wants photographed}.
6} 1973 receive my BFA in Fine Arts Photography and because of my “Boss” I know that a BFA has nothing to do with the real world in the Photography Business.
7} 1977 move to Houston Texas, file for my sales tax and get a DBA, file for my personal property taxes and move into a retail space and open a studio.
8} 1982 Work on my MFA in fine arts photography (just for myself)
9} 1977 – 2008 move from studio location to studio location, have success, have failure, have success Ect. Ect. Ect.
10} 2008 move my studio again next month to a new location and start again.

What a Life, I love it.

[Tedi17]

I've decided to move forward with my business as well. Since I have a full time job, my process is very slow (baby steps) to understand it all.

- I took a couple of photography classes
- I've participated in a few workshops
- Had a few images published
- Entered my work in photography contest

The above help me validate that I was producing good work. It gave me an opportunity to have my work critic. It also allowed me to shoot in different categories to find my interest.

I've decided that I will not start as a portrait or wedding photography (this is where the money is). I'm going to start with flowers, still images, street photography, documentary portraits and urban life. Most of my images will be sold online or during art shows. Once I build up some extra cash to purchase the equipment and accessories for weddings/portraits; I will begin to take on some of those projects.

What I did next:

- created website (work in progress)
- meet with a financial advisor
- filed for my DBA and tax-id
- business cards
- business checking account

Now I'm just trying to digest everything before I move to the next step.

Honestly, I haven't written a business plan...but I'm sure I will at one point.

Again, good luck....

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by Valadilene

7) figure out how to write a business plan...

Any pointers? =P

Your local small business association is a gold mine of free help. Ours is amazing. They can help you form your business plan, and get it on par.

[HotHolly]

Originally Posted by ShaneKislack

This is how I did it...

1. Start shooting.
2. Decide I know everything.
3. File DBA, get business bank account, file for tax id.
4. shoot.
5. yellow pages and google ad words advertising.
6. shoot
7. Open a studio.
8. Go broke
9. shoot
10. Realize I don't know crap.
11. shoot
12. Look for people I want to shoot like.
13. Swallow pride, cold call photogs, start assisting.

From #10 down seems to be a recurring cycle for any good artist (whether in the newB stages or not). It means your growing. Growth is good. ;o)

[zeroskillz]

this may seem like a no-brainer, but I didn't do it early enough (not in the photo biz, but same deal really):

Get Quickbooks, or something like it, and learn to use it, and use it from your first smallest job till eternity.

Trust me, if you skip that step you'll kick yourself later.

Other's have mentioned research, business plans, etc. I'd just add my plug for that stuff as well. There are plenty of software packages out there that can help you write a biz plan. That's a place to start. Try the SBA and SCORE for more info on starting a busniess in general.

[brad]

+1 on QuickBooks.. I've used it since we started our corporation in 96... it makes it REAL easy to pass off your stuff to the accountant... and easy to do the paperwork that you do yourself as well... most of the tax forms are built in.

[C!LLY]

I went to the texas workforce center and they have loads of info and how to give you ideas on starting your own business. I got my tax id, then dba. I will be opening the account when my husband has enough time to go with me to open the account with me. I am taking a book keeping class as well.