Questions about Retouching Businesses

[Doug Nelson]

Nah, that's where *I* change your options

You'll have to go to the User CP link on the navbar, then to your member profile.

[pstewart]

Originally posted by alceria
As for the web, I think it's probably a good idea to have a web presence eventually, but I doubt it will bring in a lot of work on its own.

I think you have to be patient with your web site. Mine has been up for about five years, just sitting there mostly, till recently the search engines must have moved it up a few notches as it got more hits. Now it is giving me more business than I want, frankly. Just in the last four days I had five job requests, two of which I referred elsewhere because I didn't want to do them, two for retouching and one for restoration, which I will do.

While I waited for my web page to get noticed, I tried flyers on mailbox posts locally, from which I got about a dozen clients, many of which are repeat customers (like the lady who wants photo Xmas cards designed each year) and others who have referred me to friends. Just had to do the flyers once, and it was interesting and good exercise taking long walks through various neighborhoods to do it.

As for advertising in the Yellow Pages, yikes, those ads cost thousands! Local paper ads might be cheaper if you want ads. But flyers are FREE for the leg work, plus you can put a LOT more info on a whole sheet of paper, including even some examples!

I don't really want that much business, though, since my main "job at home" is tutoring math, which keeps me busy enough, so perhaps my advice won't be very helpful to anyone wanting a major part of their income from just photo work.

As for price of a web presence, Kathie, you needn't pay $500 to have a site made. Use the Adobe program that comes with Photoshop, or Front Page for Windows, or any of the other instant web page software and make your own. Doesn't have to be fancy...just a place to display some of your work and give out your email and phone. I keep my site on pair.com for only $9.95/month, which is like nothing. There is only the initial cost of registering your domain and setting up the pair.com account, maybe about fifty bucks, then it's cheap.

As for where to work, from home is definitely the way to go. Why pay hundreds/thousands a month for a strip mall office? Much prefer not having to get dressed up and go out anyway. Working from home is a luxury in this business (as in tutoring) that most working folks don't enjoy...may as well take advantage of this great perk!

Hmmm...wonder if I could add Photoshop retouching "tutoring" to my next flyer...hmmmm...

Phyllis
www.innographx.com