How To Delegate Photo Booth Business Tasks & Maximize Profits
Part 1 of 10 Valuable Lessons I Was Reminded Of While Running a Six-Figure Photo Booth Business This Spring
Historically spring event season isn’t nearly as busy as fall for my photo booth business (December is always our busiest month of the year due to holiday events.) But this spring (January - March) was wildly busy and 22 photo booth rentals in March alone (plus six active leases) was enough to push me close to burnout.
As I take a moment in April to reflect on the last 3 months of 2024, I realize I’ve learned a lot of lessons running a photo booth business for the last 7+ years, but this past March I was reminded of 10 very important ones that I think are all too easy to forget when we’re in “survival mode” during very busy event seasons.
I’m sharing these 10 photo booth business lessons because by the end of March I found myself burning out, which was both a physically and mentally painful experience I would wish on no one.
While all of my and my team’s hard work resulted in a record-breaking revenue month which thankfully will help us coast through the rest of spring and summer easily, I’m reminded that great success often comes with great sacrifice…but it doesn’t have to, at least to the point of burnout. Not if you create an intentional photo booth business strategy that is designed to be profitable while protecting your peace.
So let’s talk about what the first very important photo booth business lesson is that I was reminded of in Part One of this series, as well as review some action steps you can take:
#1 Delegate Wisely
While this spring I did a good job delegating a lot of things I hadn’t in the past (I built a team who works events and employees who oversee 70% of our admin work and 30% of our operations/event prep), I still found myself poking my head into projects I shouldn’t have been involved with. This created unnecessary stress for myself and my team, and resulted in me burning out by the end of March, which trust me wasn’t worth it.
Lesson? My time as a photo booth business CEO is better spent on higher level projects that require my involvement and that ultimately move the needle in the right direction for my photo booth business aka revenue-generating activities. The ROI (return on investment) is much bigger when I invest my time/energy in these types of higher-level projects vs. admin tasks, plus it minimizes the potential for burnout.
Hot Take? As the CEO of your photo booth business, it's crucial to delegate tasks that aren't worth your time. By doing so, you free yourself to focus on revenue-generating activities like strategy, networking, and business development (or activities that are your “Zone of Expertise” aka things you excel at and enjoy) which can result in powerful things like:
Working less and accomplishing more (e.g., getting more time back in your day)
Developing big revenue-generating ideas (e.g., a new package that you can charge more for)
Cultivating high ROI relationships (e.g., securing new clients, retaining old ones and booking multi-event partnerships)
Action Steps? A simple activity that you can do to identify what you need to delegate in your photo booth business is creating a list with three topics: 1) things you don’t enjoy doing 2) things you don’t need to do yourself and 3) things you simply aren’t good at doing. Now it’s time to figure out what you can delegate and get off your work plate…
Remember — you have to invest more in your business before you make more, and you’ll feel the pain of the investment before the profits…but trust me that’s a good sign. Nothing ever comes easy; it’s the discomfort during a period of change that results in lasting postive effects.
Once your list is done, you may wonder how you will be able to afford to hire someone to delegate these things to. Maybe you’re thinking, with your current photo booth package pricing your profit margins are slim, if existent at all, and you know the cost to hire employees is high…
You need to start charging corporate events (and community events with corporate sponsors) more. And by more I mean $1,500 + tax or higher per photo booth rental.
Because here is the truth…if you’re charging under $1,500 + tax per photo booth rental for corporate events, you are undercharging and making it incredibly hard for you to not only sustain your photo booth business but also scale it due to too slim of profit margins.
Not convinced that you can or even should charge that much? Let’s take a look at what you’re providing.
You, my friend, are providing high-quality, fun and memorable photos (possibly more - prints, animated GIFs, Boomerang videos, 360 degree videos, custom props, backdrops, etc.) of event attendees. You are curating an entire event experience including the backdrop, frame design, props, etc. that isn’t just an event activity, but also event entertainment and marketing material for the corporate company that hired you (or is sponsoring the photo booth.) This requires a lot of work (and resources) not only at an event to execute, but leading up to it as well.
And if you’re not offering a drop off photo booth rental, you are also actively staffing your event experience. You’re not just setting up some decor and leaving. You have professional photo booth attendants working for you during the event (and yes, that includes you if you work your own events.)
Furthermore, you’re providing backup equipment…which you have to be able to pay for to obtain. Not to mention you’re still responsible for all of your day-to-day business overhead costs that include but are certainly not limited to: 1) your turnkey CRM that automates all of your contracts, invoices and questionnaires (here’s my favorite Photo Booth CRM that I personally use) 2) your photo booth equipment including gaffer tape, wagons, lights, screen cleaner, etc. (get my full list of helpful photo booth equipment here) 3) your detailed photo booth contracts that protect you from legal headaches and help you through hard conversations (check mine out here) 4) Your subscriptions to amazing apps like ones for payroll that make paying yourself and your team super easy as well as make reporting for taxes streamlined (learn more here.) And the list goes on and on!
I don’t know about you, but $1,500 + tax sounds extremely fair to me to charge a corporate client considering all of your labor and costs…not to mention the current cost of living. Especially when you compare the cost of your full services (pre-event, during-event and post-event) with what other established event vendor companies are charging.
But also…corporate absolutely has the budget to pay you $1,500 + tax or higher for your services. Trust me, I’ve been charging this amount (and much higher) for years. You just have to tap into how to communicate your value to your corporate clients effectively (hint, hint…start with the above things I mentioned.)
To be clear, if you are charging less than $1,500 + tax for corporate photo booth rentals, you my friend are leaving money on the table and ensuring you have to book more events (aka work a lot more) than in reality you actually need to in order to reach six figures.
So let’s review, how do you start delegating tasks wisely in your photo booth business and make sure you have enough money to do so:
Create a list of photo booth business tasks that include 1) things you don’t enjoy doing 2) things you don’t need to do yourself and 3) things you simply aren’t good at doing. While you’re at, jot down all of the things you also 1) enjoy doing and 2) are really, really good at and 3) generate revenue (these are always helpful to put on paper to remind yourself of.)
Raise your rates for corporate events (and community events with corporate sponsors) today so you can start saving and setting money aside to hire more help (specifically, to delegate some of the above tasks like admin work, design, event prep, etc. to.) Every new corporate client that inquires from this day forward, pitch them on a premium package for $1,500 + tax or higher but also include a basic package (maybe a drop-off photo booth if you’re feeling nervous) under that amount — just remember, the goal is to strategically nudge your corporate clients into the $1,500 + tax or higher package, so sell accordingly!) Be patient, it takes time to see results and save a nest egg that allows you to make a new hire without accumulating debt (which yes, is the goal if you want to be profitable.)
Once you’ve saved your nest egg, make your hire (be sure to consult with your CPA first to determine if your new hire qualifies as an employee or 1099 contractor) and start delegating some of those tasks you want off your work plate so you get more time back in your day. Friendly reminder to be sure to pay your team well though. Remember, it costs more to hire and train than it does to retain. (P.S. Hiring a 1099 independent contractor? Grab my Independent Contractor Contract here on The Photo Booth Edit.)
Continue to move things off your work plate to team members that aren’t revenue-generating actives, then use that extra time to invest in things that actually are revenue-generating activities…and watch your photo booth business grow! Or take the time off you deserve and treat yourself to a nice vacation!
Stayed tuned for Part Two that includes photo booth business Lesson #2 (Leverage Business Credit Cards.) I’ll be sharing my favorite two business credit cards that I personally use to rack up rewards points that pay for free vacations each year.
Friendly reminder: Affiliate links were shared in the above blog. That said, I do not believe in sharing affiliate links for the sake of making money alone; rest assured, all of the links are to resources I personally use and love. I may receive compensation for these things should you choose to purchase them, so I thank you in advance for this.