Photo Styling Business Policies and Contracts

Do you put your preferences into your business policies? Your preferences CAN become your policies when you are a Freelance Photo and Prop Stylist.  As I mentor and help Photo Stylists, a common phrase I hear a lot is “it’s not done that way ~ that’s not “industry standard”.

If you are a Freelancer, really it’s your business and you create (& hopefully have in your Contract) your own policies.  You don’t have to do “what all the other Photo and Prop Stylists are doing”.

Here are some of mine that others feel break the “industry standard” rules:

▪️ I use a Photo Styling Contract. 
▪️ I don’t do “holds” on assignments.
▪️ I have a cancellation fee in my Contract.
▪️ I ask client for credit card/account number for purchases.
▪️ I ask for payment in full, depending on assignment.

Think about what you might be doing now in your business ~  that you might be doing because you think it’s “expected” of you or you are doing because that’s what your fellow Photo Stylist’s are doing.  Is there something you would like to change?  A policy you would like to start doing in your business?  If you are a freelancer ~ it’s your business ~ your rules!  Just sayin’ . . .  Around here, I'm always inspiring and encouraging you to be brave in all that you do in your photo styling business. 

Ohhhhh . . .  have had many a "debate" about my policies with my fellow photo styling colleagues and friends about my policies.  But I stand firm to them.  The question I asked myself years ago as I established them was  . . . . Are they fair requests of my clients and are they fair policies to have?  As you establish and set your policies (or adjust and change your existing policies), you need to be mindful of things you want to eliminate or limit, such as scope creep with your clients or things you want to make sure you get ~ like your photo styling tearsheets and samples.

So, I think my policies are fair.  What policy would you like to change or create?  It's 100% ok (& great!) to blaze your own policy trail in your business! 


Bonnie ~

If you need a Styling Services Contract, we have one in our Shop. (As with everything in our Business of Styling Shop ~ We organize, prepare and protect you and your styling business.)