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Business idea: photo studio for rent. Costs and profits. The photo studio is in greatest demand among

Recently, the relevance of photographs has only increased. If earlier about professional photographs ordinary people could only dream, but now almost everyone has such an opportunity. Thanks to the popularity of photo shoots, more and more women are thinking about starting their own business related to this particular niche. In this article we will provide you with step by step instructions about how to open a photo studio from scratch, where to start spending and what type of activity to choose - individual entrepreneur or LLC.

Directions

First, you need to decide what services will be provided in the photo studio. Keep in mind that there will be a lot of competition and it doesn’t matter whether you decide to open it in a small town or a metropolis. Try to surprise potential clients with an extensive list of destinations, you may even be able to come up with something unique. We offer you the most popular services provided by photo salons:

  • wedding photography;
  • portrait photography;
  • children's photography (including newborns);
  • photo shoot at school;
  • filming during holidays;
  • photo session in nature;
  • Love Story(photo shoot for lovers);
  • portfolio for professional models;
  • Photos of the documents;
  • interior photography, possibly with an aqua zone;
  • photo collage, postcard printing;
  • photographs of goods for advertising.

You can also open a photo studio and rent out the premises to photographers; this type of income will always be in demand. A good option would be to provide premises for teaching photography. As you can see for yourself, the choice is quite extensive and the more points you manage to master, the more chances you have to actually do it. profitable business. You should be aware that the costs can be high, so be sure to have a plan before you get started. detailed business plan opening of a photo studio.

If you decide to open a photo studio, your activities in mandatory must be registered. To do this, you can register an individual entrepreneur ( Individual entrepreneur) or LLC (Company with limited liability). We recommend that you choose the first option, since it is much cheaper and easier to implement; it does not require authorized capital or licensing of activities. To open an individual entrepreneur, you need to go through the standard registration procedure with the relevant authorities, pay a state fee of 800 rubles (for 2019) and after receiving all the documents, feel free to start choosing a premises.


As for opening an LLC, this option will be more competent if your clients are mainly legal entities or you are planning to open a business with several co-founders. The registration procedure itself will be more complicated, and the state duty is much more expensive (4,000 rubles). Required authorized capital in the amount of 10,000 rubles, which, however, can be replaced with property. It is believed that clients tend to trust LLC more, however, it is up to you to decide whether it is better to open one. Both forms of government have their advantages and disadvantages.

Selecting a room

Of course, in order to open a successful photography studio, you need to choose the right premises for it. It should be quite spacious with an area of ​​50 sq.m. and at the same time divided into special zones:

  1. Work area (actually the place where photographs are taken).
  2. Office area for employees.
  3. Reception for clients.
  4. Dressing room and dressing room.
  5. Bathroom.


Such zoning will be almost ideal, but one should proceed from financial opportunities and the specifics of your photo studio. An important nuance when choosing a room for opening a business there will also be its location, try to find it closer to the city center. This will provide you with more clients, despite strong competition.

When choosing a room, pay attention to the height of the ceilings and the presence of large windows for good natural light (which, if necessary, will be covered with special curtains). For high-quality photography, the ceilings must be high, preferably from 3 meters. Experts also advise making the flooring dark, as the equipment will quickly get dirty. Keep the wall color neutral to avoid color distortion and glare.


As for the design, everything depends on your taste. Try to open a stylish and modern photography studio so that it attracts clients. Beautiful photographs on the walls, a pleasant atmosphere, bright furniture and a large mirror in the dressing room - do everything to make the client feel like a real “star” on the set and want to contact you more than once.

So, the premises have been chosen and the next step is to purchase equipment. First buy everything you need to open a photo studio:

  • camera with additional accessories and lenses;
  • various backgrounds for photo shoots;
  • fastening installations;
  • flash meter;
  • synchronizers;
  • tripods;
  • reflectors and light filters;
  • various light sources;
  • computer and equipment for printing photographs (printer, scanner)


Depending on the number of services provided, starting a business may require special equipment for outdoor photography, furniture and accessories for an interior photo shoot, etc. Also, do not forget about the design of the photo studio itself and the purchase computer desk, chairs, mirrors, sofa and other additional amenities.

If you are not a photographer and do not want to deal with additional issues of maintaining records, drawing up a shooting schedule, processing photographs and other important things, you can create your own staff. In order to open a photo studio from scratch you will need:

  1. Photographer (make sure that he not only takes photographs, but also processes the images in professional computer editors).
  2. Accountant.
  3. Administrator.


Over time, you can hire one or more photographers, makeup artist and purchasing, advertising, etc. managers. As you yourself understand, such measures will be necessary when the business begins to generate decent income and has developed good base regular customers. If you decide to open a small photo studio and are not going to expand your staff, a photographer and an administrator will be enough.

* 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.

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Therefore, it is quite natural that currently opening a photo studio is a promising business idea. Renting a space ready for photography is very profitable. This business requires relatively small investments and can quickly pay for itself. Another plus is its creative focus. After all, thanks to such a project you can realize your Creative skills, prove yourself as a designer.

The photography studio market has undergone enormous changes. Do you remember what photo studios looked like before? A white canvas against which you pose with simple props. Now the interior of photo studios can be considered a work of art. Typically, studios offer several interiors to choose from for shooting. Each interior is clearly thought out, full of interesting locations and details that can be used in shooting. The originality of the design determines whether a person will want to come to the studio for a photo shoot. The interior is the main component of success for a photo studio.

However, in addition to the creative component, the photography business has many organizational issues, which you need to understand to open your own photo studio.


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 a large-scale marketing research. Just find out how many photo studios operate in your city and study them sample list services. Your main assistant is the Internet. Today, almost all photo studios have their own website or account in in social networks. 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. In search fresh ideas and for inspiration, look at what is 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 here lyrical digressions– 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.

One more important issue is the search for personnel. A photo studio needs 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 properly. 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 to shoot in beautiful interior, and you receive advertising for your photo studio.

You can also attract clients profitable promotions and suggestions. Organize a drawing for a certificate for a photo shoot in your studio; provide a discount on certain days; organize a campaign in support family photo sessions with 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 net profit will vary in the amount of 70-80 thousand rubles. During weddings and New Year's holidays this amount may 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.

Ready ideas for your business

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, 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


Below we provide a detailed business plan for a photography studio and consider the following important points of business organization:

  • How to open a photo studio for rent and choose the right premises;
  • How to open an individual entrepreneur for a photo salon, preparation of documents;
  • Equipment for a photo studio, its cost;
  • How to open a photo studio in a small town, and make it popular and profitable, methods of promotion.

Register the best thing, it's easier and cheaper. Required codes OKVED: 74.20.– “Activities in the field of photography” and 47 – “Retail trade, except trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles.” The second code is required if the studio plans to sell goods.

The activity is not licensed. It is also necessary to register with the Federal Tax Service. The cost of the registration procedure is no more than $60.

Services

Main services of the company:

  1. Photos of the documents;
  2. Carrying out studio shooting, including interior;
  3. Filming for business, subject photo sessions, food photography;
  4. You can profitably rent out a photo studio for photo sessions;
  5. Printing photos from removable media;
  6. Development of graduation albums, photo retouching;
  7. Sale related products– flash cards, batteries, discs, albums, etc.

Market analysis

To carefully plan how to open a photo studio, where to start and calculate the costs, you need to decide target audience. The main clients are photographers who rent a salon for filming, young people, couples with children, future newlyweds (Love Story filming). Average age category of visitors: 16-35 years.

Room

The best location for your studio is as close to the center as possible, an additional plus is the availability of a parking space. Most often, the studio is located in a business center, less often in shopping centers.

Additional clientele for printing will be obtained by placement near universities, migration services, etc. government agencies. The area of ​​the room is 60 square meters. Of these, 40 sq. m – studio, 15 sq. m – reception area with administrative desk and small shop, 5 sq. m - bathroom.

Studio requirements:

  • Warm floor, you should use laminate or commercial linoleum as a covering;
  • Ceiling height – from three meters;
  • Large windows draped with dark fabric. Drapery is needed for shooting with shutter speed and lighting. It should be possible to easily remove the fabric from the windows;
  • Monochromatic wall decoration;
  • Availability of air conditioning;
  • System fire safety, evacuation diagram, fire extinguisher.

Renting a premises requires monthly costs of $800-900. In how to open a creative photography studio, design is of great importance. You need to make your establishment popular and fashionable place. Repairs and finishing will cost about $1,500.

Equipment for a photo salon

What do you need to buy to open your own photo studio?

Professional equipment

For a small company you will need:

  1. Digital camera and two removable lenses– $2500-2700. Good cameras are offered by Canon and Nikon, lenses - Sigma, Tamron;
  2. 4 light sources of various powers (aka flashes or monoblocks) 400-800 J each - $1200-1300. Falcon Eyes, Profoto, Bowens, Godox;
  3. 4 flash stands. Of these, three are standard (2-4 meters), one is a crane stand. Total cost: $150. Manfrotto, Falcon, Godox;
  4. Three softboxes different sizes – $130. Bowens, Green Bean, Lumifor, Dedolight;
  5. 2 photo umbrellas– 80-90 $. Lastolite, Elinchrom;
  6. Two stripboxes– 150 $. Falcon Eyes, Godox, Hensel;
  7. Two reflectors(1 with curtains) – $200-230. Profoto, Elinchrom, Bowens;
  8. Octobox– 130-150 $. Hensel, Fujimi, Godox;
  9. beauty plate– 120-130 $. Lumifor, Falcon Eyes, Godox;
  10. Two reflectors– 25 $. Lastolite, Westcott;
  11. Jelly color filters for flashes (6 pcs.) – $90-100. Maxilite, Falcon Eyes, Bowens;
  12. Radio synchronizers for flashes (2 pcs.) – $80-100. Youngnuo, Aputure, Godox;
  13. Set of paper backgrounds different colors – $150-200. Polaroid, Savage, Colorama;
  14. Backdrop holder automatic – $150-170. Manfrotto, Phottix;
  15. Accessories(memory cards, batteries, cables, fasteners) – $100. DigiCare, Fujimi, Nikon, Prolike, Transcend;
  16. Photo printer– 70-100 $. Zebra, Conica, Canon;
  17. Computer or laptop– 450 $. Asus, HP, Lenovo.

Furniture and software

To open a small photo studio, you will need to purchase furniture and display cases for the reception area. It will cost approximately $700 to purchase display cases, a cabinet, a table, a chair, a sofa for visitors, an air conditioner, a telephone and a cooler.

To process photos, retouch, create collages, you will need to buy licensed versions of programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Studio Pro. IN software you will have to invest about $600.

You should budget approximately $170-200 for furnishing a bathroom.

How to open your own interior photography studio from scratch

In a small room it is possible to design five interior zones. The most popular options: an area with a fireplace for family photo sessions, a boudoir option with a mirror and a bed, a cozy area with a wide window and blankets/pillows, a brick wall and a leather sofa, a bar counter, etc. Themed corners are created for the holidays: New Year's, Christmas, etc. Valentine's Day, Halloween, etc. It is convenient to style an area with a fireplace.

Don't forget about the children. Opening a photo studio for children means dooming yourself to too narrow a focus, but it’s worth setting up a children’s corner. There is always a stable demand for family and children's photo sessions.


For a standard photo zone with removable paper backdrops, 2-3 square meters is enough; for interiors, a space of 4-5 square meters is required. m.

To open your own photo studio with decorations, you should carefully consider not only the interior of the area, but also accessories and decorative details. For example, candles, LED garlands, gift boxes, retro records, decorative pillows, etc.

The cost of equipping one site with decorations ranges from $200-300. In total you will need from $1500.

Pay special attention designing a corner with a dressing room mirror and special lighting. This is a good place for a makeup artist to work and an additional photo zone. Such a mirror with a dressing table costs $160-200.

Pricing

How can a beginner open a photo salon and navigate the prices correctly? Analyze the average prices of similar establishments in the city and form your own price list based on them. To get started, put the following price tags:

  • Shooting, including interior photography, with a studio photographer – $60. The premium service includes the work of a makeup artist, printing of several photos and costs from $70-80;
  • Studio rental – $13/hour;
  • Retouching – $5/photo;
  • Creation of photo books and albums – from $23.

Staff

The studio staff consists of three people. Photographer, sales administrator and technical assistant, exhibiting light and advising clients.

Almost every photographer dreams of becoming a professional photographer and opening a photo studio, so there are many who want to work with you on a permanent basis. The photographer receives 50% of the cost of shooting, the salary of the administrator and assistant costs $700 per month.

Marketing plan (advertising)

Step-by-step instructions on how to open an interior photography studio and promote your business include the following activities:

  1. An external sign for a company will require an investment of $300-400;
  2. Logo creation and corporate identity – 100 $;
  3. Printed promotional materials (business cards, flyers) – $100;
  4. Website development, detailed description services, studio portfolio – from $100.

Sales promotion methods and promotion channels

Good advertising move - distribution gift certificates with discount. Promotions for regular customers, discounts on the second and third hour of studio rental, etc. work great. You should look for your first clients among members of photo clubs and in advertising agencies. Most on the Internet: website promotion, .

Costs and profits

To properly open a photo salon, calculate your business investment in detail:

  • Documents – 60 $;
  • Rent of premises for six months in advance, repairs, decoration, necessary communications – about $7,000;
  • Purchase of equipment, furniture, design of photo zones – $10 thousand;
  • Promotional events – $700.

Capital costs are approximately $18,000. Monthly costs (salary, utilities, rent) – $1600. We add here the purchase of goods for sale - $1,500. Total $3100.

The studio will receive a minimum profit if the salon is rented daily for at least 2-3 hours, 10-12 orders for shooting by a full-time photographer, and the production of several albums. Together with sales of related products, the monthly net profit will be about $600-800. This figure is increasing every month.

A detailed plan on how to open a small photo salon will allow you to foresee all costs and plan the work of the company. Such a business will only expand and prosper over time, gaining popularity and fame among clients.

Good afternoon, colleagues. My name is Alexander Egorov, I live in the Moscow region. Six years ago I wondered how to make a photo studio. For several months I studied photography and delved into the essence of the business. After some time, I managed to open my own studio, which has been successfully operating for more than four years.


The characteristics of my business are as follows:
  • initial costs – from 500 thousand rubles;
  • a large room with an area of ​​275 square meters. Rental cost – 125 thousand rubles per month;
  • monthly income at this stage is 400 thousand rubles per month;
  • payback – 6-8 months.

How to open a photo studio from scratch?

Please note that in such a business you will be in very high demand. If you work yourself, you must have a high level of skill. If you lack the appropriate skills, it is better to hire a professional photographer.

The peculiarity of the photo studio is the provision of a wide range of services, that is, not only photographing and transferring images, but also processing the latter in special editors, creating a portfolio and further processing, designing photo books, and so on.

But here, of course, a lot depends on the experience of the specialist.

Below I will give a small step-by-step instructions on how to open a photo studio. It should help you build an algorithm further actions and future promotion:

1. Before opening a photo salon, decide on the range of services provided (the wider it is, the better).

You can take photographs for documents, model (portrait) photography, take photographs at events and holidays, do advertising and product photography, do photomontage, make souvenirs based on the photographs taken, and so on.

2. Find a suitable room. The ideal place for an office is the central part of the city, where large flows of people move.

Of course, rental costs will increase in this case, but it will also be easier for clients to find a photo studio.

The optimal room area for the first time is from 60-70 square meters.

Please note that for the convenience of visitors it would not be superfluous to organize a small reception and dressing room. Pay attention to the height of the ceilings. It is very important for the photographer that it is at least 3-3.5 meters.

If you take a standard apartment with ceilings of 2.4-2.5 meters, then problems may arise with the placement of equipment. Pay attention to the windows - they should be large.

In this case, it is desirable that there are several of them per room. Natural lighting is a must high-quality photo. A similar requirement applies to the dressing room. Except artificial lighting it should also have natural light.

It is not necessary to buy a room for the first time - it is enough to rent it and make high-quality designer renovations. Please note that everything in a photo studio should “breathe” with creativity, so it is better not to skimp on finding and paying for the labor of a quality designer.

The average cost of renting a premises is from 50 thousand rubles (but it all depends on the city, proximity to the center, arrangement of the premises, and so on). Additional costs for finishing and purchasing basic furniture - from 150 thousand rubles.

Again, you can save money or furnish the room to the highest class.

3. Be sure to register officially. Otherwise check with tax office will come very quickly. There are two options for a photo studio: LLC or individual entrepreneur.

As a rule, entrepreneurs choose the first option. If the work will be carried out only with private individuals, then an individual entrepreneur will be sufficient.

Opening and promotion of a photo studio


As for taxation, here is one of best options– UTII or patent form. The OKVED code for this activity is 74.8 (this includes the provision of various services) and 74.81 is a specialized code that relates only to photography.

If sales and copying services will be provided, then two more codes must be indicated - 52.4 ( retail) and 22.22 (printing work).

Registration with the Pension Fund and a number of other organizations will be required. After arrangement of the premises and repairs, there must be a conclusion from the SES and fire inspection. Be sure to buy a cash register and strict reporting forms.

Consumables for the entire registration stage (along with the purchase cash register and other devices) - from 30,000 rubles.

4. Once the documents are completed and the premises are ready, start purchasing equipment. At the initial stage, you can not spend much and buy only the essentials.

Please note that you will definitely need a high-quality camera (it will cost from 30,000 rubles).

In addition, you will need a computer with software, which should be very powerful to work in various video and photo processing programs (from 35,000 rubles).

Russia and Ukraine - this is the first step towards the beginning successful business with an easy and simple start.

When making a decision to purchase a franchise, you need to consult the professional recommendations in this section:

About the most latest news and trends in business with a franchise can be read

To print a photo, you will need a good photo printer (its price is about 10-15 thousand rubles), a tripod for mounting the camera (about 2,000 rubles), a photocopier (about 10,000 rubles), lighting devices (about 10,000 rubles).

Be sure to buy a laminator - about 8,000 rubles. The total cost of purchasing equipment is about 110,000 rubles.

5. Personnel may be needed if the photo studio will offer Additional services for scanning, photocopying, recording information on external sources, printing photographs, printing other information, and so on.

You can take an experienced person in working with Photoshop and put him in charge of processing photographs, restoring old photographs, creating collages, making retro photos, and so on.

As a rule, it is enough to take 1-2 assistants who, if anything happens, can replace you and take simple photographs for documents. At the same time, the costs for wages will be insignificant. As a rule, you can meet the amount of about 30-40 thousand rubles.

Table No. 1. Potential of photo studio product services in Russia

6. If you want to quickly recoup your costs, then advertising is required. Ideally, it is advisable to make your own website on the Internet with examples best photos, organize outdoor advertising, do beautiful advertisements and hang them around the city.

Thus, total costs to open a business, taking into account the investments mentioned above, will amount to about 400 thousand rubles. Plus monthly costs for renting premises, advertising, paying people, and so on - about 100 thousand rubles.

What does it take to open a photography studio?

The business of opening a photo studio is one of the most accessible in terms of organization, design and competition. But here it is important to remember that not everyone succeeds.

You must be a professional in your field and approach each client individually. Opening a photo studio should be a special event in the life of your city, so advertise before work begins.

In the future, the reputation will be formed solely on the basis of customer reviews. So be courteous, always meet halfway, listen carefully to wishes and carefully introduce your professional vision. If the client sees you as a professional, he will trust you completely.

You don't need much to start your own business. Firstly, you must absolutely love what you do (even if another person works as a photographer). Secondly, there must be a desire and readiness to organize a business.

Thirdly, you need to have about 500 thousand rubles (at least) on hand. This is the answer for people who are wondering how much it costs to open a photography studio. As a rule, at the initial stage the above amount is sufficient.

Then you can continue development - buy (rent) a larger premises, expand the range of services (for example, you can open a store selling photo or video products), hire people, and so on. Here a lot depends on success and profit.

Do you need a business plan for a photography studio?

Before opening an interior photography studio, creating a business plan is mandatory. This document becomes a reliable assistant in the harsh world of business.

If you have certain knowledge and experience, you can write the document yourself or entrust the work to professionals.
Please note that the business plan must reflect the following aspects - the goals of the future enterprise, types of services provided, development prospects, risk factors, ways to overcome competition, all types of costs, start-up capital to start a business, initial and monthly expenses, features of personnel selection and so on.

The more accurately the document is written and the more details are taken into account, the less likely it is to fail. Of course, there is always a risk, but it can be minimized.

Opening a photo studio: total costs

Let's summarize the total costs of opening a photo studio:

  • renting the premises will cost from 30-50 thousand rubles (monthly);
  • repair and arrangement of the selected office - from 150 thousand rubles;
  • registration of all papers, purchase of a cash register, registration - from 30 thousand rubles;
  • remuneration of personnel, provided that you hire 1-2 employees - from 30-35 thousand rubles (monthly);
  • expenses for conducting a full advertising campaign– from 30 thousand rubles;
  • other expenses (taxes, purchase of accessories, components, etc.) – from 20 thousand rubles per month.

At the same time, the potential income of your business in the first month can be from 200 thousand rubles. As popularity grows, profits are sure to increase.

It may seem that a photo studio or photo salon is a business idea only for professional photographers. In fact, any enterprising person can open it. Renting out a room ready for photography is very profitable. This business is characterized by quick payback and relatively small investments. We’ll talk in detail about how to open a photo studio in this article.

  • Opening a photo studio from scratch
  • Deciding on the format of the photo studio
  • Choosing a room for a photo studio
  • What equipment do you need to open a photography studio?
  • How much money do you need to open your own photography studio?
  • Step-by-step plan for opening a photo studio
  • How much money do you need to open a photo studio?
  • How to choose equipment for a photo studio

Opening a photo studio from scratch

First of all, you need to figure out how such an establishment differs from a photo salon. There really is a difference. In the photo studio you can take creative, artistic photographs, change images and scenery. Ideas here are born in a creative stop. In addition, the photographer not only takes pictures of people and objects, he can also do computer processing of them. In a photo salon, the choice of services is much more limited. There, clients are rarely offered on-site photo shoots, album or book design, although any creative person can do this with their own hands. The photo studio offers clients a full range of services, a creative approach and always high quality.

The art of photography is developing at a rapid pace today. First of all, this is due to the emergence new technology, and, therefore, new opportunities. The equipment is always selected only professional. In addition to equipment, the studio should have several interior options. Ideas for its arrangement should be fresh and exclusive. Creative people can make it with their own hands. There may be several decoration options. Usually they are made for generally accepted holidays. Often people cannot pay for full rent of a premises. In order to attract customers, promotions and mass thematic photo sessions are held. For example, you can invite several couples for photos on Valentine’s Day, arrange a costume shoot for Ivan Kupala, and so on.

Here are some types of services that should be offered to clients:

In addition, you can organize master classes to teach photography to beginners. Typically, any photographer can rent a professional studio. If the equipment in it is at the proper level, then there will always be people interested. For document photographs, a small room is usually allocated indoors.

Deciding on the format of the photo studio

Now a little about what ideas there might be for a photo studio. One of the most common themes is love. The scenery for wedding photo sessions or love stories can be very different: from Chicago of the 30s of the last century, to cute angels and clouds. Most accessories can be made by hand. If you don’t have the time or ability for this, then handmade masters will always offer not only original things to decorate the room, but also accessories for the shooting itself: three-dimensional letters, pictures, etc.

Another business format is a children's photo studio. You need to create the appropriate environment. For example, you can build equipment for a children's photo studio with your own hands. These are various swings, slides, decorations with “cartoon characters”. Here you can also offer parents several costumes to rent.

Some photographers, to reduce costs, equip their own work space right in their home. If the area is limited, then the maximum that can be done is portrait photographs and photographs for documents. Another option on how to set up a photo studio at home is to always work on the road, and at home in your office just finalize your masterpieces.

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