Why Photography Businesses Are Failing (And How to Avoid It)

The Sad Truth I Discovered While Cleaning Out My iPad

For over 10 years, I have been saving websites from talented photographers. These photographers inspired me in some way with beautiful images, great business processes, or simply one or two images that spoke to me in some way.  So I saved their sites thinking that I would come back to them someday.  That day was last Saturday when I was doing a digital clean out.  You know when you spend time removing things that you think you need to save, but really don’t.  I usually do this kind of thing while “watching” a movie with my husband.  

I had saved over 60 sites and when I started clicking over to them, my heart sank.

More than half were gone. Broken links. "We're closed" messages. I clicked through over 15 sites at one point and every one of them had a URL that was for sale or had a bright red message saying something to the effect of, “thanks for the memories, but we are no longer taking on new business.” 

These weren't bad photographers. In fact, they were all very good photographers.  That is why I had saved their sites.  They had stunning work. They had invested in beautiful websites. And I knew that they had invested in some kind of online education some time during their business tenure.  

So what happened?

The Hard Numbers

Here's something most people don't talk about. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 20% of small businesses fail in their first year. By year five, roughly 50% have closed their doors.

Photography businesses face even tougher odds. Why?  Because the barrier to entry is low. Anyone can buy a camera and call themselves a photographer. The market is crowded. And many photographers start their business because they love taking photos, not because they understand business.

Read that last statement again.  Was that you?  Photographers are usually creative creatures that want to create beautiful art, but are pretty clueless when it comes to the day to day idea of running a business. 

Why Photography Businesses Are Failing

There are many reasons why photography businesses can fail.  Here are some of my thoughts as someone who used to be involved in the online education circle.  These are things that I see are truly hurting the chances of many people’s success.

1. The Coaching Industry Is Broken

I was part of the online education movement for photographers back before COVID. We believed we could help people build great businesses. But since leaving that circle things have changed.  You see the ads that say things like “have a great idea? You can make thousands by selling it online!” And I have watched as many, many people with limited experience have started selling coaching products. 

Today's coaching world has become a money machine. Coaches promise fast results. They sell you on being part of a community. They post perfect lives on social media. They create fancy marketing that makes you feel like you're missing out. AND they take courses from other coaches that teach them how to do that.  It doesn’t happen by accident. 

But here's the problem: many coaches care more about making money from you than helping you get results.  Add to that the face that most of them haven’t been in business long enough to truly help you navigate the challenges that you will face in your business. 

They sell courses that sit unwatched on your computer. 

Now, don’t feel like I am calling you out but how many courses have you purchased where you never even logged into the information?  It happens all the time.  People are sold on the identity of being a part of a group but never bother to look into the meat of the program.  

And guess what, in all the coaching education that I have been a part of, the many masterclasses that I have sat through,  not one coach has ever raised their hand and said, “I made this great course, I sold it to many people, but no one is going through the content.”  It doesn’t happen.  

And there are never classes for coaches that are titled, “you sold your course, now get people to absorb the content so they can get the promise you sold them.” 

What to know why?  Because by the time you might think there is an issue with the content, you have already spent your money.  The 30 day guarantee is past and you are sitting there with a bunch of crushed hope and sunk costs.  

A good coach will have some sort of wording in the fine print or in the emails that they send you when you enroll telling you that it is your responsibility to log in and learn what you want to learn.  And to give them a little credit, they are right.  It is your responsibility.  But they also have a responsibility to have content that is truly beneficial and transformative.

The coaching works for some people. But for most, it's just expensive hope on a screen that is easy to turn off and ignore. 

2. Free Resources Are Not Enough

If your algorithm looks like mine, it is filled with the opportunity to get many, many free pdf’s, access to masterclasses, secret podcasts and other 

It feels helpful. It feels like learning. It feels like my business will be better as a result of taking the time to absorb the information.

But free resources won't build your business.

Why? Because they give you information, not transformation. They teach you what to do, but they don't help you actually do it. They don't hold you accountable. They don't help you work through your specific problems.

You can download 100 PDFs about marketing. But if you don't actually create a marketing plan and follow through, nothing changes.  And if you don’t have someone there to help you know what marketing avenues to pursue you might just be wasting your time.

3. Social Media Is Not a Complete Business Strategy

Before COVID, photographers could build businesses largely through Facebook and Instagram. Post great work, engage with followers, and clients would find you.

That world is gone.

The algorithm changed. Organic reach dropped. Everyone is fighting for attention. Going viral doesn't mean your phone will ring.

Here's what many photographers don't understand: social media is a tool, not a strategy.

A real business needs:

• A clear target market

• A pricing strategy that creates profit

• Multiple marketing channels

• Systems for client management

• Financial planning

• Customer retention strategies

Posting pretty pictures on Instagram covers none of these things.

4. Nobody wants to learn the Boring Stuff so few people teach it

Photography school teaches you about light and composition. Online courses teach you about posing and editing.

But very few mentors teach you how to:

• Read a profit and loss statement

• Calculate your true cost of doing business

• Create a marketing budget

• Build systems that save time

• Price your work to make actual profit

• Handle difficult clients

• Plan for slow seasons

• Pay quarterly taxes

This boring stuff is what keeps businesses alive. The pretty stuff is what gets people started. But without the foundation, the business crumbles.

5. Photographers Don't Treat It Like a Business

Many photographers start because they love photography. They want to create art. They want flexible schedules. They want to be their own boss.

These are beautiful reasons to start. I personally LOVE all those reasons.

But love for photography doesn't pay the bills.

A business requires:

• Consistent work habits

• Financial discipline

• Marketing consistency

• Customer service excellence

• Problem-solving skills

• Adaptability

When times get tough, passion alone won't save you. You need business skills.

And it is ok to make mistakes.  Mistakes can be a HUGE gift to a business.  They can help you refine, focus, and center your business on what really matters.

Click here to read more of my insight on How Mistakes Can be Good for Your Business

What Actually Works

After years in this industry, I've seen what separates photographers who build sustainable businesses from those who close their doors.

The ones who succeed:

• Focus on profit, not just revenue

• Build multiple streams of income

• Create systems and processes

• Invest in real education with accountability

• Market consistently across multiple channels

• Know their numbers

• Treat photography as a business first, art second

They do the boring work. They show up even when it's hard. They get help when they need it.

You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone

Building a photography business is hard. It's harder than it's ever been.  Truly, do not believe anyone that says it is easy.  Owning your own business is challenging.  But you don't have to do it alone. And you don't need another expensive course that sits on your shelf.

You need someone who will tell you the truth. Someone who has been in the trenches. Someone who cares more about your success than making a sale.

My ipad experience made me really upset.  In fact it has been bothering me for several days.  So much incredible potential just being erased from the world.  When really, the fix is pretty simple.

So to help photographers get unstuck and moving in the right direction, I'm offering free 15-minute coaching calls. No sales pitch. No upsell. Just honest help.

Book Your slot on my calendar

Bring me your biggest challenge. Your toughest question. The thing keeping you up at night.

I'll be an open book. You will have full access to my 30 years of small business experience. 

Maybe we'll work together in the future. Maybe we won't. Either way, you'll walk away with clarity and a next step.

Because too many talented photographers are giving up. And that needs to stop.

Ready to get real help? Schedule your free 15-minute call. Let's make sure your business is still standing five years from now.