You might be on the fence or fully ready to jump in. These are some things to know when starting a photography business that I wish someone had told me almost 10 years ago.

1. Prepare for the worst

I promise it’s not all doom and gloom, but I’m being honest when I say being prepared for the worst will help you when something does go wrong. If you can think up some shitty scenarios that you may find yourself in and figure out how to either avoid them or fix them when they happen, you will be able to quiet your mind. When you feel like you are prepared for anything that might be thrown at you, you not only can go into your sessions with confidence, but you have already learned so many great lessons when thinking ahead.

2. Know Your Risks

What is the cost to you if you fail at this? Is it just your pride? If you could leave your family with no way of buying groceries, then I suggest you take some time to save up some money as a cushion before you jump into anything. I know, I know, that’s no fun at all, but being responsible and prepared is the best way to move forward.

When I was starting out, I really had nothing to lose. I already purchased a nice DSLR camera for when I was travelling the year before and I had a serving job at a local restaurant that I was able to work at while still photographing and building my portfolio.

3. Make a Decision

You may feel like you’re not ready to start a business because you don’t know everything yet. Well I am here to tell you that after almost 10 years of being in business, I am still learning. Learning comes with mistakes and mishaps and our world is forever changing. The way I did business back in 2015 is vastly different than how I run my business today.

Don’t overthink it. Just decide if you want to give this thing a go and go do the dang thing!

4. Sunshine & Butterflies

You might think that as a photographer, you will spend your day photographing couples, babies, animals, and families but the reality is, you will be behind a computer 80% of the time. The fun part of photographing is really only about 20% of the business. Yes, it’s the part that brings in the money but just be aware that you have to correspond with potential clients, market your business, keep up to date with social media, edit your photos and so much more.

I’m not trying to scare you out of doing the dang thing, I am just trying to smack you with some reality before you dive in.

If you’ve read to the end of this post, I think you are ready to at least prepare to start your business! If you enjoyed learning about the business side of things, make sure to read 11 Best Apps for Photographers.

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