Product Photography Business

How Profitable Is A Product Photography Business? (Updated for 2024)

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 6th, 2024

How Profitable Is A Product Photography Business? (Updated for 2024)

So you want to start a product photography business?

And the first question that came to your mind was, “well, are product photography businesses actually profitable?”

With a market size of $548B - there’s plenty of business to go around.

Especially considering:

You could start a product photography business with as low as $60
Based on our data, product photography businesses generate an average of $327K per year

There’s money to be made. Don’t worry.

But, I don't want to spoil it all. Below we’ll cover everything you need to know when it comes to the profitability of a product photography business.

Let’s dive in!

Is a product photography business profitable?

Yes, a product photography business is generally a profitable business. However, you still need to consider several factors since these things always impact the overall outcome.

For instance, since average revenue is $327K per year with an estimated gross margin of 90%, you could expect to recover your investment within 5 months or even less.

But of course, it all comes down to how much you earn compared to the potential revenues of your product photography business.

To determine whether your business is profitable, you should earn more than your expenses in the beginning months. However, while you're in your first month, it can be challenging to know what to expect.

Therefore, you should maintain a record of your monthly expenses and income to determine whether you're meeting your goals. By doing this step, you can see how your product photography business is doing and if any changes or adjustments need to be made to enhance or maintain your efforts.

Is a product photography business worth it?

If you’re wondering if a product photography business is worth it, the answer is a big YES. With product photography businesses, you have the potential to earn $327K per year (this is based on data reported by real founders).

Further, you could have your initial investment back within months. Simply put, it’s a business worth a shot, especially if you have the resources and make the necessary efforts to achieve or surpass the target.

With a market size of $548B, it will be possible for you to build something that grows and turns into a flourishing business. As such, it’s the type of business you might want to consider starting.

Of course, you must learn and understand every aspect of running a product photography business to ensure success. Still, as long as you have the initial investment and can endure a few months before your actual gains, this business could be worth it.

You might want to consider reading more specifics about successful product photography businesses case studies.

Examples Of Profitable Product Photography Businesses

Here are a few examples of profitable product photography businesses, and a few more details about them:

1. Product Photography Studio ($540K/year)

Tsour Lee Adato, the founder of Pro Photo Studio, stumbled upon the idea of starting a product photography business when a client asked him to shoot one of their products. He quickly realized the potential of product photography and became obsessed with honing his skills. Today, Pro Photo Studio is a profitable business with a diverse range of clients, including prestigious brands like Starbucks and Versace, and plans to expand to multiple cities.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $540K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K

How I Started A Commercial Product Photography Business

Pro Photo Studio founder Tsour Lee Adato shares how she turned a $5k investment into a business that services over 500 clients annually and makes approximately $350k per year with plans to expand and become a 7-figure business while offering advice to fellow entrepreneurs to always be innovating, learning and growing, and not to undervalue themselves.

Read this case study

Read by 15,521 founders

2. PEWDOC ($14.4K/year)

Manthan Gajjar, the founder of pewdoc, came up with the idea for his business after realizing the potential to make money online through blogging. He used his passion for photography and his knowledge of SEO to create a photography blog that offers tips, tricks, and gear reviews for beginner photographers. Through consistent publishing, SEO optimization, and targeted ad campaigns, Gajjar has been able to attract and retain customers, earning $1.2k per month.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $14.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0

How I Solo Built A $1.2K/Month Blog Site For Indian Photographers

Founder Manthan Gajjar built his photography blogging platform, pewdoc, as a side hustle project and now generates $1.2K per month by publishing trending photography content for newbies. He shares his process of building a blog on a low budget, gaining traffic through consistency and SEO knowledge, and using social media advertising to attract customers and retain readers through newsletters.

Read this case study

Read by 2,336 founders

3. PortraitFlip LLC ($540K/year)

Sunny Choudhary, along with his co-founders Lavdeep Chahal and Shubhanshu Maheshwari, came up with the idea for PortraitFlip while searching for a platform that could deliver handmade portraits. They realized there were only a few companies providing such a service and saw it as a great opportunity. With a college side hustle, an initial investment of Rs. 23,000, and hard work, they were able to turn PortraitFlip into a successful startup yielding 3.5crs.

Is it profitable? Yes
How much money it makes: $540K/year
How much did it cost to start: $60

The $27K/Month Company That Turns Photographs Into Custom Handmade Portraits

PortraitFlip is a successful startup that delivers handmade portraits globally with a clientele base in the USA and yields 3.5crs through their 100% customer satisfaction guarantee, and they started with an initial investment of only Rs.23,000.

Read this case study

Read by 11,272 founders

Learn more about starting a product photography business:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a product photography business?
-> Pros and cons of a product photography business

Need inspiration?

-> Other product photography business success stories
-> Marketing ideas for a product photography business

Other resources

-> Product photography business tips

How much can you make with a product photography business?

With a product photography business, you can make an average of $327K revenue per year (based on data reported by real businesses).

You can start with an initial investment as low as $60. Then, with proper knowledge and sustained effort, you could have an ROI (return of investment) within 5 months.

How much does a product photography business make a week?

Based on our data, average weekly revenue for a product photography business ranges around $6.81K. As such, you could see monthly revenues of $27.2K.

To know if your product photography business achieves the weekly profit target, you need to keep track of the total earnings you get per day. Afterward, you'll want to consider subtracting the expenses you have daily.

Learning your weekly profit can also show whether you're hitting your target goal for your product photography business.

How much do product photography businesses owners make?

The income of a product photography business owner can vary depending on various factors such as location, size, competition, and the owner's business skills.

But to give you some idea, the weekly revenue of an established product photography business is about $6.81K. But this can be lower or higher depending on so many factors - it's almost impossible to say exactly.

While the potential for earning a good income as a product photography business owner exists, success in this field requires a commitment to providing quality products and services and building a strong reputation within the community.

Product Photography Business Profit Margins

Generally speaking, a product photography business can expect profit margin of around 90%. Profit margins refer to the percentage of revenue that remains after deducting all expenses associated with running a business. In the case of a product photography business, profit margins can vary depending on various factors, such as the type and quality of products sold, the size of the store, and the level of competition in the area.

However, these figures can vary depending on the pricing strategy, inventory management, and overall efficiency of the business. To maintain healthy profit margins, product photography business owners must focus on managing costs, negotiating favorable supplier terms, and providing high-quality products and services to attract and retain customers. By doing so, product photography business owners can ensure long-term sustainability and profitability for their business.

Product photography business owner salary

The salary of a product photography business owner is an unpredictable figure. It's significantly influenced by numerous factors, including the store's location, its size, and the degree of competition. An owner of a well-established product photography business, in a prime position, might see an average weekly salary around the ballpark of $6.13K.

But it's worth noting, such numbers aren't always consistent. The earnings can vary wildly, potentially swinging by as much as 80% either way.

Achieving consistent success and maintaining a reliable income stream in this industry requires a deep commitment. It's imperative to offer high-quality products, deliver impeccable customer service, and nurture a trusted bond with the community you serve.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, based on many of our examples, a product photography business may be a promising business to start - but the success of your product photography business mostly depends on your effort and your approach.

If you focus on these, you'll have a much higher chance of a profitable product photography business.

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Starting A Product Photography Business: Everything You Need To Know

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