Outdoor Portrait Business- Portrait Exchange Question

[ryleerider]

I am starting a new portrait business where I am only taking outdoor portraits. There will be no studio work and I will be operating out of my home. My question is, what would be the best way to get prints to the clients? Mail them and take a hit on postage and handling? Have them come to my home even though it is more home and less business? Plan to meet somewhere? Take the portraits to the clients home?

[hypertech]

Mail them. The amount of time it takes you to organize and meet or deal with people coming to your home is not worth the couple dollars in postage.

If you are shipping them, just charge them either separately or in the prints. I charge a flat rate of $5 to ship locally to cover the postage and my mailers. Its easy and they get them next day. So far, I've had no complaints on charging for shipping.

[jdlloyd67]

I use Mpix for my orders and have them shipped directly to my clients (the few I've had). They pay me directly and I tell them they'll have their prints in a few days mailed directly to their front door. They like that touch.

[ryleerider]

Thanks for the advice! I will just add a little note in my contract that the images will be shipped to them and I will go with the $5.00 charge.

[egordon99]

Remember to deduct the cost of any postage/envelopes/DVD blanks on your tax return! The little things add up :)



(you are paying taxes on your income, right? ;) )

[LBaldwin]

If they are local, then I Hand carry them directly to the client, NEVER mail unless you have to! I keep total control over my images at all time. If you are using a service then that is different, but I print 99% in my own lab, so a service is not something I would do anyway.

Besides, it allows for two other issues, if there is anything that needs to be corrected, it can be addressed on the spot, and two you get to see the faces and reactions of your clients when they see the images - which leads to more sales if you work it correctly.

THERE IS BIG MONEY IN RE-ORDERS!!

[ryleerider]

If they are local, then I Hand carry them directly to the client, NEVER mail unless you have to! I keep total control over my images at all time. If you are using a service then that is different, but I print 99% in my own lab, so a service is not something I would do anyway.

Besides, it allows for two other issues, if there is anything that needs to be corrected, it can be addressed on the spot, and two you get to see the faces and reactions of your clients when they see the images - which leads to more sales if you work it correctly.

THERE IS BIG MONEY IN RE-ORDERS!!

I was thinking about that last night. I would love to see the customer's faces when they see the pictures. I think it is more personable. Still debating on how to handle this one...

[dufrenbk]

I think it's best to hand deliver them, especially if you use something like MPIX. If you have MPIX ship it to your client, you don't get to see if one of the prints may be messed up a bit. I like to lay my own eye on every final print. Something else, if you have it mailed to their house, they could say they never received it (when the really did) and a big issue could come up with that, who knows. I dunno, I like the idea of hand delivering or having them come pick them up.