If you’re considering starting a photography business and you’re fearful about doing it, this’s the article for you. We’re going to help you in overcoming fear in starting a photography business. It takes a leap of faith, belief in yourself, and a desire to learn.
You don’t have to be a business professional to start a business! This photo of Anna above is 1.5 years deep into her photography business and she says,
“Here I am well over the fact that I couldn’t run a small business. It was daunting to start at first, but this photo reminds me of how far I’ve come since my first experiences as a business owner in 2018.”
People start businesses every day without any knowledge of the business world! In fact, some of the most successful businesses are started by everyday people that have a passion for something.
Let’s share a story about someone amazing who started her own business.
Sara Blakely
One of my favorite success stories is the story of Sara Blakely, the creator of SPANX. I listened to a podcast that helped me know her backstory and it made me fall in love with her company.
For those of you who don’t know the story, here is a brief summary of what happened!
Sara was a normal woman who lived an everyday life. She recognized that she needed an undergarment that would keep her pants looking smooth and put together. In order to fix her problem, she turned her pantyhose into the solution. Sara realized that there was a need among women for the SPANX she had just created. She believed in herself and the product.
Sara was rejected a lot, but had the ambition to keep trying. The podcast says that it was “confidence and enthusiasm” that helped set her apart. Sara knew that her product was good and was something people wanted. Even though she wasn’t fluent in the business and fashion world, She taught herself those things and pushed forward!
Eventually, because of her personality and persistence, she was able to turn her dream into a million-dollar company.
So, why’d I tell you this story? It’s because it really shows that you don’t have to have experience to be successful, you just have to put yourself out there, regardless if you get rejected.
The What Ifs..
Most of the fears we have are typically “What-If” fears. They are hypothetical. For example, what if:
I’m not good enough?
My business fails?
I don’t have anything to contribute?
I don’t know enough?
I’m not as talented as others?
There’s an important pattern to recognize about these fears: fear happens when we’re about to do something good in our lives! They’re discouraging fears that are meant to keep us from doing amazing things that would make us and others happy. When we are able to recognize this pattern in ourselves, we are able to turn off those feelings quicker and push forward with the awesome things!
Let me tell you something – You’re AMAZING and you have more to contribute to the world than you realize. Don’t stress about that because you truly do have a whole lot to offer the world.
In fact, we believe in you so much that we created a video for you.
Anna shares her photography business story along with tips and tricks to help you with overcoming fear in starting a photography business!
Fear of Failure
Let’s be real. This fear is irrational because we’re all going to fail at some point in life. It’s because we can’t be perfect at everything. (The perfectionist in me is screaming, “Yes, I can! I want to!”)
But the truth is, we can’t. And that is not a bad thing! The bad thing would be if we gave up after we failed. We learn from our mistakes and are able to take those bits of knowledge and apply them to our new adventures.
One of my favorite examples of not giving up is Thomas Edison, the creator of the light bulb. Did you know it actually took him many tries for the light bulb to work?
His perspective on failure is amazing. He said, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.” Imagine if he would have given up after the first failure! We would not be where we are today with lighting.
Now imagine your own photography business. Think of the people that you would have an impact on and how happy they would be that you started your business!
People need YOUR perspective, YOUR personality, and YOUR talents. There are people out there that only you can have an impact on. YOU make the difference.
My biggest tip is to just be yourself and you will succeed.
Teach Yourself
Don’t be afraid if there are missing pieces in your photography or business knowledge. If one of your fears is lacking the knowledge to photograph, edit, build your clientele: teach yourself! YouTube and the Internet have everything these days. I bet your favorite photographers have tips and tricks they have shared on their platforms. Fun fact: you learn better when you’re truly invested in the material.
The same goes for business skills! So, if you want to know how to run your business, market your business, or things of this nature, Google it!
We also have these resources here to help:
10 Best Couple Poses for Any Photoshoot
Marketing Your Photography Business
How to Brand Your Photography Business
SEO Basics for Your Photography Business
Take time to practice often to build your skills. This will help you in the long run!
Believe in Yourself
The number one person who you need to believe in when starting a business is YOU.
Don’t doubt yourself.
Have confidence.
Don’t fear if you feel the market is oversaturated with photographers.
None of them are you.
These are typical doubts that we all tell ourselves and it prevents us from doing what we were meant to do.
We believe in YOU!
Written by Elizabeth de la Cruz and Anna Loader
