Professional Pictures for Your Home Business: Totally Worth It

When you run a home business, you are your own brand. How you look matters.

For years, I've been using pictures taken by me as profile images and as professional images. Finally, though, after being only a little satisfied with the way I look in those pictures, and wondering how I could project a more professional and put-together image, I decided to have someone who knows what they're doing take the pictures.

And I've been so happy with the results that I can't believe I didn't do it sooner.

The Face of Your Home Business

Depending on your home business, there is a good chance that you are the face presented to the world. I provide a service (although it's starting to look a lot more like a product these days), and my face is out there. Plus, if you're going to call yourself Miranda Marquit Freelancing, LLC, you probably ought to have a decent image of Miranda Marquit. Amiright?

Since I write for so many sites, I wanted a consistent image of me to use. And, while the photo shoot itself was fun, and I liked many of the pictures that came out of it, I finally (with a little help) settled on an “official” headshot to use for my home business.

I'm pretty happy with it, since I think it conveys a certain degree of professionalism, along with a small peek at my personality. Plus, I don't look sort-of unhappy. My last “official” headshot, one of my clients told me, was depressing. Hopefully, the new look of my home business is a little more inviting.

Paying for Professional Headshots

This is one of those things that I finally decided had to be done for my business. Not only did I pay a professional photographer (Pamela Berry) to take the pictures, but I also hired an actual makeup artist (Janelle Corey). Both of these ladies know what they're doing.

Once again, I was impressed with the fact that you do, so often, get what you pay for. It was worth the money to get a result that I'm happy with, and that I think represents my home business well.

Plus, since this was for my home business, I get a tax deduction for it.

When it comes to your the image of your home business, don't skimp. Really. Don't. If you can scrape together what you need to have someone else do what they're good at, pay for it. It's why I have a business partner to handle the back end of my blog, and it's why we hired a talented logo designer (Peter Anderson) to create a header and logo.

I wish I had done this professional headshot thing sooner. I'm much happier with this result than anything I've taken myself, and I don't hesitate before sending my headshot out with my bio. This is a good sign.

What do you think? What's worth paying for in the name of helping your home business?