From side hustle to full time - five years on. Growing my portrait & event photography business has had its ups and downs. I've made the mistakes - and I've boiled these down to 5 rules.
Working with the 35 Degrees & EWM teams in 2023
Great Relationships beat Cold Leads
Unlike my prior career in Tourism/eCommerce, I've learned that quality beats out volume - at least when it comes to leads. I've left Google Ads and high volume lead gen behind, in favour of lasting relationships.
Investing in existing clients by understanding their needs, delivering beyond expectations, and becoming their go-to problem solver has brought me more work than any online algorithm ever did.
The best part is that clients change jobs, and sometimes they take me along for the ride. Nothing beats a referral from a happy customer, especially when that customer has moved into a bigger role.
Reputation is everything and as this photographer on Reddit shared, "My best clients have always come from recommendations."
My 2024 photography lead sources, and their conversion rates
Stick to your Knitting
At the beginning, I photographed everything: interiors, food, aviation, people, pets, and even helicopters. It was exhilarating, but also exhausting. I soon learned that trying to do everything is a sure way to master nothing.
I quickly learned that being a jack-of-all-trades often means being a master of none. Focusing on my core strengths—or "sticking to my knitting" as the saying goes—allowed me to:
Develop a recognisable style
Streamline my workflow
Systemise my process
Become the go-to person for my niche
The lesson is simple: pick a lane and own it. Your sanity, and your accountant, will thank you.
Shooting an interview for a corporate client
Lessons from Unprofitable Ventures
Not every business idea will be a winner, and that's okay. 2024 was the year that wanted to break into Tourism Photography. I built an entire marketing funnel, ran webinars, and crafted the perfect pitch only to discover that my dream clients were far less interested than I had hoped.
The lesson learned is to cut your losses early. Some ideas sound great but are not financially viable. The trick is knowing when to walk away before you sink too deeply.
Racing on speedboats and shooting from helicopters was fun, but ultimately unprofitable
Rolling with the Punches beats Sticking to Rigid Plans
The year 2024 brought it all: broken bones, bereavement, and an unexpected night stranded in Perth whilst I had a shoot in Sydney. I survived only because I had a solid backup plan.
I teamed up with talented colleagues such as Ondrej and Ela for events, JP for interiors, and Brian and Trang for editing. Although this meant sharing the profits, it also meant I did not spend every evening chained to my desk, missing out on life. Flexibility, as it turns out, is a freelancer’s best friend.
When circumstances change, equip to react yourself to react
Build a war chest
Cash flow is the great rollercoaster of self-employment. Some clients pay upfront, while others pay eventually; all the while my own contractors are paid within the week. And let us not forget the January drought when the entire business world appears to go on holiday.
The best thing I ever did was to build up a cash reserve. Now, when life inevitably throws a curveball, I do not have to scramble. I simply dip into the war chest and keep moving forward.
Year-on-year revenue is predictably unpredictable