Very nice! I think this is a great idea. Ideas in random order .... worth exactly as much as you've paid for them.
- I like the idea of starting locally.
- Love the idea of just using a "business" Facebook page for now. It's free and you can easily target locals if you eventually want to start taking out ads or "boosting" posts. You could simply just use your personal Facebook page for now - especially if you have a lot of local friends.
- Do NOT start with paid ads. Unless you already put the word out and you didn't get any takers. If you (or one the families members you've done this for) has a Facebook profile with a decent following (300+ friends; bonus points if most of them are over 50), just make a couple of posts on that page (or have them post this for you). Show a picture of a box full of loose photos, show a flash drive, or better yet, a finished album (see below). Say that you'll turn the box of photos into an album of memories and as many flash drives to make sure these precious memories are never lost. Remind them that this is a great gift for an older parent that is hard to buy for. Let them know how great this would be for an anniversary present.
- If this takes off, I highly recommend SquareSpace for your website. To be fair, I don't have any experience with Wix, but I have about 6 Squarespace sites. They make it really easy because you can also reserve your domain through them too and it makes it especially easy to connect the website and the domain. But to be honest, if you have a decent population in your area you could likely get enough clients just with Facebook. Keep things as simple as possible.
- How to make the photos available for others: I'm going to assume the photography world has several ways to do this.
Marketing Ideas:
- I'm making a guess here, but remember that most people don't want scanned photos; they want their most precious memories in an lovely album that is easy to grab off the shelf and flip through. Sure, some people will just want to get the photos into a digital format for sharing & the security of having multiple copies in multiple locations. But most people would be "wowed" if that box full of photos came back to them as a lovely album or book of family memories. I'd highly recommend learning one or two of the "make an album" services where you upload a batch of photos and they print/send the book to you. You might be thinking, "why wouldn't they do that themselves and not pay extra?" The same reason I pay someone to change my oil and another person to make an amazing Cuban sandwich -- because they do it faster/better/quicker/etc.
Other products you can offer them ... basically anything that Shutterfly offers: canvas wall prints, family calendar, next year's holiday card, a coffee mug for grandma with her grandkids on it, a hat for grandpa. A knitted blanket for a widow/widower with their spouse on it. You could literally have a post for every season and holiday. Picture of a spouse on a Valentine's day pillow, family pictures on playing cards for the upcoming family reunion, etc.
- I understand that you want to make sure you set your prices at a profitable rate that is worth your time, but I would also encourage you to keep your pricing as simple as possible. Start with the per/photo pricing, but later consider going to some tiers (up to 100 photos for $XX, 100-500 for $XXX, etc.). People love to know exactly how much they are going to spend before they start.
- I'd consider giving them something free from a place like Shutterfly in exchange for being able to share a post using some of their pictures on your Facebook page/website for promotions. Let's just say it is a free coffee mug or an extra flash drive with all the photos. If you give away a promotion item, you may find that another family member comes back to you and orders 3 more + a blanket + a canvas print. If you want to make it simpler, just give them 5% off if they share a post with their family and friends. I'd have a handout that I provide when I return the photos with examples of other items I can have created for them. Make it easy for them to say yes to something they find valuable ... and this can easily be done without being smarmy or pushy. "Let me know if you'd like any of these other items using your photos"
- I usually think many small businesses like this worry too much about liability, but I'd actually have an agreement created and have every client sign it. Protect yourself in case your dog chews up a box of pics, or fire/flood, misplaced pictures, scanner "eats" a few, etc. You'll also want to be very clear about if you are/aren't keeping a copy of their photos. Some might want you to as a backup for safety; others will want to be assured that you don't keep their photos. Be very clear about it. Id likely recommend against offering that service - it seems to add extra risk and worry.
For CC payments, there are lots of options. I'd ask a few business people who you see taking your credit card payment on a phone .... stylist/barber, the vendor at the farmer's market. Ask 4-5 people who they use and if they like it.
I know I've made a lot of assumptions and my apologies if that goes further than what you wanted. Best of luck!
