Argh! Customers! Tax License! - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Argh! Customers! Tax License!

Posted: 4/4/2017 1:57:35 PM EDT

I have two shoots worth of images waiting to be ordered from my new webstore. Likely $1000 worth of sales. I spent 13 hours editing one of the shoots and about 6 the other. The mom was rushing me to finish fixing the hickies on her sons neck because she was excited to order.

Three days later... no orders.

I'm running out of money.

Posted: 4/4/2017 1:58:25 PM EDT

[#1]

I forgot to add I just received my sales tax license and my EIN!! I am legit now!

Posted: 4/4/2017 2:06:49 PM EDT

[#2]

Hopefully this will teach you to require a retainer payment from new customers.

Don't go working for someone until they've paid you at least a little something.

<-- Not a photographer, but a business owner.

Posted: 4/4/2017 2:26:33 PM EDT

[#3]

I'm going to do that, and also set a 7 day expiration.

Posted: 4/4/2017 3:08:45 PM EDT

[#4]

Quote History

Quoted:
Hopefully this will teach you to require a retainer payment from new customers.

Don't go working for someone until they've paid you at least a little something.

<-- Not a photographer, but a business owner.

View Quote

This. Half at time of scheduling and remainder at time of shoot. 2 month max pickup time on prints.

Posted: 4/4/2017 3:15:56 PM EDT

[#5]

In the meantime - prospect, prospect, prospect... and remember: Netflix and ice water are cheap entertainment; don't give in to existential dread. Every single business owner on earth has nearly crashed landed at the intersection of "$5 account balance" and "Rent payment due" at least once.

Posted: 4/5/2017 2:55:02 AM EDT

[#6]

Well we are getting close to that.
I tried to open a business account, but they wanted $25 to open it.
This was after they kept trying to tell me I needed a Sierra Vista Business Licence.
I don't if I don't do business in SV. Then they insisted I need a Whetstone business License. I live there.
Whetstone is a wide spot in the road, they have no government to issue a business license.
Then they tried to say I needed a state business license. I don't, and read the details to them from the Secretary of State website.
Then they fell back on Wells Fargo policy.
I told them I am already jumping through enough tax hoops from the government that I refuse to jump through theirs which were arbitrary and made up.
I tried to leave.
Then I saw the branch manager and asked her. She used to be the small business advocate. She confirmed that everything I said was correct.
Then she walked me over to the first girl and set her straight.
Then they found out I have no money.

FML.

Posted: 4/5/2017 6:09:51 PM EDT

[#7]

Just got this in my inbox today from Adorama, thought of you:
https://www.adorama.com/alc/wedding-photography-pricing-how-not-to-be-a-starving-artist?utm_source=slgt&utm_medium=email&utm_term=ALCImages&utm_content=ALCBody&utm_campaign=Email040517ALC

It's specific to Weddings, but I think the concepts are applicable across the spectrum of services.

Posted: 4/5/2017 7:07:22 PM EDT

[#8]

Thank you!

Posted: 4/5/2017 8:48:36 PM EDT

[#9]

Start reading this. it will prepare you for whats coming.

Clients from hell

some useful articles here

I cant speak to AZ but these organisations have been very helpful with no bs information on the Photo business around here, look into your area.

AZPPA

back with more to say later.

Posted: 4/6/2017 11:39:35 AM EDT

[#10]

Still no orders. I gave them the GO on Sunday to order from the webstore.

Posted: 4/6/2017 2:27:00 PM EDT

[#11]

What made you believe they were going to order $1,000 worth of prints from you?

Posted: 4/6/2017 4:19:11 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Still no orders. I gave them the GO on Sunday to order from the webstore.

View Quote

Not sure what delivery vehicle you are using, but hopefully they didn't just "right click, save as" on you......

I would assume you gave them access to nothing but low-res, watermarked files to decide what they'd like to purchase.

What's the deliverable you are offering? Just digital files, prints, photo album? What are your package options? Something like, "Buy 10 digital files and get 2 photos with 1 hour of touch up work for $xxx"

Also, I wouldn't work on touch up files until the buyer has seen a contact sheet and decided which ones they will buy. Spending time to work through all the files, especially ones that don't get purchased, is just wasting your time.

Posted: 4/6/2017 5:14:39 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:

Not sure what delivery vehicle you are using, but hopefully they didn't just "right click, save as" on you......

I would assume you gave them access to nothing but low-res, watermarked files to decide what they'd like to purchase.

What's the deliverable you are offering? Just digital files, prints, photo album? What are your package options? Something like, "Buy 10 digital files and get 2 photos with 1 hour of touch up work for $xxx"

Also, I wouldn't work on touch up files until the buyer has seen a contact sheet and decided which ones they will buy. Spending time to work through all the files, especially ones that don't get purchased, is just wasting your time.

View Quote

Posted: 4/6/2017 11:49:56 PM EDT

[#14]

Not just prints, digital downloads, and its more than one customer, its three.
For a large family I shoot the entire group, then smaller groups like all the ladies, all the men, then smallest groups, just the sisters, just the brothers, then I shoot solo portraits of every person in the party, then I shoot some couples shots of the mom and dad. For a large family I usually produce 60-70 edited images. Smaller families usually generate 40-50 images. Solo shoots or couples shoots usually generate 20-40 images. I charge per image, fully edited and optimized. I also offer prints, too.

Posted: 4/6/2017 11:52:41 PM EDT

[#15]

We are on the same page. I chose the images to work up, then showed the customer, none were rejected. Then I showed them the DISCARDS just to see if they wanted some of those and they added about ten images to the body of work, extra money! They even ordered one of the hicky pictures UNEDITED to use as blackmail later. Something about a full page in the senior section of the yearbook, lol!

All images watermarked, right click disabled, low res.

Posted: 4/6/2017 11:54:35 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Well we are getting close to that.
I tried to open a business account, but they wanted $25 to open it.
This was after they kept trying to tell me I needed a Sierra Vista Business Licence.
I don't if I don't do business in SV. Then they insisted I need a Whetstone business License. I live there.
Whetstone is a wide spot in the road, they have no government to issue a business license.
Then they tried to say I needed a state business license. I don't, and read the details to them from the Secretary of State website.
Then they fell back on Wells Fargo policy.
I told them I am already jumping through enough tax hoops from the government that I refuse to jump through theirs which were arbitrary and made up.
I tried to leave.
Then I saw the branch manager and asked her. She used to be the small business advocate. She confirmed that everything I said was correct.
Then she walked me over to the first girl and set her straight.
Then they found out I have no money.

FML.

View Quote

Business bank account has been established! Ate lunch with a client for the first time to discuss her maternity shoot!

Posted: 4/7/2017 1:51:24 AM EDT

[#17]

How much are you charging just to show up and shoot? You ARE charging for that, right?

I'm not a Pro, so I'm not making money with my craft, but it sounds like you are really under-charging. I know that sounds crazy when you don't have any orders, but 50-60 edited images for a large family shoot? That should probably be in the thousands (multiple) alone. That's like a wedding shoot, you are there for hours and have a ton of files to work through.

Posted: 4/7/2017 1:07:57 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
How much are you charging just to show up and shoot? You ARE charging for that, right?

I'm not a Pro, so I'm not making money with my craft, but it sounds like you are really under-charging. I know that sounds crazy when you don't have any orders, but 50-60 edited images for a large family shoot? That should probably be in the thousands (multiple) alone. That's like a wedding shoot, you are there for hours and have a ton of files to work through.

View Quote

I'm there for like an hour, maybe 1.5 hours.
Then I edit for six to twelve hours.

I do not charge a session fee. I work it all into the price per image. Some images require nothing more than a bit of crop, some balancing, and I am done in seconds. Some take 10 minutes or more to remove blemishes, fix a background issue, or something like that.

My area will not support a family shoot that charges in the thousands.
I charge a bit less than the most popular photographer in the area.

Posted: 4/16/2017 3:56:49 PM EDT

[#19]

I said I would post more later, but it was pretty well covered above.
However
This Thread

covers what I wanted to address.

For the rest of your pro career you HAVE to be able to give the buyer more than his uncle Bud who has a good camera.
Always keep learning, and trying new ideas, and lighting styles. Don't get caught up in the new/latest gear race.
Work on you. You make the gear work.

good luck.

Posted: 4/17/2017 1:15:15 AM EDT

[#20]

That is my Philosophy. I am in many photography groups on facebook and I see people buying the Sony A7Rii and a Gmaster lens in the hopes they will take better pictures and I'm over here rocking a Pentax K20D with a 50mm f1.4 Film AF lens and a 5 year old copy of photoshop actually taking better pictures. I have never been better in my life. Taking college classes helped, being able to communicate with other photogs has helped, and just getting out of m comfort zone as helped. I'm a bit OCD but I just have to remember to try stuff and that I can delete it if it doesn't look good. Perfection doesn't equate to quality all the time.

I have a fourth customer's product posted and I have high hopes for this sale.

Attached File

Posted: 4/17/2017 1:44:04 AM EDT

[#21]

Attached File

Posted: 4/23/2017 5:07:56 PM EDT

[#22]

That order I was waiting on was made, finally! However, two clients I shot after them ordered before they did, lol. They are all saying they will order more on payday to split up the expense.

To keep the money flowing I have started taking students for Basic Photography lessons. In 24 hours I have already 3 students booked. Lessons will be once a week, there will be homework.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Argh! Customers! Tax License!

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