Business plan for a photo studio with calculations

A photo studio is a promising area of activity for creative people, as well as those who have organizational skills and a desire to open their own business.
The constant updating and improvement of computer technology and electronics provides ample opportunities for the emergence of new trends in photography. The photo services market is actively developing. Of course, this is painstaking daily work, but with a competent attitude to business and active work, the costs will pay off in one and a half to three years.

Business format

First of all, you need to decide on the directions in which the photo studio will work. The further choice and design of the premises directly depends on this.
There are interior, children's, home, mini-studios and photo salons where you can organize thematic and subject photography.

Full-fledged photo studio (interior)

This type of business risks costing its owner a pretty penny. To organize an interior photography studio, you will need a good room that can be stylized. In addition, you will need decorations and equipment.

Interior photographs, of course, look more interesting than amateur photographs. But maintaining a whole complex in order to once and again do a full photo shoot is not entirely profitable. To recoup costs, you will have to get creative at the stage of attracting customers.

For example, many photo studios offer mass thematic photo shoots. They recruit a group of volunteers and take similar photographs on a given topic (Halloween, Valentine's Day, Midsummer, etc.). The demand for such an idea is growing.

To increase profits, an interior photography studio can provide the same set of standard services as a regular one:

portrait and model photography (creating a personal portfolio for the client),
Photos of the documents,
photography at holidays and events,
wedding photography,
corporate and group photography (family, group),
product and advertising photography,
photomontage,
production of souvenirs based on photographs and subject photography.

In your free time you can do additional services. For example, artistic processing of photographs, production of souvenir products (calendars, magnets, cups) to order, conducting master classes for those wishing to study various areas of photography.
Large studios equipped with modern equipment have the opportunity to rent out space to single photographers (as additional income).

Photo salon (photos for documents)

The least expensive, but also the least profitable type of business. You will need a small room, a minimum of equipment and a staff of 1-2 people. The choice of location for your enterprise will play a big role.

It is best to open a photo salon in a crowded place: near markets, large shopping centers, in a business district, in large residential areas.

Advertising a photo salon is simply necessary. But it is not wise to spend money on expensive banners: a fan mailing, an advertising “clip” at the entrance and periodic advertising in a free newspaper are enough. The main thing is to develop brand recognition and consolidate information about your existence in the minds of citizens.

Children's photo studio

Parents love to take photographs of their children. Some people cope with the role of a photographer on their own, while others order professional photographs. To organize a children's photo studio, you will need a room, appropriate surroundings and several costumes (kids in a pirate costume, for example, look very funny, and this will make parents fork out money).

There is no point in focusing on a children's studio at the very beginning of your activity. It is better to position it in the overall context of your enterprise. But be sure to notify as many potential clients as possible: mothers on playgrounds, post advertisements in children's development centers, kindergartens, schools.

Home photo studio: both at home and at work

A full-fledged studio in a private house will not work, unless you are the happy owner of a 1000 sq.m. mansion. If you have an ordinary private house or apartment at your disposal, then the most you can open there is a photo studio for document photos.

When the dimensions of the living space allow, you can try to arrange an interesting interior there and take portrait photos. Or you can use the room as a workshop: take photographs on location, and then edit and print pictures, make collages.

Mini photo studio

For a beginner, this format is most suitable. You need to find a small but in good condition room, place a minimum of equipment and select several thematic backgrounds and costumes.

A mini photo studio can also function as a photo salon. taking photographs for documents, and as a full-fledged workshop with limited capabilities.

We need a professional photographer and administrator on staff. The first one can provide services on-site to the client, the second one can accept and process orders, look for clients, and organize activities. The desire for development is welcome: renting larger premises, expanding the list of services, improving quality. Here creativity and artistic taste will serve well.

Video about the creation and development of your own photo studio

What does it take to open a photo studio from scratch?

Key points for opening a photo studio: rent and appropriate design of premises, personnel selection, equipment purchase, marketing and advertising.

Room

Basically, professional photographers conduct various photo sessions in equipped rooms.

The best option is to choose a room in the central part of the city so that clients can conveniently get to the studio.

When planning a salon, it is advisable to divide the entire area into several useful areas: a work room, a dressing room, an office with a computer and printing equipment for employees, a reception area for clients. Decorating the walls with stylish photographs and photo attributes will add additional charm and earn the trust of visitors.

Requirements for the workroom in which the filming will take place:

high ceilings - from 3m,
area – from 60 sq.m.,
room length – from 8-10m,
the floor covering is dark in color and wear-resistant (it can quickly lose its appearance due to frequent movement of equipment).

For wall decoration and proper distribution of color flows, it is recommended to use neutral and pastel colors (beige, gray).
A prerequisite is the presence of utility rooms for storing props and equipment, a bathroom, preferably a kitchen.
When performing repairs in the cabin, you should immediately plan the location of equipment and equipment and install electrical wiring of reliable quality.

Equipment

Often, opening a photo studio from scratch is associated with large material costs, and the owners have limited funds. Therefore, to begin with, you can purchase a minimum set of equipment for individual work:

cameras and accessories for them,
reflectors,
reflectors,
flares,
racks,
color filters and backgrounds.

The cost of such Chinese-made equipment will cost from 5 thousand US dollars.

A must-have is a powerful computer for design processing of images, licensed software, high-quality printing equipment and a scanner.

For thematic photography, you need an appropriate interior and props. If you plan to rent out a photo studio, you should take care of purchasing high-quality equipment from well-known brands that can withstand mechanical loads.

An alternative option to purchasing your own equipment is to rent the necessary devices from large studios. In this case, it becomes possible to analyze the quality and ease of operation of devices of various brands and select suitable options for subsequent purchase.

Staff

The choice of employees depends on the personal preferences of the owner and the services offered. Based on this, we search and hire specialists with their knowledge and skills in a certain field of photography.
Approximate staff for organizing a small photo studio:

administrator (office manager)- for receiving customers and processing orders. The administrator’s responsibilities also include drawing up a work schedule and, in the case of a lease, familiarizing tenants with the premises and equipment.
photographer(depending on the volume of orders, perhaps 2 people),
photo editing designer at the computer, designing and printing photographs,
visagiste,
accountant- Responsible for maintaining and reporting. This staffing position can be replaced by using the services of an outsourcing accounting company.

If you plan to open master classes, you need a photographer with practical skills and teaching experience.
It may be useful to have a manager who will monitor the condition of the equipment, provide timely preventative maintenance, and also monitor the availability and purchase of necessary materials.

The staffing schedule for employees is drawn up on an individual basis, depending on the studio’s operating hours and the need for full-time employees (for example, a stylist).

It must be remembered that the key to a successful photo studio is qualified specialists who are able to provide high-quality services.

Photo studio business plan

In the course of organizing the work of a photo studio, two types of material costs appear:

investment– registration of individual entrepreneurs, renovation of premises, purchase of equipment, organization of workplaces, advertising events and website creation, payment of rent before the opening of the salon;
current expenses, which are divided into two categories: permanent - rent, employee salaries; variables – purchase of materials (depending on the volume of work).

How much does it cost to open a photography studio?

Summarizing the results and calculations on the above organizational issues, you can draw up a rough business plan and roughly calculate the costs of opening a studio:

Is it profitable?

Income of the main types of work of a photo studio (average prices are indicated):

Indoor photography - from 30 USD
Working with footage (design adjustments, printing) – from 10 USD
Photography, production and design of wedding, school and children's albums – from 50 USD
Renting premises during free time – from 20 USD in 1 hour.

At the beginning of the studio's work, the studio will not be fully loaded and work for about 2-3 hours a day, later the working day will increase to 12 hours (possibly in two shifts).

after 1 year the profit will be about 6,500 USD. monthly,
payback period is approximately 1.5 years.

Where to start opening a studio for a beginner?

Organization and registration

If you are asking yourself the question: “How to open a photo studio?” and decided to act, first of all, you need to register with all regulatory authorities. The best option for this type of activity would be registration as an individual entrepreneur.

This type of activity does not require special permits or licensing; it is enough to go through the standard procedure.

After obtaining permits for individual entrepreneurs to conduct business activities, they begin to search for and equip premises and hire employees. Marketing and advertising are an important link in organizing a studio.

“Getting your name out there” – Marketing and Advertising

When choosing advertising actions, you need to rely on the target audience. The company's strategy should be based on high quality services. You can start with competitive prices, constantly working to expand the types of photography based on customer needs.
You can consider using discount cards or cumulative discounts for regular customers.

Where to look for your first clients?

To attract attention to the activities of a new enterprise, the classic method of advertising remains placing advertisements in newspapers and magazines, printing business cards and booklets.

We should not forget about word of mouth, when grateful clients tell their friends and acquaintances about the skills of professionals, thereby advertising and attracting new customers.

Given the demand for photographic services, analysts expect an increase in interest in this type of activity. Despite the fact that the market is occupied by major players, there is not much competition and there is always room for opening new studios.

In addition, we note that the photography business is a cost-effective and profitable type of activity. The project is economically profitable and attractive for financing and investment.

With the development and popularity of social networks, more and more people are turning to the services of photographers and renting photo studios. The excitement for photo services occurs not only on holidays, but also in everyday life. In this regard, the demand for photographic services is growing every day. In order for a photo studio to generate stable income and prosper, you should prepare for its opening.

The initial step on the path to starting your own business is drawing up a business plan. An example of a business plan for a photo salon (photo studio) with costs and payback calculations is given in this article.

Market analysis

The first thing that should be taken into account is the financial situation in the service provision market and the definition of the circle of consumers.

The photo studio will be in demand among many people, 3 main areas:

📸photo models (for creating a portfolio);
👩‍👩‍👧‍👧ordinary citizens (printing photos for home albums);
🎦companies that require advertising materials (printing of signs, banners, flyers and other advertising products).

When drawing up a business plan for your own studio, you should take into account unique circumstances:

how big the city is;
population security;
presence of competitors;
start-up capital.

Since it is fundamentally important to provide only the highest quality services, it is worth finding suppliers in advance from whom you will purchase products for printing and shooting.

Photo paper, consumables, equipment - everything must be excellent so that customers are satisfied and order shooting or printing from you again.

Competitor analysis

It is necessary to analyze the market from the point of view of existing competition. If there is competition (and it cannot but exist, since this business is not something unique), then your project should stand out from others.

This feature could be:
lower price for some service;
providing certain services that others do not provide;
wide range of services provided.

To be profitable, a company must be maximally focused on customers who have money and are willing to pay it. Since such customers most often are not individuals, but entrepreneurs and various companies advertising something.

It is very advisable to purchase equipment that allows printing in a wide format. If the costs for equipment are too high, then at first you can enter into an agreement with someone who already provides such a service.

As a rule, for wholesale orders a significant discount is given, so such cooperation will be beneficial for all parties.

When analyzing competition, it is worth studying the direction of work of competing studios, their geographical location in the regions and the city as a whole, and the scope of client categories.

Based on such data, it is easy to decide on the type of your own business and its location.

Types of photo studios

Photo studios may seem identical only to an amateur's eye. If you decide to open a studio, you must have a clear idea of exactly how and where your business will be organized. Photo studios are:

Full-fledged. This business is suitable for entrepreneurs with experience in running a large business. This option will require quite a significant investment, and its payback will not be quick - you will get “plus” no earlier than in a couple of years. When writing a business plan, it is worth considering where the shooting will take place - in a specially rented room or in an apartment, each of the rooms of which is equipped in accordance with a specific theme. To gain clients, you can offer a themed shoot (New Year’s, dedicated to February 14, and so on).

Mini photo studios. This option is the best for those new to business. Costs for costumes, equipment and workers to ensure the operation of a photo studio are minimal. The only staff required will be a photographer and an administrator. The location of such a photo studio should be carefully considered, since competition in this business is high. In addition to shooting, a mini photo studio can also print photographs and process them through special editors, the most common being CorelDRAW and Adobe Photoshop.

For children. Such a photo studio should be completely focused on its client - the child. As a rule, the rooms for filming in the studio are decorated in a fairytale style, costumes are purchased for children of different ages, and you can invite a makeup artist who will paint the children’s faces before filming. Children's photo studios are popular among clients with children. Most people want to have high-quality and beautiful photographs of their own child in their family album. You can advertise the services of such a studio in schools and kindergartens, and carry out on-site filming there.

Photo studio at home. If the starting budget is very limited, then this studio format is the best. The studio does not have to be decorated in any particular style; your apartment can be a workshop where the material taken during on-site photo sessions is processed. With this type of activity, you will not need to pay rent for the premises, which will significantly reduce material costs.

Photo salon. This studio format will require minimal costs. As a rule, photo studios are located in small, well-equipped premises. They specialize in printing photographs, processing them in graphic editors and producing photographs for documents. You can work in such a studio on your own, so the costs of employees do not need to be included in the expense item in the business plan.

Project Summary

The goal of the project is to open a photo studio in a city with a population of 600 thousand people. A special feature of the photo studio will be a designer interior studio with 3 rooms.

Price list:

Service	Price, rub	Number of clients per month	Amount, rub.
Print photos in different formats	50	20	1 000
Carrying out photography (portrait, children's, wedding, etc.)	5 000	20	100 000
Rental of premises	4 000	15	60 000
Photographing for documents	600	13	7 800
Services of a stylist-make-up artist	1 000	20	10,000 (including deduction of makeup artist’s salary)
Income 178,800

With further expansion of the business and increase in income, the following services can be provided:

provision of paraphernalia and costumes for filming;
printing on T-shirts, mugs, plates and other things;
printing stickers on cars;
creating unique layouts with photographs;
production of magnets with original designs and so on.

Be sure to watch this video, in which real photo studio owners talk about how their business works ( click on the link).

Registration

Registration of a studio begins with tax registration of the owner as an individual entrepreneur or a company as an LLC. The activity code must be indicated 74.81 “Activities in the field of photography”. When registering an activity, you have to pay a fee, so this item must also be included in the business plan.

When registering as an individual entrepreneur, you will pay taxes in the form of 6% of income or 15% of profit. If you are registered as a private individual, then you will need to pay 13% as tax. If you have registered a limited liability company, then you will pay taxes in accordance with the system developed specifically for this form of business. At the same time, the LLC must have an authorized capital, and this must be reflected in the business plan.

Registration costs - 8,000 rubles.

Choosing a room for a photo studio

The success of the enterprise also depends on how well the photo studio is located. This is a fundamental factor; when considering it, the following nuances must be taken into account:

how close competitors are;
Will it be convenient for clients to get to you?
Is it possible to place outdoor advertising?

The room in which photography will take place must be spacious and high.

With this size, 50 meters can be determined directly for filming, and the remaining for placing equipment. The height of the ceilings in the photo studio should be at least 3 meters, then it will be possible to correctly place lighting devices.

Photo studios should be located in the central part of the city (if the settlement is small) or in the center of the district (if the city is large enough. Of course, rent in the center is higher than on the outskirts, but the client traffic is also higher.

An excellent solution would be to equip a small room on the studio premises where clients can relax and drink tea or coffee. There you can place a TV, a table, a sofa, put a machine that dispenses drinks and display a bowl of cookies and sweets.

To open a photo studio, non-residential premises will be rented in the city center (close to city attractions). The room will be divided into 4 zones:

Administrative area (15 m2):
- bathroom;
- screen.
3 interior rooms for filming (20 m2 each)

When choosing a room, you should not ignore the rules stated above, since the speed of its payback and profitability in general directly depends on how correctly the studio is located.

Payment for the premises is 50,000 rubles and includes a monthly payment, plus some amount for cosmetic repairs. Even in a huge studio, but with stripped walls, you won’t be able to run a profitable business.

Design and equipment of a photo studio

Purchasing equipment for a photo studio is an expensive business. But the quality of the work depends on how high quality it is and how resistant it is to wear, so you should only purchase proven equipment. An additional source of income can be the regular rental of equipment, props and other attributes.

To conduct high-quality photography and provide other services related to photography, you will need to purchase:

Name	Price	Quantity	Price
Equipment
Camera	150 000	1	150 000
Height-adjustable tripod	3 000	3	9 000
Stand for mounting light	500	4	2 000
Laptop	25 000	1	25 000
Softbox	4 000	3	12 000
Umbrella	2 500	3	7 500
Light meter	6 000	1	6 000
Background	1 000	5	5 000
Printer	7 000	1	7 000
Background mount	800	3	2 400
Lens filter	1 000	4	4 000
Furniture and decor
Sofa	15 000	1	15 000
Bed	18 000	1	18 000
Chair	2 000	3	6 000
Table	7 000	1	7 000
Chandelier	4 000	3	12 000
Candlestick and candle	—	5	3 000
Artificial flower bouquet	—	5	3 000
Christmas tree with toys	8 000	1	8 000
Flower swing	5 000	1	5 000
Decorative fireplace	3 000	1	3 000
Bath	13 000	1	13 000
Decorative piano	5 000	1	5 000
Wall accessory	—	—	25 000
Expenses 352,000

Staff

You can run a small business - a photo studio - without attracting outside labor, that is, on your own.

If you know how to take beautiful and high-quality photographs, process the resulting footage and at the same time search for clients, then at least for the first time you will not need hired workers.

Ideally, of course, you need to hire a photographer (if you are not one yourself).

You can find a quality performer through advertisements (Vkontakte, in communities in your city, on Avito), on the advice of friends. In any case, it is important to look at examples of the photographer’s work before concluding an employment contract with him. If your views on what a photograph should be are radically different, then you are unlikely to work together.

An administrator is needed to solve various organizational issues and coordinate the work of a photo studio. The responsibilities of the administrator may also include searching for clients and placing advertisements.

If your budget is not too tight, you can hire a makeup artist. The services of this specialist are necessary in preparation for shooting; he applies makeup and does hairstyles for clients. A makeup artist will help you choose the most harmonious image for the client.

Personnel costs are monthly, so they need to be taken into account when writing a business plan.

Staff	Salary per 1 employee (RUB)	The number of employees	Salary Total (RUB)
Administrator (cleaner)	20 000	1	20 000
Photographer	25 000	2	25 000
Visagiste(if necessary)	—	1	500 rubles makeup
Expenses forpayment of wages		3 (1 invitee)	70 000

Promotion of a photo studio and advertising

Advertising is the engine not only for trade, but also for any other business, including a photo studio. The best advertising is “word of mouth”, that is, recommendations from friends or acquaintances, so you should not take the work lightly, it must be carried out impeccably.

Costs and payback

The starting investment amount is:

Registration - 8,000 rub.;
Renting premises - 50,000 rub.;
Advertising - 35,000 rub.;
Design and equipment of a photo studio - 352 000 rub.;

Total: 445,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses of the photo salon:

Renting premises - 50,000 rub.;
Staff salaries - 70 000 rub.;
Tax and social contributions - 21,000 rub.;
Buying decor - 5,000 rub.;
Advertising and promotion - 5,000 rub.;

Total: 151,000 rubles.

Difference between income and expenses: 178 000 — 151 000 = 27,800 rubles

Tax: 27 800 * 0,15 = 4,170 rubles

Net profit: 27 800 — 4 170 = 23,630 rubles

Profitability:(23 630 / 151 100) * 100 = 156,5 %

Payback: 445,000 / 23,630 = 19 months

A photo studio is an interesting and creative business that, with the right approach, will bring excellent profits to the owner. In order for an enterprise to be successful, the first step towards it should be drawing up a competent business plan with all the calculations.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

We solve the problem of how to open an interior photography studio from scratch. Given: a creative person who wants to realize the abilities of a decorator Conditions: 700 thousand rubles. Find: profitable business opportunity.

Today photographs are an integral part of our lives. So familiar that it’s hard to imagine how people lived without the ability to capture memorable events in photographs. Now everyone has a smartphone with a camera at their fingertips, with which they take pictures every day. However, most of us still want high-quality, beautiful photographs taken by a professional photographer in a beautiful setting.

Professional kit for creating business ideas

How to define a photo studio concept

Planning your photo studio needs to start with clear positioning. What type of service will you provide? There can be two options: you either provide interior space for photographers who shoot there; or organize photo sessions, providing a whole range of services - from providing a studio to makeup and, directly, shooting. The first option is less expensive. Here the business owner is focused on creating the interior. The second option is more complex because it requires a whole team of professionals (photographer, makeup artist, costume designer or stylist, administrator), and is more expensive. If the entrepreneur is a photographer, then it is more rational for him to choose the second option. But according to the terms of the task, the entrepreneur is a creative person who intends to independently design the interior of a photo studio. Therefore, the essence of the project is to provide an interior studio for rent for photo shoots.

How to analyze the photography business market

To analyze the market, it is not necessary to conduct large-scale marketing research. It is enough to find out how many photo studios operate in your city and study their approximate list of services. Your main assistant is the Internet. Today, almost all photo studios have their own website or social media account. Look at what interiors are presented there, how much it costs to rent a photo studio, determine their territorial location (Yandex.Maps, Google Maps or 2GIS will help). Based on the collected data, you will be able to plan your business more thoughtfully and create competitive advantages.

To attract clients, you will have to offer something that other photo studios have not yet offered. For fresh ideas and inspiration, look at what's on the market in other regions. You should also understand that your ideas should appeal primarily to your audience. Therefore, we advise you to find out what topic is relevant among the city’s population, what is the demand for existing services. This information will help you avoid unnecessary expenses.

How to calculate how much money you need to open a photo studio

The required investment is one of the most important elements of any business planning. In order to open your own photo studio, you will need from 700 thousand to 3 million rubles. It all depends on the scale of the business, the complexity of the interior, the idea, the city and the premises. For example, if you want to buy the premises in which the studio will be located, the amount will exceed 3 million. But 700 thousand rubles is enough to open a photo studio. You can save on the premises itself - rent it; for staff – limit yourself to studio rental services; interior – carefully consider locations that can be compactly placed in the rented area, and wisely select decorative elements, choosing budget options. You can also save on renovation costs by choosing a room in good condition. By the way, this will save not only money, but also time, allowing you to launch the project faster.

We will return to the money issue later when we plan to fill the photo studio. We are still getting used to the idea that we need about 700 thousand rubles.

How to choose a room for a photo studio

If your studio is located in the city center, this is an ideal option. But achieving this ideal is not so easy: firstly, there are many requirements for the photo studio premises that are not so easy to fulfill; secondly, renting premises in the center is not a cheap pleasure. Therefore, you can consider options located in the city center, but on less traveled streets. Going far, to industrial zones, which will take a couple of hours to get to, is not the best option. It is also impossible to place a photo studio in a residential area, because it does not provide essential services to attract residents of nearby houses. You need to attract people from all over the city, so the most logical choice is the center.

Now let's move on to meeting all the requirements for the photo studio premises itself:

high ceilings - from 3 meters;

studio length is at least 8-10 m;

the required repairs must be cosmetic, otherwise you will spend a lot of money and time on remodeling;

the space should not be divided by vertical beams;

When choosing a floor covering, you should give preference to dark color and high wear resistance. Otherwise, the floor will quickly lose its attractive appearance.

On average, the cost of an 80 sq.m. premises rented in the city center is 50 thousand rubles.

Once the room has been chosen, you can think about the layout. The room needs to be divided into several zones, each of which will house a location for shooting. A good photography studio should have at least three locations. Also, do not forget that in addition to the workspace, you should provide an area for receiving visitors and a toilet.

How to choose the interior of a photo studio

So we come to the main thing - planning the interior of a photo studio. The main character who determines the interior of the studio is the entrepreneur himself. Here he can realize all his creative ideas, give free rein to his imagination and get creative.

It should be noted that, no matter how sophisticated the designers, the most popular are the following location themes:

romantic - they are designed for clients who buy family photo sessions or love stories. Such a location should be of medium size to accommodate a family. Typically, romantic locations are made in light colors, with floral motifs;

stylish locations that are popular among younger audiences. The design style is close to loft or modern and is most often decorated in dark colors;

the third room is usually called the "chameleon" because its interior changes for seasonal filming. Here you will have to change the environment frequently, which will allow you to re-attract clients and invite new clients on the eve of various events. Typically, locations are based on the theme of the seasons.

For inspiration, we have collected several interesting interior concepts for decorating a photo studio.

You can support the romantic style with a chic hanging bed decorated with a canopy and flowers. It looks very beautiful and gentle. Miniature swings will also look interesting, which will help create lively shots in motion. But a romantic interior does not have to be in light colors. A country style location - a hayloft, a romantic inscription on a wooden wall and a mini-picnic - will look stylish and unconventional. Why not romance?

Within the walls of a photo studio you can imitate the space of the street. For example, equip a cozy courtyard with a beautiful door, a veranda or a fence covered with grapes, a bench and a bicycle left near it.

To maintain a stylish loft, you can make a brick wall or a gradient background that imitates plaster. A chalk board will be an interesting addition - inscriptions and drawings on it can set the mood of the photo; designs made from light bulbs that look good in the frame; stylish armchairs and step-ladder racks.

Ready ideas for your business

You can provide creative details that make the interior special. Attach a bicycle to a brick wall, decorate a window in an unusual way and turn it, for example, into a porthole, “grow” a magic tree in the studio, cover one wall with different wallpapers, creating several backgrounds for photographs. It is also important that the interior contains many interesting details that clients can interact with (books, pillows, musical instruments, three-dimensional letters, etc.).

How to equip a photo studio

There will be a minimum of lyrical digressions here - only dry numbers.

Renovation of the photo studio premises - 150 thousand rubles.

Equipment - 150 thousand rubles, approximate list of equipment: light sources (from 4 pieces), umbrellas for transmission and reflection, curtains, attachments for reflectors, synchronizers, mounting installations, stands, herons, tripods. If you are afraid of incomprehensible names, you can contact companies that provide ready-made sets of equipment for photo studios. To choose the right equipment, you can consult a professional photographer.

Decorations – 250 thousand rubles.

Business registration – 20 thousand rubles.

Rent of premises – 50 thousand rubles.

Total: 650 thousand rubles.

How to legalize a photo studio

While our studio is being renovated and decorated, we can take care of organizational issues. First, you should register your business. For a photo studio, the LLC or individual entrepreneur format is suitable - it all depends on your personal plans. It is safer to register an LLC, but registering an individual entrepreneur is much easier. As an individual entrepreneur, you will be able to conduct basic accounting and choose a simplified tax regime. As for the registration of activities according to OKVED, code 74.2 (Activities in the field of photography) is suitable for a photo studio - it includes several subsections.

To operate a photo studio, you do not need to obtain any licenses; a standard package of registration documents is sufficient. But it is required to obtain permission from the fire inspectorate to open a photo studio in the selected premises.

Ready ideas for your business

It is also worth mentioning inspections, which sometimes frighten entrepreneurs. Photo studios do not belong to the category of the consumer market that inspectors are closely interested in. Therefore, there should be no difficulties with the control authorities. The main thing is to keep the premises clean and tidy and provide high-quality services.

Another important issue is the search for personnel. A photo studio requires at least 2 people for the position of administrator who will work in shifts. If you want to save money, you can become one of the administrators, reducing labor costs. The average salary of one administrator is 25 thousand rubles. You will also need to hire a cleaner who will monitor the cleanliness of the premises. It does not have to be included in the staff.

How to advertise a photo studio

Promotion of a photo studio is usually carried out via the Internet. Beginning entrepreneurs place special hopes on social networks. And for good reason. Practice shows that Instagram gives the greatest return when managing your account correctly. After all, the photo studio business is based on high-quality photographs, so this resource is best suited for promotion.

First, you need to photograph the studio locations yourself, and in the future you can ask photographers to use their work to demonstrate the locations. Contacts, examples of work, decoration options, information about promotions, and reviews should be posted on social networks.

You can promote your studio through collaboration with photographers. And the now fashionable word “collaboration” would be appropriate here. What is their logic? You independently invite photographers to shoot in your studio, in exchange for providing the location, he undertakes to post information about you in his account. Essentially, this is an association for the purpose of mutual benefit: the photographer gets a photo shoot in a beautiful interior, and you get advertising for your photo studio.

You can also attract customers with profitable promotions and offers. Organize a drawing for a certificate for a photo shoot in your studio; provide a discount on certain days; Organize a promotion to support family photo sessions at a discount. All these actions will have a positive impact on the promotion of your studio.

When planning a business, most entrepreneurs focus on two parameters: required investments and profit. It's time to ask the question - how much can a photo studio earn?

To give a specific answer, you need to determine the cost of services. To do this, we look at the prices that competitors set. Each city has a different price level. But on average, 1 hour of renting a photo studio will cost 1,300 rubles. You can count on 120 hours of rented filming per month (that is, approximately 4 hours of filming per day). In this case, the revenue will be 156 thousand rubles. Then the net profit will vary in the amount of 70-80 thousand rubles. During weddings and New Year's holidays, this amount can increase significantly due to increased demand. With an average monthly profit level of 100 thousand rubles, you can recoup the investment after 10-12 months of work.

How to assess the risks of a photo studio

Any business involves risk. You should take into account all possible difficulties that may arise when opening and operating a photo studio. This will allow you to quickly respond to threats or avoid them altogether.

The first risk is outdated props. The specifics of the work of a photo studio require constant updating of locations and props. Irrelevant, out-of-fashion props are unlikely to decorate the photo and interest the client. Therefore, the owner of a photo studio should always be on trend - monitor trends and change the content of the studio in a timely manner.

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The next type of risk is increased competition in the market. To reduce the impact of this risk, it is necessary to regularly invest money in marketing, improve the level of service, conduct competent work with clients, and create unique offers on the market.

Another risk is the seasonality of business. In the summer months there is a decrease in demand, but the most active months for photo studios are November, December, February and March. To minimize the risk, during low sales, organize competitions for free photo shoots and distribute gift certificates. You can also expand the list of services. For example, rent out a room for holding any events (birthdays, master classes, etc.).

Thus, you can determine the main advantages and disadvantages of opening your own photography studio. After weighing all the pros and cons, you can make a final decision about opening this business.

Table 1. Pros and cons of opening a photo studio


current business creative business

The goal of the project is to organize an interior photography studio in Samara. The recent increase in interest in the services of photo studios from the population is one of the key factors for the success of the project. Since the project initiator does not have artistic photography skills, it is assumed that appropriate specialists will be hired. Investments will also be directed towards equipping the premises, which will include two photography rooms with four platforms; for the purchase of the necessary professional photographic equipment, computer equipment and software.

The low level of competition, as well as the unique concept of the photo studio, are important factors in the success of the project. Basic data on the project are given in Table. 1.

Table 1. Key project performance indicators

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPANY AND INDUSTRY

Interior photography studio services belong to the photography services market. Due to the specific nature of the business, large-scale studies of the photographic services market, as a rule, are not carried out. The market can be divided into the following areas:

Interior art photography

Street art photography

Documentary filming of events

Each direction mostly works with different events: birthdays, weddings, corporate events, public holidays. Photo studio services involve artistic photography indoors in a certain, usually specific interior. Experts call this direction the most dynamically developing and promising. The target audience is individuals who want to capture certain moments of life in high-quality photographs. In addition, interior photography services are used by beginning photo models to create a portfolio, and advertising agencies (advertising producers). Depending on the region, city and quality of the photo studio, the target audience may change, however, experts consider the main consumer of such services to be girls under 30 who need high-quality photography for a portfolio or posting on social networks.

Interior photography itself is a product known to the market and consumer. It has a fairly long history, which begins in various photographic studios in the USSR. For this reason, the consumer adequately and readily accepts the offer of services of this kind.

3. DESCRIPTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES

The main service of the project is interior photography on the studio premises, which is carried out by a professional photographer in accordance with the client’s wishes.

The studio contains four areas with a constant theme (see Section 2). According to the client's order, filming is carried out for a certain time. Necessary props and clothing are provided by the studio. The order also includes processing of photographs after shooting using a photo editor by a professional designer, recording the required number of copies of CDs with the design of the cover and box insert.

Interaction with the client is carried out in several stages:

Receiving an order and discussing the possibility of implementation with the client

Prepayment

Studio design (in case of a non-standard order)

Photography

Photo processing

Agreement with the client

Rework (if required)

Disc cover and box design

Payment of the remaining amount

Transfer of finished material to the client

The cost of one hour of shooting is 1200 rubles, regardless of location. When filming in a studio, production costs include the use of the space (rent) and the use of furnishings (depreciation). When shooting on location - costs for travel, food, etc.

4. SALES AND MARKETING

Target audience of the project services:

Educational content refers to publications on topics such as: “how to properly set up a professional camera”, “how to set the light”, “how to process a photograph”, etc.

Today in Samara there are 3 professional interior photography studios (direct key competitors), 4 studios at advertising agencies (indirect competitors) and about 10 semi-professional studios that are not, in fact, competitors of the project, since the quality of shooting and processing of photographs is significantly lower. lower level at a comparable price.

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Prices of direct competitors range from 900 to 1300 rubles per hour of shooting. At the same time, competitors do not pursue an active marketing policy, focusing solely on customer recommendations.

Demand is highly seasonal. Peaks occur at New Year and Christmas, the beginning of the school year, as well as during the wedding season - summer-autumn. Seasonality of demand is reflected in the production plan and financial plan.

5. PRODUCTION PLAN

To locate the photo studio, we use rented premises on the territory of a former factory at a short distance from the city center - no more than 10 minutes by public transport. All communications are available. There is also car parking next to the building. The premises require cosmetic repairs, which is reflected in the investment costs (Table 2).

High-quality lighting equipment and cameras are purchased. Suppliers are large specialized retail chains that provide initial training and warranty services. In addition, high-performance computer equipment and specialized software for photo processing are purchased.

Interior items are purchased from local furniture retail chains and building materials stores; Some specific items are made to order from local carpenters. To give a unique appearance, all interior items are designed by one of the leading interior designers in Samara.

The rented premises provide an isolated room for storing unused equipment and seasonal furnishings. A room has also been allocated to accommodate the designer and the project manager (initiator).

6. ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN

The project implementation process can be divided into two main parts: preparatory and working. At the preparation stage, the premises are redecorated, equipment is purchased, the premises are decorated and equipped, workers are hired, and a launch advertising campaign is carried out. The duration of the preparatory stage is 3 weeks. The working stage involves the implementation of operational activities.

Individual entrepreneur was chosen as the legal form of business. The taxation system (based on a comparison of several options) is the simplified tax system with the object of taxation “income minus expenses” (rate 15%).

The project initiator performs the functions of a project manager, as well as a number of related functions: marketer, analyst, sales specialist. To do this, he has the necessary experience: work in sales - 5 years, work in the service sector - 3 years, entrepreneurial experience - 2 years. In addition, the project initiator has graphic design (photo processing) skills.

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The most important members of the project team are photographers. Candidates for this position are subject to special requirements: a high-quality portfolio, at least 3 years of experience in a similar position, and artistic taste.

Accounting services have been outsourced.

Table 3. Staffing and wage fund

	Job title	Salary, rub.	Number, persons	Payroll, rub.
Administrative
	Accountant
Industrial
	Photographer
	Designer

	Total:				RUB 74,500.00
	Social Security contributions:				RUB 22,350.00
	Total with deductions:				RUB 96,850.00

7. FINANCIAL PLAN

The financial plan is designed for a five-year period. After this period, the project initiator will make a decision to continue or terminate its implementation based on an analysis of the market and economic conditions. The most likely scenario today is further business expansion.

The financial plan takes into account all types of costs: investment and current. Current costs are classified as fixed and variable. The volume of investment costs is 748,000 rubles (Table 2). The main expense item is the purchase of equipment for photography. In addition, part of the funds is allocated to the launch advertising campaign: promotion on social networks and contextual advertising in search engines. The project initiator’s own funds are 500,000 rubles, the deficit of funds is planned to be covered with the help of a bank loan. The loan repayment period is 24 months, the rate is 18% per annum, credit holidays are 3 months. Payment is made in annuity payments - 16,444 rubles per month.

Since it is quite problematic to accurately and unambiguously determine the amount of variable costs for a project, and staff are paid on a time-based basis, all costs are classified as fixed (Table 4). Fixed costs also take into account depreciation of fixed assets and intangible assets. The useful life corresponds to the financial planning horizon and is 5 years. Depreciation charges are calculated using the straight-line method.

Table 4. Fixed costs

A detailed financial plan is given in Appendix. 1.

8. EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS

The assessment of the effectiveness of the project and its investment attractiveness is carried out on the basis of an analysis of the financial plan, cash flow, simple and integral performance indicators (Table 1).

Investment costs for the project are relatively low - 748,00 rubles. At the same time, the revenue of the first year of project implementation is 5.9 million rubles, and the net profit (after tax) is 2.6 million rubles. Revenue in subsequent years (annually) – 6.7 million rubles, net profit – 3.2 million rubles.

To account for the time value of money, the discounted cash flow method is used. The discount rate is 12%, since the product is not innovative and is known to the market and consumer. Project risks are low, the acquired assets have high liquidity.

The simple and discounted payback period is 6 months. Net present value (NPV) – RUB 980,851. Return on Investment Ratio (ARR) – 36%. Internal rate of return (IRR) – 22%. Profitability index (PI) – 1.31. All these indicators indicate the effectiveness and investment attractiveness of the project. Its profitability is relatively low, however, given the low investment costs, short payback period, self-employment of the project initiator and the presence of financial stability and guarantees of repayment of borrowed funds, the project is truly promising.

9. WARRANTY AND RISKS

All risks associated with the implementation of the project can be divided into two main categories: internal and external. The main internal factor.

Today, the photographic services market is constantly evolving due to the discovery of new needs among its potential consumers. Not only a photographer, but also an entrepreneur can open a photo salon to make a profit. And for successful implementation in this market, you will need your own business plan for a photo studio.

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Description

Photography business belongs to the sphere of small business. Once you decide to create your own studio, you will need a well-designed photo studio. In the summary, we reveal the key success factors of a photography business and reflect indicators that confirm its effectiveness. It is necessary both for the entrepreneur himself and for attracting borrowed funds.

Organizing a photo studio is a fairly transparent activity even for a beginner. The main advantage of photographing in a studio is the ability to use specialized professional equipment with the correct lighting. In this case, the photographer’s capabilities are not limited by weather conditions or the influence of other environmental factors.

Services

The work of the photo salon is based on two main types of services:

a full-time photographer shoots in the studio;
renting a studio space where photography will be done by a freelance photographer.

Genres of studio photography:

portrait;
photographing an object (for example, photographing a company’s products to fill an online store);
artistic photography.

When organizing the work of the studio, you will need decorations and props to create the necessary atmosphere.

The main areas of activity can be identified:

photograph for documents;
subject photography for catalogues, booklets, online stores;
photographic support for celebrations such as weddings and anniversaries;
participation in exhibitions and competitions;
photoshoot.

Photos of the documents Product photo Artistic photo Wedding photo

Additional services of the photo studio may include:

installation and printing of photo albums, photo books;
make-up artist services.

Business relevance

The relevance of this matter is sometimes questionable, but now professional work is increasingly preferred to amateur photographs. Many people still want to somehow capture the important moments of their lives in a bright and unusual way. It is the photography business that is distinguished by flexibility and willingness to change along with the needs of clients and the creative impulses of photographers. Here an amateur photographer can become a real professional or a young entrepreneur can develop a profitable and interesting project.

Studio options

There are various options for organizing a photo salon with decorations. The idea for decorating a photo studio is very important. An interior studio needs to be thought through to the smallest detail.

Photo salon

A profitable photo salon is a company that specializes in:

portrait photography;
making photographs for documents;
retouching photographs.

This studio option is well suited for starting a business. The first investment in a photo studio can be quite modest; the minimum amount of funds will please entrepreneurs who do not have a lot of capital. The only thing you can’t skimp on is photographic equipment. With a good flow of clients, the photo salon will pay for itself within 5-6 months. In order to attract clientele and make your business more successful, it is important to choose the right location.

Mini studio

From the name you can already guess that a mini-studio is a smaller copy of a full-format photo studio. She works in various industry areas. This studio option is also well suited for starting a business. The opening of a mini-studio maintains prospects for further growth.

Full-size photo studio

The full-format studio option involves the provision of a full range of photographic services. The studio must have an interior decorated room, costumes and the necessary equipment.

Home business

Setting up a home photography studio is a good start for a novice entrepreneur. Capital investments are minimal due to the absence of rent and the need to purchase expensive equipment. Working from home, you will gain invaluable experience communicating with clients and become familiar with the key features of running this business.

Photo studio for children

This studio format is aimed at serving children and their parents. The entrepreneur will be required to decorate the premises, focusing on the tastes of children and organize demand. Due to the difficulties in ensuring constant demand, we do not recommend opening this type of studio to beginners.

Opening a franchise studio

If you are not ready to organize a business on your own, then you can find quite a lot of photo salon franchise offers on the franchise market.

Among them are:

Fotomatik;
Photobook;
E-Photo;
Foto7;
Photobox;
Take a photo;
Academy of Photography.

By selling a profitable business, the franchisor also shares his experience with you. You receive a well-functioning business scheme, a well-known brand, comprehensive support, staff training, etc.

Description and analysis of the sales market

A photo studio is a profitable and promising business, but many novice entrepreneurs make a number of mistakes that significantly affect future income. For a business to bear fruit, it is important to identify your target audience, identify competitive advantages and invest in an advertising campaign.

The target audience

Potential clients of the photo studio may be:

Professional photographers for rent.
Amateur photographers, for rent.
Individuals (men and women) who want to be photographed for documents, take an artistic photo, or need photo accompaniment for any celebration.
Parents with young children to capture every important moment of their child's life.
Companies for corporate photography of employees and products.

Taking into account the scale of the proposed activity, financial capabilities, the format of the photo salon being created, its geographical location, etc., the entrepreneur must decide on the target audience. You need to take into account the preferences and tastes of potential clients when thinking about the design of the premises, purchasing the necessary equipment, marketing, etc.

For young clients, from 16-30 years old, the room can be decorated in the style of “loft”, “vintage” or “shabby chic”, which is very popular today. If you are targeting an older audience, then the “Provence”, “modern” or “classic” style is suitable. Props you will need: a sofa, an armchair, a fireplace, a motorcycle, etc. Ideally, reach a wider target audience. In one room you can have up to eight zones, decorated in different styles and filled with interesting props.

Competitive advantages

The key competitive advantages of a photo studio should be:

High level of customer service.
Professional photographers.
Decoration of the room. It is important that the scenery and available props meet the requirements of the studio's clients.
Wide range of services offered.
Professional equipment.

Before you start renovating a room, decorating it and thinking through the range of possible services, we recommend studying competitors in the local market. By seeing their weak points, you can make your business stronger. You will be able to evaluate the level of service, see their details, equipment used, etc.

Advertising campaign

The successful work of a photo studio largely depends on the quality of the advertising campaign. An effective advertising campaign involves developing your own website, posting information in electronic catalogs, as well as the participation of photographers in exhibitions and competitions. It is also very important, at the stage of developing a business plan, to come up with a bright name and think over a corporate identity. The advertising campaign also involves the distribution of advertising materials in local media and leaflets with studio interiors.

What do you need to open?

Below we will dwell in more detail on the most important points of a photo studio business project. In order to do so, you need to study them carefully. We will tell you what needs to be done for the photo studio to start operating.

Documentation

First of all, you will need to decide on the organizational form for the business. A photo studio can be organized as an individual entrepreneur or LLC. You must make this choice yourself, based on the scale of the proposed activity and your ambitions. Most often, an enterprise is created as an individual entrepreneur, it is cheaper.

The following OKVED codes correspond to this type of activity:

74.81 - activities in the field of photography;
70.20.2 - rental of own non-residential real estate.

Premises and decoration

After completing the registration of the company, you will have to choose a suitable premises. In most cases, the premises are taken on a long-term lease basis.

For a studio you will need a spacious room with high ceilings. Most of the room will be equipped for filming, and the remaining part will remain at the disposal of the administrator and make-up artist. A bathroom must also be provided. An ordinary apartment, unfortunately, is not suitable for a photo studio. Usually their ceilings are quite low and it will not be possible to install lighting according to all the rules.

The studio needs creative design that takes into account the tastes and needs of the target audience. It is possible that you will need the help of a professional designer to resolve this issue. How much it costs to open a photo studio largely depends on where the premises are located, what is its area and the complexity of the design ideas.

Staff

A full-length studio must include:

manager;
at least two experienced professional photographers;
two administrators.

The calling card of a successful photo salon is a talented photographer, just like a chef in a restaurant. The head of the studio performs management functions, carries out planning, selects priority directions for its development, adjusts the range of services provided, is involved in marketing, etc. The importance of the administrator cannot be underestimated. His responsibilities include not only communicating with clients, but also installing studio lighting and setting up basic equipment.

Step-by-step instruction

Summarizing the above, the following sequence of actions can be formed:

Development of a business plan from scratch with calculations.
Company registration.
Choosing a room.
Conclusion of a long-term lease agreement.
Studying competitors.
Defining the business concept.
Room design and renovation.
Purchase of equipment and inventory.
Personnel selection.
Marketing events.

Step-by-step instructions focus on the key points of organizing your own business. Ready-made samples that can be found on the Internet for free will also help you in preparing a business plan. After reading them, you will understand where to start a business in 2019. Below we will look at an example of a financial plan for a business project that you can use as a sample or template.

Financial plan

The amount of capital investments in the business includes (in rubles):

costs for registering an enterprise: 30,000;
marketing costs: 40,000;
website creation: 60,000;
room decoration: 100,000;
purchase of working equipment and inventory: 650,000;
rent (for three months): 90,000;
other costs: 30,000.

In total, it turns out that 1 million rubles of initial investment are needed to organize a full-format studio. The profitability of the photography business reaches 50 percent. However, if you want to open a business with minimal investment, then pay attention to simpler options for photo studios.

Regular investments

rent: 30,000;
utility bills: 10,000;
wages with accruals: 130,000;
consumables: 5,000;
other expenses: 5,000.

After doing the calculations, it turns out that regular monthly investments will be 180,000 rubles. The profit reaches 360,000 rubles.

Opening dates

A business plan involves the development of a calendar plan with a detailed list of necessary activities and their duration. The opening date of the photo studio depends on the pace of preparatory work. On average, from the moment of registration of a company to the start of its work, about two months pass.

Risks and payback

Risk factors:

The risk of loss of reputation with the client due to poor quality of services provided by a full-time photographer. Negative reviews can keep clients away from the services provided by the studio for a long time.
Outdated props, outdated decorations.
Increased competition.
Insufficient number of clients.
The entrepreneur lacks the desire to develop, open new areas of activity and invest money in more modern photographic equipment.

With well-organized management, the listed risks can be successfully controlled and you can profitably do what you love for many years. The initial investment will pay off in about a year and a half, since the profitability of the business is quite high.

	NAME	AMOUNT, rub.
Real estate
	Cosmetic renovation of the premises
Equipment
	Professional camera
	Lighting equipment
	Interior details
Intangible assets


Working capital
	Working capital

	Total:	748,000 RUR
	Own funds:	RUB 500,000.00
	Required borrowings:	248,000 ₽
	Bid:	18,00%
	Duration, months: