9 Ways Investing In Your Team Drives Success For Your Photo Booth Business

Part 3 of 10 Valuable Lessons I Was Reminded Of While Running a Six-Figure Photo Booth Business This Spring

If you read my recent blog in this series, How To Delegate Photo Booth Business Tasks & Maximize Profits, then you know how very busy my past spring was. January — March 2024 was a record-breaking Q1 (first quarter) for my photo booth business — full disclosure it earned six-figures in gross revenue in three months, something to be proud of, for sure.

But what I’m most proud of is my team aka the amazing women who played a giant part in ensuring the success of my photo booth business, which is why I was reminded this spring of how important it is to invest in them.

Before I jump into how I personally invest in my team to ensure I create a workplace culture that is positive, collaborative and as stress-free as possible (which directly results in increased success for my photo booth business,) first let me breakdown who my team is comprised of currently so you have an idea of how work is delegated:

• There’s me. My official title is CEO & Creative Director but I also wear a lot of additional hats. I also: 1) do a lot of our design work 2) manage our website, social media, marketing and sales 3) manage all of our financials and taxes (with the help of my CPA and Accountant) 4) and much, much more (you know how it goes CEO’s!)

• There’s my Photo Booth Attendants. They work all of our events (setups, operation, breakdowns) and are the magic that make our photo booth experiences so high-quality, professional, memorable and fun.

• There’s my Remote Events Coordinator. They’re the detail-oriented brains behind the software build out of 95% of our events. They also coordinate all of the logistics for my team in Slack, schedule event recaps and lease updates for clients via our 17 Hats CRM as well as provide remote support and guidance to my team day-of events.

• There’s my Office Coordinator. The ultimate organizer who executes 80% of the physical prep for all of our events weekly as well as works on special projects for me at the office as they arise.

So now that you know what the structure of my team currently looks like, let’s talk about ways that I invest in the happiness and wellbeing of my photo booth business team as well as create a positive workplace environment. Below are some examples of specific things I offer to my team examples:

• All of my contracts and operational workflows are designed to make my team’s life as easy and stress-free as possible. Not only do I proactively plan for solutions that solve problems before they arise so my team feels supported and as stress-free as possible at events, I am intentional about creating a workplace culture that encourages constructive feedback, specifically about what I can do to make my team’s life day-to-day duties and life easier. When I receive helpful feedback from my team (or clients), I update my contracts and operational workflows to reflect these changes so they can go into effect immediately. For example, if I know my staff struggle with something like achieving good lighting quality when the photo booth is setup next to windows, I update my contracts to require that our photo booth cannot be setup by windows. This reduces stress for my team, and ensures we don’t run into lighting issues caused by sunlight coming in through windows during an event.

• Each team member who stays with us for one year or more is gifted one free photo booth rental per year. Some of my team have used their free rentals for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, graduation parties, holiday parties, etc. They have access to anything in-stock (backdrops, props, etc.) so long as they are responsible for overseeing setup, operation (self-serve usually) and breakdown. For team members who have worked for me for 3+ years I will cover the cost of one of our other team members taking care of setting up and breaking down the photo booth for an event. They are also gifted with one free photo booth rental per year to donate to a nonprofit of their choice so long as they are responsible for overseeing setup, operation (self-serve usually) and breakdown.

• As some of you may know, a portion of my photo booth business profits from every event are donated back to local nonprofits in our state. To date, I have donated over $20,000 back to local nonprofits, not including over $75,000 sponsored in discounted nonprofit photo booth rentals over the last 7 years among other nonprofit projects we’ve financially sponsored like our Good Neighbor Bag project. That said, each year I consult my team for feedback about which nonprofits they would like us to support so my photo booth business is supporting our local community in a way that aligns with my team’s values and invite them to volunteer with me (paid) for local nonprofits we support.

• I pay my Photo Booth Attendants competitively. While training starts at $25 per hour, the base pay after training starts at $30 per hour with the goal of reaching $35 per hour after working at my photo booth business for one year. Each year, team members receive a raise — 99% of mine are currently earning $40 per hour. Tips go directly to my Photo Booth Attendants and everyone on my team also receives an annual bonus via Gusto each December based on a percentage of profits my photo booth business makes annually. Additionally, they regularly (but sporadically) receive bonuses.

• Each December I gift my team with up to 4 free tickets to one of our state’s annual holiday events. According to them, this is one of their favorite gifts because it’s a special experience they can enjoy with their loved ones. This is an annual tradition I love offering to my team, especially because it’s a great way to end a successful year and supports a local nonprofit my team and I love.

Every business looks different. Above are just some simple ways I try to take care of the team that takes care of me, on top of annual team get togethers. I’ve always run my business from a values-perspective, in part because I feel like my past managers at jobs did not do this for me. I hire based on my values, I operate intuitively based on my values and I manage my team based on my values…which ultimately are to treat others how you would like to be treated — with kindness, love, empathy, respect and loyalty. It’s paid off. I’ve retained an incredible, talented team because of it.

So let’s talk about some of the measurable ways investing in your team can benefit your business, financially.

9 Benefits of Investing In Your Photo Booth Business Team

1. Increased Retention: Investing in your independent contract workers and employees helps foster a positive workplace culture which reduces turnover rates, saving your photo booth business money on recruitment, training and onboarding costs associated with replacing team members.

2. Higher Productivity: A positive workplace culture leads to higher levels of independent contract worker and employee engagement and motivation, resulting in increased productivity and efficiency.

3. Reduced Absenteeism: Independent contract workers and employees who feel valued and supported are more likely to show up for work consistently, reducing absenteeism and the associated costs of lost productivity.

4. Lower Healthcare Costs: A positive workplace culture can lead to improved independent contract worker and employee health and well-being, resulting in decreased illness and stress-related issues, as well as lower healthcare costs for your team members and/or photo booth business.

5. Enhanced Client Satisfaction: Happy and engaged independent contract workers and employees are more likely to provide excellent customer service, leading to higher levels of client satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately boosting revenue.

6. Increased Innovation and Creativity: Investing in independent contract workers and employees' personal and professional development fosters a culture of innovation and creativity, leading to the generation of new ideas and solutions that can benefit the company financially.

7. Improved Performance: Independent contract workers and employees who feel supported and appreciated are more likely to perform at their best, leading to higher-quality work and better business outcomes.

8. Strengthened Brand: A positive workplace culture enhances your photo booth business’s reputation as an employer of choice, attracting top talent and reducing recruitment costs.

9. Better Financial Performance: Investing in independent contract workers and employees and building a positive workplace culture ultimately contributes to improved financial performance and long-term photo booth business success, as satisfied independent contract workers and employees are more committed to driving results and achieving photo booth business goals.

Stayed tuned for Part 4 that includes photo booth business Lesson #4 (Building An Emergency Fund.) I’ll be sharing my tips for how to build a photo booth business emergency fund so when you hit a slow season you can stress less.

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.