Is 30% Kickback fees too high?

Just raise the price, say, 50%.

Your work aside, it sounds like the school is doing your family a favor.

Show the appreciation often and loud for that.

tim wrote in post #5425396
30% is VERY high, the MAX I would pay anyone is 10%. I just don't need the work that badly.

Totally in agreement with you.

ben805 wrote in post #5425022
The principle gave me permission to charge higher rate than the previous photogs/studio after the last freebee session I did for them.

I think you mean Principal ... but regardless, who is s/he to tell you what to charge?

When I get contacted by a school or sports league, I provide them MY pricing sheet, and if they select me, they do so on my terms. I do not disclose my sales information to them or give kickbacks. I will however provide some free prints back to the organization.

tim wrote in post #5425396
I would go in with a reasonable base package, and give the school a percentage of that. I would do extra sales separately and that shouldn't be part of the kickback IMHO, and make sure you have a decent markup. 30% is VERY high, the MAX I would pay anyone is 10%. I just don't need the work that badly. Your shots are a lot better than the other guys.

hortonsl62 wrote in post #5425432
Just raise the price, say, 50%.

Your work aside, it sounds like the school is doing your family a favor.

Show the appreciation often and loud for that.

Luckily I make a good living as a Senior System Engineer in Data Center that can afford me with expensive hobby such as this, I never thought of doing photography as a profession. One day my wife came back from work (at that preschool) and asked if she could buy a set of "nice photo" that they just took recently.

I was like...."nice photo eh?...show me". After flipping through the first few from a stack of samples she brought back, I told her to forget it, I ain't paying a dime for these. She then proceed to challenge me, "oh you think you can do better?" My response to her was, give me 1 week, I'll get some strobes, learned it in few days and show you the difference.

Needless to say, a week later she show off the photo I took to her colleague, and afterward I was getting request to do their year book. LOL Photography is my passion, feel in love with it ever since I got my hands on the first Canon AE-1 back in the film days. Anyway, initially I did it for the school as freebee, that was my favor to them. My personal principles is, either I do a kick ass job at it, or not doing it at all. So i guess they're now returning the favor and bring me some unexpected business.

This preschool do 4 to 5 photo sessions a year, and they wanted to ditch the previous photogs and asked me to be the dedicated photographer for their school, so I think there will be some potential extra income to be made.

By the way, one of my wife's colleague is going to be married next year and she asked me to do her wedding, I flat out rejected it. I don't have enough equipments and have never done any wedding work before, certainly don't want to ruin somebody's once a lifetime memory, nor would I want to deal with resentment, or worst...lawsuit. When I feel comfortable enough, maybe, just maybe then, i would reconsider to do wedding.

I think that 30% is excessive. A Photo Rep doesn't make that and they get the jobs, assist in the Estimate, Invoicing and Promo Pieces. The School wants 30%? I would raise my rate so I make it worth my time. The bar is rather low when it comes to quality of work, but make sure that they have a good experience during the process. It will win them over and ensure future work.

Ben, do you mind sharing your photography package prices?
Maybe you can include 30% commission in the price as opposed to the 10%.

I hate schools that want massive kickbacks, especially private schools they always seem to want more. I would do a contractual period; say 30% for X year(s), then 20% for X year(s), after that period of time drop it to 10% flat rate for a good time.

breadandbutter wrote in post #5426129
Ben, do you mind sharing your photography package prices?
Maybe you can include 30% commission in the price as opposed to the 10%.

This is not mine, but the cheapest price list from previous photogs that they've ever paid:

pk. A:
two 8x10, three 5x7, twenty wallets (all from one pose) - $50

pk. B:
one 8x10, two 5x7, twelve wallets (all from one pose) - $42

pk. C:
three 5x7, four 3x5, eight wallets, eight half-wallets (all from one pose) - $34

pk. D:
one 8x10, two 3x5, four wallets, eight half-wallets (all from one pose) - $26

pk. E:
one 10x13 - $20

pk. F:
one 5x7, one 3x5, 4 half-wallets (one pose) - $18

Class group:
one 5x7 - $7

The principal said I can charge slightly higher than the above list, I think "slightly" ain't going to cut it considering the 30% kickback fees I would have to pay.

The 8x10 samples they show me have dull color, inferior contrast, and the subject looks out of focus(no it is not a softness effect from photoshop LOL). Either the previous photog have less than capable equipment, or the print lab he/she used did a horrible job in processing these prints! I suspect they probably get them done trhough walmart or costco. I am going to use a pro lab like the WHCC and refused to get my photo print by cheap knockoff lab, otherwise it probably would ruin the quality of my work.

Raising prices could have the net effect of lower numbers of sales and no net gain. I'd stick with the 10% kickback, myself. If they choose someone else, then fine.

^^ Ya know, time may be on the OP's side.

If they have no other arrangements........

I think the principal's only concern is how much he is going to bring in for the institution.

Maybe he is trying to make education more affordable?

Since money isn't your concern and schools are short of money maybe you should just pay the kickback. Tell them it seems high but that you're happy to make a donation. Claim it on your taxes

Maybe 30% is high. I've never actually paid any sort of kick back, but it seems to me that you arguing over 30% could cost you $8000. Assuming you make the $2500.00 or maybe a little more if you raise your prices. Assume that your prints cost you a $600-$700.00. That's still almost $8000 a year you could be turning down (since you said about 4 photoshoots a year). If I think about it that way, I'd much rather have the $8000 than lose the gig because I would only offer them 10%. Seems like a decent amount of money to me. Just my $.02.

A 30% Kickback is crap. Kickbacks are kind of shady to begin with - I would offer to make a 15% donation of the gross (and I'd request a tax receipt)...

ben805 wrote in post #5427850
This is not mine, but the cheapest price list from previous photogs that they've ever paid:

pk. A:
two 8x10, three 5x7, twenty wallets (all from one pose) - $50

pk. B:
one 8x10, two 5x7, twelve wallets (all from one pose) - $42

pk. C:
three 5x7, four 3x5, eight wallets, eight half-wallets (all from one pose) - $34

pk. D:
one 8x10, two 3x5, four wallets, eight half-wallets (all from one pose) - $26

pk. E:
one 10x13 - $20

pk. F:
one 5x7, one 3x5, 4 half-wallets (one pose) - $18

Class group:
one 5x7 - $7

The principal said I can charge slightly higher than the above list, I think "slightly" ain't going to cut it considering the 30% kickback fees I would have to pay.

The 8x10 samples they show me have dull color, inferior contrast, and the subject looks out of focus(no it is not a softness effect from photoshop LOL). Either the previous photog have less than capable equipment, or the print lab he/she used did a horrible job in processing these prints! I suspect they probably get them done trhough walmart or costco. I am going to use a pro lab like the WHCC and refused to get my photo print by cheap knockoff lab, otherwise it probably would ruin the quality of my work.

Ben,
Thanks for the info. Let us know what you decided to do and how it went?