Not all photo booths are created equal. Buying a photo booth and making your own business requires some thought and financial considerations.
Retro-me specialises in retro photo booths with a vintage vibe. These are proven profit makers. Guests to events love the old-school photo booth vibe. That vibe brings about a delightful sense of nostalgia and that emotion is a big selling point plus a differentiator in a crowded market.
Types of Photo Booths
We have a lot of affection for the classic photo booth like ours. Why? We’ve been a profitable business since 2010.
Common photo booth types:
- Open-Air Photo Booth
- Classic Photo Booth
- Roving Photographer
- Magic Mirror Photo Booths
- Revolving Photo Booth
- Green Screen Photo Booth
- Augmented Reality Booth
An open-air photo booth is really for big events, weddings and corporate product launches for example. The plus is they can accommodate a large number of people.
The classic photo booth, like the ones we manufacture, catches the eye. They may look old-world but they are packed with the latest tech, flattering lighting, and high-quality printers and offer links to social profiles. Well-known winners for starting your own business.
Roving photographers aren’t photo booths, of course. Many companies offer them as an option but they are not the same as having a machine that can be left to run itself (with a supervisor if necessary).
Magic mirror photo booths have been around for a long time. These are aimed at weddings where guests will want to show off their outfits. A simple click on the mirror and a selfie is taken, enter a phone number or email address and the picture is delivered. They come in many styles and require a lot of care.
Revolving photo booths are novel and offer 360-degree images. A single camera holds position while guests (usually only four) are turned on a revolving platform. They are novel certainly and produce a vibe that only appeals to certain types of customers.
Green screen and augmented reality booths have the same schtick. They do offer an endless array of backdrops which is fun and suited to one-off events. They don’t appeal so much to a single location which wants to encourage photo booth usage from regular clientele.
Once you have chosen the booth style – next up is build quality when carrying out events or installing booths into venues you want to make sure the machine you chose will take the rigours of thousands of users and taking and printing tens of thousands of photos a year!
Photo Booth Business Considerations:
- Business planning
- Location
- Marketing Plan
- Operating systems
- Venue type
- Typical customers
- Standing out
Business Planning
It’s like any business, you need a plan. A typical plan is going to contain: an executive summary (the business goals and main Key Performance Indicators), a company summary (who is the company and its experience), market analysis (is the market viable, will it grow), revenue projections (something to take great care of and consult with an accountant)?
Location
We’re not just talking about providing booths for events. We’re aiming at permanent locations in venues that have an audience prone to taking pictures, from leisure parks to bars and nightclubs. Where is the location? Will it be profitable? Remember you don’t want to cannibalise your market or annoy a venue by locating booths in similar businesses in the same area.
Marketing Plan
How are you going to promote your photo booth business? Some of it will take care of itself. This is because people love sharing pictures of themselves on social platforms. Other forms of marketing will include a website, optimised for search traffic phrases with intent to buy or rent. Other considerations here are budget for ad spend, Google and social platforms.
Online marketing revolves around content. The photos are going to help here as they will be digital as well as print. But you will have to look at creating copy that sells to visitors on your website and social platforms.
Once you have your digital marketing in place its time to get out and meet clients, local and regional wedding fairs are a great place to meet hot prospects and other suppliers within the event hire industry – most wedding fair organisers will be happy to negotiate prices if you offer to bring along a fully operational booth.
Operating Systems
There is bespoke software for photo booths and a lot of them will use Microsoft products, so being familiar with MS operating systems and remote access software is a must. Before making your final choice check out if they require yearly subscriptions and how much this may be and look into the best (least expensive) gateways for taking payment.
Venue Type
Consider the type of venue for your photo booth business. A permanent location will require a good amount of repeat customers who want fun.
Typical Customers
Who is going to be your typical customer? If you are leasing into a single permanent location who are their typical customer? Do they want fun, have disposable income and are likely to provide repeat custom?
Standing Out
How is your photo business going to stand out? Service is important, supporting the venue and offering such marketing assets as the ability to brand the photo strips with a venue name or supplier. What else helps? A custom booth, one that catches the eye as shouts ‘FUN!” at the top of its voice.
We hope this article was useful. If you fancy a chat about purchasing our vintage-style photo booths, then get in touch.
All the best,
The Retro-me Team
