DO PEOPLE GET OFF ON THIS?!?

[keyseddie]

Non-refundable deposit due at the time the session is booked. No deposit, no shoot. The balance should be paid at the beginning of the appointment. No balance payment, no shoot.

Giving off the cuff discounts is a bad idea. Word of mouth is the fastest, most effective form of marketing, and these people are going to tell others about "what a great deal you gave them." Others will come to expect the same discounts and will be confused as to why the price you quote them isn't the same as what they heard.

To put it simply, your business will not survive if you continue to treat it like a hobby. Chances are your friends and the people who keep bailing on you are not your target market.

This wins as the best advice on the OP's situation.:thumbup:

 

[Rosy]

Unfortunately one phrase you must learn is

If you want to avoid getting disappointed...lower your expectations on people

I live by your motto - I would NEVER do that to anyone and when they do it to me - CRAP...it's like getting slapped in the face!

 

[Tee]

Chances are your friends and the people who keep bailing on you are not your target market.

We have a winner right here! I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[KmH]

then be in business! stop the freebies/underpricing (unless it's for a charity you choose to support).

Bad idea.

Charge the charity the same as you charge everyone else, and make a personal (tax deductible) donation in support of the charity.

 

[MRPhotography]

My personal opinion is do no work until you have money in hand.

Do no scouting for locations, do nothing. If you have a two week minimum before the shoot for the deposit to be in, one safely assumes that you originally set it up that way so you had time to set up the details of the shoot prior to shooting.

I suffer from getting excited about a photoshoot prior to getting payment all the time, but it's a great way to feel burned for all the thought and time you've invested in something you've not seen a dime toward.