MLeeK
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2011
- Messages
- 6,761
- Reaction score
- 1,380
- Location
- NY
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
Regrdless of skill or not, you are not equipped to do this professionally. When you charge any $ you are working in a professional capacity whether you are considering yourself a professional or not in terms of skill.
You will need a business license, Sales and Use tax ID first and foremost. You will need to know what is taxable in your state and municipality and what is not.
You will need the services of an attorney to draw up the necessary contracts for you and your clients. And do NOT skimp on this one. The portrait agreement HAS to be in writing and it has to itemize everything you are promising and everything you are NOT promising as well as what the client's responsiblities are. This is the only thing that will save you from losing everything and more in a lawsuit-regardless of whether the lawsuit is legit or not. There are many contracts available for purchase on the internet, but you really MUST have them reviewed and revised by a contract lawyer in your state. The laws vary so incredibly much that a blanket contract may be invalid or may not cover everything you will need to cover.
You will need the guidance of a good bookkeeper/accountant as to what you need to keep records of and what you need to report. We JUST had someone very similar to you in here last week who has been nailed by the local gov't for not being a legitimate business, not paying taxes. She is not only looking at the local gov't investigation but after that comes the state and the IRS. It's a MUST do.
You will need liability insurance-if a client trips over a cord and your camera falls on their child's head they are going to be holding you liable. That is the world we live in today.
Once you are legally, ethically and financially covered above you'll need to look into your cost of doing business. Once you know your cost of doing business you can determine what you MUST make in order to pay those costs as well as what you need to make above and beyond that to pay yourself a little bit.
I am not going to touch the lack of equipment or knowledge thing. People have started with less, but I also see them quite frequently on You Are Not a Photographer | Exposing fauxtographers since 2011
You will need a business license, Sales and Use tax ID first and foremost. You will need to know what is taxable in your state and municipality and what is not.
You will need the services of an attorney to draw up the necessary contracts for you and your clients. And do NOT skimp on this one. The portrait agreement HAS to be in writing and it has to itemize everything you are promising and everything you are NOT promising as well as what the client's responsiblities are. This is the only thing that will save you from losing everything and more in a lawsuit-regardless of whether the lawsuit is legit or not. There are many contracts available for purchase on the internet, but you really MUST have them reviewed and revised by a contract lawyer in your state. The laws vary so incredibly much that a blanket contract may be invalid or may not cover everything you will need to cover.
You will need the guidance of a good bookkeeper/accountant as to what you need to keep records of and what you need to report. We JUST had someone very similar to you in here last week who has been nailed by the local gov't for not being a legitimate business, not paying taxes. She is not only looking at the local gov't investigation but after that comes the state and the IRS. It's a MUST do.
You will need liability insurance-if a client trips over a cord and your camera falls on their child's head they are going to be holding you liable. That is the world we live in today.
Once you are legally, ethically and financially covered above you'll need to look into your cost of doing business. Once you know your cost of doing business you can determine what you MUST make in order to pay those costs as well as what you need to make above and beyond that to pay yourself a little bit.
I am not going to touch the lack of equipment or knowledge thing. People have started with less, but I also see them quite frequently on You Are Not a Photographer | Exposing fauxtographers since 2011
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