Bringing in another photographer

[umphotography]

We have expanded and anticipate being busier this year. Question i have is, we met a young lady who has a good eye, been in school and had to stop because she need to work more. shes good with photoshop, and her portfolio she showed me looks good. would like to get her involved and help me wiith processing, work with her about what we want done at sessions and when we/she feels she is ready, and shes very darn close, let her start shooting some of the seniors and portrait sessions.

shes got a camera, a couple of lens and thats it. AND I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR, WE WANT HER TO BE SUCESSFUL AND DO NOT WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANYONE. she was working for another photog who was paying her $7.00 per hour, which i find insulting for her experience level. she was doing most of his PP hoping to get more experience behind the camera.

Question is,,what are you guys doing when you need help. How much do you pay. My goal with her is that we continue to grow the business and get her where she can handle shooting a wedding and clients on her own. then if we get double booked on a day, we can run 2 crews and cover both weddings.

my concerns are labor laws, we can only bring her in as a part time employee, state laws and protecting my business. so what do you guys do when you need to bring in extra help as your business grows.

thanks in advance for your advise.

[torvaterra]

Ive worked for small businesses before and they would hire me on as a "contractor." Im not sure the legality of it, but it made it so that I wasnt listed as an employee but still made wages. Another company hired me as a "seasonal employee," so that they could also avoid having to list me as an employee. Theres a lot of ways around it apparently. I wish I knew more about it so that I could help.

[The Mack]

You should talk to a lawyer in MN.

[FlyingPhotog]

Ive worked for small businesses before and they would hire me on as a "contractor." Im not sure the legality of it, but it made it so that I wasnt listed as an employee but still made wages. Another company hired me as a "seasonal employee," so that they could also avoid having to list me as an employee. Theres a lot of ways around it apparently. I wish I knew more about it so that I could help.

I assume you got a 1099 each year (for "non-income" wages over $600 .. which by the way is a minimum and not an absolute)

[Karl Johnston]

Your accountant could help you with the local minimum wages and stuff like that, or just give you advice on generally how to do stuff like that. Labor laws, stuff like that...i sure dont know about MN but a professional accountant or attorney will and good advice is worth the cost rather than random free advice.

Seems like your more interested in her personally, as in doing a favor for her, than you are looking at it objectively if you have to ask these questions. She got paid 7 bucks an hour, did you consider that maybe thats all the guy hiring her could afford ? (min wage around here varies depending on the province it bounces between 5-10.90 an hour)

Doesnt matter what anyone else pays, can you afford to hire someone ? Do a cost analysis...will you benefit? Forget the people...objectives first, then people, your not in business to do the world a favor your in it to make a living.., will it decrease your workload, or make a profit ?

I could give you all the advice in the world about hiring help and it wouldnt help you, look where i live. A totally different country, granted you have a chance of running into someone from your local state but what if their advice is wrong ?

One thing I could offer you is a look into contracting out workers, or hiring casual workers..rather than hiring part time or full time workers.but the laws up here are different from the ones down there, so past that i dont even know if the same concepts apply. Sorry but its true.

[WMS]

The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as well as the various States have specific rules about subcontractors and other non-employees in the workplace. Miscategorizing someone can and has gotten many people in BIG trouble so the advice to seek competent local counsel is very appropriate.

Wayne

[umphotography]

thats what we will do. i have pre paid legal services so i will call today. as far as helping her out. we would actually be helping each other. i am at the point with marketing and networking,ads, and the responses starting to come in where i will need some help. otherwise i will be working 16 hrs a day.........tough when you have plans that are staring to work. and with our other venture, we need two 2 man crews if we have 2 weedings on the same day. im thinking something can be worked out that would benefit us as well as her. she needs to start buying equipment and she sure as hell cant do it at $7.00 per hr. But if senior season goes as planned, she would be a big help, especially with the guys, so i want her ready to go so that shes making session fees and supporting the business at the same time. the goal would to get the business to support 2 photog's.

[gravy graffix]

Damm that isn't even legal min wage.

[Aaagogo]

7 bucks an hour to PP??? WTH,though the min wage in florida is only a quarter more...

i think there's the independent contractor route. but like everyone said, consult an attorney.

My guide line is, how much do I think I should get paid if the roles were reversed. Granted anything that you offer her, I'm sure, is going to well exceed the 7 bucks an hour that she's getting right now.

how much is her talent worth to you?

[umphotography]

7 bucks an hour to PP??? WTH,though the min wage in florida is only a quarter more...

i think there's the independent contractor route. but like everyone said, consult an attorney.

My guide line is, how much do I think I should get paid if the roles were reversed. Granted anything that you offer her, I'm sure, is going to well exceed the 7 bucks an hour that she's getting right now.

how much is her talent worth to you?


and thats exactlty where i am at. she has talent and a good eye. even though we are not busy enough to support 2, we could continue to grow it and get her involved to where it can. For me, you have to pay someone with talentthe right way. I know what i would want if i were in het shoes. we met her parents and she has a great family as well. I know she can handle a high school senior on location session, so im thinking the entire session fee, less what we factor for advertising,prints and equipment replacement costs, which we figure at 35%.

[PhotosGuy]

I'd go the independent contractor route. Give her a large % of the session fee & a small bonus % of the print sales. Let her handle scheduling the Sr portraits & as much of the workflow up through print processing as she can, & teach her what she doesn't know how to do now.
When she has the necessary equipment to do weddings, start her off as a 2nd shooter.

[umphotography]

I'd go the independent contractor route. Give her a large % of the session fee & a small bonus % of the print sales. Let her handle scheduling the Sr portraits & as much of the workflow up through print processing as she can, & teach her what she doesn't know how to do now.
When she has the necessary equipment to do weddings, start her off as a 2nd shooter.


thanks frank


thats the kind of answer i was looking for. any idea what you think might be fair for her pr what some others are doing in this situation.

[PhotosGuy]

any idea what you think might be fair for her pr what some others are doing in this situation. It's going to be based on what's fair in MN, which is why I suggested a %, instead of a $ amount.

[torvaterra]

I assume you got a 1099 each year (for "non-income" wages over $600 .. which by the way is a minimum and not an absolute)

Yep, I think it was a 1099-Misc form.

Talking to a lawyer if you can, as mentioned, would be the best way to get safe advice. Im just speaking from experience on what was done with me.

Also, when I was in college I got paid $10-15 an hour. I like PhotosGuy's suggestion of paying her a percentage. Maybe you could try to figure out how much additional money you make by having her help, what other assistants in your area get paid, what she is asking for, what you can afford - and then try to make a compromise.