Many photography businesses are run by a husband and wife couple. Others are run by business partners. In either case, working together and utilizing each others strengths and downplaying the weaknesses are keys to making the business work.
This article presents some practical tips towards this goal.
Know your own strengths and interests. Before you can plan an effective partnership, you must know what you like to do and your aptitude for doing those tasks. Take some time to think about your skills relative to those of your partners. Make a list of those skills. Make a list of those activities you love to do; activities that you would do for free if you were so required. Ask your partner to complete this exercise as well.
After you have identified your relative strengths and interests, identify all of the work that needs to be done for the business to function. Add the obvious - from taking and editing the pictures to the less obvious such as drafting a marketing plan or dealing with customer orders. Assign area of responsibility based on interests and aptitudes. The term "Photography Business" has two parts - "Photography" and "Business." Often partners gravitate to one or the other of these words. One partner usually has a stronger desire than the other to see the business grow, function smoothly, and have a profitable bottom line. The other partner often has a stronger desire to make sure the work is creative, that a brand is being developed, that the highest possible quality is being maintained.
In short often there is one partner who has a greater love of photography and the other has a greater love of business. These arraignments can be highly successful and satisfying if work is assigned based on interest. We usually do our best work when we are doing the work we love.
