[awildone11]

Hello all. I believe I posted here before once or twice, but if not (or if you dont remember/ etc), I'm an early 20's graduate of WSU (washington), with a BA in Business and History but a passion for Photoshop and restoration. I've been using photoshop since I was a highschool student, and read many books on photoshop, including Photoshop Restoration and Retouching by Katrin Eismann.

I want to take my business skills, combined them with my love of photoshop, and open a restoration service (online).

I just really honestly don't know how/where I should market such a service. Locally we don't have much for an interest/client base... I live in a fairly small community. So I'd like to branch wider on the world wide web.

Any suggestions? (Please and thank you).

[nebgranny]

Hi There:

Call around and find local Genealogy Societies , they are a good resource for restoration. Put together a presentation and call and ask to give them a program. Have brocures and business card ready for hand outs and put together a portfolio of all you have done and examples of what you can do. Put up fliers around your town and surrounding area's. This is just one suggestion. I wish you luck no matter what you do. Neb

[Ed_L]

Welcome aboard! You might also try local historical societies. Some of them have a lot of work to be done, while others are more interested in keeping only the original photos.

Do you *know* there's no interest in or around your town? Having a BA in history and business should give you an edge.

You probably have heard of S.C.O.R.E. If not, let us know. It can be a real asset for a new business. Best of luck.

Ed

[skipc]

I have a web site, but it is incidental to business. Putting up a web site and expecting business to come in is a sure way to starve. My marketing is face to face, cold calls. On another thread I posted the following—ammended:

My business is digital restoration of heirloom prints. Occasionaly there is a one off specialty job from a photographer—they are the exception—but photographers are good for referals.

I promote my business with before and after flyers, and business cards presented in person to antique stores, art supply stores, framing galleries, blue print companies, copy centers, printers, realtors, art galleries w/framing, camera stores, film labs, sign companies, historical and geneological societys, funeral homes, hospital bulletin boards, and every other danged place I could think of. I have given presentations to computer clubs, camera clubs, universities, a garden club—anyone who will hold still—and some for pay. People in my area think I'm an expert—which I'm not—but it's a good perception to have out there. Most of my business is from word of mouth referrals, even from outside my geographic area.

My theory is that "every" person has an heirloom photo that they would like restored and need extra prints etc. to share. Even businesses have old photos that are faded and damaged that they would like to have a large print of to hang in the lobby. In addition I offer retouch, photobooks, dvd slideshows w/soundtracks, image CD's, scanning, and traditional computer graphics.

Face to face marketing, quick turn around, and reasonable prices have allowed me a reasonable income from a home business...skip

[emarts]

I too prefer face-to-face marketing. But I know in my area consumer retouching is a very small market. So I decided to go commercial. Unless you're really rural, there's got to be a few design firms/advertising comapnies around? Or even local businesses that use photography. Partner up with a local photographer or art/framing store. One of the things I offer to consumers is printing their photos on canvas. Now I don't own a printer that can do that, but I've partnered with a company that gives me a discount to resell their services. I "upsell" retouching to these customers and turn their ordinary snapshots into digital paintings. I don't get alot of that work but the commercial work keeps me in business.

Yes, my website is incidental. I don't get much business directly from it. Meeting with people face-to-face has always been better.