Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend! I had a ton of fun! Spent time with family, went to see The Color Purple on Broadway, and had a bunch of laughs and good food.

So today, we’re continuing on the list of what every photography student should have. Today our focus is on starting a business. As a freelance photographer, there are a lot of responsibilities and things you may have to take care of yourself, that you never had to do while working for someone.

Being a photographer depends a lot on having a strong business and marketing sense to make a living for yourself.

You must know how to spread the word about your business to generate new business, as well as marketing yourself to get published in magazines or land contracts with companies that have the budget to pay you. Whatever type of photography you’re interested in, you must know how to market yourself.

Putting in the work is a process, but the results can be very satisfying and profitable, and with everything, there’s always a first step. What’s the first step you may ask? Starting a Business:) Although there is a lot of detail in starting and running a business, you want to file your business name to start.

When I first started my photography business, Cheri Amour Photography, about five years ago, I decided to file as a DBA. DBA is abbreviated for Doing Business As. DBA is a legal term meaning that the name of the business is not the name of the owner.

After filing your DBA, you are then required to publish a notice of it in a newspaper for a set amount of time to inform the public of the owner’s intent to operate under an assumed name. Research in your area where you can go to file your business name. It may be different in every state.

After you have all your legal documents, you can then open a business checking account. You should always keep your personal and business funds separate, for legal reasons.

I recommend doing your research about what type of business entity to start and is most suitable for you. As I stated before, I started out filing a DBA, however now I am filing as an LLC, which stands for Limited Liability Corporation.

I’ve found a lot of great information here online about starting a business. Here’s a great link about filing your DBA!

In another post, I will go more into detail about the difference between a DBA and an LLC. However, for now, you should seriously think about filing your DBA. You will move from an amateur to a business owner, which is well on your way to being professional.

If you’re not comfortable filing your DBA yourself, there are several companies online that can do all the work for you, for a small fee. Research the companies and rates, and go for it!

After I decided to start my own business, I gained a sense of entitlement, as well as responsibility. It gave me that extra boost to take my career more seriously and make things happen for myself. New clients will also have a good impression on you if you’re legally filed as a business, and not just “saying” you have a photography business.

So take some consideration in this step. After you file your DBA, you can always incorporate it later and become an LLC. However, you have to start somewhere. So what are you waiting for!?:)

I would love to hear your progress in the comment area below! Let me know how your photography endeavors are going!:)

Here’s a short video on starting your DBA. Check it out and enjoy:) GOOD LUCK!