As an individual who has more than a passing interest in branding, I was *stoked* to go to a mini-workshop with a photographic industry superstar about Creating & Branding a Boutique Studio. I figured that, having seen the speaker in every industry magazine humanly possible since the inception of my business, I couldn’t possibly walk away without having learned anything.
I was wrong. Really really, utterly utterly wrong. We spent a great deal of time establishing that boutique studios charge a premium price for their products, and that they have a rather narrow focus. Okay, got it, I expected some basic information to be covered.
Here’s where it gets absurd: we spent MORE THAN THREE HOURS looking at the marketing materials a handful of boutique studios produce. We’re talking packaging, tags, belly bands, portrait folders, gift cards, referral cards, welcome packets, mailers, postcards, business cards, brochures, trifolds, blah blah blah blah blah…without talking about HOW or WHY these items make a difference. Apparently, we were supposed to be OOHed and AAHed into simply copying these photographers’ materials without any sort of rationale.
The speaker THEN went on to discuss the plan for her SOON-TO-BE-LAUNCHED boutique studio. She was going to tell us how to do it…right?
Well, she was sure as hell going to hand out a brochure that outlines her marketing materials and how I can get my very own versions from the sponsoring company! Without providing ANY rationale for such products, she encouraged the audience members to get on board with the sponsor-company’s marketing materials program.
The total cost of all the crap in that brochure, suggested for the launch of a new business? $8005.91.
Let me repeat: a pile of brochures, pretty papers, and otherwise disposable items for $8005.91.
I really hope no one believes hopping in feet first with a loan and a very large quantity of frou-frou packaging, bag tags, folders, envelopes, and letterhead will yield a successful business. YAR.
If you intend to launch a photographic business with $8005.91, you will need to do some soul-searching. You will need to develop your photographic style and establish boundaries for your personal life as well as growth projections for your newest revenue stream. You will need to create a business plan ($250) and identify your pricing strategy ($149). You will most likely need to purchase, after much consideration and market research, a branding package, including a logo ($1200) and a website template. ($100 on sale from you-know-who) You will need to find a reliable and lovely printer, and will most likely need some stand-by templates for marketing materials that can double as birth announcements. ($130 for more template than you can handle.) You’ll also need to buy a domain ($25), a kickass blog theme ($0), and some web hosting for the year. ($100)
Buy a pro camera ($2700), a 50mm 1.4 lens ($400), a used lens of your choosing ($450), and six months’ worth of business insurance. ($450) Establish your business as a legal entity. ($300) Pick up CF memory cards and a camera battery ($150). You’ll also need a computer ($749 – you can’t afford a Mac yet, geez!), a full version of Photoshop ($699), the willingness to google anything you don’t understand, and a book of your choosing by Scott Kelby ($34.64). Use the remaining $119.27 to order business cards and postcards with the files created in your original branding package.
Then: pat yourself on the back. Join Twitter. Join Facebook. Make a fan page. Visit a coffeehouse regularly, and chat with the owners. Smile at everyone you meet. Post images to your blog regularly. Edit your portfolio strenuously. Treat every client with genuine enthusiasm, and respect your time enough to charge appropriately for your services. I’d consider that $8005.91 well spent.
As for packaging? WHCC offers premium packaging as an add-on, so you don’t have to have one blessed piece of froufrou paper on hand. 
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