Is your photo booth operator running a part-time side-hustle or working their business as a full-time career? What’s the difference for you as a consumer?
About a year and a half ago, I was speaking with a Bride who we will call Sarah for the purposes of this story. Sarah was comparing our company with another provider who was a little bit less expensive. Sarah told me she was intrigued by the other providers’ low price, but she felt uncomfortable using them because of some red flags lingering in her gut.
Sarah explained the other provider was not going to have them sign a contract and wouldn’t let them pay with a credit card. They also didn’t have a physical business address. Humm…
Sarah knew she wanted to book a booth for a peak time of the year for weddings and knew that both the most popular booths and best providers tend to book up early. All true! Sarah knew she had to book in advance, but just wasn’t sure the part-time booth operator was still going to be around in another year, as they didn’t seem to be running a real “above-board” business. They just felt off.
Sarah ultimately decided to book with us because we had solid business practices in place and showed signs of growth in our business. We were adding new products and offerings and were always on the cutting edge. We had clear contracts, proof of insurance, and merchant credit card processing.
Fast forward a year later, when Sarah’s wedding date arrived, that other business was in fact out of business and had vanished off the internet without warning. Sarah might have been out of luck for her wedding, left scrambling last minute, and likely lost her deposit for good, if she had hired the other guys. Why?
Running a sustainable business is expensive and you have to account for equipment replacement costs, operating costs (insurance and software updates), labor taxes, etc. Most side hustle operators don’t think of these things and end up out of business if/when something happens. It’s time to replace something that breaks and they are out of business.
Side-hustle operators who have inexpensive rates are also sometimes quick to cancel on a gig because something better came along or they just don’t feel like working another day, and your event is a flop. It doesn’t matter for them since it’s not actually how they make a living. They still have their 9-5.
Sarah was a smart cookie and knew a few things to consider when looking for a professional provider. Her event went off without a hitch and the guests loved the photo booth at the reception. Be like Sarah 🙂
