Could you cold-start your business again from zero?

Lets say you've been dropped on the other side of the country with no portfolio, no studio, no contacts, no clients.
What are the first steps you would take in re-building your business?
Could you do it all again starting from zero?

Get a part time job in something unrelated.
Start networking through that job, and people you meet.

I just did exactly this, moved from Boston to CA. No network here at all, but things are slowly starting to pick up after 2.5 months of working a hellish retail job.

Sure - that's how I did it to begin with. For me, lots of Facebook exposure helped. I also have an ad on FB.

No it took me 5 years to land one of my largest clients and 2 years to land one of my other large clients so I would say for me and my line of work NO.

Start over? Sure. It would probably be easier the second time (or third, or fourth, or whatever)... Now knowing some things to do... and some other things to avoid.

First step... Walk the neighborhood and learn every single business in it, then set out to make contact with each and every one of them. In other words, develop some handy, immediate neighborhood customers as a base.

I guess I should have said I could do it but I wouldn't want to. I completely switched gears and changed directions 12 years ago and knowing how tough the first 2 maybe 3 years were I don't know at my age if I would do it again. I am almost to a point financially that I was at when I made the switch. Not at all regretting the switch but just had a few lean years but I knew that going in that there would be.

When I started there wasn't too many in the niche market I'm in because it was expensive with film and the market just doesn't have much money - even less then. The one guy who was in the market is now out entirely and back then most places were trying to replace him because he simply is a jerk! (putting it nicely) So I kind of hit at the right time to get the foot in the door (actually my first client approached me when not even thinking of doing photography as a career and did it for myself).

Nowadays the market is over crowded and every company talks about getting rid of people more than adding. To move and and try the things I did when first starting out would be an instant failure! I can guarantee the same strategies would not work at all today. However, do think I could re-start from scratch if I had to. It would be a different strategy, maybe even a similar but different market (which I'm growing into more and more on top of my initial one), but it could be done and would be a long process. NOT as long as the first time around as you did not say we'd lose our gear and knowledge - so with that intact I'd be good to go

I think I could.

the first thing I'd do? get a job doing anything that has lots of people coming through it, even serving fuel in a service station, while doing that I'd search every photographer in the area and find out what they don't do, then practice in that area and create a portfolio, then create the business dedicated to that niche. I'd get a website up, a blog, search for locals in facebook and twitter, and hit the streets and chat. It would take at least 2-3 years unless you got a very lucky break.

Would I do it, hmm I don't know, I've done it 3 times and it's not easy- I'd probably do it for a laugh and focus on other things.

The blogging—is it even really that useful when starting out? Even with good SEO I would think a blog is more useful for a mature business rather than one with little awareness. I certainly wouldn't focus on this initially.

I think the point of the blog is to raise the awareness between yourself and the client - bridge the gap and let them know that you're active, alive and seeking ...and maybe they see in depth of what they can get from you, quicker. Depends on your industry really but that's my theory.

They're fun once you get into them. Pick up keywords like mad.

Blogging....see #2 in this article...

http://www.sportsshoot​er.com/news/2082

Every idiot starts a blog and no offense to the ones on here who have one, but most are incredibly boring and nobody cares! I see a TON of them just like in the article of people talking about they're in a rut, they tried to practice, they did this or that, bla, bla, bla. Nothing that the client cares about at all, and nothing that other photographers care about either. Don't get me wrong, there's some great blogs out there and some work directly with the clients. For example Brad Mangin, when he writes in his blog it's NEWS and he's showing off his work to get clients attention - he has a purpose, and if it's not news it's still an interesting read because it's usually about assignments every sports photographer dreams of having but probably never will! Blogs, like your site, should have a solid purpose and if it's not incredibly interesting or about your business directly then it's useless. With it being about your business it does seem weird to have a blog for that - as your info should be on your site in the first place.

I think blogs are useful as a rolling portfolio. It shows potential clients what's going on with your business and as long as you keep updating it somewhat regularly, it shows new and fresh work.

jra wrote in post #9270917
I think blogs are useful as a rolling portfolio. It shows potential clients what's going on with your business and as long as you keep updating it somewhat regularly, it shows new and fresh work.

I agree on the images part, but how about writing? I don't think many that take pictures professionally are good enough writers to gain benefit from adding that much copy to their sites. That's not stopping them, however.

But back on topic: I think having to re-discovering a full list of clients would be difficult in unfamiliar territory.

There's some total crap in there, it's almost sarcasm at it's best.

blogs, and any other online marketing is all about hearing the name. If you put photos on your blog of a couple who just got married a month before they get their wedding photos then where are they going to go to see them, who are they going to tell? it helps along viral marketing which is your best way of marketing.

To write stories on blogs, na that's lame unless you're famous or have got something totally epic to write!

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #9269530
Blogging....see #2 in this article...

http://www.sportsshoot​er.com/news/2082

Every idiot starts a blog and no offense to the ones on here who have one, but most are incredibly boring and nobody cares! I see a TON of them just like in the article of people talking about they're in a rut, they tried to practice, they did this or that, bla, bla, bla. Nothing that the client cares about at all, and nothing that other photographers care about either. Don't get me wrong, there's some great blogs out there and some work directly with the clients. For example Brad Mangin, when he writes in his blog it's NEWS and he's showing off his work to get clients attention - he has a purpose, and if it's not news it's still an interesting read because it's usually about assignments every sports photographer dreams of having but probably never will! Blogs, like your site, should have a solid purpose and if it's not incredibly interesting or about your business directly then it's useless. With it being about your business it does seem weird to have a blog for that - as your info should be on your site in the first place.

jra wrote in post #9270917
I think blogs are useful as a rolling portfolio. It shows potential clients what's going on with your business and as long as you keep updating it somewhat regularly, it shows new and fresh work.