Taking Ownership of The Numbers
Most photographers struggle with crunching their numbers, knowing their overhead, and setting their prices for long-term sustainability. As creatives, photographer’s faces tend to glaze over when it comes to the numbers, especially those newer to the industry.
I have created a way to dumb this process down to a simple “fill-in-the-blank” worksheet that has helped numerous photographers understand their time, their overhead, and what their average orders need to be to see profitability. Many don’t think about their own time as a cost, or their equipment as an ongoing expense. These two factors alone can make a MAJOR difference in one’s final numbers.
After our discussion about "The Numbers" I hope you understand why there is a different equation for every person. My goal is you walk away with more insight and confidence in pricing your work for long-term success and sustainability.
Best of luck! -Lisa Asp, M.Photog., M.Artist, Cr, CPP, MAI
This Excel worksheet will help you figure out some realistic numbers for your portrait business, and guide you to understanding what your sales goals will be per portrait session. If you are not a portrait photographer, you may need to change some of the content/cells to fit your business.
I recommend working with an accountant or tax professional. This chart does not take into consideration things like depreciation.