How to Strengthen Your Photography Business in Challenging Times

Running a photography business is rarely completely predictable. There will be busy periods, quieter periods and times when clients become more cautious about spending.

When the market becomes more difficult, it can be tempting to reduce everything to one question: how do I get more bookings?

That is important, but it isn’t the only question worth asking.

Challenging periods can also be an opportunity to look closely at how your business operates, where your money is coming from, how you market yourself and what you could do better. A strong photography business isn’t simply one that does well when times are good; it is one that is prepared to adapt when circumstances change.

Here are some areas worth looking at.

Keep yourself motivated

Running your own photography business can be demanding, particularly when enquiries slow down or the work doesn’t arrive as consistently as you’d like.

Try not to let a quieter period become an excuse to stop doing the things that could create future work.

Set yourself some practical objectives. That might mean contacting previous clients, improving your website, planning a new personal project, developing a new service or simply getting your marketing back into a regular routine.

It is also worth keeping longer-term goals in mind. A difficult few months doesn’t necessarily define the future of the business.

Your attitude also affects the people around you. If you have employees, freelancers or other photographers working with you, maintaining a calm and constructive approach can help the whole team stay focused.

Know your numbers

One of the most important things you can do when running a photography business is understand exactly where the money is going.

Don’t rely solely on looking at the balance in your bank account.

Keep a close eye on your income, regular costs, outstanding invoices, upcoming commitments and tax liabilities. Understanding your cash flow gives you a much clearer picture of the health of the business.

It can also highlight problems before they become serious.

For example, you might discover that a particular service generates plenty of bookings but very little profit once your time and expenses are taken into account. Equally, you may find that a service you rarely promote is actually one of your more profitable areas.

The more clearly you understand the figures, the easier it becomes to make sensible decisions.

If you’re finding it difficult to keep up with the financial side of the business, getting appropriate advice from an accountant or financial professional can be money well spent.

Don’t disappear from your customers

When bookings become harder to find, there can be a temptation to retreat and wait for things to improve.

Marketing becomes even more important when business is difficult.

That doesn’t necessarily mean spending more money on advertising. There are plenty of ways to remain visible without a large budget.

Stay in touch with previous clients. Share recent work. Publish useful information. Show people what goes on behind the scenes. Update your website. Keep your social media active if it is a channel that genuinely reaches your customers.

Most importantly, make sure potential clients can still find you and understand what you offer.

A photographer who disappears for six months may find that people simply forget about them.

Look at where your enquiries come from

Take some time to examine your different sources of business.

Are most of your enquiries coming from your website, recommendations, social media, Google searches, local networking, venue referrals or existing customers?

You don’t need to be everywhere.

In fact, trying to maintain a presence on every platform can become a huge drain on your time. Instead, identify the channels that actually bring you useful enquiries and concentrate on those.

Your website deserves particular attention. Make sure it clearly explains what you photograph, where you work, who you work for and how potential clients can contact you.

Look at it from the perspective of someone who has never heard of you before.

Can they quickly understand what you offer?

Can they see examples of your work?

Can they find your prices or an indication of your services where appropriate?

Can they easily make an enquiry?

Small improvements to this journey can make a significant difference.

Don’t automatically compete on price

When business gets tougher, cutting prices can appear to be the quickest way to generate bookings.

It can also create problems.

If your prices are already based on realistic costs and a sustainable amount of profit, repeatedly reducing them simply means you have to work harder to make the same amount of money.

Instead, look at the value of the service you provide.

What makes the experience of working with you different? How do you communicate with clients? How easy do you make the process? What expertise do you bring? What happens before, during and after the photography?

A client isn’t only paying for the time you spend holding a camera.

They are paying for your experience, preparation, creativity, reliability and the finished result.

Improving those things can be a much more sustainable strategy than entering a race to the bottom on price.

Look for new opportunities

A challenging market can be a good reason to look at whether your business has become too dependent on one type of work.

Perhaps you primarily photograph weddings. Could you offer additional portrait work during quieter periods?

Perhaps you work commercially. Are there related services that would be useful to your existing clients?

You don’t have to completely reinvent your business.

Sometimes the best opportunities are close to the work you’re already doing.

Think about the people you already know, the skills you already have and the problems your existing customers need solving.

You may find an opportunity without having to make a major investment.

Keep developing your photography

Not every improvement needs to cost money.

Personal projects, experimentation and learning can all help keep your photography fresh.

Try photographing something you wouldn’t normally shoot. Experiment with a different lighting technique. Visit somewhere new with your camera. Work with a different lens. Study the work of photographers outside your usual area of interest.

The benefit isn’t simply that you might produce some interesting images.

You may also discover something that can become part of your commercial offering.

A new technique, style or service gives you something fresh to talk about with existing and potential clients.

Invest time before you invest money

When business is difficult, spending money in the hope that it will solve the problem isn’t always the answer.

Before buying new equipment, paying for another advertising package or investing in an expensive new service, ask what problem it is actually solving.

Could the same result be achieved by improving something you already have?

Perhaps your website needs better images rather than a complete rebuild. Perhaps your existing customers need to be contacted rather than you needing thousands of new followers. Perhaps your portfolio needs updating rather than another camera.

Sometimes the most valuable investment is your time.

Look after yourself

Running a photography business can blur the boundary between work and everything else.

When you’re responsible for finding the work, photographing it, editing it, answering enquiries, doing the accounts and marketing the business, it is easy to keep working longer hours whenever things become difficult.

That isn’t necessarily sustainable.

Taking regular breaks, getting away from the computer and making time for exercise or other interests can help you maintain your energy and perspective.

The business needs you to be able to keep doing the job.

Use difficult periods to strengthen the business

No photographer can control the wider economy or guarantee how many enquiries will arrive next month.

You can control how prepared your business is.

Use quieter periods to examine your finances, improve your marketing, reconnect with customers, develop your photography and look for opportunities that may have been overlooked while you were busy.

The aim isn’t simply to survive a difficult period.

It is to come out of it with a clearer understanding of your business, stronger relationships with your customers and better systems for whatever comes next.

A business that is continually learning and adapting is much better placed to deal with change than one that simply waits for things to return to normal.