Tips on running your photobooth business more efficiently and effectively!
We’ve been running our photobooth hire business since May 2012. The first year was our learning curve, learning how to start a business, learning all about photobooths, operating a business, how to get bookings, learning photoshop, learning new software, learning different advertising techniques, hiring staff etc. Although our first year was the most challenging year, it definitely was the most exciting and I enjoyed the whole ‘start-up’ process. It was our first business, and one we worked on passionately. Within the first year of launching, we grew our hire business from 1 to 6 photo booths, we designed our own portable photobooth that we sell across Australia and New Zealand. Each year we learn something new, and each year we implement processes that help us run the business more efficiently and effectively.
Here’s a few tips on running your photobooth business more efficiently and effectively:
- Embrace technology: I recently heard the phrase, ‘If you don’t know how to make money from your smart phone, well then you must have a dumb phone’. I thought it was pretty funny, but it has some truths. There are apps that you can install on your phone to help run your photobooth business more smoothly. The one I use most is ‘Email Templates’, you can create email templates for enquiries, ready to send as soon as you get an email enquiry from a potential customer. The great thing about these mobile devices is that you can run your business anywhere from the palm of your hand, you can be outside at the park, beach, even overseas!
- Respond quickly: Your mobile device alerts you as soon as you get an email enquiry, if you want to engage with a potential customer whilst he/she is online, use your ‘email templates’ app to generate a response within a few minutes of him/her making the initial enquiry. That potential customer will be sending a few email enquiries to your competitors, if you’re the first to engage with the customer and have shown great, instant customer service, you’re already ahead of your competitors, and you have the ability to lock in a booking before your competitors have even seen the email enquiry!
- Have a booking system in place: It makes running a business easier if you have a booking process in place, it also helps minimise any mistakes! Here’s an example:
- Once you receive an email about an event, respond to the enquiry with complete details on pricing/inclusions, terms/conditions and how to secure the booking (use your email templates app)
- Get the hirer to complete a booking form which contains the event details, venue details and hirer contact details
- Send them an invoice and ask for a deposit
- Add the details to your online calendar with the complete event, hirer and invoice details
- Once a deposit is received, get started on personalising their photo strip and finalise the photo strip design
- A few days/or week prior to their event, get in touch with the venue and the hirer to reconfirm all the details, touch base and reassure the m that you have everything under control
- Follow up after their event is over, thanking them and asking them for feedback and to review the service you provided
- Add the feedback to your website/social media
- Improve any areas that were mentioned in the feedback
- Online photo strip design gallery: Have a few sample photo strip templates on your website where you can direct the customer once they’re ready to personalise their photo strip. It helps give the customer a few ideas, and it also helps that they simply choose an existing design
- Learn and be involved in your business: Learn about advertising on Google Adwords, Facebook advertising, embrace all the free information available on Google and other search engines. Install Google Analytics, and learn about webmaster tools. Most importantly read articles on SEO and organic search rankings, learn tips, read and implement these onto your site. Keep updated with the industry trends, learn how you can add this to your service.
These are just a few tips that came to mind, we hope you’re able to get a few ideas on how to make your photo booth business run more efficiently and easier. We always welcome feedback and ideas, if you have other processes that work, get in touch – we’d love to hear them!