How do you go about finding a partner?

I am starting to book more and more weddings and always offer a second shooter,

the problem is that most of my second shooters are wedding photogs with their

own businesses. So how do I go about finding someone that wants a partner. I

do not really want to post on craigslist as you get every tom, dick and harry

responding. but I would like to figure out how to find a reliable partner.

 

What would you suggest?

Get a big knife, then stab yourself in the back with it. =o) Its saves a lot of time.

Most experts recommend forming a company with your brother in law.

 

Not! Perhaps what you really need is a THREE-person partnership. Find someone who likes to do marketing, sales, and administration, and then ALSO another photographer... who does NOT like doing that sort of thing. Explain that the two of you (photographers) could get far more and better done if you both off-loaded some of those other chores onto someone who likes doing (or is good at and willing to do) them, then it might be far more successful. Just a thought.

I'm a CPA, not a photographer, so my advice is from the business and not the creative side. I've been self-employed for twenty-five years. It took seventeen years for me to find someone who is compatible with my work style and professional philosophy. Our partnership has lasted eight years. In the small business realm, that's a long time.

 

When clients ask us about forming partnerships, we tell them that the first thing they need to do is determine how they are going to get out of it. Far more small partnerships fail than succeed. Once you determine that you are going to form a partnership, you must have a written partnership agreement in place before you start doing business; this is crucial.

 

My partner and I started out with an office sharing arrangement. Before you create a partnership with another photographer, you might try a similar arrangement. Over a period of time, you can determine whether your styles are compatible, and then make the partnership decision. If you ultimately choose not to be partners, at least you've reduced your overhead.

Joel has great advise... here's what I want to add.... form a joint venture.... still need agreement....... but you and the other person(S) still maintain their own business and for larger projects work together....(agreement an necessity)... also... check into local photographer organyzations... there could be much better selection than craigs list..... and one wild idea..... form an organization or photographer club.... that can offer more business to everyone involved when larger projects come along....... good luck

The classifieds on photo.net my be a starting point. What region to you serve?

I am in the same position.. Good time to run this thread.

I'd suggest joining a professional organization like the ASMP or WPPI, whichever ones are most active in your area. Start regularly attending events to get to know other people who are serious about their photography business. Maybe one of them will click. I hear a lot of comparisons between looking for business partners and finding a potential marriage partner, so expect the same sort of success ratios.

 

In the meantime, you can pull second shooters from their lists of assistants. Again, I've found these people to be more reliable than any other method of seeking assistants.

 

I also encourage you to avoid craigslist like the plague. In my experience, free services have too much noise from idle daydreamers to be worth sifting through.

I'm happy to partner with anybody in SC or preferably Columbia, SC.

In addition to all of the above suggestions, ask your current second shooters who have their own business if any of them would want to form a partnership or other arrangement. Afterall, you've already worked with them (maybe even more than once), so you have an inside scoop of how well you work together.

I myself offer a small amount of services but I do not feel I am ready to promote myself too much yet. I need a little more experience. What I do is email all the photographers in my area (Southern California) with my info and sample images to volunteer my equipment and time second shooting in exchange for experience. I would think if you promote that you need a second shooter you will get partners to work with and when you find one you like, offer that person a partnership in business. I wish you lived in Southern California, I am pulling my hair out trying to find established photographers to take me as a second shooter. I have great equipment and great images to back it up but they all dont seem to be doing much work so no need for help. Good luck.