523: Teowai Ratahi – How to run a profitable, high-volume photography business

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area.

Teowai Ratahi of wwwpoihakenaportraits.com is someone I've been looking forward to recording with… for a few reasons.

One, she's been listening to the podcast and has been a member since 2013! And nothing makes me happier than recording a success story with a Premium member.

Two, she has a business model that I haven't really explored, and I'm sure the things she's learnt along the way will be helpful for your photography business. She specialises in high volume, lower cost family photography.

And three, this all started as a side hustle to her full-time job as a train driver! Today, turnover exceeds $220,000, paying her and her husband a wage.

I'm talking about Te-o-wai Ratahi of Poihakena Portraits, and I'm truly rapt to have what feels like an old friend with us today, even though we've never actually met or even spoken until now.

Te shares how to run a profitable, high-volume photography business in this interview.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• A brief background of the Māori culture
• Teowai's business model
• Teowai's booking process
• Preparing for photo sessions
• Teowai's viewing process after the photography sessions
• Pricing and packages for high-volume family photography
• Teowai's most popular photography package
• The importance of continuously marketing your business
• Teowai's marketing strategies
• How to boost Facebook events
• How to find venues to shoot indoor sessions
• Teowai's target demographic for her photography business
• How portrait fundraising works
• How do you know if your photo session event in different cities will be successful
• Going to small communities to do photo sessions
• Showing prices upfront to potential clients when boosting Facebook events
• Sending email reminders of what to prepare and expect during photo sessions
• How Teowai deals with clients who say they can't afford the packages
• Why Teowai allows clients to take photos during photo sessions
• How to deal with negative comments on your Facebook Ads
• Setting up different payment options for clients to choose from
• How taxation works when doing business in Australia and New Zealand
• Why you need to enrol in a small business management course
• The benefits of having a business plan
• What is the proper way to set wages
• Why Teowai prefers family portraits that wedding sessions
• The advantage of setting up a company for your photography business
• Does competition exist in Maori family portrait sessions
• Discussion about cultural appropriation
• The success rate of getting clients by boosting Facebook events
• How to target specific demographics on Facebook
• The best content to upload on social media
• Repurposing different social contents
• Why Teowai doesn't find the need to email past clients if they're going back to do photo sessions in their cities

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, get access to a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

The portraits are about celebrating heritage and connecting with culture so we encourage families to bring things that represent that for them. – Te-o-wai Ratahi

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access and instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable and build friendships with other pro photographers with similar motives to you – to build a more successful photography business.

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Te-o-wai shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business due to what you heard in today's episode.

I chose photography because I love photography. I've made it a business because if I was going to spend so much money on a hobby, I wanted it to pay for itself. – Teowai Ratahi

If you have any questions I missed, a specific question you’d like to ask Te-o-wai or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the biggest search engine for podcasts, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

Our work is our work and it's beautiful and what someone takes on their phone, they just don't compare. – Teowai Ratahi

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google, and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show, and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast and email me your keywords or keyword phrase and where you'd like me to link to.

As a photographer, I would say, go and do the small business management course because it gets you to startup your accounts right. – Teowai Ratahi

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Poihakena Portraits Website

Poihakena Portraits on Facebook

Poihakena Portraits on Instagram

Episode 014: Anni Payne – Photography Business Success and Lifestyle by Photographing the Way You Want

Episode 394: Patrick Boucousis – How to be a better salesperson in your photography business

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening, and thanks to Teowai for sharing her thoughts, practices, tactics and knowledge on building and growing a successful high-volume family photography business.

The main way we promote is we create Facebook events and then we boost them to the towns that we're traveling to. – Teowai Ratahi

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

The post 523: Teowai Ratahi – How to run a profitable, high-volume photography business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.