Are You A Struggling Photographer

Here Is How You Can Make It!

Invoices, Payday Loans and More

Are you an aspiring photographer trying to make it big in this competitive world? Do you feel that your passion for photography is not enough to pay your hefty bills, whether that’s your daily expenses or the more critical bills, such as your mortgage? Do you ever consider giving up your love for a steady, more stable income job? If these are the question taking over your sanity, it is important to know that there is hope. Most people take the job of photography lightly, when in reality, it is something that requires effort, time, and consistency. Luckily, there are ways that can allow all aspiring or current photographers to receive the payment they deserve!

To make things easier on your end, here are the tips you should follow in order to make sure you are invoicing correctly:

Include the Important Information

No photographer would want their payment to be delayed. However, delayed payments are quite common because the complete invoice data is not sent out to the client. Including irrelevant details in the invoice can lead to confused and frustrated clients that could reject your invoice. In this case, it is important to make sure your invoice has all important information.

Just remember, the more –relevant- details in the invoice, the less room for disagreement.

Opt For a Standard Template

With a standard template for the invoice, you will be giving yourself a professional outlook while giving out your information. If you are having troubles in finding a proper invoice template, you can always create your own.

Staying Professional

When you are constantly photographing a client, there is no way you will not begin to understand them. Throughout the whole process, you must have communicated, asked questions and listened to your clients carefully. This must have led to you and your client establishing a business relationship, however, be careful. Do not let this relationship make you slack away from sending your invoice. Keep in mind, even if you think the client has gone over their budget, you need to let them know instead of staying quiet. Do not ask for immediate payment, but do give them reminders.

However, sometimes clients tend to take advantage of this relationship and cannot pay on the right date. Having a client that is not paying on the right date can cause troubles for you. If you have to meet deadlines and pay off bills, but do not have the cash, try out payday loans. Payday loans are loans you are taking from lenders that you will have to pay back with a fee attached to it. Say, if you are taking $100, you will have to pay back $130 or so. Even though are getting instant cash, make sure you are paying back before the price is too high. If you are in a cash emergency, try out Bonsai Finance.

Think and Act Fast

Before taking up new work or after one project has come to an end, send out your invoice. Delaying the invoice will not only result in delayed payment but it will allow your client to think of you as an unprofessional photographer. With this thought in mind, there is a chance the client is taking advantage of this. To prevent this from happening, all you have to do is send out your invoice as soon as you can.

Make an Agreement

It is well understood about the business world (and you do not even have to be in the business world to understand this) that clients are often extremely lazy in giving their payment. While some might delay the payment, others might just disappear without even doing so. This is the sad, but true reality of business.

What you can do to prevent this from happening is making an agreement. Before you are saying “yes” to the client, hand the client a letter of agreement that clearly states all your terms and deadlines. Nothing in the agreement should be too complex for the client to understand nor should it be too ambiguous. It should be simple so the client can sign it before you start working for him or her.

Keep Account of Your Expenses

An essential step in business is keeping account of your expenses. Even the cab you took to meet your client or the props you got last minute should be counted in these expenses. Even if this seems weird to do in the beginning, in the long run, it will help your business.

From the beginning of your photography career, you need to make sure there is an established way of organizing receipts and other records. Whether you choose to write these expenses and keep them in folders, or input the data onto your computer or laptop, make sure it is safe and easy for you to understand in the future.

Understand Taxes

In the beginning, understanding how taxes work can be confusing. However, just know that you need to get the right information and record it because it is as important as choosing the right photography equipment for a big shoot.

Making a Client

Pre-Booking

• Meet the client and discuss the goal of the shoot
• Provide your client with the access to your work and contact information

First Meeting

• Prepare the workspace
• Ask question so you can understand the client
• Show previous works
• Talk about the pricing and payment
• Give them an agreement

Booking Process

• Sign the contact
• Discuss shoot details

Before the Shoot

• Set a date and choose the location
• Talk about the ideas
• Confirm the date, time and location
• Prepare your equipment

After the Shoot

• Send a thank you email
• With client’s consent, share the images
• Sort and edit photos
• Confirm date and time for viewing photos
• Share photos with client
• Send the invoice
• Deliver the photos to the client

These are simple ways you can make it as a photographer. Stick to the simple tips and you will be receiving the amount of money you deserve!

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