What do Professional Photographers want?

OfficeHeroes

Hi all,
I must say, I'm really enjoying spending time on this site and looking at the amazing pictures you're taking! I only wish my snaps turned out so well

I registered with this site to try to gain an insight into the kinds of services that professional photographers need to help their businesses run more smoothly and to enable them to grow.

I'm a Virtual Assistant (VA) and I'm looking to market my services to Photographers, so...
What services could I provide to help your businesses?
I have a partial list in mind, I'm looking toward general administrative tasks, social media, blogs as well as more specific tasks like travel planning, studio booking and equipment hire on location - to help take the stress out of growing your business so you can take on more clients or just take time out for yourself.

I look forward to your responses, and if it turns out this "market" isn't viable, I'll still visit to check out the photos! :lust

Mel

Angelo

Can you make a good pizza? I like pizza on my shoots!!!


That's just my tongue-in-cheek way of suggesting you shouldn't ask open-ended questions.

Put together a menu of the services you are most comfortable offering to a potential client base and we can see you posting in our "For Hire" forum.

I think that would benefit you and our members much better


.

Zerodog

Fame, fortune and women! I think that is what most photographers want.

Glort

Zerodog wrote: »

Fame, fortune and women!

Back in the day, I had a tiny, insignificant Distant whiff of that.
It was nothing more than enough to make me realise, it's a long way from all it's cracked up to be.

Give me anonominity, a good, solid and steady income and my wife and kids and I know i'll be much happier and far more content.

OfficeHeroes

Thanks for the input people, I'll look into EXACTLY what I can offer by way if services (I'm thinking pizza is OFF the list though )
I have some serious thinking to do, AGAIN

chrisjohnson

The biggest problem professionals are having are to do with marketing themselves. Finding the profitable assignments, pricing them right, contracts, etc.

I think you'll find interest when you can bring in more work at better prices for the people in your network. The permanent problem with a busy self-employed person is finding time to fill the sales pipeline going forward.

It is a tricky concept to get right. Nobody likes a middle man, and freelance creative people need convincing that they might make more money by outsourcing their marketing and sales.

On the other hand there are customers like corporates who prefer to deal with "preferred suppliers" like an agency rather than individual freelancers. So if you specialize, say, in finding assignments for product photography or corporate events then you might have a good niche.

MJRPHOTO

goldenballs wrote: »

the biggest problem professionals are having are to do with marketing themselves. Finding the profitable assignments, pricing them right, contracts, etc.

I think you'll find interest when you can bring in more work at better prices for the people in your network. The permanent problem with a busy self-employed person is finding time to fill the sales pipeline going forward.

It is a tricky concept to get right. Nobody likes a middle man, and freelance creative people need convincing that they might make more money by outsourcing their marketing and sales.

On the other hand there are customers like corporates who prefer to deal with "preferred suppliers" like an agency rather than individual freelancers. So if you specialize, say, in finding assignments for product photography or corporate events then you might have a good niche.

+1 !!!!!

mercphoto

goldenballs wrote: »

The biggest problem professionals are having are to do with marketing themselves. Finding the profitable assignments, pricing them right, contracts, etc.

I think you'll find interest when you can bring in more work at better prices for the people in your network. The permanent problem with a busy self-employed person is finding time to fill the sales pipeline going forward.

If I were trying to make a substantial percentage of my income from photography that would be my number one concern and need as well.