The essence of the photo studio project. Investment work plan. Sales promotion methods and promotion channels

To open your own photography studio that consistently generates income, you will need a detailed business plan.

It is necessary to designate the business format, analyze its competitiveness, calculate start-up and monthly expenses, designate a work schedule before opening, and also calculate possible risks.

Business Format

Studios are distinguished by type of activity. They are:

• Full (interior). The content of such an institution is within the power of experienced entrepreneurs who have tried their hand at a smaller type of activity. Starting a business will require considerable investments, which can pay off only within two to three years. For work, you can use a redesigned apartment, each room of which will have a different style. To build a client base in initial period activities will require thematic filming, for example, on Valentine's Day or on Ivan Kupala. IN Lately such a service is of a mass nature, when a group of people receives the same type of pictures of the proposed subject (corporate New Year).
• mini format. This best alternative for beginners, because equipment, staff, decorations, services will have a minimum amount. The organization needs to choose small area, purchase several costumes, hire 1 photographer and 1 administrator.
• Children's. Such establishments will have customers of a certain age limit. It will take spacious room with design in the style of fairy tales and cartoons. The emphasis will need to be made on the purchase of various children's costumes, accessories, and the selection of scenery. Advertising should be carried out in playgrounds, kindergartens and schools. It will be possible to establish cooperation with the latter to organize on-site filming.
• Home. In other words, it's work from home. Having small space for housing, you can open a mini-studio or a photo studio. This format can also include the design of a working workshop at home, in which pictures taken on the road will be born.
• Separately, one can distinguish photo studio. This is the least expensive type of activity for which it will be enough small room and small equipment. Employees can be attracted to a minimum or take on all the responsibilities. Mostly in the salon they make photos for documents. Advertising can be done through free ads in newspapers.

You can learn more about the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bopening your own photo studio from the following video:

Level of competition

Professional photo studios are mainly competed by solo photographers. Less often - the same studios specializing in a particular type of activity. For example, they shoot for glossy magazines or private photo shoots. After collecting information on the number of such establishments in the city, you need to analyze:

• the direction of their activities;
• dispersion over the territory;
• coverage of customer categories.

Based on the data received, it will be easier to choose the location and format of the business.

Calculation of possible costs

Expenditures generally fall into two categories:

• initial investment for holding preparatory activities before the opening of the studio;
• current expenses, the items of which will be repeated from month to month, that is, they will be of a permanent nature.

In order to roughly calculate the amount of investment, you need to know exactly the area of ​​​​the premises, staff and other data. For an establishment that rents an area of ​​100 sq. m., pays for the services of an administrator, accountant, stylist, designer, print operator and photographers and works on an eight-hour work schedule, start-up costs will amount to 580 thousand rubles.

Article	Amount (thousand rubles)
Total:	580
Repair work	80
Payment of rent before opening for 3 months	150
Special equipment	200
Website development	25
Printing equipment	25
Computer technology	25
Arrangement of the administrator's workplace	30
Advertising campaign costs	45

If the entry threshold of 580 thousand is unrealistic, the amount can be reduced by 2-3 times. How to do it?

1. One solution is to reallocate funds for the future. For example, you can try to attract photographers with their equipment for a while. The same goes for stylist and designer. You can agree to reimburse them for the resources spent on shooting after the implementation of the order. Thus, the article for the purchase of equipment can be removed, thereby reducing the budget by 200 thousand.
2. Another way is to carefully search for the premises. If the condition of the interior is satisfactory, you can save on repairs and schedule it for more late deadline. Thus, expenses were reduced by another 80 thousand, while the time for preparing for the opening was reduced by at least 2 months. This allows you to reduce the payment of rent and advertising for two months, that is, another minus 65 thousand.
3. If among your acquaintances there is a person who can assist in creating an Internet resource for a smaller amount or for a service, you can take another 25 thousand.

In total, the amount of start-up expenses will decrease by 370 thousand rubles, which is 64% of the required amount.

Operating costs can be flexible, meaning they can be adjusted as orders are completed. For 1 month they will be approximately 180 thousand rubles

Article	Amount (thousand rubles)
Total:	180
Payment of wages:	80+% of the order
administrator	20
accountant (part-time)	10
stylist	% of order
designer	% of order
print operator	10+% of the order
2 photographers	20*2+% of the order
Rent	50
Advertising	15
Fare	18
Communication services	7
Expendable materials	10

Opening schedule

In accordance with the presented calculations, two scenarios can be assumed:

Preparation for opening 3 months in advance

Planned events	Jan. 2015	Feb. 2015	March 2015	Apr. 2015
Opening
Paperwork
Interior project order
Purchase building materials for interior decoration
Repair
Recruitment
Website development
Purchase of equipment
Installation of purchased equipment, lighting fixtures
Start of the advertising campaign
Coordination of documents in the fire service and SES

1 month preparation

Acquisition of equipment

The choice of special equipment must be taken seriously, giving preference to professional and expensive models.

• To begin with, you will need equipment for outdoor and indoor photo shoots: a camera, special attachments, flashes and accessories, backgrounds (white, black and color).
• You also need to buy several computers, software for image processing, printing equipment and a scanner.
• You will need props, clothing and interior items for several thematic collections.

Staff

The number of people who will ensure the activities of the studio will depend on the chosen format. For example, to maintain home business 1 person is enough. And for the functioning of a full-fledged studio, you will need a staff of 6-7 employees:

• administrator who will exercise general control over the activities of employees, take orders, distribute the load;
• accountant working part-time part-time;
• photographers, the number of which can be determined by the amount of work, at the time of opening one will be enough;
• stylist, involved only in thematic shootings, receiving a salary in the form of% of the cost of the order;
• designer responsible for image processing in a graphics editor;
• print operator, which will be responsible for the quality of the pictures.

They can receive a fixed salary plus a percentage of the order value. You can do the selection of professionals yourself or entrust the matter to a recruitment company.

Marketing plan

Advertising of services should begin a month and a half before the start of work. It is necessary to attract customers in all possible ways, for this, from 7% to 10% of the funds to pay for advertising are included in the project budget. If the business has a mini format, you can get by with your own ideas, for example, advertise in a newspaper, local television or radio.

For a large firm, it is necessary to provide for various marketing solutions aimed at a specific target audience.

Do not forget about the possibilities of disseminating information via the Internet. Having launched the studio website, it is necessary to fill it with contact information, a range of services and monitor its attendance and promotion.

Yield

The average professional photography company can profit in three ways:

• reportage shooting (approximately 1000 rubles for 1 hour);
• professional photo in the studio (1500 rubles for 1 hour);
• leasing of premises and equipment (from 800 rubles per hour).

If the studio reaches an eight-hour work schedule by the third month after opening, then the time in it can be distributed as follows: 3 hours of studio work, 3 hours of reporting and 2 hours of rental. The total income received per day will be 9,100 rubles. With a six-day schedule, monthly income will be 218,400, minus monthly operating costs of 180,000 net income will be 38,400 rubles. For the year, net profit will amount to 460.8 thousand rubles. excluding taxes. Such an indicator is already realistic by the second or third year of operation, when the initial investment pays off and the work reaches a stable level.

Possible risks

It is worth taking into account several indicators:

• Close proximity to competing firms with lower prices or better advertising. The way out of the situation is the selection of more qualified personnel and increased awareness of the population.
• Staff turnover. In this case, it is worth strengthening the corporate spirit, introducing a system of bonuses and bonuses.
• Equipment theft. To avoid such a situation, it is necessary to provide a security guard unit in the state or equip the building with an alarm system.

Here we will look at an article on how to open a photo studio, what you need for this, you can study an example of a business plan for opening it.

Such studios receive income from three main areas: professional studio photography (for portfolios, catalogs, booklets and other promotional products); photography for reporting; And How additional view earnings - renting premises and photographic equipment.

Many players in this market note an increase in demand for the services of these photo studios, and explain the increase in sales of SLR cameras.

Business plan

You can use this sample photo studio business plan template as a template, making any adjustments you need to suit your specific project.

This example contains the entire list of basic equipment that you will need to work with approximate prices and competitor analysis.

Instructions on how to open a photo studio

Of course, opening a photo studio will require a significant amount of initial capital. However, practice shows that after a couple of months, with properly organized advertising, all investments pay off, and your own business begins to make a profit.

However, consider the main points that should be focused on when planning to open your own photo studio or photo salon.

Registering your business

As a business registration, choose an individual entrepreneur or LLC. At the same time, we select the OKVED number 74.81 - Activities in the field of photography.

Choose a room

The choice of premises for a photo studio is the most important stage, and the future success of an open business depends on how competently it will be chosen as a whole. We recommend finding suitable option in the central part of the city, despite more high prices rent. The total area must be at least 60 sq. m based on 50 sq. m will be given directly to the photo studio. To place the necessary lighting equipment, choose a room with a ceiling height of at least 3 meters. Having finished with the choice, you can proceed with the repair. This takes about a little over a month. Remember that ideally in a photo studio there should be a fitting room with a mirror, a shower cabin, and a screen, an administration room in which it is worth installing a computer with Internet access, but also the studio itself. It would not be superfluous to organize a small cafe room for visitors, where they can relax, have a cup of coffee, look through thematic glossy magazines.

With the development and spread of technology, it would seem that photography services should have become a thing of the past. Now almost everyone has their own device for photo and video shooting, photo printing devices are available. In the wake of cheaper technology, a new genre of photography was even born - selfie. However, as practice shows, the services of a photo studio are still relevant.

And since services continue to be in demand, it makes sense to take a closer look at them, to calculate the possibilities of doing business.

This can be based on ready business plan to open a photo studio and make the necessary adjustments to it for a specific purpose. Or entrust its development to professionals.

Generally speaking, a business plan is needed for 2 purposes:

• To understand the general course of things. special requirements in this case, the plan is not;
• To receive investments, loans, or attract partners. In this case, it is desirable to execute the business plan in accordance with the recommended standards.

The description below can serve as a model for writing a well-developed business plan.

Download a ready-made photo studio business plan, current for 2019, you can from our trusted partners "Biplane". Download link.

The difference between a photo studio and amateur photography

The photo studio provides a range of services:

• Services of a professional photographer. Usage quality equipment. Field shooting in the studio and on location. Portfolio filled with professional photos. Artistic photography. Post-processing of images.
• instant photo. And don't forget the well-established market for instant ID photos.
• Printing and processing of the provided photographic material. Both printing of the client's own photos, and their various processing, including the possibility of posting on various resources.
• Provision of studio and equipment for rent. Another direction, which is not yet sufficiently represented on the market, is the provision of professional equipment And studio.
• Conducting training seminars, master classes. Photography, image processing, artistic photography, etc.
• Additional services. Here you can offer services in preparation for a photo shoot: make-up artist, hairdresser.

In the amateur version, the quality of the obtained images is in most cases worse, and significant time spent on refining the images does not always lead to the desired results.

Market analysis

At the first stage, a market analysis must be included in the business plan for creating a photography studio.

We need to get an answer: how much the service is in demand, who will use it, the saturation of offers. Market analysis is carried out in several sections:

• potential clients;
• competition;
• location.

Clients, depending on the planned implementation of the photo studio, can be:

• companies ordering photo services to promote their products, or for technical support of events;
• models for portfolio filling;
• individuals to obtain quality photographs or other services.

Competition in the photography market is not uniform. First of all, by territory. The greatest competition is traditionally in Moscow, St. Petersburg and in major regional centers. In small towns, competition is much lower, but the demand for services is low, and some professional photography services may not be in demand at all.

The heterogeneity of the market also lies in the fact that the elite segments of the photo services market are quite densely occupied by a relatively small number of large players. The rest of the market is less saturated, especially with the growing demand for these services of enterprises, lovers of high-quality photos, etc.

Some consultants are inclined to believe that the placement of a photo studio near the center plays a significant role. But the Internet and advertising have largely leveled this significance. If a photo studio produces a quality product, then potential customers can ride a few extra kilometers for its services. And for outdoor photography, the location of the studio does not matter at all.

However, a studio located in a busy area is bound to be more in demand than a studio located on the outskirts of the city. This is especially true for the initial stage of work.

What you need to open a photo studio, costs

To draw up a business plan for a photo studio, it is necessary to calculate investments. Of course, on this stage estimated costs are calculated.

First you need to choose a place. For a full-fledged photo studio, you need a room of more than 60 square meters. meters, ceiling height not lower than 3 meters (this is required to accommodate spotlights). The range of prices here is quite large. You can buy a room or rent. The price largely depends on the location. Additionally, targeted re-equipment will be required if the premises were not previously specialized.

Would need minimum set instrumentation and equipment:

At the initial stage, you can not spend money on employees, provided that you yourself shoot. But if you are not a photographer, it is advisable to hire a professional. The profit will directly depend on the professional qualities of the photographer. Other staff is less important: administrator, technicians.

In some cases, it is advisable to conduct a full-fledged advertising campaign: street advertising, advertising in networks, on television, etc.

On average we get

From an organizational point of view, opening a photo studio is not difficult. It is enough to register as an individual entrepreneur. Licensing of activity is not required. If you plan to work with large clients, then IP is not always convenient, in such cases it is better to register an LLC, licensing is also not required.

Profit and payback

At the beginning of the work of the photo studio, you should not expect a large influx of customers. Even with a well-thought-out marketing policy, a tangible response from an advertising company can be from a month to two. Without an advertising company, the first time the flow of customers will be small. Therefore, if there are hired personnel, it makes sense to first draw up part-time or piecework contracts.

The average prices for photo studio services in Moscow are as follows:

• 1 hour of photography - 1,000 - 5,000 rubles.
• wedding photo session, events - 30,000 - 50,000 rubles.

On average, we calculate approximately 2,000 rubles per hour.

Work in the first months is expected to be 2-3 hours a day, then the flow will increase. Those. about 5,000 rubles. in a day. Per month - 100,000 rubles.

As it is easy to see in the first months of work, the photo studio will bring losses. Approximately about 50,000 rubles. per month. You need to count your financial opportunities for this period. With an increase in clients, within 2-3 months, the photo studio should reach the level of self-sufficiency.

Upon reaching an 8-hour workday, the monthly income will be from 200 to 400 tr.

Accordingly, profit - 50 - 100 tr. per month.

With such a cash flow, the payback will be from 1 to 2 years, which is good term payback for business.

This article does not describe in detail how to open your own photo studio, this requires a more thorough study of the project for a specific purpose. The article provides only an indicative business plan.

With development and popularity social networks all more people turn to the services of photographers, rent photo studios. The excitement for photo services occurs not only on holidays, but also in everyday life. In this regard, the demand for photo services is growing daily. In order for the photo studio to bring a stable income and prosper, you should prepare for its opening.

The first step in starting your own business is writing a business plan. An example of a business plan for a photo studio (photo studio) with costs and a payback calculation is given in this article.

Market analysis

The first thing to consider is the financial situation in the market for the provision of services, the definition of the circle of consumers.

The photo studio will be in demand by many people, 3 main areas:

1. 📸photo models (for compiling a portfolio);
2. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👧ordinary citizens (printing photos for home albums);
3. 🎦 firms that require promotional materials (printing signs, banners, flyers and other promotional products).

When drawing up a business plan for your own studio, it is worth considering the unique circumstances:

1. how big is the city;
2. security of the population;
3. presence of competitors;
4. start-up capital.

Since it is essential to provide services only highest quality, it is worth finding suppliers in advance from whom products for printing and shooting will be purchased.

Photo paper, consumables, equipment - everything must be excellent so that customers are satisfied and order shooting or printing from you again.

Competitor analysis

It is necessary to analyze the market in terms of existing competition. If there is competition (and it cannot be, since this business is not something unique), then your project should stand out among others.

This feature could be:

more low price for some service

providing certain services that others do not;

a wide range of services provided.

To be profitable, the company must be as focused as possible on customers who have money and are willing to pay them. Since such customers are most often not individuals, but entrepreneurs and various companies advertising something.

It is highly advisable to purchase equipment that allows you to print in a wide format. If the cost of equipment is too high, then at first you can conclude an agreement with someone who already provides such a service.

As a rule, a significant discount is made for bulk orders, so such cooperation will be beneficial for all parties.

When analyzing competition, it is worth studying the direction of work of competing studios, their geographical location in the regions and the city as a whole, and the coverage of client categories.

Based on such data, it is easy to determine the type of your own business and its location.

Types of photo studios

Photo studios may seem identical only to an amateurish look. If you decide to open a studio, you should clearly understand how and where your business will be organized. Photo studios are:

Complete. Such a business is suitable for entrepreneurs with experience in content big business. This option will require quite impressive investments, while its payback will not be quick - you will get a “plus” no earlier than in a couple of years. When writing a business plan, it is worth considering where the shooting will take place - in a specially rented room or in an apartment, each of the rooms of which is equipped in accordance with a specific theme. To gain clients, you can offer thematic shooting (New Year's, dedicated to February 14, and so on).

Mini photo studios. This option is the best for those new to the business. The cost of costumes, equipment and workers to ensure the operation of the photo studio is minimal. Of the staff, only a photographer and an administrator will be required. The location of such a photo studio should be carefully considered, since the competition in this business entity is great. In addition to shooting, a mini-photo studio can also print photos and process them artistically through special editors, the most common are CorelDRAW and Adobe Photoshop.

For children. Such a photo studio should be completely focused on its client - a child. As a rule, rooms for shooting in the studio are decorated in a fabulous way, costumes for children of different ages are purchased, you can invite a makeup artist who will paint children's faces before shooting. Children's photo studios are popular among clients with children. Most people want to have photos of their own child in the family album, made with high quality and beautifully. You can advertise the services of such a studio in schools and kindergartens, and shoot on location there.

Photo studio at home. If the starting budget is very limited, then this studio format is the best. The studio does not have to be decorated in any style, your apartment can be a workshop where the material shot at outdoor photo shoots is processed. With this type of activity, you will not need to pay the rent of the premises, which will significantly reduce material costs.

Photo salon. This format of the studio will require minimal cost. As a rule, photo salons are located in small, well-equipped premises. They specialize in printing photographs, processing them in graphic editors and making photographs for documents. you can work in such a studio on your own, so the cost of employees can not be included in the expense item in the business plan.

Project Summary

The goal of the project is to open a photo studio in a city with a population of 600,000 people. A feature of the photo studio will be a designer interior studio with 3 rooms.

Price list:

Service	Price, rub	Number of clients per month	Amount, rub.
Printing photos in different sizes	50	20	1 000
Photographing (portrait, children, wedding, etc.)	5 000	20	100 000
Premises for rent	4 000	15	60 000
Photographing for documents	600	13	7 800
Services of a stylist-make-up artist	1 000	20	10,000 (including makeup artist salary deduction)
Income 178 800

With further expansion of the business and increase in income, the following services can be provided:

1. provision of paraphernalia and costumes for the shooting;
2. printing on T-shirts, mugs, plates and other things;
3. printing stickers on cars;
4. drawing up unique layouts with photographs;
5. production of magnets original design etc.

Be sure to watch this video, in which the real owners of the photo studio talk about the business setup ( click on the link).

registration

Registration of the studio begins with registration with the tax owner, as individual entrepreneur or companies like LLC. The activity code must be indicated 74.81 "Activities in the field of photography". When registering an activity, you have to pay a fee, so this item should also be included in the business plan.

When registering as a sole trader, you will pay taxes in the form of 6% of income or 15% of profits. If you are registered as an individual, then you will need to pay 13% as a tax. If you have registered a limited liability company, then you will pay taxes in accordance with a system designed specifically for this form of business. At the same time, the LLC must have authorized capital and this must be reflected in the business plan.

Registration costs - 8,000 rubles.

Choosing a space for a photo studio

The success of the enterprise also depends on how the photo studio is correctly and conveniently located. This is a fundamental factor, when considering it, the following nuances must be taken into account:

1. How close are competitors?
2. whether it will be convenient for customers to get to you;
3. is it possible to place outdoor advertising.

The room in which the photograph will be taken should be spacious and high.

With this size, 50 meters can be determined directly for filming, and the rest - for equipment placement. The height of the ceilings in the photo studio should be at least 3 meters, then it will be possible to correctly place the lighting devices.

Photo studios should be located in the central part of the city (if the settlement is small) or in the center of the district (if the city is large enough). Of course, the rent in the center is higher than on the outskirts, but the client traffic is also higher.

An excellent solution would be to equip a small room on the territory of the studio, where clients can relax and drink tea or coffee. There you can place a TV, a table, a sofa, put a machine that dispenses drinks and put a vase with cookies and sweets.

To open a photo studio, non-residential premises will be rented in the city center (near the sights of the city). The premises will be divided into 4 zones:

1. Administrative zone (15 m2):

   a full-length mirror;

   computer with Internet access and installed programs necessary for processing and printing photos;

   multi-format printers;

   • bathroom;

   office furniture;

   • screen.
2. 3 interior halls for filming (20 m2 each)

When choosing a room, you should not ignore the above rules, since the speed of its payback and profitability in general directly depend on how the studio is located correctly.

Payment for the premises is 50,000 rubles and includes a monthly payment, plus some amount for cosmetic repairs. Even in a huge studio, but with peeled walls, it will not be possible to run a profitable business.

Decoration and equipment of the photo studio

Purchasing equipment for a photo studio is a costly business. But the quality of work depends on how high-quality it will be and resistant to wear, therefore, only proven equipment should be purchased. An additional source of income can be the regular rental of equipment, props and other attributes.

To conduct high-quality shooting and provide other services related to photography, you will need to purchase:

Name	Price	Quantity	Price
Equipment
Camera	150 000	1	150 000
Height adjustable tripod	3 000	3	9 000
Rack for mounting light	500	4	2 000
A laptop	25 000	1	25 000
softbox	4 000	3	12 000
Umbrella	2 500	3	7 500
exposure meter	6 000	1	6 000
Background	1 000	5	5 000
a printer	7 000	1	7 000
background mount	800	3	2 400
Lens filter	1 000	4	4 000
Furniture and decor
Sofa	15 000	1	15 000
Bed	18 000	1	18 000
Chair	2 000	3	6 000
Table	7 000	1	7 000
Chandelier	4 000	3	12 000
Candlestick and candle	—	5	3 000
artificial flower bouquet	—	5	3 000
Christmas tree with toys	8 000	1	8 000
flower swing	5 000	1	5 000
Decorative fireplace	3 000	1	3 000
Bath	13 000	1	13 000
Piano decorative	5 000	1	5 000
wall accessory	—	—	25 000
Expenses 352,000

Staff

You can run a small business - a photo studio - without involving work force from the side, that is, independently.

If you know how to take beautiful and high-quality photographs, process the resulting shots and at the same time search for clientele, then you will not need hired workers at least for the first time.

Ideally, of course, you need to hire a photographer (if you are not one yourself).

You can find a quality artist through ads (Vkontakte, in the communities of your city, on Avito), on the advice of friends. In any case, it is important to look at examples of the photographer's work before entering into an employment contract with him. If your views on what a photograph should be radically differ, then you are unlikely to work together.

An administrator is needed to solve various organizational issues and coordinating the work of the photo studio. The duties of the administrator may also include finding customers and placing ads.

If the budget is not too narrow, then you can hire a makeup artist. Services this specialist necessary in preparation for the shoot, he does makeup and hair for clients. The makeup artist will help you choose the most harmonious image for the client.

Staff costs are monthly, so they need to be taken into account when writing a business plan.

Staff	Salary per 1 employee (rub.)	The number of employees	Salary Total (rub.)
Administrator (room cleaner)	20 000	1	20 000
Photographer	25 000	2	25 000
Visagiste(if necessary)	—	1	500 rubles makeup
Costs forsalary payment		3 (1 invited)	70 000

Photo studio promotion and advertising placement

Advertising is an engine not only for trade, but also for any other business, including a photo studio. The most the best advertisement- this is word of mouth, that is, recommendations from friends or acquaintances, so you should not take the work lightly, it must be done flawlessly.

Costs and payback

The amount of initial investment is:

1. Registration - 8 000 rub.;
2. Premises for rent - 50 000 rub.;
3. Advertising - 35 000 rub.;
4. Decoration and equipment of the photo studio - 352 000 rub.;

Total: 445,000 rubles.

Photo studio monthly expenses:

1. Premises rent — 50 000 rub.;
2. Staff salaries - 70 000 rub.;
3. Tax and social contributions — 21 000 rub.;
4. Buying decor - 5 000 rub.;
5. Advertising and promotion - 5 000 rub.;

Total: 151,000 rubles.

The difference between income and expenses: 178 000 — 151 000 = 27 800 rubles

Tax: 27 800 * 0,15 = 4 170 rubles

Net profit: 27 800 — 4 170 = 23 630 rubles

Profitability:(23 630 / 151 100) * 100 = 156,5 %

Payback: 445,000 / 23,630 = 19 months

The photo studio is an interesting and creative business, which at right approach will bring the owner an excellent profit. In order for the enterprise to be successful, the first step on the way to it should be the preparation of a competent business plan with all the calculations.

Today, photo services have reached a new level. Digital technologies have made photography more accessible to the mass consumer, and the development of photographic equipment has reduced the cost of photographic equipment to an acceptable level. As a result, a situation has formed in the market for photographic services in which people take a lot of photos, but print them less, as it was in the days of film. On the other hand, the low threshold for entry into the professional level has led to an expansion of the need for artistic photography. This business plan is developed for a professional photo studio that provides both standard photo services: shooting for documents, processing and printing photos, as well as professional thematic ones: chroma key, macro and product photography, genre and interior photography in a studio location, commercial and marketing photography, departure, etc.

Summary

Project goal: creation of a photo salon in St. Petersburg

Objectives of the business plan: to justify the possibility of a multidisciplinary photo salon, target audience: medium and small businesses, the general population with average incomes in the city.

Initiator of the project

The initiator is a professional photographer with over 10 years of experience, specializing in portrait and studio photography. The main objective of the project is to support and expand the core business:

• solving the problem of printing photos on our own calibrated equipment;
• conducting studio shootings in unique interiors;
• the possibility of photo correction, printing, etc. without delay;
• sale of related products (photo frames, drawing photos on mugs, t-shirts, etc.);
• provision of services for the calibration of monitors and printers.

The following equipment is available:

• professional Canon cameras(full-frame: Canon EOS-1D X and 5D Mark II) with a set of interchangeable lenses (6 pcs.);
• portable reflectors;
• 2 tripods for photographic equipment and 1 monopod;
• a computer designed for photo processing;
• household appliances for repairing and changing the interior of the location (drill, screwdriver, airbrush).

Investment costs

List of main investment expenses:

• Paperwork for individual entrepreneurs: 5,000 rubles.
• Security deposit under the lease agreement: 131,250 rubles.
• Finishing the premises: 275,000 rubles.
• Making a sign above the entrance: 30,000 rubles.
• Entrance registration: 35,000 rubles.
• Purchase of equipment, furniture, office equipment (general): 784,100 rubles.
• Initial purchase of consumables 100,000 rubles.
• Initial investment in advertising 15,000 rubles.
• Unforeseen expenses 100,000 rubles.

Total initial investment - 1,475,350 rubles.

Attention!!! Photo equipment for photography is already in stock. The site and group are pre-created. The main large one-time expenses are investments in a photo lab, the cost of which is about 500,000 rubles. Therefore, if you do not have large volumes of printing, then you can get by with a photo printer with CISS, and print large volumes of photo printing on the side. It is desirable to have a scanner capable of scanning photographic film at sufficient resolution.

Workroom - non-residential semi-basement on 2 levels of 3 rooms. Entrance 1 from the side of the street. Nearby is the center of public services "My Documents".

Project financing

Investments are planned in the amount of 1,725,350 rubles, of which:

• capital investments 1,475,350 rubles.
• turnover costs 250,000 rubles.

For the amount of 1 million rubles. a bank loan is taken at 15% per annum, the remaining funds in the amount of 725 thousand rubles. personal funds of the project initiator.

Project payback

• Direct payback period - 19 months. (1.6 years).
• - 21 months (1.75 years.).
• NPV - 10,288 thousand rubles.

Suppliers and contractors

Due to the specifics of studio shooting, cosmetic repairs are being carried out with the re-equipment of the premises: repainting the walls, highlighting floor areas in the studio, installing lighting equipment and a large chroma key.

Photo studio equipment is purchased from an authorized dealer of the equipment manufacturer. This allows you to get a discount on the purchase of equipment installation and subsequently conclude a contract for the maintenance of the photo lab and the supply of consumables.

Furniture from the warehouse of the manufacturer.

The selection of suppliers was made by the initiator of the business project on the basis of own experience, knowledge about the quality and principles of using equipment, the quality and norms of consumables, supplier prices and reviews.

Services

The main services of the photo salon:

• printing photos;
• printing on ceramics;
• film printing;
• printing on fabrics;
• printing works (design of photo albums, collages, etc.)
• Studio photography;
• filming for documents;
• outdoor shooting;
• object shooting;
• renting out a location;
• calibration of photo and office equipment (with departure);
• sale of related products.

ATTENTION!!!

Practice shows that by ordering a business plan from specialists, you will save time, increase the quality of the finished document by 4-5 times and increase the chances of receiving investments by 3 times.

Investment plan

Investment size

Capital investments amount to 1,475 thousand rubles:

Name of works/goods/services	Quantity		Price
Preparation of documents for IP
Security deposit under the lease agreement
Room decoration
Price finishing materials
Price construction works
Making a sign above the entrance
Entry design
Purchase of equipment, furniture, office equipment (general):
Fotokvant (82000-1) construction kit for product photography
FST KF-104 4x26W fluorescent light source with softbox 60x80
Sofa for visitors
Folding sofa for interior location
Pulse sources, set of 3 pcs.
Constant light sources 500 watts.
Calibrator-scanner and photocorrection tables
Computer for the hall
Armchairs swivel
Computer monitors
Illuminator with reflector
Poufs for the location
Background setting system small, without lifting mechanism
Background setting system with lifting mechanism
Scanner with slide adapter
reception desk
Lighting racks
Work table
Coffee table for visitors
Chair adjustable
Location chairs
Background plastic
White photo umbrella for light 101 cm
Photolab Frontier FR330
Epson photo printer with CISS and support for formats up to A3
Initial purchase of consumables
Printing and distribution of leaflets
Unexpected expenses
Total initial investment			1 475 350

Investment work plan

Investment work takes 2 months. are held according to the following schedule:

room

The photo studio will occupy a separate non-residential basement with a total area of ​​35 m², of which the upper level is 7 m² - a hall, the lower level is 5 m² - a service room, 5 m² - printing, 18 m² - a studio.

The area is rented at a rate of 15,000 rubles. per 1 m² per year.

There is only one entrance from the street.

Ground floor plan

Top floor plan

Equipment

The purchase of photographic equipment is made through the official distributor of the manufacturer. It is important to agree not only on a discount when buying, but also on the installation of a photo lab. It is recommended to conclude a contract for the maintenance of equipment and the supply of consumables for photo printing.

Furniture is purchased from the warehouse of the manufacturer.

Working hours

Photo salon schedule: 9.00-21.00 without breaks and days off.

When processing or photographing, the work procedure is agreed with the salon administrator and its owner (project initiator).

Discounts are provided for the morning hours and regular customers renting the location of the photo studio.

Service delivery process

• Photographing for documents is carried out in the process of a live queue;
• Registration for photography and rental of equipment is carried out by the administrator of the photo salon;
• Registration for field photography and calibration of equipment is carried out by the administrator of the photo salon;
• Photographing for documents is carried out by a senior photographer, in his absence or if he is busy at the studio shooting by the administrator.
• Photos are loaded from the camera's memory cards to the office computer;
• The reception of the captured photos by the client for subsequent printing is accepted by the administrator, who downloads the photos received from the client to the office computer and returns the media to him. The storage media is checked by an antivirus without fail.
• Photos and color correction according to templates, and then they are selected before printing (to be agreed with the client)
• The resulting photographs for documents are printed in the presence of the customer on a photo printer. The average waiting time is no more than 15 minutes.
• Subject and macro photography is carried out within 2-5 days. with photo editing.
• For studio photos and photos from outdoor sessions, it is made within 2-5 days.
• Printing on ceramics and fabrics 1-3 days;
• Studio rental time for shooting by third-party photographers from 1 hour;
• Design of photo albums, calendars, plot photo applications for printing on ceramics or fabrics 1-5 days. and can be outsourced.

Cost of services

The cost of the service includes the cost of consumables, the recalculation of the hourly rental rate, the remuneration of the master, taking into account insurance payments, as well as the average cost of maintaining the salon.

The average cost of a print 10 * 15 cm is 8 rubles.

The cost of 1 hour of renting an interior studio is 500 rubles, morning hours - 300, in season - 700 rubles.

Marketing plan

The main direction of promotion of services is professional type services, which are provided by a full cycle photo process.

The main channel for promoting shooting services in a photo studio and for calibrating monitors and printers is the Internet, more precisely groups on social networks and special forums. Photo printing services are promoted through the distribution of advertisements and printing in the local press. It is important to find a way out for mass filming (d / s, schools, children's centers, registry offices, etc.).

Differences of the project from analogues

	Photos of the documents	Photo printing	Photo studio with location	Complex photo studio
Photos of the documents
Photo printing
Photo prices	For documents average on the market. Artistic - high, because usually printed on a photo printer	Market average		Market average
Photo quality	Low due to photo printer	Low or variable violations, tk. reduce costs through cheap consumables. It's hard to find a studio with a calibrated photo lab	High, because printed in proven photo labs	High, because photolab and printer calibration is carried out independently
Shooting location	White background	None, sometimes white background	Chroma key, decorated locations	White background, chroma key, decorated location
Footprint	1 room ≈8-10 m2	2 rooms ≈ 10-12 m2	Several isolated rooms from 50 m 2	Several isolated rooms from 35 m 2
Location		In places mass gathering of people	Large area and low rent required. Often an uncomfortable place: on the outskirts of the city; in former industrial zones, etc.	In crowded places. Decor storage problem

The target audience

The main task of the photo is the preservation of memory, beauty and pleasant memories. Target Audiences several, and they are radically different:

• a wide audience of people who need to shoot and print photos for documents
• family people aged 25-45 who need studio and family photography;
• professional and amateur photographers who need interior shooting in locations and professional photo printing.

Competition and location

The main photo studios are engaged in printing photos for documents. Printing photos in photo labs is less common. Despite the demand for the service, there are few orders, but large volumes, most photo labs have problems with unstable quality. This is due to the fact that they use cheap consumables not recommended by the manufacturer, and printing is done on non-calibrated equipment (according to the rules, equipment should be calibrated after each ink change).

Nearby there is a studio with a photo for documents. There are no studios with studio photography services and many types of printing.

Range of services

The planned structure of the photo center service is as follows:

Price policy

Prices for the services of a photographer with an established client base (field sessions, photo processing, subject photography, photo albums) are average prices for the region. For new services that will only appear in the salon down the city, with a gradual increase.

For related products and services with outsourcing, the markup is at least 20%.

Volume of sales

Below you can see an estimated photo studio occupancy chart.

Sales are significantly subject to seasonality, which affects the start of the project.

There is a distributed seasonality in the business, depending on the services of a photographer, photo printing and studio shooting services. The request for photographer services is maximum in April-May, June and at the end of the year. The peak of requests for photo printing falls on May, then it grows only in November-December. And studio shooting services are in demand in October-April. In fact, the opening of the photo center should take place in October-November, when the demand for photo printing and studio shooting services begins to grow. Also, it is from the end of autumn until the summer that services for calibrating monitors and printers are most in demand.

SWOT analysis

Let's analyze the solution based on the SWOT matrix

	Strengths: central location availability of photographic equipment professional level comprehensive services professional level accumulated client base	Weak sides: basement advertising budget high influence of seasonality personnel qualification "binding" to suppliers
Opportunities: promotions to attract customers; the possibility of changing the interiors in the location	Internet advertising is oriented by a professional community Quick change of interiors, backs and use of chromakey Reduced prices for home photography	Opportunities to print ads on the spot On-site employee training Distribution of services. In summer, advertising for outdoor photo shoots, starting from autumn locations
Difficulties: limiting the expansion of the range of services; customer retention; high requirements for equipment maintenance repayment of a credit	in advertising to emphasize the provision of stable professional quality. Free service for calibrating customer equipment when ordering a large amount of photos	Pre-selection of personnel In case of problems, repayment of the loan is possible through the sale of printing equipment Changing suppliers without sacrificing quality

Advertising strategy

• participation in professional groups of social networks and forums for advertising interior shooting, printing photos, calibrating equipment;
• website, city forums and amateur photo groups in networks: for advertising outdoor sessions (wedding photography, shooting in kindergartens and schools, business shooting, including portrait and subject photography).

organizational plan

Business form

Individual entrepreneur with a patent system. This allows you to reduce costs and work with taxation.

The cost of the patent is 42,000 per year. Paid every six months. Within 1 year, you can pay 1/3 for the first half of the year and 2/3 for the second.

Personnel and staff structure

The photo studio employs 3 people: a photographer and 2 administrators.

Position	Quantity	Salary, (thousand roubles.)
Photographer
senior administrator
Administrator
Total

The photographer has an irregular work schedule.

Administrators work in shifts schedule 2 through 2 for 12 hours.

1. Functional duties of the photographer:
   • Outdoor and studio photography;
   • Object shooting;
   • Departure for the calibration of customer equipment;
   • Control, refueling and calibration of photo salon equipment;
   • Processing and color correction of photos of studio shooting;
   • Processing and color correction of photographs of shooting clients;
   • Print photos in the photo lab.
   • Purchase of consumables and related products;
   • Transfer of work to outsourcing;
2. Functional responsibilities of the senior administrator:
   • Acceptance of orders;
   • Control of the availability of related products and consumables;
   • Transfer of the studio for rent;
   • Studio photography;
   • Shooting for documents;
   • Printing photos in a photo lab;
   • Monitoring the execution of works issued for outsourcing;
   • Room cleaning.
3. Functional duties of the administrator:
   • Acceptance of orders;
   • Drawing up a schedule for renting a studio;
   • Shooting for documents;
   • Printing photos for documents;
   • Transfer of the studio for rent;
   • Sale of related products;
   • Room cleaning.

Requirements for a senior administrator: knowledge of Photoshop and MS Office programs, ability to work at an advanced level.

Requirements for the administrator: knowledge of PhotoShop programs or equivalents and MS Office.

Financial plan

Project financing

Investments will amount to 1,725.35 rubles, of which capital expenditures - 1,475 thousand rubles. And working capital- 250 thousand rubles.

1 million rubles will be a bank loan received at 15%, the project initiator invests in the project in the amount of 725 thousand rubles.

The loan is repaid in equal installments in the amount of 49.2 thousand rubles. within 2 years, starting from the 3rd month from the start of the project. Interest on the loan is included in the payment.

Own funds are returned to the project initiator after the loan is repaid within 2 years, taking into account inflation.

Project payback indicators

The payback of the photo salon is calculated on a planning horizon of 10 years:

• contributions to social funds 30% (PFR - 22%, social insurance fund - 2.9%, medical insurance fund - 5.1%);
• the cost of the patent is 42,000 rubles. per year (3500 rubles per month);
• annual inflation of 10%.

Direct payback period - 19 months. (1.6 years).

The discount rate is set as WACC in the amount of 12.48%:

• Direct payback period - 19 months. (1.6 years).
• The payback period for the discounted cash flow is 21 months. (1.75 years.).
• NPV - 10,288 thousand rubles.

Risk Analysis

Main risks:

• low incomes of the population. The lack of demand for printing photos and photo shoots is partially compensated by a photo for documents. The rest is solved by a flexible pricing policy.
• the seasonality of demand is partly offset by the location and a wide range of services, surpassing photo salons in which photos are printed only on documents and photo labs. Accounting seasonal factors associated with the start of investment in the project, when the opening falls on the decline in demand between filming on location and low demand for filming in the studio.
• advertising. Customers want to make sure that the photographer has experience, which means they need to see the work. Having a website and your own group is a must. The period of connecting "word of mouth" in this business area is significant.

conclusions

The calculations performed confirm the effectiveness of investing in a photo studio to expand the photo business and obtain a better end result that surpasses the quality of possible competitors. The analysis carried out shows that the business pays off within an acceptable time frame, not only the credit institution, but also the initiator of the business receives profit.