As a headshot photographer I’m used to ebbs and flows in my business. But much of my work centers around photographing corporations, events and providing headshots to large groups of people. As you can imagine the last week has been a crazy one. I’ve already had 2 events ‘postponed’ and I’m sure that many more reschedules and cancellations will be coming in this week as well.
With all of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 coronavirus, this is sure to have a prolonged effect on my business as well as that of many others such as makeup artist, videographers, event planners as well as many other small businesses in the creative fields.
With this pandemic not having a close end in sight, I had to ask myself what can I do to ensure the stability of my business while still being able to provide for my family.
- First, I need to look at the business expenses I have and see where I can cut and reduce my spending. I made the decision back in February to move out of my studio in the hopes of finding something that, not only was more public but also larger. If I need a place to shoot there are shared spaces that I can rent out by the day or hour.
- Sell off unused equipment– I have a few things that I can sell off as a way to create some immediate cash flow. Between cameras, lenses and studio props I can have a de-stash sale and make some quick cash if it came to that.
- Broaden my scope of work– I’ve been primarily a headshot and corporate event photographer for the bulk of my professional career. I’ve rarely shot anything outside of these 2 niches but I can begin offering other types of sessions like family portraits, product photography and maybe even boudoir.
Overall, this pandemic has caused me to look and think outside of the box and consider other ways to sustain my small business.
I’d like to ask you to share what creative ideas you have to sustain your business.
Wishing you good mental health and the best of luck through this process,
Wanda
