I recently changed my business name from Save The Date Photo to Jen O’Sullivan. I have gotten a lot of inquiries as to why I did this? It is a studio decision that each person needs to make: use your name or come up with a company name. Here was my logic when I first started out: No one knows who I am, so if I create a business entity I can make it look “bigger” than I actually am. I felt that having a company name helped me look more reputable. I did get a lot of comments in the beginning along the lines of “who owns the company?” and “how will I know what photographer will be coming from your company?” It was not quite the response I was looking for. A while back I took some R&D photos for Nokia Mobile Phones of various stores along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It was for research for a new phone line they were launching called Vertu. One thing that became very clear was in the names of many of the stores. They were simply named after the artist or designer. Louis Vuitton, Bijan, Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren. These stores are not selling a brand they are selling a person who has created a brand based on art, style, and form. As a photographer it is important to decide which route you want to take: Target or Louis Vuitton. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Target, and they make gobs and gobs of money. They are just a different business model than LV. Whichever route you take, my advice would be to decide and go with it. While not extremely hard to change my business name, it was a bit of an upheaval. I am still finding random websites that list Save The Date Photo. In reality people what to hire you, the talent, and not some corporate company. Take it for what it is worth, but I say, go with your name.
To view more helpful photo tips go to JensTips.com and learn something new today!
Copyright © 2009 by Jen O’Sullivan http://www.jenosullivan.com