Start Up Spending

[Mrbessar4a]

It's been a long road since I graduated from my photo school, stopped assisting, started working at a camera store. But now I'm finally in a spot where I really want to get back to focusing on weddings. I'm not quitting my day job, so I can keep paying my bills/rent etc from that. But I have gear I need, outside of just photo gear. A macbook, graphic design work, website stuff etc... I just want to know how much people started throwing down when they started their business? Lucky for me I don't have to bank a Nikon full frame system which I think is unnecessarily expensive for a starter, that saved me a ton of cash... But I've been accumulating a healthy bit of debt while putting myself in position to get through a wedding day, and really serve my clients as I think they should be. I'm not drowning in debt, but I am pretty much spending every dollar I make on my business.

Call me crazy, but I just need to check that that's what I should be doing right? It is true that a big investment in equipment and other things has to be made on the outset, and slowly over time you get into a position to turn a profit. You spend a little time in the red, but dig yourself out and start making cash...

...right?

Any starter tips would be appreciated.

 

[FrankS]

You said that you already have the gear you need. Just use what you've got, providing it is workable, and buy upgrades as you make the money. Don't dig yourself into a deeper hole.

 

[mwooten]

Make sure to set it up as a business, separate from your personal. If you're in the US, look up the small business administration (link).

 

[Mrbessar4a]

It's not speciifically upgrade costs like say geting a 85mm 1.2 over a 1.8. It's more like setting up a bigger raid because I'm running out of space on my exisiting one, or getting a mac book pro for on site back ups, various external hard drives. I spent a bunch of money already setting up the gear I do need photographically but things keep adding up...

I'm just not sure how much I should be shelling out while "going pro" you know? I want to be able to deliver more than the usual weekend warrior, I know I have the talent and the taste but I'm at the outset of my business and I just don't know how debt I should normally incur for myself...