How to Start a Photo Booth Business
The Photo Booth Business Checklist
A Series on How to Set Up a Photo Booth Business and Running a Successful Photo Booth Business
By Photo Booth International
The Ultimate Photo Booth Startup Guide
While photo booths have become very popular, it has never occurred to some to start their own photo booth startup rental company.
It is pretty easy to accomplish, all you need is basic knowledge of technology equipment and dedication. Photo booth rentals can range from $100-$250 per hour.
Photo Booth Businesses are changing lives.
Starting your own photo booth business may seem a little intimidating at first, but you will become a professional business owner in no time with our help.
Our photo booths are professional grade, easy to use, and you receive ample support throughout your business venture thanks to our unparalleled tech support. With our support and photo booth business tips, you can be on your way to having a successful side hustle.
The Benefits of Owning a Photo Booth Business
Here is a quick rundown for anyone who may still be weighing the options of taking the leap and starting this new business venture:
Owning a Photo Booth Business Sets You Apart from Others
If you are a photographer or an event disc jockey, purchasing a photo booth business on the side will be the key to setting yourself apart from every other entertainment provider. People who plan parties or events want something that will wow the crowd and provide unlimited fun.
By providing a photo booth and your other services, you will stand out to people as someone who has a multitude of entertainment options. Not only will you be able to fulfill their photography or disc jockey needs, but you also bring a little bit of spice to the mix by providing a unique, fun party perk!
Make Additional Income Without Even Trying
Arguably, one of the most significant benefits of owning your photo booth is the ability to make extra money without any struggle. People WANT what you have. Photo booths are a fun, unique way to instantly improve any party or event.
By purchasing your own photo booth business and advertising, people will come to you willingly because they genuinely want and need your services. You can also utilize social media and Google to help spread the word about your rentals. It’s easy to reach your target market and connect with local customers this way.
Few Barriers to Entry
Not only does a photo booth business market itself, but it’s also easy to enter the industry. To start a business, all you need is a high-quality photo booth and (if you want) accessories. From there, your operating costs are minimal and include only the necessities like paper, ink, and fuel.
Financing options are also available to help kickstart your photo booth business.
To further give you an idea, here we have written “A Guide to Success: Photo Booth StartUp”.
We are going to give you the dos and don’ts along with the ins and outs of the Photo Booth Rental Industry. Consider this your complete photo booth business checklist to get your business off the ground.
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Photo Booth Equipment & Accessories
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Supplies & Extra Expenses
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Advertising
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Legal and Other Information to Consider
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Preparing for Events (Added October 2016)
For more information on how to start a photo booth business, you can feel free to browse around our site and check out our products. Every photo booth we sell will give you all you need to launch a successful photo booth business. We provide all the training you need, and everything required to get going including financing and PBI University access available to all of our customers.
We have gotten great at changing lives. Work with us to experience things you can’t find anywhere else. We are the photo booth startup experts that can help turn your dreams of being your own boss or business owner into a reality.
How to Start Your Own Photo Booth Rental Business
It Can Be Either A Side Business or A Full-Time Photo Booth Business
Photo Booth International has thousands of clients. Every day we see that our clients are new to the industry and are clueless about the rental business. That’s why we created an overview of how to start renting photo booths as a side business or full-time event rental business.
Photo Booth Business Ideas
Photo booth rentals are the biggest hit at birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, weddings, graduations, baby showers, and special events, and let’s not forget corporate parties.
The only limitation to your photo booth business is your imagination. While you can certainly cater to your niche with a wedding photo booth business plan, you can also cast a wider net by appealing to other types of events. You can even change your focus with the seasons, switching from holiday parties in the winter and weddings in the summer. It’s completely up to you!
Photo Booth Business Costs
Photo booths are very affordable in this day and age. That means it’s easier than ever to ditch that toxic office job or retail job and make an incredible living.
Photo booth investment requires less than $2,900 (on average) to start your own photo booth rental business. Even as a side hustle, you have the capability of doubling that your first month.
Calculate Your ROI
Try our ROI Calculator to see your return profit based on the rental events you can possibly do in a month. When you purchase a photo booth from PBI you have access to our photo booth community where we share helpful tips and insight on how to be successful in the event industry.
Not to mention Josh’s inner circle where I show you how we serviced over 800 events per year in the photo booth industry. Our photo booth i-pads (I-pad-based photo booths) range from $1850 to $3500 and our DSLR photo booths range from $5000 to $9500.
This photo booth trend will never stop, having a photo booth at corporate events, holiday events, and festivals will always be popular. Like they say “if you can’t beat them join them” this photo booth industry will continue to grow with or without you.
Photo Booth Business Plan
Just as with any business, there are many things to learn and research. To be successful in business and on the right track you have to create a business plan. This will be your guide to success and will provide you with a road map step by step.
Create a Startup Business Plan, in it, there will be questions about financing, mission statement, marking, sales, and more.
It’s easier than you think, check out some business plan samples.
6 things to know when starting a photo booth business
- Photo Booth Hardware & Photo Booth Software
- Photo Booth Business Plan
- How To Market Your Photo Booth Rental Business
- Photo Booth Rental Prices
- Financing A Photo Booth
- Top Secret Tips
Photo Booth Hardware and Photo Booth Software
Photo booths are all a bit different, but most have the common DSLR camera, tablet, photo booth sell, Dark Room Software, printer, and photo booth rolling travel case.
Then you have your iPad photo booth or gif booth as some people call it. That requires an iPad, iPad booth, and your software and you can add a printer also. We recommend Snappic Ipad Software. It’s very simple to use, they have 24hrs customer service 7 days a week.
Our iPad photo booths: Ipad Photo Booth | View Best Ipad Photo Booth App
In the end, choosing the best photo booth hardware and software is about what’s important to you. The DSLR camera will give you high-resolution photos. The setup does take a little longer because there are more screws and parts.
Overall it should take about 30-45 minutes to set up. With the traditional photo booths, you have more features like a slow-motion photo booth (slowmo photo booth), a green screen photo booth, and a GIF Animated feature. The technology and advanced features are up to par.
It would take more time to learn, but it’s all about the process of owning a photo booth business. From there, using the photo booth is intuitive, so customers can have fun capturing memories all night long without your help.
The IPAD Photo Booth is such a popular photo booth that you will also have that rented every weekend.
The quality is still there, but because you don’t have the professional strobe light. Below I will show you some photo samples and gifs (gif sample: GIF). The pictures and GIFs are still crips. I am big about quality, but you can’t go wrong with either of the photo booths.
Photo Booth Business Model
There are different types of photo booth manufacturers; some sell you only the shell and parts of the photo booth, others like ourselves provide a turn-key operating photo booth business. It will be a large sum of money as part of your photo booth business start-up cost. Stay away from the franchise companies since they would want royalties anywhere from 10-15% monthly.
There are other companies that offer software fees to use their photo booth and be aware of these companies you never want to be stuck with a company and them having that type of leverage in your business. The fees for using their software can be anywhere from $150 to $400 a month. You’re better off paying a yearly subscription at a low cost and switching to other software companies if you’re not happy with the one you currently use.
How To Market Your Photo Booth Rental Business
There are many ways to market your photo booth business. We have found five top ways to market your photo booth company.
1. Networking at events and open houses. Always have business cards with you. You would be surprised by the number of people that don’t have business cards when someone asked for their business cards. Check your local venues for open house events, typically venues have these every quarter so you can get in there and make yourself known.
2. Get on Google My Business if there is one thing you do out of these five marketing tools this is the one. Don’t sleep on this. We have been found by so many people through Google. It’s the number one search tool people use to find their local businesses
3. Have a proper website. Make sure you have great content, pictures, videos, social media profile, and a contact form.
4. Starting out you won’t have tons of content, so reach out to your friends and local business. Do some free events for them and make sure you always record and take photos. Use your iPhone to record, but make sure you record and create those small clips.
5. Create a Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, TikTok account, and post daily. When we started 95% of our leads only came from social media platforms.
Photo Booth Rental Prices
Curious about how much you can make from your photo booth rental business? That’s often one of the first questions we get asked and the answer is different for everyone.
The average photo booth gig is between 2- 4-hour and makes between $450-$1300.
This always varies by region and country. Go on Google and search your local key term to see what other people in your area may be charging for these services or similar ones. Go through the first three pages of Google and pretend you’re a potential client and inquire about a quote from their website. Once they start replying, create a spreadsheet and calculate their cost for each rental.
This will be your guide to do a competitive market analysis. It can give you a great idea of what you should be charging for your services and your earning potential.
Starting a photo booth business you want to start on the lower spectrum and as months go by you move your prices up.
1. You’re new to the market so it allows you to get pictures and videos.
2. It gets your feet wet and all those hiccups that can go wrong you will master as months go by so you become more proficient and more professional.
Financing Options For Starting New Photo Booth Business
Not many banks finance photo booth companies, we have an internal finance department and can get your approval in 24 hours.
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Secret Tips
I want you to be successful in the photo booth rental industry. I want to provide you with a free photo booth book of all our secrets that made us the #1 company in our city with over 800 events per year.
Grab my book: Free Photo Booth Book
Client Testimonials
Rickey Fowler
– Verified Google Review
Great company to be apart of, it is truly a family of great people wanting and helping each other to be great. 6 months part time I’ve earned 4k, with only 5 events in the books so far.
Comet Photos
– Verified Google Review
We our a proud member of the #PBIFamily a great company to do business with and the quality of their builds is amazing. We have made over $10,000 since we started early this year.
Stacey Whitley
– Verified Google Review
I bought my first photo booth from them and the experience was great from beginning to end.
Even after the purchase they still keep in touch to help get your business established.
