Pricing for photos for architecture firms / wholesalers

[heidi100]

[hide][top]Hi + Help needed with pricing for design firms

Hi,
This is my first time writing in one these forums (after being a long time reader for help/advice).. I sell my travel photography prints via my Etsy store and recently I have been selling and getting more interest from Interior design /styling/architecture firms.... I am aware of selling at wholesale but am a little confused at what price to sell to these types of companies when they aren't going to sell my photos - they are buying them as displays for their homes or for clients homes/offices etc. I recently sold 5 A1 prints to a company and sold at wholesale with a slight discount as I wanted to sale (and still made a profit) However I am understanding that these types of firms want a massive discount? .. I would like to sell more, but also don't want to just "give away" my prints... I have an American based company enquiring about 8 prints at really large sizes 60 x 40 inches on canvas and what to buy the digital file (easier as I am in Australia) ....
In this case, I wouldnt need to pay for printing or shipping and would have a contract directly with their art supplier that its one off print but I dont know how i should price each as I have never printed anything this large.... or if I should offer way more of a discount or just except that I don't want to devalue my work and art and state what I thnk it's worth (within reason)??

Can anyone offer any advice if they have been in similar situations?? I'd like to have more of an idea / package to be able to send out for each quote (within reason for different sizes)

Sorry for long message! I need help lol

[ricktas]

Your pricing structure is just that. Everyone sells at differing prices, as is evident if you look at wedding photography. You can get wedding photographers shooting for $400-$500, or you can get one that shoots at $100,000 to do a wedding.

There is no right/wrong fee. Except..if you sell at a loss

So how do you know when you are selling at a loss? Well you need to work out what everything costs you. What did you camera gear cost, insurance, website, marketing, etc? What does it cost you every month to keep taking photos? Also consider your time. How much per hour do you think you are worth? $10? $20? $40 $80..more?

Once you know all your costs, then you know how much you need to make each month to be profitable. Once you know your costs you also can work out how much to charge to make the amount of money you want to earn per month. Then when you look at your sales for the month, how much does each sale need to be to hit your target?

eg. (simplified)

Your costs are $2500 a month (website, insurance, camera gear, printing, framing)
You want the earn $2500 a month income
So your total turnover needed is $5000.00

You sell 40 photos a month
$5000/40 = $125.00
So you need to charge $125.00 minimum for each and every sale.

Why can't we tell you how much to charge? Well that is simple too. Our costs might be different and our wanted income might be different. If you can get an A1 photo printed and framed for $200 and I choose to use a higher quality lab and framer and the same thing costs me $500 then I have to work my fees out based on that. Or you want to earn $1000 a week profit, but I want to each $1250.00 per week.

As for the American company, where no printing etc is involved. Well you need to work out your costs for the job, and then you have a starting point to work out what to charge.

So what you need to do is stop being a photographer and become a business person and start doing some financial planning and costings etc. Then you, and only you, will know what to charge. I would suggest you seek our your local Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and see what they offer in the way of small business courses.

Oh and if you cannot be bothered doing all that, then charge them $100 per photo (sarcasm).

[heidi100]

Your pricing structure is just that. Everyone sells at differing prices, as is evident if you look at wedding photography. You can get wedding photographers shooting for $400-$500, or you can get one that shoots at $100,000 to do a wedding.

There is no right/wrong fee. Except..if you sell at a loss

So how do you know when you are selling at a loss? Well you need to work out what everything costs you. What did you camera gear cost, insurance, website, marketing, etc? What does it cost you every month to keep taking photos? Also consider your time. How much per hour do you think you are worth? $10? $20? $40 $80..more?

Once you know all your costs, then you know how much you need to make each month to be profitable. Once you know your costs you also can work out how much to charge to make the amount of money you want to earn per month. Then when you look at your sales for the month, how much does each sale need to be to hit your target?

eg. (simplified)

Your costs are $2500 a month (website, insurance, camera gear, printing, framing)
You want the earn $2500 a month income
So your total turnover needed is $5000.00

You sell 40 photos a month
$5000/40 = $125.00
So you need to charge $125.00 minimum for each and every sale.

Why can't we tell you how much to charge? Well that is simple too. Our costs might be different and our wanted income might be different. If you can get an A1 photo printed and framed for $200 and I choose to use a higher quality lab and framer and the same thing costs me $500 then I have to work my fees out based on that. Or you want to earn $1000 a week profit, but I want to each $1250.00 per week.

As for the American company, where no printing etc is involved. Well you need to work out your costs for the job, and then you have a starting point to work out what to charge.

So what you need to do is stop being a photographer and become a business person and start doing some financial planning and costings etc. Then you, and only you, will know what to charge. I would suggest you seek our your local Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and see what they offer in the way of small business courses.

Oh and if you cannot be bothered doing all that, then charge them $100 per photo (sarcasm).

- - - Updated - - -

Your pricing structure is just that. Everyone sells at differing prices, as is evident if you look at wedding photography. You can get wedding photographers shooting for $400-$500, or you can get one that shoots at $100,000 to do a wedding.

There is no right/wrong fee. Except..if you sell at a loss

So how do you know when you are selling at a loss? Well you need to work out what everything costs you. What did you camera gear cost, insurance, website, marketing, etc? What does it cost you every month to keep taking photos? Also consider your time. How much per hour do you think you are worth? $10? $20? $40 $80..more?

Once you know all your costs, then you know how much you need to make each month to be profitable. Once you know your costs you also can work out how much to charge to make the amount of money you want to earn per month. Then when you look at your sales for the month, how much does each sale need to be to hit your target?

eg. (simplified)

Your costs are $2500 a month (website, insurance, camera gear, printing, framing)
You want the earn $2500 a month income
So your total turnover needed is $5000.00

You sell 40 photos a month
$5000/40 = $125.00
So you need to charge $125.00 minimum for each and every sale.

Why can't we tell you how much to charge? Well that is simple too. Our costs might be different and our wanted income might be different. If you can get an A1 photo printed and framed for $200 and I choose to use a higher quality lab and framer and the same thing costs me $500 then I have to work my fees out based on that. Or you want to earn $1000 a week profit, but I want to each $1250.00 per week.

As for the American company, where no printing etc is involved. Well you need to work out your costs for the job, and then you have a starting point to work out what to charge.

So what you need to do is stop being a photographer and become a business person and start doing some financial planning and costings etc. Then you, and only you, will know what to charge. I would suggest you seek our your local Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and see what they offer in the way of small business courses.

Oh and if you cannot be bothered doing all that, then charge them $100 per photo (sarcasm).

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks for responding!

I definitely wouldn't charge $100 for my prints at large sizes.. Gave up discounting my work like that A long time ago

I think you have just given me the shove again to really sit my arse down and work out my whole structure for once and for all, not changing things up every now and then to suit myself.. My boyfriend is an accountant so i really need to be making use of that one lol.

This month is really the first time in a long time i have decided to really make a go of the "business" and take it from just an etsy store online to so much more (as hard as it may be) So yes, definitely need to have the business side worked out - which i am working on!

But thank you for giving me more to think about

[William W]

Just to point out something that is often not recognized or it is sometimes confused - and people who do not understand it or confuse it, often wonder why their business's do not succeed as expected or (worse) go broke.

I'll use Rick's simplified structured example here below -

. . .

Once you know all your costs, then you know how much you need to make each month to be profitable. Once you know your costs you also can work out how much to charge to make the amount of money you want to earn per month. Then when you look at your sales for the month, how much does each sale need to be to hit your target?

eg. (simplified)

Your costs are $2500 a month (website, insurance, camera gear, printing, framing)
You want the earn $2500 a month income
So your total turnover needed is $5000.00

You sell 40 photos a month
$5000/40 = $125.00
So you need to charge $125.00 minimum for each and every sale.

Note the precise words that Rick used and that I reiterate using similarly precise terms, here:

Expendables and the business running costs per month = $2500

Salary (your income) paid by the business to you each month = $2500

The two amounts above require sales (i.e. the turnover of the business) to be per month = $5000.

The important point I want to make/underscore is that sales of $5000 per month is for the Business to BREAK EVEN. (that is neither have a loss, nor a profit).

My point being do NOT confuse the salary (income of $2500 per month that the business pays to you) as being the business's "profit": in the final analysis of your 'business' is is not profit but it is an expense of wages or salary that needs to be paid each month to you.

WW