Business

A Guide to Starting a Photo Booth Business

posted by Chris Valentine

The photo booth is at once classic and contemporary. It is an object that most people recognise from films and TV, but it doesn’t feel dated, even in spite of its long relationship with the cool cats in our favourite movies. Over the years, photo booths have become a popular way to create timeless keepsakes. Whether shared with a lover or a close friend, that strip of Polaroid shots can have a lot of personal value.

It certainly helps that photo booths are so much fun to play with. They’re an ideal choice for parties, because guests can pile inside and act as silly as they dare. Plus, they are relatively easy to transport and set up, which means that they can be used as entertainment at a wide variety of events. If you want to establish your own photo booth business, you’ll need to remember these things, because it’ll be your job to open eyes to their endless appeal.

These handy hints and tips for setting up a photo booth business will help you get started.

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Buy a High Quality Photo Booth

Obviously, the first thing that you need to do is buy a photo booth. This can be tricky if you don’t have any prior experience with this kind of product. However, if you actually visit the warehouse vendor or production company – and you inspect the booth yourself – it should be relatively easy to spot quality choices. The key here is longevity. Yes, aesthetic is important, but it should be prioritised below a sturdy frame and a robust, long lasting internal system.

Look for Flat Pack Products

If possible, purchase a flat pack photo booth. These are the ones that are the simplest to transport and set up. You don’t even need a big van to move a flat pack booth around; most will fit in a regular car. It is imperative that you get familiar with the way in which the product is constructed. The last thing that you want is to take your first booking and spend two hours struggling to get the pieces together.

Build Up a Loyal Following

This is the most difficult part of how to start a business. Fortunately, there are a huge amount of opportunities for photo booth vendors to grab new clients. Essentially, every party or celebration is a suitable time for this kind of entertainment. So, start small, with the people that you know; pass word on to friends and family members who are tying the knot, celebrating birthdays, or throwing seasonal parties. Use Facebook to connect with event themed groups and communities. That way, you can make sure that they know about your services.

Establish Reasonable Rates

It can be tempting to sell yourself a little short, at least at first, just to get those initial customers rolling in. However, all that this achieves is a struggle, now or later. You’ll either not make enough cash, then have to raise your prices anyway or you’ll feel unable to raise them, because your customers are already too acquainted with the knockdown fees. It is always best to charge a fair and functional fee, from the very start. It should include cover for essential expenses like travel and transportation.

Always Provide a Great Service

Finally, always provide a superb service. This means being on time, every time, setting up quickly and producing high quality images. You should be on site, at all times, to answer queries and help guests operate the photo booth machine. It is really important that you don’t stand in the corner, playing with your phone, because it will look like you don’t care. A good photo booth vendor is engaged, enthusiastic, and passionate about the product.

 

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