Look up some graphic design sites and look at what makes a good design.  Research this topic thoroughally before you commit to make sure you get it right.

I say get it right now because once you have spent money on business cards, stationary and the like to change all that again will be a waste of money and branding time.

Now we have a name and a logo.  Lets start our business and no business can be born without a business plan.

Now that you have hopefully decided on where you want to take you photography business you need to decide on a business name.  Your name and logo will be the brand of your business.  When you start your photography business you will spend time and money on developing your brand so you need to decide early on what that will be.  Your brand is the image that is portrayed to your clients.  Without any conversation it tells prospective customers what your business is like and it will appeal then to different people.  Once your brand is established in your local community you will generate income through word of mouth which is the best advertising of all, because it is free and it is a recommendation from person to person.  We will discuss this further in the marketing section.

So what is your business going to be called.  Many photographer user their own name which is fine but if you are thinking big picture if you want to expand your business or franchise it, is your name what you want now and in the future.  To have your business name registered it must meet certain criteria.  Read this article http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au/choose-business-name.htm

but in brief this is what it outlines.

Once you have decided on a name you should search to see if another company has registered the name already.

See the ASIC website http://www.asic.gov.au/asic/asic.nsf

Your business name needs to be acceptable in that it is not misleading or offensive.

Fair-trading will check for other businesses with identical names or similar names so choose something unique.  They will also check to see if the registered domain name belongs to you such as a .com.au.  You will have to provide proof that you own the domain.  I will discuss domains and websites later.

See Registering a business name for more information.

Whether you decide to use you own name or not does not really matter.   Once you have decided on a name you will need a logo or perhaps your name and the font will be the logo like Coke or Walt Disney

Here are the pros and cons of using your own name.  If you use your name you do not need to register it with the business, but if you add “photography” to the end you do.  Will you call yourself … photographer or …. Photography?  If you become famous people will know your name as a photographer, does it need to be your business name.  If you employ people will your name be worthwhile? Food for thought!

Lets get started by exploring a couple of simple ideas.

Why do you want to start your own photography business?  Are you already in a job but want some extra cash for a holiday or a renovation? It is a hobby that you would like to get some money from? Are you a Mum at home and would like to earn some cash to supplement the household income?  There are going to be a wide range of answers but what is most important is that you are committed to getting your business up and running and are then dedicated to the task of growing your business.

What kind of photography will you do?

Now let’s look at what kind of photography you are going to do.  There are many different areas of photography from fashion, portrait, sports to commercial photographers.  Your area of photography will be based on your passion.  In general you will be competing with other people who have businesses offering a variety of photography services.  You need to consider what area you will target and direct your business to that end.  You have heard the saying “ A jack of all trades a master of none”.  This can be true for photographers. While the skills are universal the nuances will set you up as a specialised photographer, for instance a wedding photographer may not be the best commercial photographer.  Look at what you want to do and target your business to that area.  When we get to marketing your business you will see why I am getting you to target your business to a specific area.

Let’s assume that you have some photographic skills, either you have a natural talent or you have completed some kind of photography course.  If you have not completed a course with a professional institution I would recommend achieving this first before starting your business.  There are many privately run courses or visit the TAFE website in your state to search for photography course.  TAFE courses also provide training in planning for your business as a photographer.  Once you have some photography skills the next thing you need to get is skills in Photoshop CS4 + and or Lightroom.  As a photographer ‘in the old days’ with film, skills in the darkroom were needed to develop film and print, now days skills in the digital darkroom are essential.  In fact post processing of images will become more time consuming for you that the actual taking of the pictures.  It is beyond the scope of this article to teach photographic techniques and Photoshop skills so lets now focus on the business side of things.

If you are a looking for a job where you can be self employed and decide on the amount of hours you want to work, a business as a photographer may just allow you this freedom.  Of course like any business there is a need to earn money and make it profitable but this will occur over time if you can build up your business.

Starting and working for yourself on your own business can be very rewarding but where do you start and how do you make it a success.  I am going to go, step by step through the process that I have been through to start my own business and show you how to set up and start your own photography business.  I have done everything except take the pictures for you.  It is easy, if you follow my guide.  So lets get started.