Business plan for a photo studio. Do you need a photo studio business plan? Sales promotion methods and promotion channels

A photo studio is a promising area of activity for creative people, as well as those who have organizational skills and a desire to open their own business.
Constant updating and improvement of computer technology and electronics provides ample opportunities for the emergence of new trends in photography. The photo services market is actively developing. Of course, this is painstaking daily work, but with a competent attitude to business and active work, the costs will pay off in one and a half to three years.

Business format

First of all, it is necessary to decide on the directions in which the photo studio will work. The further choice and design of the premises directly depends on this.
There are interior, children's, home, mini-studios and photo salons, where you can organize thematic and subject shooting.

Full-fledged photo studio (interior)

This type of business runs the risk of "costing a pretty penny" to its owner. To organize an interior photography studio, you need a good room that can be stylized. In addition, decorations and equipment will be needed.

Photos in the interior, of course, look more interesting than amateur shots. But keeping the whole complex in order to make a full photo session for once is not entirely profitable. To recoup the costs, you have to contrive at the stage of attracting customers.

For example, many photo studios offer the service of mass thematic photo shoots. A group of people is recruited and takes the same type of photos on a given topic (Halloween, Valentine's Day, Ivan Kupala, etc.). The demand for such an undertaking is growing.

To increase profits, an interior photography studio can provide the same set of standard services as a regular one:

portrait and model shooting (creation of a client's personal portfolio),
Photos of the documents,
photography at holidays and events,
wedding photography,
corporate and group shooting (family, collective),
subject and advertising photography,
photomontage,
production of souvenir products based on photographs and product photography.

In your free time, you can engage in additional services. For example, artistic processing of photographs, making souvenirs (calendars, magnets, cups) to order, conduct master classes for those wishing to study various directions of photography.
Large studios, equipped with modern equipment, have the opportunity to rent out premises to single photographers (as an additional income).

Photo studio (photo for documents)

The least costly, but also the least profitable type of business. You will need a small room, a minimum of equipment and a staff of 1-2 people. The choice of location for your enterprise will play an important role.

It is best to open a photo studio in a crowded place: near markets, large shopping centers, in a business district, in large sleeping areas.

Advertising of a photo studio is a must. But it is not wise to spend money on expensive banners: a fan mailing, an advertising clip at the entrance and periodic advertising in a free newspaper is enough. The main thing is to develop awareness of the "brand" and to consolidate information about your existence in the minds of citizens.

Children's photo studio

Parents love to photograph their children. Someone independently copes with the role of a photographer, someone orders professional photographs. To organize a children's photo studio, you will need a room, the appropriate entourage and several costumes (kids in a pirate costume, for example, look very funny, and this will make their parents fork out).

It is not worth focusing on the children's studio at the very beginning of the activity. It is best to position it within the overall context of your enterprise. But it is imperative to notify as many potential customers as possible: mothers on playgrounds, post announcements in children's development centers, kindergartens, schools.

Home photography studio: both at home and at work

A full-fledged studio in a private house will not work, unless you are the happy owner of a mansion of 1000 sq. If you have an ordinary private house or apartment at your disposal, then the most that you can open there is a photo studio for documents.

When the dimensions of the living space allow, you can try to equip an interesting interior there and take portrait photos. Or you can use the premises as a workshop: take pictures on the road, and then edit and print pictures, make collages.

Mini photo studio

For a beginner, this format is the most acceptable. You need to find a small but well-maintained room, place a minimum of equipment and pick up several themed backgrounds and costumes.

A mini-photo studio can function as a photo studio. taking photographs for documents, and as a full-fledged workshop with disabilities.

The staff requires a professional photographer, administrator. The first one can provide services with a visit to the client, the second one can accept and process orders, look for clients, organize activities. The desire for development is encouraged: renting a larger room, expanding the list of services, improving quality. Here, creativity and artistic taste are at the fore.

Video about the creation and development of your own photo studio

What does it take to open a photo studio from scratch?

Key points for opening a photo studio: rent and appropriate decoration of the premises, recruitment, purchase of equipment, marketing and advertising.

Premises

Basically, professional photographers conduct various photo sessions in equipped rooms.

The best option is to choose a room in the central part of the city so that it is convenient for clients to get to the studio.

When planning a salon, it is advisable to divide the entire area into several useful zones: a working room, a dressing room, an office with a computer and printing equipment for employees, a reception area for clients. Decorating the walls with stylish photographs and photo attributes will add extra charm and earn the trust of visitors.

Requirements for the working space in which the shooting will be carried out:

high ceilings - from 3m,
area - from 60 sq.m,
room length - from 8-10m,
the floor covering is dark in color, wear-resistant (from frequent movement of the equipment, it can quickly lose its appearance).

For wall decoration and the correct distribution of color flows, it is recommended to use neutral and pastel colors (beige, gray).
A prerequisite is the presence of auxiliary rooms for storing props and equipment, a bathroom, preferably a kitchen.
When performing repairs in the salon, you should immediately plan the location of equipment and equipment and bring in reliable quality wiring.

Equipment

Often, opening a photo studio from scratch is associated with high material costs, and the owners are limited in funds. Therefore, for a start, you can purchase a minimum set of equipment for individual work:

cameras and attachments for them,
reflectors,
reflectors,
outbreaks,
racks,
colored filters and backgrounds.

The cost of such Chinese-made equipment will cost from 5 thousand US dollars.

It is imperative that you have a powerful computer for design processing of images, licensed software, high-quality printing equipment and a scanner.

For thematic shooting, you need an appropriate interior and requisites. If you plan to rent a photo studio, you should take care of purchasing high-quality equipment from well-known brands that can withstand mechanical stress.

As an alternative to buying your own equipment, renting the necessary equipment in large studios. In this case, it becomes possible to analyze the quality and usability of devices of various brands and choose suitable options for yourself for subsequent purchase.

Staff

The choice of employees depends on the personal preference of the owner and the services offered. Based on this, a search and recruitment of specialists with their knowledge and skills in a particular field of photography is carried out.
Approximate staff working for the organization of a small photo studio:

administrator (office manager)- to receive customers and process orders. The duties of the administrator also include drawing up a work schedule, in the case of a lease, familiarizing tenants with the premises and equipment.
photographer(depending on the volume of orders, maybe 2 people),
photo processing designer at the computer, designing and printing pictures,
visagiste,
accountant- is engaged in maintaining and providing reporting. This staffing unit can be replaced by using the services of an outsourcing accounting company.

If you plan to open master classes, you need a photographer with practical skills and teaching experience.
Perhaps a manager will come in handy who will monitor the condition of the equipment, provide timely preventive maintenance, and also monitor the availability and purchase of the necessary materials.

The staffing table for employees is drawn up on an individual basis, depending on the working hours of the studio and the need for the presence of employees full time (for example, a stylist).

It should be remembered that the key to the successful work of a photo studio is qualified specialists who are able to provide high-quality services.

Photo studio business plan

In the course of organizing the work of a photographic studio, two types of material costs appear:

investment- registration of individual entrepreneurs, renovation of premises, purchase of equipment, organization of workplaces, advertising events and website creation, payment of rent before the opening of the salon;
current expenses, which are divided into two categories: permanent - rent, employee salaries; variables - purchase of materials (depending on the amount of work).

How much does it cost to open a photo studio?

Summarizing the results and calculations on the above organizational issues, you can draw up an approximate business plan, roughly calculate the costs of opening a studio:

Is it profitable?

Income of the main types of work of a photographic studio (average prices are indicated):

Indoor photography - from 30 USD
Working with footage (design adjustments, printing) - from 10 USD
Photography, production and design of wedding, school and children's albums - from 50 USD
Renting a room in your free time - from 20 USD in 1 hour.

At the beginning of the work of the studio, there will be an incomplete workload and work about 2-3 hours a day, later - with an increase in the working day to 12 hours (possibly in two shifts).

in 1 year the profit will be about 6,500 USD. monthly,
the payback period is approximately 1.5 years.

How to start opening a studio for a beginner?

Organization and registration

If you ask yourself the question: "How to open a photo studio?" and decided to act, first of all, it is necessary to register with all regulatory authorities. The best option for this type of activity would be registration as an individual entrepreneur.

This type of activity does not require special permits and licensing, it is enough to go through the standard procedure.

After registration of permits for individual entrepreneurs to conduct economic activities, they begin to search for and equip premises, hire employees. Marketing and advertising are an important link in the organization of the studio.

"Declare Yourself" - Marketing and Advertising

When choosing advertising actions, you need to rely on the target audience. The company's strategy should be based on high quality services. You can start with competitively pricing, ongoing work to expand photography types based on customer needs.
You can consider using discount cards or cumulative discounts for regular customers.

Where to look for the first clients?

To draw attention to the activities of the new enterprise, the classical advertising method remains the placement of advertisements in newspapers and magazines, the printing of business cards and brochures.

Do not forget about word of mouth, when grateful clients tell their friends and acquaintances about the skills of professionals, thereby advertising and attracting new customers.

Given the demand for photography services, analysts predict an increase in interest in this type of activity. Despite the fact that the market is occupied by large players, the competition is not great and there will always be a place to open new studios.

In addition, we note that the photography business is a profitable and profitable type of activity. The project is profitable economically and attractive for financing and capital investments.

Below we provide a detailed business plan for a photo studio and consider the following important points of business organization:

How to open a photo studio for rent and choose the right room;
How to open an individual entrepreneur for a photo studio, preparation of documents;
Equipment for a photographic studio, its cost;
How to open a photo studio in a small town, and make it popular and profitable, ways to promote.

Register now the best thing, it's easier and cheaper. Required codes OKVED: 74.20.- "Activities in the field of photography" and 47 - "Retail trade, except for trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles". The second code is required if the studio plans to sell goods.

The activity is not licensed. You also need to register with the Federal Tax Service. The cost of the registration procedure is no more than $ 60.

Services

The main services of the company:

Photos of the documents;
Conducting studio filming, including interior photography;
Shooting for business, subject photo sessions, food photography;
You can profitably rent a photo studio for photo sessions;
Photo printing from removable media;
Development of graduation albums, photo retouching;
Sale of related products - flash cards, batteries, disks, albums, etc.

Market analysis

To carefully plan how to open a photo studio, where to start and calculate the costs, you need to decide on the target audience. The main clients are photographers renting a salon for filming, young people, married couples with children, future newlyweds (Love Story filming). Average age group of visitors: 16-35 years old.

Premises

Your studio is best located as close to the center as possible, an additional plus is the availability of a parking space. Most often, a studio is located in a business center, less often in shopping centers.

Additional clientele for printing will allow you to get accommodation near universities, migration services, and other government agencies. The area of the premises is 60 square meters. Of these, 40 sq. m - studio, 15 sq. m - a reception with a reception desk and a small shop, 5 sq. m - a bathroom.

Studio requirements:

Warm floor, laminate or commercial linoleum should be used as a covering;
Ceiling height - from three meters;
Large windows draped with dark fabric. Drapery is needed for shooting with a shutter speed set by light. It should be possible to easily remove the fabric from the windows;
Monochrome wall decoration;
The presence of an air conditioner;
Fire safety system, evacuation scheme, fire extinguisher.

Renting a room requires a monthly cost of $ 800-900. In how to open a creative photography studio, design matters a lot. Make your establishment a popular and trendy place. It will take about $ 1,500 for repairs and furnishings.

Equipment for a photo studio

What do you need to buy to open your own photo studio?

Professional equipment

For a small company you will need:

Digital camera and two removable lenses- $ 2500-2700. Canon and Nikon offer good cameras, lenses - Sigma, Tamron;
4 light sources of different power (they are also flashes or monoblocks) for 400-800 J - 1200-1300 $. Falcon Eyes, Profoto, Bowens, Godox;
4 flash stands... Three of them are standard (2-4 meters), one is a crane stand. The total cost is $ 150. Manfrotto, Falcon, Godox;
Three softboxes different sizes - $ 130. Bowens, Green Bean, Lumifor, Dedolight;
2 photo umbrellas- $ 80-90. Lastolite, Elinchrom;
Two stripboxes- $ 150. Falcon Eyes, Godox, Hensel;
Two reflectors(1 with curtains) - $ 200-230. Profoto, Elinchrom, Bowens;
Octbox- 130-150 $. Hensel, Fujimi, Godox;
Beauty dish- $ 120-130. Lumifor, Falcon Eyes, Godox;
Two reflectors- $ 25. Lastolite, Westcott;
Jelly color filters for flashes (6 pcs.) - $ 90-100. Maxilite, Falcon Eyes, Bowens;
Radio synchronizers for flashes (2 pcs.) - $ 80-100. Youngnuo, Aputure, Godox;
Set of paper backgrounds different colors - $ 150-200. Polaroid, Savage, Colorama;
Background holder automatic - $ 150-170. Manfrotto, Phottix;
Accessories(memory cards, batteries, cables, fasteners) - $ 100. DigiCare, Fujimi, Nikon, Prolike, Transcend;
Photo printer- $ 70-100. Zebra, Conica, Canon;
Computer or laptop- $ 450. Asus, HP, Lenovo.

Furniture and software

To open a small photo studio, you will need to purchase furniture and display cases for the reception area. The purchase of showcases, a wardrobe, a table, a chair, a sofa for visitors, an air conditioner, a telephone and a cooler will cost about $ 700.

For processing photos, retouching, creating collages, you need to buy licensed versions of programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Studio Pro. You will have to invest about $ 600 in software.

For the arrangement of a bathroom, an amount of about $ 170-200 should be pledged.

How to open your interior photography studio from scratch

In a small room, it is realistic to arrange five interior zones. The most popular options: an area with a fireplace for family photo shoots, a boudoir option with a mirror and a bed, a cozy area with a wide window and blankets / pillows, a brick wall and a leather sofa, a bar counter, etc. Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc. It is convenient to stylize the area with the fireplace.

Don't forget about children. Opening a photo studio for children is to doom yourself to too narrow a direction, but it is worth equipping a children's corner. There is always a steady demand for family and children's photo sessions.

For a standard photo zone with removable paper backgrounds, 2-3 square meters are enough, for interiors a space of 4-5 square meters is required. m.

To open your own photography studio with decorations, you should carefully consider not only the interior of the zone, but also accessories, decorative trifles. For example, candles, LED lights, gift boxes, retro records, decorative pillows, etc.

The cost of equipping one stage with decorations is from $ 200-300. In total, you will need from $ 1,500.

Pay special attention the design of a corner with a make-up mirror and special lighting. This is a good place for a make-up artist and an additional photo zone. Such a mirror with a dressing table costs $ 160-200.

Pricing

How can a beginner open a photo studio and find the right prices? Analyze the average prices of similar establishments in the city and form your own price list based on them. First, put the following price tags:

Shooting, including interior photography, with a studio photographer - $ 60. The "premium" class service includes the work of a make-up artist, a printout of several photos and costs from $ 70-80;
Studio rental - 13 $ / hour;
Retouching - 5 $ / photo;
Creation of photo books and albums - from $ 23.

Staff

The studio staff consists of three people. Photographer, sales clerk and technical assistant exhibiting lighting and advising clients.

Almost every photographer dreams of becoming a professional photographer and opening a photo studio, so there are many who want to work for you on a permanent basis. The photographer receives from 50% of the cost of shooting, $ 700 per month is spent on the salary of the administrator and assistant.

Marketing plan (advertising)

Step-by-step instructions on how to open an interior photography studio and promote a business include the following activities:

The external sign of the company will require an investment of $ 300-400;
Creation of a logo and corporate identity - $ 100;
Printed promotional materials (business cards, flyers) - $ 100;
Website development, detailed description of services, studio portfolio - from $ 100.

Sales promotion methods and promotion channels

A good advertising ploy is the distribution of discount gift certificates. Promotions for regular customers, discounts for the second and third hour of studio rent, etc. work well. The first clients should be looked for among members of photo clubs and in advertising agencies. Most on the Internet: website promotion,.

Costs and Benefits

To properly open a photo studio, calculate in detail the investment in the business:

Documents - $ 60;
Renting a room for six months in advance, repairing, finishing, carrying out the necessary communications - about $ 7000;
Purchase of equipment, furniture, decoration of photo zones - 10 thousand dollars;
Advertising events - $ 700.

Capital cost is approximately $ 18,000. Monthly costs (salary, utility bills, rent) - $ 1600. We add here the purchase of goods for sale - $ 1500. Only $ 3100.

The studio will receive the minimum profit with the daily rent of the salon for at least 2-3 hours, 10-12 orders for shooting by a staff photographer, the production of several albums. Together with the sales of related products, the monthly net profit will be about $ 600-800. This figure is increasing every month.

A detailed plan on how to open a small photo studio will allow you to foresee all the costs and plan the work of the company. Over time, such a business will only expand and flourish, gaining popularity and fame among customers.

Today, in the digital age, the world is experiencing a photography boom. However, there are few truly professional photographers, and photography is gradually changing its status: from a hobby, it becomes a rather profitable business.

An increasing number of people get aesthetic pleasure from the contemplation of photographs of various genres: from ordinary portraits to postmodern landscapes. And if a family picnic or an overseas tour of photographers is quite capable of capturing themselves, then it is preferable to entrust the shooting of solemn events or artistic portraits to professionals. Let's try to prove by calculations the profitability and great prospects of the business in question.

The specifics of the photo business

The main features that distinguish a photo studio as a business project from others are low competition and at the same time the demand for its services. This is probably due to the fact that the business plan of the photo studio assumes that the company provides not only professional shooting services for various events, but also the creation of a portfolio and advertising photographs, as well as the lease of the studio itself and equipment. Some entrepreneurs along the way are engaged in the production of photographs for documents, as well as printing photographs from media and selling related goods (photo frames, albums, etc.).

Almost in all large cities, even in Moscow, establishments that provide all these services in one place can literally be counted on one hand. And such a low level of competition is connected not with a lack of demand, but due to the fact that today it is difficult to assemble a truly highly professional team of photographers and photo designers. In addition, the initial investment in the case in question exceeds 2 million rubles, which is also a deterrent.

At the same time, with a well-designed business plan and correct distribution of the start-up capital, the project profitability will be 75-77% per month. Let's try to prove it.

An overview of the costs of opening a photo studio

The first and most important point for assessing profitability is the lease of premises and the need for expenses for its renovation. It is important not to miscalculate here. The fact is that more than half of trips to a photo studio, according to experts, are made spontaneously. Accordingly, the premises of the photo studio are especially in dire need of being "discovered", noticed. And this can happen, for example, when a studio is located next to a department for the sale of flowers in a hypermarket or in a separate building in a completely "random" neighborhood with a travel store. The problem is that you need to feel the most advantageous location, which may not be on the busiest street.

Next - determining the salary for the team, which will have to be recruited slowly and, possibly, on the recommendations of good friends. An administrator, two professional photographers, a designer, a camera technician - these are the people who have to make the name of your photo studio. Therefore, they must not only perfectly own their own business, but also receive decent piecework wages.

When starting a photography business, remember that you may not have clients for a whole day, especially at first.

But this is not a reason for reducing the salary agreed with the hired workers. It is wiser to take the difficulties of this period upon yourself, and only then a well-known team of craftsmen, well-known in the city, will bring profit to you.

Professional equipment, decorations and accessories can cost up to a million rubles. Moreover, this includes not only cameras, lenses and tripods, but also special lighting devices, as well as equipping a dressing room and installations for photo sessions. High-quality consumables are also expensive: up to 20 thousand rubles.

There are two fundamental points about the direct “shooting tools”. First. Photo business experts believe that it is not worth buying a lot of expensive professional cameras at once, since a great photographer will most likely come with his own camera, to which he is used and knows like the back of his hand.

The second noteworthy statement concerns the fact that more complex and expensive equipment should be purchased as it is drawn into the business, the number and complexity of orders increase. Thus, one of the principles of "lean production" will be observed, according to which the tool, which required large purchase costs, will not stand idle.

Finally, the cost of advertising and administration, including the creation and maintenance of a good selling site. The guarantee of a good profitability of a photo studio is a detailed and accessible portfolio for many to view, which is most convenient to place on the site. As for the position of an administrator, it should be occupied by a creative person who is able to advise the client something, to interest him in purchasing a particular service.

In general, the costs of organizing a photo studio and the costs of maintaining its performance during the first three months are presented in the table:

Cost item	Nature of expenses	Amount, in rubles
Premises rental + utilities	monthly	50000
Designer renovation	one-off	100000
Administrative expenses (opening an individual entrepreneur, permits)	one-off	10000
Basic equipment (photographic equipment, lenses, tripods, apparatus for processing and printing photos, etc.)	one-off	750000
Ancillary equipment (lighting, decorations, photography backdrops, etc.)	one-off	150000
Furniture, equipping of staff workplaces	one-off	100000
Consumables	monthly	12000
Advertising, including the creation and development of the site	monthly	15000
Salaries and deductions in the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation to the team of the photo studio	monthly	190000
Income taxes (6%)	monthly	32700

In total, to start a business, it will take about 1.37 million rubles, and then every month it will be necessary to cut out about 300 thousand rubles from the profit for current expenses.

What is the profit made up of?

Calculations of the approximate profit for the first three months of the photo studio's operation (the period when the full load of production facilities and personnel will not exceed 3-3.5 hours per day) are presented in the table. The studio is expected to work six days a week for a month to generate this income.

Total income in the first three months of work will be approximately 455 thousand rubles per month. In this case, the net profit will be 455-300 = 155 thousand rubles per month. Accordingly, the invested funds will fully pay off in about 11-12 months. By that time, with the correct advertising campaign and a successful combination of circumstances, studio employees will be able to work almost at full capacity, and the monthly profit can increase to 200-220 thousand rubles. In this situation, it makes sense to abandon the work with "third-party" orders and trade in merchandise, and then focus on more profitable items of income.

Conclusion: your own photography studio is a fairly highly profitable business, which, with the right approach to business and passion for it, can pay off very quickly and then bring a good, stable income.

Introducing a detailed photo studio business plan for beginners. Become the best among your competitors!

♦ Capital investment in a photography studio: 595,000 rubles
♦ Profitability of the project: 45%
♦ Payback period: 24 months

Many people think that in the era of development and availability of technology, the need for photo studios has disappeared. In fact, this is not the case!

... although sometimes an average phone allows you to take a photo as well as a DSLR, there is always a demand for professional services.

Businessmen who need to take high-quality photos for advertising, and ordinary people who prefer professional photographers turn to the salons.

If you decide to try your hand at this field, the first step is to make photo studio business plan.

Photo studio business plan: planning

This section of the business plan should contain information about all aspects of the future firm. Moreover, the description of the project is carried out in such a way as if the photo studio is already open and functioning.

Project summary

The shortest, but not least important section of the business plan.

The resume includes information about the location of the photo studio, the work schedule, the goals of the project. 5-7 sentences are enough.
You will have the opportunity to expand the topic in more detail later.

Example:

The current business plan describes the opening of the photo studio N, located in the Moscow region.
Opening hours: daily, from 11.00 to 20.00.
Project manager: Ivanov I.I.
List of business plan goals:

to meet the needs of private and legal clients in the provision of photography services at affordable prices;
create a source of profit;
bring the company to a high level of profitability.

It is worth returning to the goals specified in the business plan of the photo studio from time to time in order to adjust the course of the project's development.

Marketing plan

An analysis of the needs of the population for a business plan in this industry demonstrates the following indicators:

40% of families own personal photographic equipment;
the demand graph for digital cameras is growing steadily;
oversaturation with new brands increases the risk of buying low-quality equipment;
more than 35% of photographers who provide services on a paid basis do not have the required level and skills to work.

Based on this list of data in the business plan, it can be concluded that although people are buying semi-professional photographic equipment more and more often, there remains a need for the services of professional photographers. At the same time, the supply market is rather poor for really high-level specialists.

The target audience

The target audience of the project is represented in the business plan by the following list of client categories:

freelancers;
private clients for personal use (family shooting, pregnant women, love-story, thematic and others);
organizations (for work - filling sites and catalogs, creating menus, presentations, promotional items);
modeling and acting agencies.

Competitive advantages

Due to the fact that the premises for the photo studio are rented in the Moscow region, it is possible to establish a relatively low level of prices for services for clients. This is a clear competitive advantage that needs to be specified in the business plan.

At the same time, the photographer has numerous diplomas and certificates that confirm his high level of professionalism. Low prices for work will absolutely not affect the quality of the result.

In the future, the development of the project will focus on innovation in the field of photography.

Due to the fact that all employees will follow fashion trends and introduce new technologies, the list of studio services will expand and the business plan will be supplemented.
For example, the introduction of subject shooting at a professional level will attract advertising agencies to cooperation.

The current business plan considers the following list of options:

Distribution of flyers in busy places near the photo studio.
Distribution of leaflets to the mailboxes of nearby houses.
Installation of a bright and noticeable sign.
If the studio is located in courtyards or inside another building, there must be clear signs and banners.
Printing of business cards.
To start, 1000 copies are ordered. They are distributed in themed places (cafes, holiday paraphernalia stores, offices) and distributed to all future clients of the photo studio.

Premises

The future fate of the studio largely depends on the correct choice of premises.

Therefore, it is necessary to assess in advance all the factors important for work, indicating their list in the business plan:

Accommodation.
If the studio is located in the city center, rent will be more expensive. But at the same time, it will be easier for customers to find and get you.
In addition, this location is more prestigious than on the outskirts.
Ceilings.
An ordinary apartment is not suitable for decorating a photo studio.
After all, it will be possible to fully place all the equipment only if there is at least three meters of space between the floor and the ceiling.
Window.
To be able to work not only in artificial but also in natural light, the studio should have several large windows.
Square.
It is recommended to choose a room of at least 60 sq.m. At the same time, additional space must be allocated to organize the dressing room and the waiting room.
Dressing room.
As in the photo studio itself, so in the make-up room there should be windows. Most professionals prefer to work with natural light sources.
Ventilation.
It is important to be comfortable in the room for any number of visitors. This is impossible without high-quality air circulation.
Electricity.
A large number of working equipment in a photographic studio puts a heavy load on the power grid.
Make sure the electrical wiring can pass this test.

All the tricks of the repair in your own photo studio:

watch a useful video and take notes.

Equipment

After the issue with the location of the photo studio is resolved, the entrepreneur must decide on the list of necessary equipment and indicate in the business plan with prices.

At the opening stage you will need:

a professional camera and a set of lenses (you cannot save on this item in any case);
Lightning equipment;
several interchangeable backgrounds;
design of the area for changing clothes for clients (curtains, mirror, hanger);
administrator workplace;
a sofa and a table for the recreation area of the guests of the photo studio;
hanger.

Staff

"Every risk you take is worth it if it is the cause of your success and contributes to a good life."
Richard Branson

The business plan considers two options for organizing a new photo studio:

the entrepreneur acts as an administrator and recruits a qualified photographer for the staff;
the entrepreneur acts as a photographer himself and hires an administrator to help with the business.

Makeup artists and hairdressers can be invited to work as salaried employees who will come on call. It is also possible that they work in a photo studio on a sublease basis.

The business plan must contain a list of job responsibilities.

Administrator.
Coordinates the work of the photo studio, accepts and keeps records of orders, monitors compliance with sanitary and technical standards of work, payment of wages to other employees, monitors supplies of consumables and replenishes them if necessary, answers customer questions about services, prices, responds to wishes, comments, resolves emerging conflict situations.
Photographer.
Develops the process of taking photographs, provides the lighting necessary for work, takes pictures of various topics and styles in a photo studio, monitors the work of models, responds to comments and wishes of customers, keeps track of orders, processes photos, is responsible for the timely issuance of finished materials, compliance with the technical rules for operating equipment photographic studios, maintaining the level of cleanliness in the working area.
Visagiste.
Changes the appearance of a person with the help of cosmetics and makeup techniques, corrects flaws and emphasizes advantages, creates an image for thematic photo sessions, applies make-up, focusing on the wishes and comments of customers.
Hairdresser.
In the photo studio, the hairdresser mainly carries out the hair styling of clients for photo shoots, the creation of hairstyles to match the theme and the image, focuses in work on the wishes of the clients and the recommendations of the photographer.

Services

After analyzing all the data on the level of demand among clients, we can conclude about the list of photo studio services that should be provided. Include this list of activities in your business plan.

Photos of the documents.
Photos for booklets, leaflets, posters, calendars.
Onsite work at client's events (presentations, contests, exhibitions).
Offsite work for private parties.
Photo sessions in the studio and outdoors: love stories, children's, group, personal, thematic.
Subject photography.

This will be enough at the stage of opening and achieving stability of the project.

After a while, you can enter into the business plan a list of additional photo studio services: the work of a make-up artist, stylist, body art, henna painting, the creation of photo books.

How to start a successful and competitive photography studio:

list of secrets from an expert!

Photo studio business plan: implementation

Opening calendar

A calendar plan is drawn up to control the stages of implementation of a business plan.
Thanks to him, the responsible persons, the deadlines, the budget allocated for the work are specified.

Opening a photo studio can be broken down into the following steps:

Search for premises suitable for rent, signing an agreement with the landlord.
Renovation of the premises, bringing it in line with sanitary and technical standards.
Obtaining work permits from inspecting authorities (SES, fire safety).
Purchase of equipment and furniture necessary for photography, the work of an administrator, hired employees (hairdresser, make-up artist), decoration of the client's recreation area.
Furniture and equipment installation, photo studio interior decoration.
Search for employees in the staff of the company, training if necessary, undergoing training on work safety, concluding contracts with hired services (including a security company).
Development and launch of an advertising campaign.
Start of the photo studio.

Opening costs

Name	Price, rub)
Documentation, creation of a business plan	30 000
Renovation and decoration	150 000
Furniture	80 000
Equipment (list):
Camera	70 000
	90 000
Lighting equipment	150 000
Requisites for work	25 000

Opening a photo studio will cost no less than 595,000 rubles.

The numbers in the business plan will vary depending on the region, the quantity and quality of equipment, and other factors.

Financial section of the photo studio business plan

Monthly expenses for a photo studio

To maintain and develop the photo studio, it will be necessary to allocate 110,000 rubles from the proceeds every month.

Download a ready-made business plan for a photo studio with a quality guarantee.
Business plan content:
1. Confidentiality
2. Summary
3. Stages of project implementation
4. Characteristics of the object
5. Marketing plan
6. Technical and economic data of equipment
7. Financial plan
8. Risk assessment
9. Financial and economic justification of investments
10. Conclusions

Revenue and payback of the project

In the final part ready-made business plan for a photo studio must contain a section with calculations of potential revenue and return on investment. The data source is firms similar to yours.

Statistically, a photo studio with competent business management and advertising pays off in 1.5-2 years.

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Do you love taking pictures and dream of making money from your hobby? Do you want to know how to open a photo studio and what is the profitability of this business? Let's take a look at the key issues associated with starting your own photo studio and calculate the estimated profit.

How to register

Everything is traditional here - you can register an individual entrepreneurship or LLC. An individual entrepreneur is much easier in work and taxation, and LLC opens up additional opportunities for cooperation with large clients and advertising studios.

The main thing in a photo studio is equipment

Photo studios do not need licenses or any separate documents, so they can be issued literally in a few days. You will also have to obtain permission to open from the fire inspection - it is issued for the existing premises.

Types of photo studios

There are several options for photography studios. Let's list the key ones:

Photo studio. This is a narrow-themed institution that deals with urgent photographs for passports, driver's licenses, etc. Also, the salon provides photo printing services.
Photo studio. Here they offer photo studio services, plus they organize thematic shooting for everyone. Typically, a photo studio has several specially designed rooms and various “outdoor” decorations.
Photo studio. This is a professional institution, ready to fulfill any wishes of its clients. Here you can hold a full-fledged photo session, hire a photographer for a wedding or other event, order a subject photo shoot.

A classic salon practically does not require investments and a professional team - anyone can take photos and print them. It is more difficult to organize a photo studio or a photo studio, but these establishments also bring more profits.

What services does the photo studio provide

If you want to know how to open your photo studio from scratch, then first check out the list of services provided by such establishments:

Wedding service (photo and video).
Exit photo sessions (including thematic ones).
Studio photography.
Object shooting.
Making photographs for documents.
Advertising photography.
Children's photography.
Family photography.

A good studio needs professional photographers

Additionally, the studio can provide the following services:

Creation of special hairstyles and makeup.
Decoration of premises for shooting.
Creation of a thematic image.
Organization of outfit rental.
Post-processing and printing of photographs.
Creation of “photo pictures” (inserting photos into frames).
Restoration of old photos.

The studio is good precisely because it can provide related services, which, with the right approach, bring up to 50% of the total profit.

Read also: How to start a business for organizing children's parties

How to choose a room

Where is the best place to organize a photo studio? Our step-by-step instructions will give you the answer to this question too. Best of all in the city center or on the main street. The minimum area of the room is 65m2, the ceiling height is at least 3 meters. A big plus is the nearby parking lot. In the room itself, you will need to organize a dressing room, a dressing room and a wardrobe for storing costumes. The average rental price for such premises is about 40-45 thousand rubles per month. If you plan to carry out thematic photography with decorations and make-up, you should equip the studio with a full-fledged bathroom and shower for visitors.

How to arrange a room

Try to design your photo studio discreetly and monotonously, avoiding unnecessary variegation and bad taste. All attention should be drawn to the model, not the walls or decoration. Most professional photo studios simply paint the walls white / beige to get the most contrast and post-processing of the photos. But it is more correct to use color combinations. You should have a white (light), black, green, gray and pink background for your various photo sessions. The material can be used for fabric, paper, plastic, silk-screen printing. Red brick works well for creating an industrial style, so do not rush to make repairs and cover the walls with plaster.

There is no need to decorate a photo studio with variegated colors and patterns - everything should be strict

Necessary equipment

A professional photo studio requires professional equipment, because you plan to take not only photographs for documents, but also conduct subject / thematic photography. Most of the money you will spend on the purchase of equipment. You will need to purchase:

2-3 professional cameras.
A set of lenses.
Softboxes.
Tripods.
A set of backgrounds, decorations, costumes.
Blinds and reflectors.
Sources of light.
Reflective umbrellas.
Flashes with wireless synchronizers.
Nozzles, diffusers, filters, etc.

Note: buy cameras and lenses from the same company so that they are interchangeable. This way you will save money on technology in the future, changing only the “carcasses”, not the optics.

Additionally, you will need to purchase furniture - a couple of sofas, armchairs, chairs, tables. In the dressing room you will need a large mirror, a manicure set, a table, a hanger, and an iron.

Be sure to go online to the studio, get some computers and the appropriate photo editing software.

Team

Who to hire for your studio? It all depends on the size of your business and your preferences. There is a photo studio in which the owner takes care of everything - he takes pictures, deals with taxes, looks for clients and processes photographs. But this approach is only possible if you have few clients.

The photo studio must be large enough

The second option is to hire third-party photographers. This is usually done if the studio receives a lot of orders for events, but cannot cope with them itself.