Small Business Loans for Photographers | Fund Equipments for Photography

Getting a start as a photographer can be daunting and challenging all rolled up in one. If you’ve never had business experience, it’s especially more challenging to get your start. There are so many factors, variables and avenues to consider when starting a photography business.

• What kind of photography do I want to do?
• Where will I find customers?
• How can I build a portfolio?
• What kind of education do I need?
• How will I get the finances I need to purchase my equipment?

While we can’t help you answer every single one of those questions, we can help you figure out how to go about how to finance your budding photography business.

How Much Photography Equipment Do You Need to Finance?

Before you can even consider the amount of money you need to get started, you have to figure out what kind of equipment you need for your business.

While we can’t tell you what type of photography to start with or the kind of education you’ll need to thrive in today’s modern market, it’s also up to you to decide on the kind of photography equipment you’ll need to get started.

Cameras and other film equipment that you need will depend on the type of photography or filmography you want to get into. Even if you are extremely serious about getting into photography, if you don’t have a lot of experience in the field, you might be better off starting with “entry level” equipment.

The last thing you want to do is dive into top tier lighting equipment without knowing how to utilize it. Or worse yet, you don’t want to find yourself purchasing photography equipment that you don’t actually need.

If you’re newer in the game, start with smaller, more affordable studio equipment and work your way up to more ambitious photography studio equipment as you get experience, start working on bigger projects, and secure higher paying clients. Then upgrade to the nicest studio lights and mounts. 

Once you have the all the photo equipment you need to purchase in mind, then you can tally up the total costs and get an accurate number to associate for “equipment costs.”

Use our photography equipment finance calculator to calculate how much your photography equipment financing payments could be and how much photography equipment you can afford to buy based on your monthly budget.

Funding Options for Photography Businesses

With expected equipment costs and a business plan in place, you can search for photography equipment financing to help you get your start. There are a couple of places you can begin your initial search.

Each type of financing will depend on your personal needs and the scope of your business you plan to start.

• Small business loans from a bank.
• Equipment financing from financiers.
• Crowdsourcing platforms.
• Investments from friends and/or family.
• Utilize a credit card.
• Saving up a cash fund.

Generally speaking, the “cheapest” financing option available to you is to simply save up your money and buy equipment outright with cash. However, this option may not be the “best” when it comes to getting started, as you may have to save cash for a while before even getting started.

If you’d rather get started sooner than later, you can look to outside financiers who will help you get you start by providing financing specifically for your photography equipment. Whether you’re starting with simple photography equipment, or want to dive into more complicated photography setups (like a photography studio), getting photography equipment financing can be a great way to jump start your photography business.

Once you get all of your studio equipment, you’ll have to quickly consider the next steps in operating your photography business. Depending on your business structure and the market you want to get into, there can different kinds of expenses you’ll have to keep in mind. In addition, you’ll want to find ways to quickly acquire some customers so that you can get cash flow for your new photography business.

How to get the best tax breaks with my Photography Equipment Financing?

Having the most reliable and upgraded photography equipment for your business, acquired with affordable and fixed monthly payments, can have a lot of benefits for your business.  

You can structure your photography lease as a FMV buy out and write off 100% of your payments off your taxable income.

But

When you structure your photography financing on an equipment financing agreement or on a $1 buy out lease agreement you get section 179 tax benefits. With the passage and signing into law of H.R.1, aka, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the deduction limit for Section 179 increases to $1,000,000 for 2018 and beyond. 

How can I apply for Photography Equipment Financing?

Trust Capital  has a single page application on their website. They value their customer’s time and they provide the necessary funds easily. The photography equipment leasing by Trust Capital can help you save money in upgrading or replacing your equipment. Their company will help you upgrade or replace the equipment whenever it is needed. Trust Capital has worked with all the big photography manufacturers and dealers.  Whether you're just starting out as an entrepreneur in photography or have a successful photography business for many years Trust Capital has a leasing program for you. 

Ready to Apply online for photography equipment financing? Feel free to call Trust Capital and speak with a photography equipment finance specialist that can take your application over the phone at 866-458-4777.