Introduction: 

Transitioning from being a solo freelance retoucher to scaling your business can feel daunting, but there are over 32 million small businesses in the US; you’re definitely not alone! 

At the end of the day, scaling a retouching business isn’t that different from any other entrepreneurial idea, and before you get going there are a few strategies and key questions to think through. 

My story: 

My journey into photo retouching began as a side hustle alongside my full-time job at a photo studio, which is a story I’m sure that many people can relate to. A series of coincidences led to things picking up quickly during COVID; I made the jump into a full-time freelance career before transitioning into the leader of a growing business a few years later.

In the initial years, I had very little strategy; I was retouching anything and everything for anyone willing to offer me a chance. I was working 60+ hours per week, editing and managing everything myself, but running into a ceiling with how much I could charge and how many clients I could service at one time. 

It was during this time that I made a realization — my highest-paying clients were not just looking for retouched photos, they sought a high-end, commercial-quality experience. In order to charge more I needed to offer more reliable customer service, guarantee that we could take on larger projects with quicker turnaround times, and confidently stand behind our processes in addition to our retouching.  In order to do any of this I needed a team.

The transition was slower than you might think. There was over a year of planning involved before going live as I figured out what it would mean to scale my retouching business and how to most effectively make all of the changes I wanted with the least friction for my existing clients. 

What it means to scale:

When you reach the point where you want to expand capabilities and reach without compromising quality or efficiency, it’s time to scale. For me, it meant:

• Growing from an individual freelancer to a team capable of serving more clients

• Delivering higher quality work than I could on my own. For example, scaling would allow the flexibility to hire freelancers who specialize in particular retouching styles, and delegating those tasks would free up time to focus on project management and a more robust QA process. 

• Pursuing larger challenges and opportunities

• Increasing earning potential for myself and my team

Timing the transition: 

Recognizing when to make this leap can be as crucial as the decision itself. Here's how I identified the right moment and what you might consider:

• Consistent Client Overflow: When your freelance schedule is consistently packed, and turning down work becomes the norm rather than the exception, it's a clear indicator that demand exceeds your capacity.

• Financial Planning: Assess your financial readiness. Ensure you have enough savings or a steady income stream to support the initial phases of scaling, including potential hiring and marketing costs.

• Desire for Growth and Challenges: Beyond practical signs, there was an inner push towards taking on bigger projects and challenges. The aspiration to work with larger creative teams and move beyond individual photographers signaled it was time to evolve.

• Evaluate Your Current Position: Take stock of your freelance business’s strengths, weaknesses, and unique selling points. This is a moment for true reflection, and be sure to write these things down so you track your progress. No one knows your business better than you do, so really be honest with yourself.

• Market Research: Identify your target market. I made the decision to focus on commercial brands and agencies based on what I felt was our strongest skillsets and most likely to succeed based on my existing network.

  • This industry is vast, and there are many options here. You could choose to focus specifically on color grading for wedding photographers, creative compositing and CGI for tech companies, or entertainment poster design and finishing. Don’t be afraid to niche down. 

• Set Clear Goals: Define what success looks like for your scaled business. My goal was to work on larger projects with creative teams, which required establishing systems to manage larger workflows efficiently.

Practical first steps:

Whether you realize it or not, as a freelancer you’re already running a business - it’s just a business of one. The difference is that now you’re ready to change your mindset; it’s time to stop simply providing a service and begin thinking like the CEO of a company. It’s a minor shift with a major impact. Here’s a few things to think through: 

• Naming: Do you continue to use a version of yourself in the name of your company, or do you go abstract? 

  • RAWBAR Creative, LLC was a strategic choice; I used to go by Perry Photo Co. but felt that my last name tied the brand too closely to myself. My goal was to create a company that could eventually operate independently of me or could even be sold. 

  • Be sure to check your local Secretary of State website to see if the name you want is available, and consider DBA options as well.

• Essentials: Outline your business strategy, financial planning, healthcare considerations, business insurance (general liability and errors and omissions) and technological needs for managing a team.

• Technology: Speaking of technology, if all goes well you’ll probably be managing far more images at a time now. Do you let clients control how projects are kicked off, or do you use an integrated image review and delivery system like verybusy.io?

• File Backups: Larger companies and higher profile projects leave very little room for mistakes such as losing a file; how will you handle file redundancy, both while working on images and after delivery? I’d recommend two local backups and a cloud backup, at minimum. How will your team members access and work on files together?

• Processes: It’s kind of funny, we quit our corporate jobs just to implement the same strategies, but there’s a reason for that - processes are important. With a larger team you’ll need to document how and why you do things (even how you retouch for consistency between team members) to effectively delegate, and creating SOPs and systems are incredibly important. I’ve found that Loom.com is a great way to send video instructions and feedback to teammates, especially if everyone is working remotely.

• Client Management: A good CRM (client relationship management program) will save you so many headaches. There are many out there, from more simple options such as Bonsai and 17Hats, to enterprise solutions like Oracle. 

• Lawyers and Accountants: Have a lawyer review any contracts, SOWs, terms of service, and privacy policies. 

  • A good accountant is worth all the money that they charge, and you want to build a relationship with someone who you trust to understand your business inside and out. Your taxes will likely become much more complicated, so this is one place to not take any shortcuts. 

Final Thoughts

There are so many things to consider when scaling your business, but don’t be afraid to ask questions and lean on your local community. Two additional resources are your state's Secretary of State website as well as the Small Business Administration - sba.gov. 

The learning process when being an entrepreneur never really ends, and I’m starting on what I’d consider “phase two” of my scaling process right now - advertising. We had a pretty great first year of business, but that can’t sustain if no one knows who we are. You’ll see me experimenting with paid advertising, SEO, social media, and collaborations like this with other businesses and friends in the industry that I believe in. Some things will work and some things won’t, and that’s okay; it’s part of the process. 

Hopefully this article left you with a great starting point of things to think through as you create your business plan. Remember, your only limit is your own ambition, so dream as big as you can.