For Photographers : Perseverance is everything

This year I have seen countless posts in the various photography Facebook groups I’m in asking if others are struggling this year as well. We have all felt it, the cost of everything has gone up, people are struggling across the country to afford rent, and food. I see so many posts saying “The number one thing you can do as a photographer is x,y,z” or “the key to your success in the photography industry is …" and endless courses promising to give you the key to becoming a 6 figure business. Now I don’t doubt that these things are valuable and will help you to improve your business but if you ask me, the 1 thing you can do to be successful is just don’t give up. It sounds ridiculously simple, and something we’ve heard our entire lives but the numbers say it all.

“Approximately 20 percent of small businesses fail within the first year. By the end of the second year, 30 percent of businesses will have failed. By the end of the fifth year, about half will have failed.”

This is my 7th year as a full time photographer, and let me tell you, not every year will be a banner year. Especially as an on location photographer, working in frigid Alberta, I can tell you that the cyclical nature of my job would be enough to make anyone want to quit. Just trying to make a thousand dollars in January has felt impossible some years and it sure is humbling on the 1st of the year to see all your numbers reset to zero. But quitting was never an option, so I just keep going and now I can look back and see that I have grown this business to make 20x more than that first year.

So, if you are stuck in the comparison game or frustrated to see yet another cheap photographer pop up in your area, just remember, if you keep going one day you will have years to look back on. The fact that you are still here is success in itself.