I would venture to say 99% of people who start in off in the photography business believe it’s all shooting, technique, and fun!. Sure, maybe there will be a little digital darkroom work, but that’s fun too, right?!
Coming from a fairly entrepreneurial family and having worked on building other businesses, I knew there would be more to it than the shooting and I even knew some of what I would need to do to get the business side done, but I didn’t realize everything I had to do. I’ve had my share of bruises and setbacks, but year after year I keep doing this and year after year my business grows. So today I’m going outline 11 things to keep in mind about what I’ve learned to keep up the business side of photography. Some of it may surprise, other may not, but let’s dive in.
- Taxes, taxes, taxes! That’s right, if you’re in any kind of business, you must pay taxes. Some businesses go a long time without paying taxes on their income. I’m not advocating this in the least, but it will catch up with you. I just sent in my Nebraska Sales Tax form so it’s at the top of my mind. Oh, that brings up another point, be sure to understand the tax laws in your state. For instance, if I deliver photography to someone in Nebraska physically – i.e. on disk or print, I must collect Sales Tax. If I email it, i.e. for stock, then I do not have to collect.
- Get a fax number. What? Fax – that’s so 1985! Well, it is, but I have to get forms with signatures faxed all the time. Email is not secure and most people do not know how to secure these forms. It’s ironic, but faxing is actually more secure and more accessible to several businesses. I choose to have a fax to email capability so that I can receive faxes (Such as a Nebraska Resale License – Form 13 – see above) and have them emailed to me.
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