Here are some of our photo booth success stories from the month of September!
Another month has gone by and we couldn’t be happier with all of the progress that we have been seeing with all of the PBI Family members. As you know, our exclusive Facebook community has been popping from all of the activity that you guys have been up to. We would like to highlight some of our favorite stories and photo booth success we noticed this month!
Our Top Contributor This Month in the Facebook Group
Congrats To Zoraida C Alvarez For The Top #PBIfamily Contributor Of The Month Of September. Who Will Win This Month?
Zoraida is new to the PBI Family but she is doing well already with her business, Pics and Tales Photo Booth. She is continuously gracing us with great news about her business inspiring new and old members alike. We are happy to see her utilizing the group for help in her own business, and giving help to others. We are happy to have you in our family, and wish you even more success with your photo booth business!
Oh Snap, All Snap is Here! Congrats Guys on Your New Branding.
First Gigs with their New PBI Photo Booth Equipment
Thanks for sharing your first gigs guys! We know that the first few gigs are a really exciting milestone. It proves to us that this concept can really work. Keep working hard and you can grow your business to be as big as you want.
Kristel and Michael Rogers had a great first gig this September. Congrats guys!
Tharaneka Sparrow was also kind enough to share their first event with us as well! We look forward to seeing the rest of your success to come!
Winner of Our Media Kit Prize Raffle!
EddyGee won our Media Kit Prize from our raffle. Enjoy!
Make sure you sign up for all of our contests so you can be our next winner. Find out about them in our Secret PBI Family Photo Booth Success Facebook Group!
September Big Wins
#PBIFAMILY
We like to acknowledge people when we see them making strides or having particularly big wins. This month have have two.
First we saw Alejandra Charles head out for a 3 event night. He was running 2 weddings and 1 quinceñera. That truck looks packed.
The other good thing we saw was that Brian Burns did $6100 worth of business.
We wish you all even greater success this month as you keep developing and growing your businesses!
Why Starting a Photo Booth Business is Better Than a Franchise
BlogWhen you’re looking for an opportunity to be your own boss, franchising can seem like a tempting option. A joint venture between a franchisor and a franchisee is a popular way for entrepreneurs to start a business, according to Investopedia. After all, you can immediately access an established company’s brand name and customer base for your gain.
But, is starting a franchise business really all it’s cracked up to be?
We’ll let you in on a little secret; starting a photo booth business is actually more lucrative than franchising and gives you the most control over your business.
Read on to learn more about why starting a photo booth business is the way to go.
Starting a Photo Booth Business vs Owning a Franchise
Let’s be clear, starting a business is never easy! No matter if you want to start a photo booth business or become a franchisee, there’s work to be done.
However, when comparing the two, starting a photo booth business comes out on top.
Costs
Starting a business always comes with both upfront and running costs. According to data from the Franchise Business Review, the average franchise business will cost $150,000 to start. The franchise fee itself can cost between $25,000 to $50,000 on average depending on the type of business you’re going to operate. For instance, retail and food franchise fees tend to be more than for a service business.
Franchises also come with ongoing costs. Every franchise company charges ongoing fees for royalties, marketing and advertising, technology, and more. Clearly, you need to have a good amount of cash on hand to open a franchise.
On the other hand, starting a photo booth business comes with a fraction of the upfront costs and minimal running costs. The price to start a photo booth business varies based on the booth you choose and its capabilities. Once you have your equipment, there aren’t many operating costs beyond paper and ink to print photos and gas to travel.
Once you have your photo booth, it’s yours! There are NO ongoing fees and the minimal start-up costs pave the way for higher profits in a shorter period of time.
Creative Freedom
Part of the appeal of owning a franchise is the ability to be your own boss. But this isn’t entirely true. HubSpot explains that as a franchisee you have to adhere to the company’s existing rules, branding guidelines, and more. Essentially, there’s little room for any creative freedom.
Franchisees aren’t typically able to market their business or flex their creative muscle.
When you run a photo booth business, you’re truly your own boss. You have the freedom to market your photo booth services in your own unique way across different channels like social media and more. It’s your brand, and you own it and can add your unique flare to it!
Control
Speaking of control, it’s important to know that as a franchisee you’re still working for a franchise. While you may be your own boss, you don’t have much individual control over things like marketing, products, hours of operation, or more. You can get the satisfaction of operating a team and getting to know your customers, but you can’t make operational changes without consent from the franchiser.
This even comes down to your finances. All financial information is required to be shared with the franchiser, and they can make executive decisions based on this information that you may not always agree with. Essentially, you don’t have much control over the important operations of your franchise location.
With a photo booth rental business, you’re in complete control of your operations, including things like scheduling, holidays, and service offerings. If you want to only work on weekends or nights as a side hustle, you definitely can. You also have the flexibility to take time off when you need it.
Similarly, you can tailor your photo booth business to your interests and expertise. If you love wedding photography, you can cater your services to weddings. Or maybe you only want to travel to corporate events and conferences – it’s truly up to you.
Support
Finally, we can’t forget to mention the importance of having the right support as an entrepreneur.
As we established, franchises have strict rules for franchisees to follow. Ideally, franchisees should also receive support from the large corporation they’re under and learn from experienced leaders. But that’s not always the case.
Receiving support as a franchisee is hit or miss. You may be paired with a franchisor who will be by your side every step of the way, or you’ll get someone who gives you a few words of advice and leaves you to your own devices. Not every franchisor offers support for new franchisees, and that can be detrimental to entrepreneurs.
At Photo Booth International, we know that helping entrepreneurs learn how to run a photo booth business is paramount to their success. We provide you with the tools and knowledge to help you get your business started and are always available to offer advice or technical support.
Our Photo Booth Sales University is a cutting-edge business, finance, sales, and marketing online training platform available to teach you strategies to grow your photo booth business. It’s available via our mobile app so you can learn from anywhere on your own time.
No matter if you want to learn how to sell your services and market your business or need tips for how to grow your wealth, we provide the resources and training to help.
How to Start Your Photo Booth Business
Ready to become your own boss and start your photo booth business? We help entrepreneurs like yourself start a successful business with our selection of cutting-edge photo booths and world-class customer service.
Browse our complete selection of photo booths for sale today.
Tips for Booking Your First Photo Booth Event
BlogYou’ve found the perfect photo booth for your business, mastered how to use it, and collected fun and exciting photo booth props and backdrops. Now it’s time to book your first photo booth event!
Starting a photo booth business can be a great side hustle, but booking your first event can feel like a big hurdle to overcome. Luckily, we’re here to help with some of our favorite tips and tricks for how to break into the photo booth market.
1. Build a Portfolio
First things first, potential customers not only want to know about your photo booth experience, they actually want to see what your equipment can do. It’s important to build an impressive portfolio even before you start booking events.
You can test out your photo booths with friends and family or hire models to strike a pose for test pictures. Add them to your portfolio so potential customers can see the high-quality pictures your booths can take.
Also, you may want to add pictures of your photo booths online. There are so many popular types of models to choose from, from the Cloee Ring Light Photo Booth and Miami Mobile Photo Booth to the convenient iPad photo booth.
Showing off your inventory can help customers visualize what your photo booth rental could look like at their event.
2. Set up Google My Business
When running an event photo booth rental business, the internet can be your greatest asset. You’ll want to set up Google My Business (GMB). This is a free and easy-to-use tool for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.
According to Google, creating a GMB profile takes just a few minutes and doesn’t cost a thing. It’s a great tool to help promote your photo booth for events and help potential customers find you more easily online. It may even be the key to getting your first event!
Clients can also leave reviews of your business to help with your credibility and help you book even more events.
3. Advertise Online
Similarly, you’ll want to use other channels like social media to advertise your new business. While word-of-mouth marketing and reaching out to your network are also great for booking your first event, social media helps you cast a wider net.
Plus, when you set up a strong social media presence right away it can help your business in the long run. You can ask customers to share their photos and your social media pages can also double as a digital portfolio!
Here are some tips for how to advertise your photo booth business on popular social media platforms:
4. Target Different Events
When it’s time to book your first event, think of the timing. Photo booth rentals can be used for any number of special events, from birthday parties and weddings to corporate events and conferences. You can choose to offer your services to all of these events, or target a specific market.
However, you may have more luck booking your first photo booth event by understanding what’s in season or popular in your area. For instance, if it’s the holiday season you may want to offer your services to holiday parties and tailor your marketing and props to these events. In the summer or fall, you could focus on weddings since it’s a popular time of year for them.
5. Offer Promotions
Discounts or promotions are some of the best ways to encourage customers to purchase your services, according to Indeed. Oftentimes, this is very product-based and could include things like a free gift with a purchase or a buy one, get one free sale.
For a photo booth for events, you could offer special promotions for first-time customers (or repeat customers). You could also sweeten the deal by including unique props or backdrops. Similarly, you could offer seasonal specials. No matter the case, promotions can be a great way to catch a customer’s attention and book your first event.
6. Differentiate Your Business
Finally, you can’t overlook the importance of differentiating your photo booth business from the rest. Do you know how to set up a photo booth for an event efficiently and offer this as part of your service? Do you have more creative event photo booth ideas than the competition? Or, maybe you offer one-of-a-kind photo booth backdrops and props you can’t find anywhere else.
No matter the case, it’s important to showcase what makes your photo booth business unique! You can learn more about how to market your photo booth business and get leads in our Photo Booth Sales University.
Get Help from Photo Booth International
At Photo Booth International, we know that photo booths are a great way to start your own business. That’s why we help entrepreneurs start their businesses with our cutting-edge photo booths and world-class customer service. Along your journey, we can help provide the advice, guidance, and tools it takes to make your photo booth business a success.
Browse our selection of photo booths for sale today and book your first photo booth event in no time!
7 Reasons Why Photo Booths are a Good Investment
BlogTL;DR: Starting a photo booth rental business is a low-risk, high-reward opportunity with strong market demand and minimal startup costs. The industry is growing, competition is low, and marketing is easy. Investing in photo booths now can generate a steady income and scalable business.
If you’re interested in breaking into special event rentals, now is the perfect time. In recent years, photo booths have grown into a billion-dollar market, and it’s not slowing down any time soon. The global photo booth market is projected to roughly double from ~$600 million in 2023 to over $1.2 billion by 2032.
All signs point to strong, sustained revenue growth. Making a photo booth investment now can get you in on the ground floor of this exciting, expanding industry.
That’s not just hearsay, either. Based on the experiences of PBI entrepreneurs currently making six figures, a photo booth is a good investment. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can reap ample financial rewards.
If you’re on the fence about making a photo booth investment, we have some specific insights that can help. Continue reading to learn why it’s not too late to make a photo booth business investment and boost your income.
1. A Photo Booth Investment Is Low-Risk
When people ask, “Should I invest in a photo booth?” they’re really asking about risk. Before making an investment, entrepreneurs should know about the risk/reward ratio. This ratio marks the prospective reward you can earn for every dollar you risk on an investment.
You don’t want to spend a lot of money on a business that won’t make you more income in the long run. Luckily, starting a photo booth rental business comes with low risks and major rewards if you put the work in.
Why? Foremost, there are minimal costs associated with running a photo booth business. There’s no need for employees, an office, or excess inventory. All you need are high-quality booths, quality photo booth software, and time. If you’re smart, you can even market your business in bed from your phone.
With booths in high demand, you can begin reaping the rewards quickly. And they are in high demand. Photo booths have become a staple at weddings, parties, and celebrations.
Nearly 3 out of 4 weddings in 2024 featured a photo booth. That statistic becomes more powerful when you recognize that there are over 2.5 million weddings each year!
In the age of social media, and as social integration becomes more mainstream, the demand for booths will likely rise. It adds an irresistible viral component to any event. After all, everyone wants a great picture after going through the trouble of getting dressed up for a celebration. You can be the smart investor who is ready with the camera.
The bottom line? Demand is consistent and rising, making a photo booth investment not only safe, but smart.
2. Photo Booths Are Always in Demand
As we mentioned up-front, the high demand for photo booths makes a photo booth investment a smart choice at this moment in history. Research by Straits Research predicts that Photo Booth Market Size is projected to reach USD 719.91 million by 2030. That is great news for entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in a photo booth.
3. The Photo Booths Industry Is a Favorable Competitive Landscape
The photo booth industry is unique because individual entrepreneurs are in control of the market. There are virtually no large corporate players in the industry who take business away from independent business owners. Not only does that mean low barriers to entry for new entrepreneurs, but it’s easy to carve out a local niche. You don’t need industry connections to break in.
The lack of competition from large monopolies means your pricing can be more stable, too. That makes it much easier to predict profit margins and calculate the ROI on your photo booth investment.
4. Photo Booth Businesses Have Minimal Starting Costs
Offering photo booth services comes with minimal running costs and only a few upfront costs.
Ultimately, how much to invest in your photo booth business varies based on the booth you choose and its capabilities.
An investor can purchase a professional booth setup for as little as $5,000. According to PBI entrepreneurs, the average price for a photo booth rental is about $600–$1,000 per event. That’s roughly ~$200–$400 per hour, depending on the package.
The more unique features you offer, the more you can charge. With that in mind, high-tech photo booths may be the wisest investment.
Obviously, higher-tech models will cost more than simpler ones. Consider the smaller Cloee Ring Light photo booth. While a great starter booth, more advanced features will be easier to market.
In comparison, high-tech models like the Astro Mirror Photo Booth have features that may be in demand in the age of social media. Some can post directly to social platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
All to say, a photo booth business investment is an investment. Think less about how much you’re spending up front and more about earning potential for the future.
Additionally, photo booths make a great investment because they come with everything you need to run them. They’re user-friendly, meaning you don’t need special training to start. Once you have your equipment, there aren’t many operating costs beyond paper and ink to print photos. These low costs pave the way for higher profits!
5. Photo Booth Rentals Are Easy to Market
You want people to know about your photo booth rental business. Luckily, you don’t have to be a marketing wizard to promote this side hustle. In fact, photo boots often market themselves!
Many people are already looking to rent a photo booth. Every attendee at an event is a potential future customer. Deliver great customer service and you can expect instant, nearly free word-of-mouth marketing. Always keep business cards on hand.
The best part of the biz is that it yields incredible photos that instantly and effortlessly become marketing collateral. Use social media and Google for marketing and share pictures of your photo booths and events. Social proof is invaluable, and photo booth entrepreneurs have it in droves.
For smart photo booth business owners, marketing takes time, but not a ton of money. Leverage local Facebook groups for events, such as wedding groups and Sweet Sixteen groups. You’ll put your business right in front of an audience already looking for your services. As long as you follow the posting rules, you can get free promotions right in your hometown.
6. A Photo Booth Business Is a Breeze to Scale
Ensuring your business is scalable is the key to long-term success for your photo booth rental company. Business.com explains that scalability allows a business to grow without being held back by a lack of resources. In other words, the more you earn from your business, the more money you’ll have to invest back into it.
In some cases, scaling your business might mean investing in special features, props, and add-ons. You might buy a better printer or a more high-tech booth. At a certain point, you may even need to hire your first employee.
As demand for your photo booth rentals grows, you don’t want to miss out on potential revenue by not having enough booths available. However, you don’t have to let your inventory hold you back. It’s easy to add more photo booths to your rotation when you can afford them and demand is high.
7. Photo Booth Rentals Offer Endless Opportunities
With your equipment on hand, the world is your oyster. The beauty of photo booths is that they can be used for a variety of events. Opportunities range from bridal showers and trade shows to corporate events and wedding receptions.
Some people find their niche in wedding photo booths and stock up on themed props and backdrops for the big day. Others cast a wider net. This also affords them the flexibility to focus on events they enjoy attending or have experience with.
For example, if you’re a wedding day photographer who wants to also offer photo booth services. This flexibility helps them adapt to the seasons. They can cater to holiday parties in the winter and weddings in the summer.
In recent years, corporate event planners have widely adopted photo booths as an engagement tool, too. You can offer photo booth rentals at trade shows, product launches, conferences, and retail promotions. Branded photo booths give participants a fun takeaway and provide the host company with organic promotion. If you choose to branch out from weddings and parties, you’ll have plenty of opportunities.
Start Your Photo Booth Rental Business Today
There’s no denying that a photo booth is a good investment for anyone looking to pocket some extra money this year. A well-run photo booth business can achieve a fast ROI and steady income. For an investor or entrepreneur, this means the risk is relatively low and the upside is compelling.
At Photo Booth International, we help entrepreneurs like yourself start your business. New business owners love our cutting-edge photo booths and world-class customer service.
Our wide variety of models includes convenient portable photo booth options like our mirror booths, iPad kiosk, and more. No matter which you choose, you can rest assured that your equipment is created with expert craftsmanship. You’ll be investing in the highest quality portable booths that money can buy.
At PBI, we have all the resources you need to get started. start with our free Photo Booth Boss Webinar. You’ll learn what it takes to make six figures with a Photo Booth Business. You can also check out our eBook, Photo Booth Secrets.
Once you’re feeling confident, you’ll be ready to join our Photo Booth Business Club. You’ll be in a community with other investors who have taken the leap. It’s the best way to continue to invest in your business and yourself.
Are you ready to start your photo booth rental business? Check out our photo booths today!