Photography Blog- Becky Weale: Business on a budget (1) ...

Hi everyone! In my last post I mentioned a couple of things-

1) I am turning a spare room into an office

2) I might be getting an iMac

3) I am starting a business

Well i thought I would update you today as things are moving on nicely.
Firstly, I did say in my last video i didn't want to go into too much detail about things, because I plan to make youtube videos, covering similar points but for now i am just updating on my blog, so I guess I can explain and if need be I will recap with some youtube videos at a later date...

Anyway, a week or so ago I decided that the first step in business and order myself some business cards. I don't have an official website or anything so I literally just put my name, email address and mobile phone number on the cards, with an explanation of who I am and where I am based. I picked a pretty design (in keeping with the colour scheme and 'style' of my business- more on that later) and ordered them. Now, I thought theses were going to be rather cheap, the website ( http://www.vistaprint.co.uk ) boasted free business cards, so I was obviously expecting them to be free, but as I began editing, and adding postage cost they ended up working out at just under £10, which isn't too bad. I was really excited when they arrived on my doorstep today, and I was really pleased with the outcome. They look really high quality and very professional, and i really did get loads, so I am not so disappointed with the price now.

This is roughly how many I got, give or take a few... pretty sure it was like 250 or 500 or something like that! Definitely enough for me at the moment.

These will be perfect for the wedding next week to give to anyone who asks for my details, quickly and professionally.

So my first business on a budget tip, is to get yourself some business cards! It really is a vital part of starting a successful business and getting your name out there.

I plan to pop these cards in envelopes when I post prints, leave them in shops, give them to friends and family etc. just so they know how to get in contact with me. If people have your details at their fingertips they are more likely to contact you for work, because they wont need to waste time searching for you when they need you!

Also, sign up to vista print and sometimes you get special offers and deals for cheap purchasing. I got a fab little booklet filled with coupons and vouchers for money off purchases, with my business cards, so I will definitely be making use of those.