Business names for your photography

Janice

Janice

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Janice
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Ive noticed that lots of you who have started to do photography for money, portraits, sports etc.... have the names of your 'business' different from your own name.

Is that a commercial thing, so if you go bust or whatever, they cant take money from you as a person.

Or is it nothing to do with that? I have been calling it Janice Hobbs Photography but now I am starting to do portraits properly and have a wedding coming up I wondered if I would do better to start of as another name...does it sound more professional...eg, Smiles Photography etc etc. or "Stupidoldfarttryingtostartabusiness Photography" or whatever?
 
If you use, Stupidoldfarttryingtostartabusiness Photography there wont be a lot of room left on your business card.
 
namllihs said:
If you use, Stupidoldfarttryingtostartabusiness Photography there wont be a lot of room left on your business card.
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I could use a banner!! ;)
 
Namllihs said:
If you use, Stupidoldfarttryingtostartabusiness Photography there wont be a lot of room left on your business card.
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:lol: @ Steve ... HeHe ... that's why I shortened mine to ...

... Ph'Art ... :D

Short for Photographic Art of course ... ;)

Jill doesn't think it works though ... so having to rethink ... :D

Seriously though Janice ... if you look at a range of 'professional' sites I think you willl see most of them use their own names in some form or other ... ;)

Absolutely nothing wrong with that ... and actually yours trips off the tongue quite nicely ... :thinking:

The way to limit liability in the way you suggest is to form a limited company ... and you can do this with your own name ... sometimes more easily than a made up version ... as you would then have to check it isn't already in use somewhere else ... or so I believe ... :shrug:

HTH ... :D




:p




:p
 
I use a different name, as mine is a bit of a mouthful to say. I've used the name of the "Valley" I live in as the name, so that people can guess where I am based ;)
 
Just make sure you don't use 'I Can't Do Photography' - I'm reserving that for me!
 
I work as a Company Secretary so if you want any help with a limited company I would be happy to head you in the correct direction. But with being a limited company comes extra requirements in the form of accounts and the like but as you said you do get limited liability. Most photographers (not all) just use a trading name and do not set up a limited company as they dont' want the extra hassles and your insurance should cover you for most problems.
 
If and its a big if, I ever get myself off the ground, I shall call myself 'Gloria-Jean photography' its my proper name minus the surname which Ive always hated and had planned to drop & not got around to.
My bro said my name sounds pretentious but I told him he should take that up with our mother. :lol:
 
h.r.ford said:
I work as a Company Secretary so if you want any help with a limited company I would be happy to head you in the correct direction. But with being a limited company comes extra requirements in the form of accounts and the like but as you said you do get limited liability. Most photographers (not all) just use a trading name and do not set up a limited company as they dont' want the extra hassles and your insurance should cover you for most problems.
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I think I will probably go the most hassle-free way, so non-limited would prob be best with a basic set of accounts.

Thanks all for your input, especially Ven! ;) :razz:
 
Completely non-photographic but now that I'm self employed I've adopted my car reg No as my trading name.

Saved the expense of buying a pretentious plate :D
 
G-J Photo sounds better Inaglo :)

When I ran my own business I used the street name plus what I did, hence Park Aerials, because it was easier to say, remember and cheaper than using my own name in adverts.

I always thought people using their own names as business names was a bit pretentious, more so when they put the name in huge letters on signs but what they actually did. It's a bit different in the photography line though as you are advertising your 'artistic' skill I suppose and potential clients want the personal touch..
 
I just use "Pete Carr Photography" Most big names just use their own name. Not that I'm a big name :D
 
Janice said:
Thanks all for your input, especially Ven! ;) :razz:
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Oi ... :p



:D


BTB ... as I understand it ... and I AM sure someone will correct me if I am wrong on this ... but ... when you reach turnover in excess of the VAT threshold (somewhere around £63K ? ... :eek: ) ... you will need a proper limited company ... or so I believe ... :thinking: ... or a damn fine accountant ... if there is such a beastie ... ;)


:p
 
Venomator said:
Oi ... :p



:D


BTB ... as I understand it ... and I AM sure someone will correct me if I am wrong on this ... but ... when you reach turnover in excess of the VAT threshold (somewhere around £63K ? ... :eek: ) ... you will need a proper limited company ... or so I believe ... :thinking: ... or a damn fine accountant ... if there is such a beastie ... ;)


:p
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have already got a damn fine accountant in Hertford, but i doubt I will ever get to £65K a year!! More like £65 a year! :D
 
petemc said:
I just use "Pete Carr Photography" Most big names just use their own name. Not that I'm a big name :D
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Ok, I will use that then........Pete Car Photography! Great, thanks!! ;) :D
 
Joe has pointed out the VAT part and sounds like he has a lot of experience in this area.

One point to consider is profit! If you make a profit there is tax to pay. How much profit potential you have and how you choose to minimize the tax paid will normally determine when you become a Ltd company.

In photography your running costs are relatively low as most of the input is your creative input or your time. This in tax terms is a wage and attracts tax at the normal levels.

If you form a limited company you will normally become a shareholder, director and an employee.

You can pay yourself a living wage as an employee and dividends which attract lower tax as a shareholder. You will, as a Director, be subject to further scrutiny by the tax man but most likely this will be the same work as a self-employed individual.

Pension contributions can reduce your tax liability and this is now easier for individuals or companies.

Something to mull over..........

:)
 
HIMUPNORTH said:
Joe has pointed out the VAT part and sounds like he has a lot of experience in this area.

One point to consider is profit! If you make a profit there is tax to pay. How much profit potential you have and how you choose to minimize the tax paid will normally determine when you become a Ltd company.

In photography your running costs are relatively low as most of the input is your creative input or your time. This in tax terms is a wage and attracts tax at the normal levels.

If you form a limited company you will normally become a shareholder, director and an employee.

You can pay yourself a living wage as an employee and dividends which attract lower tax as a shareholder. You will, as a Director, be subject to further scrutiny by the tax man but most likely this will be the same work as a self-employed individual.

Pension contributions can reduce your tax liability and this is now easier for individuals or companies.

Something to mull over..........

:)
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Bliiiiiiimey! I only wanted to take a few photographs! ;)
 
Joe T said:
Ven, a sole trader can be VAT registered, in exactly the same way as a limited company. The threshold is currently £61k (according to HMRC).

An accountant can be useful if you are VAT registered, but you can easily do it yourself if you like.
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Thanks for setting me straight on the details Joe ... :thumbs:

Knew it was something over £60K ... :D

I use an accountant anyway ... on the basis that a good one should be able to control tax payable ... with their greater experience in doing so ... :naughty: ... that's the theory ... :suspect:






:p
 
HIMUPNORTH said:
Joe has pointed out the VAT part and sounds like he has a lot of experience in this area.

One point to consider is profit! If you make a profit there is tax to pay. How much profit potential you have and how you choose to minimize the tax paid will normally determine when you become a Ltd company.

In photography your running costs are relatively low as most of the input is your creative input or your time. This in tax terms is a wage and attracts tax at the normal levels.

If you form a limited company you will normally become a shareholder, director and an employee.

You can pay yourself a living wage as an employee and dividends which attract lower tax as a shareholder. You will, as a Director, be subject to further scrutiny by the tax man but most likely this will be the same work as a self-employed individual.

Pension contributions can reduce your tax liability and this is now easier for individuals or companies.

Something to mull over..........

:)
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Doesn't IR35 put paid to that, just like it does for IT contractors though?
 
my mrs liked the name rainbow photography(actualy suggested by my sister) .her name does feature on the biz cards n stuff, but everyone and their dad seem to be called joe bloggs etc photography.so she picked a nice sounding name.
nowt to do with the tax side of stuff.
weve actualy been advised NOT to register for VAT as it makes life MUCH more complicated.
and a good accountant wil save you a lot in the long run.

how about jh photography by the way?
or hobbs photography?
 
mrgubby said:
Completely non-photographic but now that I'm self employed I've adopted my car reg No as my trading name.

Saved the expense of buying a pretentious plate :D
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That's same as the story behind JCT 600 in Leeds. Jack Tordoff got teh reg "JCT 600" for his Porsche, so called his motor dealership the same thing

TC
 
something you may want to think about - not really touched in the above is domain names. Although you do not need to, many businesses have a domain name that the same or close to the business name. it maybe worth looking at these first, and making sure the ones that you want are not taken.

its worth keeping these simple and easy to spell, which is why i brought sportysnaps.com, but i also brought sportysnaps.co.uk to prevent others from doing so.
 
blimey i started this 15 months ago!!!!
 
Janice said:
blimey i started this 15 months ago!!!!
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thats what i tought but people are thinking about this all the time " i know i am "


md:thumbs:
 
No...I forgot all about the thread the day after I posted it!!! :D

It's a "nearing 50" thing!! ;)
 
I would use Maybe TL Photography, or TL Tog

Tony :thumbs:
 
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