How many wedding photographers here are making at least this amount of profit?

[LadyShutterBug]

Originally Posted by suerenee

But remember..your business can work for you too....

My biz pays for my cell phone...when I was working in an office I paid it out of my salary.
My biz pays for 1/2 of my house keeper (I office from home and have both a meeting space and office)
My biz gives me a mileage dedcution
My biz contributes to my HSA, IRA and equipment savings fund...
My biz buys my lunch when I go out with clients or other photogs.

But for my biz plan I know I can "make" less money and still be okay b/c I have biz expenses that overlap into my daily life.

i remember the first time we did taxes and i cried so hard because of the "net profit" from my business. i think i mumbled something like "oh my GOD i could just work at a grocery store and make more than that and get more sleep and never have to go to bed worrying about clients!!!"

but there are definitely huge benefits once you get things up and running. the travel, the things you can have for yourself that are then business-expensed (lol @ the cell phone, YES! i would never spend money on fancy cell stuff if it were just personal use because i wouldn't need the bells and whistles)... and like the previous poster, i would absolutely not eat meals out so much were it not for other vendors and industry friends.

there is a delicate balance. you've got to put money back into your business (at least for the first few years) to keep it growing... but you've got to be comfortable with what you're able to keep "for yourself". that's different for everyone, and dynamic over the years as your business changes.

[Composure Photo & Video]

To:yhpargotohp
You should look into the PPA's SMS workshops and their benchmark results for what a "at home" photographer and retail photographer should (compared to others) make. Their next conference is in January and I can't recommend it enough. They turned things around for me. I came straight home, doubled my prices, continued my education and haven't looked by since.

Having said that, I have a happiness index that now tells me whether I need to work more or less. Good Luck.

[PhotoDude79]

I've been full time for 3 years and I make more every year (best job I ever had!!). It is all in how you market yourself and what type of brides you want to attract. One thing I learned last year is to not take every wedding that comes your way, just because they will pay doesn't mean it is the right wedding for you.You want to create fans... not just someone who paid you to cover their wedding.