In 2001, my husband and I went to Ireland for 9 days. Mealtimes were difficult for me as it was the height of Salmon season and this girl is so NOT a seafood fan. Overall, I wasn’t a fan of Irish food (except for Barmbrack), so when we saw a little hamburger stand open in Doolin, I rushed to get in line.
Obviously, the place was opened with the tourist market in mind. We were there through Easter weekend, which seems to start the “high season” and there was a HUGE influx of tourists the last few days we were there. My fellow American tourists were all missing McDonald’s as much as I was and the place was packed.
It was a small restaurant, no places to sit down, but there were grills, fryers, pop machines and enough other equipment to assure me that I was going to get some tasty eats very soon.
Sadly, I was disappointed. The beef, well, I don’t think it was beef, I think it was some mixture because it didn’t taste a thing like a hamburger. The fries were white and soggy. I believe the fryers were not up to temperature and the fries were not cooked long enough.
I was so disappointed as I chucked most of my lunch into the trash can.
So, what in the heck does this have to do with going into the photography business?
Sometimes, what seems like a good idea, starts to go very badly if not executed correctly.
I’m sure the entrepreneur who decided to open a hamburger stand in one of the biggest tourist areas of Ireland had a brilliant idea. However, I am sure that he/she did not bother checking out what an actual American hamburger and fries meal tasted like or the meal I was given would not have been the norm.
The Irish entrepreneur failed because he did not educate himself. He saw an idea that seemed to be a good money maker (beef and potatoes, how hard can it be?), but he failed to research and educate himself.
He bought all the groovy restaurant equipment that he needed and jumped right into high season.
His friends and family probably all encouraged him and told him how great his meals were. Well, they weren’t exactly hamburger experts, either, were they?
Does that sound familiar?
It could be that you’ve bought a new camera and you are loving all of your photos. Your friends are encouraging you to do this professionally. You know, think about staying a hobbiest. Or an amateur. Or if you want to go pro, set a goal to do that – a goal that is several years down the road. Because you need time to develop your skills, take some classes, find out what the market needs in your area are. Do some research. Get some education.
Don’t chuck all of your money into equipment and then jump into business with a half-heated fryer…