Christina Bockisch Photography
www.christinabockisch.com
Christina Bockisch, Owner
cbockischphoto@gmail.com
(239)-823-2455
April 2013
Table of Contents
I.
Executive Summary
II.
Organizational Plan
III.
IV.
3-5
6-11
a. Business Summary
i. Business Overview
ii. Mission
iii. Business Model
iv. Strategy
v. SWOT Analysis
b. Products and Services
i. Selling and Pricing
ii. Materials or Products Purchased
iii. Distribution
c. Administrative Plan
i. Location
ii. Legal Structure
iii. Organizational Structure
iv. Personnel
6-8
6
6-7
7
7
8
8-10
8-9
9
10
Marketing Plan
12-18
a. Overview
b. Market Research and Analysis
i. Target Market
ii. Determining Costs of Services
iii. Reaching Customers
iv. Current Photography Trends
c. Marketing Strategy and Goals
d. Marketing Campaign Plan
i. Social Media
ii. Public Relations
iii. Advertising and Marketing
iv. Other
e. Marketing Evaluation
12
12-15
Financial Plan and Documents
19-21
a. Summary of Financial Needs
b. Pro Forma Statements
i. Cash to be Paid Out Worksheet
ii. Sources of Cash Worksheet
iii. Two-Year Income Projection
19
20-22
20
21
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10
10
10
11
14
14
15
15-17
15-16
16
16
16-17
17-18
10-11
14
14-15
22
V.
Supporting Documents
23-27
I. Executive Summary
Summary
Christina Bockisch Photography is a photography studio located in Fort Myers, Florida that
specializes in portrait photography. We will have our grand opening celebration in January
2014 when we open for business. We saw a need for affordable, high-quality portrait
photography in Southwest Florida, and we are opening this business to address that need.
We offer portrait sessions in our studio or on-location. We believe that portraits should be
a fun experience for everyone involved, and we strive to make our shoots as laid back and
fun as possible.
Market Opportunity
Southwest Florida is flooded with photographers, many of whom have very successful
businesses. After researching the market, I noticed two gaps: (1) photographers who
specialize in portraits and (2) affordable photography.
Photographers in Southwest Florida are talented and have many years of experience. They
are well-known and have great reputations. They have a loyal customer base and people
who will promote them via word of mouth. Many of these photographers specialize in
weddings and events and do portrait photography on the side. They still produce highquality portrait work, but their passion is in weddings. For this type of photographer,
weddings come first and you can only get a portrait shoot if they’re not already booked for
a wedding or event and they’re often booked up far in advance. This isn’t true for all
photographers in the area, but it seems to be a trend since Fort Myers and Naples are
popular wedding destinations. Many photographers in Southwest Florida have a passion
for weddings and have created successful wedding photography businesses. My passion,
however, lies in portraits. I saw a need for more portrait photographers in the market and
hope to fill that gap by opening Christina Bockisch Photography.
Portrait photography is expensive in Southwest Florida. To book a session ranges from
$100 – $400, with most sessions being around $200. After a session, customers can then
buy prints, photo books, picture canvases and other items with their pictures. Prints
usually start at $30 each and go upward from there, while photo books can cost $1,000 or
more. Customers can easily spend hundreds of dollars without realizing it, and the average
customer spends $600 – $1,200 on their pictures and related items. Although most studios
are marketing themselves towards a higher-end market, the median household income is
slightly less than $50,000 in Lee County. There is a need for photographers in Southwest
Florida who offer affordable portrait sessions that won’t break the bank. There is also a
need for studios that market themselves toward middle-class families. By opening
Christina Bockisch Photography, we aim to fill this gap in the market and bring affordable
portraits to Southwest Florida.
-3-
Funding Requirements
The costs of starting a photography studio add up quickly, and in order to fund our start-up
costs, we plan on taking out a loan for $15,000. The loan will help cover the costs of new
high-end photography equipment as well as office costs. We expect to have the loan paid
off in five years or less. Each month, we will set aside money from our profits in order to
pay back the loan. The amount will vary month-to-month depending on how much money
the business brings in. I (the owner) will fund the remaining start-up costs with my
personal investment money.
Mission
Life is an adventure that should be captured by the lens of a camera. My photographs are
not perfect, and I don’t intend for them to be. They are captured in moments of pure love,
happiness, or passion to remind you of the best moments of your life.
We believe in doing what you love, which is why we specialize in portrait shoots. We offer
high-quality photography services at an affordable price because we believe that everyone
should be able to create lasting memories without breaking the bank. We shoot where it’s
convenient for you – whether it’s at our studio or at a location of your choosing.
At Christina Bockisch Photography, we live and breathe photography. Our cameras are our
babies. We put the customer first and believe in creating meaningful relationships with the
people we photograph. You’re more than a customer; by the end of the shoot, you’re our
friend too. If you’re not happy with the pictures, we’ll redo the shoot or refund your
money. It’s that simple.
Management or Personnel
Head Photographer: As the head photographer, it’s my job to take pictures in our studio
and on-location. I’m also responsible for letting the client know what to expect after the
conclusion of their shoot in regards to proofing and getting the final pictures. It’s my job to
upload pictures to the online gallery, make preliminary and final edits and prepare images
to be emailed or shipped to the client. I’m in charge of all clerical duties such as answering
phone calls, scheduling and confirming appointments, filling out paperwork and making
copies. In addition, I’m responsible for collecting payments from clients. It’s also my job to
update and monitor the social media sites.
Bookkeeper/Accountant: The bookkeeper is responsible for processing paperwork for
the business’ transactions. They are responsible for keeping track of the company’s
finances, maintaining a complete set of financial records, making sure bills and salaries are
being paid on time and keeping track of inventory purchases.
Intern(s): Interns will help with miscellaneous office roles. Day-to-day tasks vary, but
interns can expect to help in all areas of the business from assisting on shoots, monitoring
and updating social media outlets, answering phone calls, dropping off packages at
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UPS/FedEx, scheduling appointments and other clerical duties. Each intern gets to do at
least one shoot on their own under the direction of the head photographer. This is an
unpaid position, but we will work with schools for course credit.
Freelance make-up artist and hair stylist: If a client chooses to have their hair and/or
make-up done for a shoot, we will hair a freelance hair stylist and/or make-up artist on
their behalf. They will come to our studio and do the client’s hair or make-up for an
additional fee that will be paid directly to the stylist or artist. This option is only available
for in-studio shoots. Hiring freelance hair stylists and make-up artists gives us the ability
to offer this service without having to hire in-house employees.
Financial Projections
In the first two years, our goal is to generate a small, but comfortable profit. We know that
starting a new business in this economy is tough, which is why we don’t expect to make a
large profit within the first few years of being open.
In the first year, we expect that our sales revenue will be $50,000 and the cost to produce
these items will be $15,000, leaving us with a gross profit of $35,000. After factoring in
variable (selling) expenses of $2,950 and fixed (administrative) expenses of $16,500, our
total operating expenses for the first year is $19,450. After net income operations and
taxes, our net profit for the first year will be $11,050.
In the second year, we anticipate our sales revenue will be $55,000 and that the cost to
produce these items will be $15,000, leaving us with a gross profit of $40,000. We
anticipate variable (selling) expenses to be $4,500 and fixed (administrative) expenses to
be $18,500. Our total operating expenses for the second year is $23,000. After net income
operations and taxes, our net profit for the second year will be $13,000.
-5-
II. Organizational Plan
A. Business Summary
Business Overview
At Christina Bockisch Photography, we see a need for affordable portrait photography in
Southwest Florida, and we are opening our business to fulfill that need. We believe
everyone should have beautiful pictures capturing life’s most precious moments. We know
that the photography market is changing, and our business will respond to the changing
market by providing digital services, convenience and affordability.
Our products and services include portrait photography, retouching and creative preplanning. We will achieve a competitive advantage by responding to changing market
trends. We send our customers high-resolution images via a download link to their email.
By sending the images via email instead of offering traditional photo packages, clients are
able to use their images online, share images with family, use in photo books and print the
pictures that they want on their own time. It also makes our services more affordable and
more convenient for the customer. We will also offer photo packages for clients who wish
for us to print their pictures for them, and we offer CDs with images from the shoot.
We believe in developing meaningful relationships with our clients. Clients are more than
just customers; by the end of the shoot, they’re our friends too. We also believe in being
involved in the community through philanthropy efforts, attending events in Southwest
Florida and supporting local businesses.
Our goals include: (1) developing a strong client base and meaningful relationships, (2)
generating a comfortable profit by the end of the first year and (3) developing a system for
a quick turnover of images while maintaining high-quality services.
Our strategies and tactics include: (1) using social media to help connect with previous,
current and future clients, (2) launching a website that lists services and prices, (3)
reaching out to previous clients to gather contact information and (4) sending out thank
you notes after a shoot.
Mission
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Life is an adventure that should be captured by the lens of a camera. My photographs are
not perfect, and I don’t intend for them to be. They are captured in moments of pure love,
happiness, or passion to remind you of the best moments of your life.
We believe in doing what you love, which is why we specialize in portrait shoots. We offer
high-quality photography services at an affordable price because we believe that everyone
should be able to create lasting memories without breaking the bank. We shoot where it’s
convenient for you – whether it’s at our studio or at a location of your choosing.
At Christina Bockisch Photography, we live and breathe photography. Our cameras are our
babies. We put the customer first and believe in creating meaningful relationships with the
people we photograph. You’re more than a customer; by the end of the shoot, you’re our
friend too. If you’re not happy with the pictures, we’ll redo the shoot or refund your
money. It’s that simple.
Business Model
Life is an adventure that should be captured by the lens of a camera. Christina Bockisch
Photography specializes in portrait shoots, such as couples, engagements, families,
newborns, sororities and seniors. We believe everyone should be able to get portraits done
without breaking the bank, which is why we offer a variety of different packages, and shoot
options. Packages start as low as $75 for an in-studio photo shoot. We offer retouching
services on all of our photos as well as creative pre-planning to ensure the customer has
the best experience possible. Customers are able to view their pictures in a private online
gallery and choose their photos for full retouching. To lower costs, customers will receive
their photos via a download link sent to their email, but we also offer CDs and prints at an
additional cost. At Christina Bockisch Photography, we firmly believe that the customer is
our number one priority and believe in creating friendships with the people we
photograph. While we strive for perfection, we know at times things happen that are
beyond our control, which is why we offer “round two shoots” if the customer isn’t 110%
satisfied. We strive to capture moments of pure happiness, love and passion while giving
our customers a photo shoot experience they will never forget.
Strategy
Our three major goals in opening this business are: (1) to develop a strong client base and
create meaningful relationships, (2) to generate a comfortable profit by the end of the first
year and (3) to develop a system for a quick turnover of images while keeping our services
high-quality.
To achieve our first goal, it’s important that we reach out to people who have previously
done shoots with Christina Bockisch prior to the opening of this business. By contacting
them, we hope to add them to our client list and generate positive word-of-mouth
endorsements. Creating meaningful relationships applies to both past and future clients.
It’s important that we treat all of our clients like friends as opposed to customers. Creating
a friendly environment will keep clients happy and will make them want to come back to us
in the future.
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To achieve our second goal, it’s important to give people a reason to come in and a reason
to keep coming back. To achieve this goal, we’ll need to create and maintain a strong
presence on social media, advertise through various outlets, have a grand opening event
and create grand opening specials. The work doesn’t stop after the grand opening,
however. It’s important that we continue to do all of these tactics throughout the year to
ensure people continue to book shoots with us.
Achieving our third goal will take time, as it will require a trial and error process. Before
we open, we will do several practice shoots on family and friends to figure out the process
that works the best for getting the final product to the client. Since I’m the only full-time
employee, this is something I will do on my own. Once the business is open, having an
effective system in place will make the photo shoot process easier on both the
photographer and the client.
SWOT Analysis
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B. Products and Services
Selling and Pricing
At Christina Bockisch Photography, we offer different packages to fit the client’s needs. All
packages include creative pre-planning and retouching, and all images are sent high
resolution via a download link to the client’s email.
In-Studio Packages
 45-minute session, 6 images of your choosing………$75
 60-minute session, 12 images of your choosing……….$125
 90-minute session, 24 images of your choosing………$150
 120-minute session, 36 images of your choosing………$200
On-Location Packages
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



45-minute session, 6 images of your choosing………$100
60-minute session, 12 images of your choosing……….$150
90-minute session, 24 images of your choosing………$175
120-minute session, 36 images of your choosing………$250
Add ons to any package:
 10 extra images of your choosing: $50
 20 extra images of your choosing: $90
 Wallets (set of 4): $5
 4x6 print: $5
 5x7 print: $8
 8x10 print: $15
 11x14 print: $32
 16x20 print: $45
 Photo book: $75 and up
 CD of all images from shoot with full usage rights: $250
Groups of six or more are required to purchase at least a 60-minute session. This helps
ensure we have enough time to pose and shoot everyone and get individual and small
group shots. There is also a charge of $10 per person extra after six people. If a client is
interested in weddings, events or corporate photography, we can discuss a rate.
Materials or Purchased Products
Office Supplies and Equipment
 Office rental: $850/month
 Furniture
o Couch & chair: $600
o Desks: $400
o Coffee table: $50
 Phone: $80 + $40/month
 iMac computer: $1,500
 Adobe Photoshop: $600
 Scanner/copier/printer: $300
 Storage cabinet: $300
 Miscellaneous office supplies: $150
Photography Equipment
 Camera: $2,000
 Lenses: $1,000
 Flashes: $500
 Backdrops: $200
 Studio flash kit: $400
 Memory cards (3 64GB cards): $200
 Tripod: $50
 Posing stool: $50
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
Props: $500
Distribution
Most of the distribution of our products and services will take place via email. All highresolution images are sent to our clients via email. Upon request, we can put these images
on a CD. The client has the option of picking up their CD at the studio or we can send it via
the United States Postal Service (USPS) for an additional $7.
C. Administrative Plan
Location
Christina Bockisch Photography will be located in Fort Myers, Florida. We will open a
studio in south Fort Myers off of Daniels Parkway. This is a great location because it is a
centrally located area and it’s close to the major interstate, I-75. This will make it
convenient for clients who choose to do in-studio shoots. The office will have a parking lot
so clients can park for free and close to the studio. The office space will cost approximately
$900 a month.
Legal Structure
Christina Bockisch Photography will be a sole proprietorship because the business is
owned and operated by the owner, Christina Bockisch (me). This business structure has
been chosen because a sole proprietorship is easy and inexpensive to form and makes for
easy tax preparation. I am qualified to be a sole proprietor of a company because I have
been doing photography on the side for several years and have been successful in my
ventures. In addition, I have the skills necessary to own and operate a business.
Organizational Structure
At the top of the organizational structure is the head photographer (me) and below are the
bookkeeper and intern(s). The head photographer is the only full-time position, and the
intern(s) work around 10-15 hours per week while the bookkeeper works around 10 hours
per month. The bookkeeper works with me to handle the financial side of the business
while I work to handle the operational and clerical sides. Intern(s) report directly to me
and are assigned tasks from me. They will never be responsible for handling any
accounting work from the bookkeeper.
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Personnel
Head Photographer: As the head photographer, it’s my job to take pictures in our studio
and on-location. I’m also responsible for letting the client know what to expect after the
conclusion of the shoot in regards to proofing and getting the final pictures. It’s my job to
upload pictures to the online gallery, make preliminary and final edits and prepare images
to be emailed or shipped to the client. I’m in charge of all clerical duties such as answering
phone calls, scheduling and confirming appointments, filling out paperwork and making
copies. In addition, I’m responsible for collecting payments from clients. It’s also my job to
update and monitor the social media sites.
Bookkeeper/Accountant: The bookkeeper is responsible for processing paperwork for
the business’ transactions. They are responsible for keeping track of the company’s
finances, maintaining a complete set of financial records, making sure bills and salaries are
being paid on time and keeping track of inventory purchases. The bookkeeper will work
around 10 hours per month.
Required skills: Excellent organization skills, excellent accounting and mathematical skills,
ability to complete tasks on time, reliable and flexible, knowledge of basic software such as
Microsoft Office, previous bookkeeping experience preferred
Intern(s): Interns will help with miscellaneous office roles. Day-to-day tasks vary, but
interns can expect to help in all areas of the business from assisting on shoots, monitoring
and updating social media outlets, answering phone calls, dropping off packages at
UPS/FedEx, scheduling appointments and other clerical duties. Each intern gets to do at
least one shoot on their own under the direction of the head photographer. This is an
unpaid position, but we will work with schools for course credit. Interns will work around
10-15 hours per week.
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Required Skills: Previous photography experience preferred, excellent organization skills,
ability to multi-task, self-motivated, comfortable working with people, energetic, hard
working, willingness to learn, knowledge of basic software programs such as Microsoft
office, knowledge of Adobe Photoshop preferred
Freelance make-up artist and hair stylist: If a client chooses to have their hair and/or
make-up done for a shoot, we will hire a freelance hair stylist and/or make-up artist on
their behalf. They will come to our studio and do a client’s hair or make-up for an
additional fee that will be paid directly to the stylist or artist. This option is only available
for in-studio shoots. Hiring freelance hair stylists and make-up artists gives us the ability
to offer this service without having to hire in-house staff members. When we open our
business, we will contact local hair stylists and make-up artists to find people interested in
working with us.
III. Marketing Plan
A. Overview
At Christina Bockisch Photography, our focus is portrait photography. We offer a variety of
different shoots, both in-studio and on-location, to fit every need. Our target market is
females aged 20 or older who are interested in portrait photography in Southwest Florida.
We plan on reaching our target audience through a variety of outlets including social media
and advertisements. We also plan on sending out news releases to the two major
newspapers in Southwest Florida, The News Press and Naples Daily News, as well as the
student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University, Eagle News. We also hope to form
relationships with other colleges and universities in the area.
Since our target market spans through a variety of ages, it’s important to use a variety of
marketing strategies. We plan on using both traditional and non-traditional marketing
strategies, including press releases, advertisements, social media and coupon sites such as
Groupon. We will also have marketing materials such as business cards, post cards, price
lists and fliers.
In order to stay competitive in the market and to understand the needs of our customers,
it’s important that we keep up with growing photography trends. Currently, the three
biggest photography trends are the digitization of the industry, do it yourself photography
and the client’s budget.
B. Market Research and Analysis
To learn about the photography market, I looked at an IBISWorld report about
photography in the United States from September 2012. The report helped me to identify
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my target market, growing trends and the level of competition when it comes to
photography businesses. Competition in the photography industry is high and increasing,
so it’s important to understand your target market and to provide services that they are
looking for.
Products & Services Segmentation (2012)
10%
-1%
11%
Wedding photography
Commercial photography
53%
School portrait photography
Passport photography
Other
26%
Source: IBISWorld – Photography in the United States, September 2012
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Major Market Segmentation (2012)
20%
41%
2%
Consumers aged 36+
Consumers aged 20-35
Consumers under 20
Corporate clients
37%
Source: IBISWorld – Photography in the United States, September 2012
Target Market
From the information I gathered from the IBISWorld report as well as census information
about Fort Myers, Florida, I was able to determine a target market for my services. My
target market is females aged 20 years or older who are interested in portrait photography
that live in Southwest Florida.
From my research, I learned that females make most of the household purchase decisions,
especially when it comes to portrait photography. Consumers 20-35 tend to lean toward
wedding and portrait photography, while consumers under 20 are rare since few are
married, have children or have the money to invest in portraits. Consumers aged 36+ place
greater emphasis on family portraits and are likely to get portraits done at least once a
year. Consumers 36+ also have a higher level of income and will spend more on these
services.
Determining Cost of Services
To determine the cost of services and which services to offer, I looked through competitors’
websites to determine which services were already being offered and at what cost. I saw a
need for affordable portrait photography and a business that offered both in-studio and onlocation options. Many competitors mainly do wedding photography and do portraits on
the side. For this reason, I chose to make my main focus portrait photography.
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Reaching Customers
In an increasingly competitive market, especially in Southwest Florida, it’s important to
build a strong client base. I plan to launch a website that showcases my online portfolio,
and I will launch social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
These social media sites are sites that my target market uses often so I will have a better
chance of reaching them as well as connecting with them and developing relationships. I
also plan on creating web advertisements, fliers, brochures and business cards. When
starting out, creating a Groupon deal would also help to bring in first-time customers.
While it’s important to use traditional advertising and marketing strategies, word of mouth
is also increasingly important because people trust other people. I plan on contacting
former clients to get testimonials for my website and social media sites.
We will also use public relations, advertising and marketing efforts to reach new
customers. We plan on sending out news releases to local newspapers and placing
advertisements in newspapers and online. We will also have marketing materials such as
business cards and postcards to distribute to clients before and after a photo shoot.
Current Photography Trends
Digitization of the photography industry has led to a decrease in physical prints and an
increase in digital formats. More photographers are putting their pictures on CDs/DVDs
for the customer and creating online galleries instead of solely offering prints of the
pictures.
Do it yourself photography is becoming a growing trend in the industry and is putting
many professional photographers out of business. With the invention of the smart phone
and iPhone, almost everyone has a camera at their disposal. In addition, more families are
investing in Digital SLR (DSLR) cameras and taking pictures themselves instead of paying
someone else to do it. Compact DSLR cameras are also available for people who aren’t
comfortable owning a full-sized camera, which makes it even easier for people to take their
own pictures at home.
A client’s budget is something that photographers have always had to take into
consideration, but it’s even more important now. Money is tight and families have less
money to spend than they used to. A trend that has spurred from this is an increase in “a la
carte” options, or ad ons. In other words, customers can customize their package to fit the
budget they have. This gives customers the freedom to choose as much or as little as they
want, while the photographer still gets the base amount.
C. Marketing Strategy and Goals
Goal #1: Generate a client list of 75 people within the first six months
business.
The first goal we have is to generate a client list of 75 people within the first six months of
being open. To do this, we will contact former clients and ask if we can add their contact
information to our client list. Also, every time a new client books a shoot with us, we will
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gather their contact information and add it to our list. We will use social media and
advertisements to get the word out about the opening of our new business and offer grand
opening specials in order to draw in customers. On our website, there will also be an
option for people to add in their contact information to subscribe to our mailing list. These
names will also be added to our client list.
Goal #2: Increase awareness of Christina Bockisch Photography.
In order to create awareness of Christina Bockisch Photography, we will launch social
media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest in order to generate
awareness about our brand and to develop relationships with current and future
customers. On these pages, we will post the grand opening date as well as grand opening
specials. Our social media links will be on our website and social media icons will be on all
appropriate print materials. When customers come in for a shoot, we will ask them how
they heard about us in order to see what outlets are most effective. In addition, we will
conduct a monthly analytics report to measure the effectiveness of our social media pages
to see how effective these pages are and where we can make improvements.
Goal #3: Book at least seven portrait sessions per week.
In order for the business to make a profit, it’s important that we book at least seven
portrait sessions per week. Over time, the amount of sessions we want to book a week will
increase, but for a new photography business in a competitive market, seven sessions per
week is reasonable. This is easily measured by looking at how many shoots we’ve
completed in a week.
D. Marketing Campaign Plan
Social Media
Christina Bockisch Photography will use social media as a channel to get the word out
about our business. In the photography business, it’s important to develop lasting
relationships with your customers, and social media is a great outlet to create and maintain
those relationships. We will share our social media links with past customers and
encourage them to like or follow our page. We will use these pages to post updates, answer
questions and show samples of our work. All of the pages will have a link to our website in
order to generate leads to our website and enhance our search engine optimization (SEO).
To start, we will use Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I already have a LinkedIn page and
will use that page for clients who want to connect via LinkedIn. In the future, we will look
to expand to Pinterest as it could be of use for clients who want to see samples of our work
and where we draw our inspiration.
As a new business, money will be tight which is why we plan on utilizing social media as
much as possible. If used correctly, it will draw in new business and create awareness
about our business.
Public Relations
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Public relations efforts are an important part of any business, especially a new and growing
one. We plan to send out news releases and backgrounders to the two major newspapers
in Southwest Florida – The News Press and Naples Daily News. We will include
information about the business, grand opening events and grand opening specials. We also
plan on reaching out to Eagle News, the student newspaper at Florida Gulf Coast University,
because they often feature articles about recent graduates and their business endeavors.
Advertising and Marketing
In addition to sending out news releases to local newspapers, we also plan on placing
advertisements in those newspapers or on the newspaper’s website. For The News Press
and Naples Daily News, advertising in the paper may not be the best route to take since
readership is decreasing, but it would be a good way to reach our customers that are over
36 years-old since they’re more likely to read the newspaper than those under 36. For
Eagle News, however, placing an ad in their paper would be logical and worth the money
since readership is fairly high and it isn’t too cluttered with ads. From past experience,
students do pay attention to the ads in Eagle News, and their prices are reasonable.
We also plan on purchasing Internet ads such as those that appear on Facebook. Even
though Facebook is cluttered in terms of advertisements, they’re still visible. People look at
them even if they don’t want to, and if it draws their attention enough, they’ll click on it.
We also plan on utilizing other websites besides Facebook. All Internet advertisements
would take them to our website.
We also plan on purchasing business cards and postcards that will have information about
our business. The business cards will have basic contact information and the postcards will
have more detailed information about our services. We will hand these out at events, after
a photo shoot and when we meet people who are interested in our services. We will use
VistaPrint for all marketing materials
Other
Joining professional organizations is an important part of any new business. Within our
first year of business, we plan on joining Florida Professional Photographers (FPP). As a
member of FPP, we are able to advertise on their page and will be listed in their directory.
As a member, we will have the opportunity to attend various photography seminars and
classes, and this will give us the opportunity to network with other photographers.
Even though these photographers are our competition, it’s important to develop
relationships with other photographers because they could potentially recommend us for a
service that they don’t offer. Also, they will be able to give us advice on how to survive in
the business as well as give us other photography tips. Networking will give us the
opportunity to keep up with growing trends and to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in
the community.
In addition to joining professional organizations, a great tool for generating awareness and
new business is Groupon. According to Groupon’s website, creating a Groupon deal for
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your business is a great way to get great customers, and 91% of daily deal customers will
return or plan to conduct business with the merchant again. This would be a great way to
increase repeat business while creating awareness about our company. Potential Groupon
deals include:
 $69 for a 1-hour in-studio boudoir session with 8 digital images of your choosing
and a glass of champagne
 $75 for a 1-hour portrait shoot (in-studio or on-location) with 10 digital images of
your choosing
 $100 for a 90-minute family portrait session (in-studio or on-location) with 15
digital images of your choosing
In addition to sending news releases to and placing advertisements in FGCU’s student
newspaper, we believe it’s also important to reach out to the university and engage with
students. We plan on reaching out to FGCU to speak in photography classes, sponsor
various campus events and engage with students as much as possible. As an alumna of
FGCU, I know how valuable relationships with students can be. When college students look
to get portraits done, they look for someone who they know and trust as well as someone
who is affordable. By developing relationships with college students, they are more likely
to choose your services when they need them. We also plan on reaching out to other local
colleges and universities such as Edison State College, Southwest Florida College and Lee
County High Tech Central.
E. Marketing Evaluation
The effectiveness of our communication efforts will be measured in a variety of ways. For
social media, we will conduct monthly analytics report to measure how effective our pages
are. For example, for Facebook we would measure new likes/fans, the number of user
likes, the number of user posts, the number of user comments, how many active users
visited the page and the number of post views. For Twitter we would measure the number
of followers, how many times we were put on a user’s list, the number of mentions, the
number of retweets and the number of conversations we engaged in throughout the month.
For Instagram, we would measure the number of likes each photo got and the number of
comments posted on pictures. For Pinterest, we would measure the number of re-pins.
Effectiveness of traditional public relations efforts, such as news releases, can be measured
by seeing how many times the news released was published online and in print. Measuring
the effectiveness of advertisements and marketing materials is more difficult. Not only
would we look at where our advertisements were published, but also we would look at
how effective they are at generating business. At the conclusion of a shoot, we plan on
asking our customers how they heard about us. If they say they heard about us through an
advertisement or postcard, then we know that they are working. On the other hand, if after
a year only a handful of people mention these outlets, it may be a good time for us to
reevaluate our marketing strategy.
Measuring the effectiveness of Groupon deals is simple. All we have to do is look at how
many Groupons were sold online as well as how many are redeemed at our studio. It’s safe
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to anticipate that 95-100% of the people who purchased a Groupon will redeem it since
they already paid for the shoot ahead of time. Using these strategies will help us to measure
our goal of increasing awareness of Christina Bockisch Photography.
Measuring our other two goals – to generate a client list of 75 people within the first six
months and to book seven sessions per week – is much easier. For building our client list,
we need to make sure we get the contact information of everyone who books a shoot with
us. We also need to make sure we’re keeping an updated list and that we check on it every
week. It’s equally important that we keep track of all of the shoots we book within a week
and that we don’t double book or book shoots too close together. Being a new business, we
know mistakes are going to happen, but we want to do our best to minimize the mistakes
so that customers have a great experience and come back again.
After a customer goes through the entire process – photo shoot, proofing and receiving
images – we will also provide customers with a short questionnaire to rate our
performance. This will help us see how well we’re doing in the customer service
department, and it will also help us learn where we need to make improvements. The
photography market in Southwest Florida is competitive, and if we don’t keep our
customers happy, word will get out. By having customers fill out these questionnaires, we
can make changes along the way instead of finding out when it’s too late.
IV. Financial Plan and Documents
A. Summary of Financial Needs
Due to the high costs of starting a photography studio, we anticipate in borrowing money
to help fund start up costs. We plan on borrowing $15,000 that will cover the costs of
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photography equipment and office costs and expect to have the loan paid off within five
years. The cost of buying new high-end photography equipment used in a studio is
expensive but is best for the business in the long run. Other office costs, such as computers
and software, also add to the high costs of a studio. The owner will fund the remaining
costs of starting the photography studio with personal investment money.
B. Pro Forma Statements
See pages 19-21 for the following pro forma statements: cash to be paid out worksheet,
sources of cash worksheet and a two-year income projection.
Cash to be Paid Out Worksheet
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Sources of Cash Worksheet
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Two-Year Income Projection
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V. Supporting Documents
The following supporting documents can be found in this section:
 Postcard
 Business card
 Pricing sheet
 Newspaper advertisement – Eagle News
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