HOW TO START
A PHOTO BOOTH
BUSINESS.
If you're thinking about starting a photo booth business, you do not need a warehouse full of equipment. You need a solid first booth, an iPad, photo booth software and somebody willing to book you. Here's exactly how I'd approach it.
YOU DON'T NEED
TO KNOW
EVERYTHING.
One of the easiest ways to never start a photo booth business is to spend six months researching how to start a photo booth business.
There will always be another camera to compare, another printer, another backdrop, another software platform and another person online telling you that their setup is the only setup that works.
We built CheesyPix by actually doing events. That's where you learn what matters: Can guests use the booth? Does it look professional? Can you transport it? Can you set it up reliably? Can you deliver what the client purchased?
Start with a booth you can actually build a business around.
We're not a booth manufacturer writing about what rental companies supposedly need. We operate a photo booth business. That means loading equipment, driving to venues, setting up, working with clients, solving little problems and getting everything home again. That's the perspective behind this page.
I'D START
WITH A SIMPLE
iPAD BOOTH.
You can spend a lot more money starting a photo booth business. You can also make it far more complicated.
I like starting with an iPad booth because the iPad gives you the camera, touchscreen and computer in one device. Add photo booth software and good lighting and you already have the heart of a professional digital booth setup.
MWE iPAD PHOTO BOOTH
This is the type of setup that makes sense to me for somebody trying to get into the business without immediately buying a pile of equipment.
- Built-in adjustable lighting
- Designed around an iPad
- Professional-looking booth body
- Customizable front branding
- Rolling base and travel case
- Simple enough to start with and grow from
FROM YOUR
FIRST BOOTH TO
YOUR FIRST BOOKING.
Here's the practical version. No 47-step business plan required.
CHOOSE YOUR FIRST PHOTO BOOTH.
Start with one booth you can confidently transport, assemble, operate and sell. You do not need three different booth styles before you've had three customers.
ADD THE iPAD OR CAMERA SYSTEM.
For a simple digital booth, an iPad can handle the camera, touchscreen and computing side of the guest experience.
CHOOSE YOUR PHOTO BOOTH SOFTWARE.
Your software runs the actual guest experience: starting the session, taking photos, making GIFs or boomerangs, applying layouts and giving guests a way to receive their photos.
CREATE ONE EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND PACKAGE.
Decide what you're selling, how long the rental lasts and what the customer receives. Your first customer shouldn't need a spreadsheet to figure out what they're buying.
GET YOUR CONTRACT READY.
Before somebody books, think through payment, cancellation, venue access, setup timing, equipment, outdoor events and what happens when circumstances outside your control affect the event.
MAKE IT EASY FOR SOMEBODY TO HIRE YOU.
Your website needs to answer a few simple questions: What do you offer? What does it look like? What does the customer get? And what do they do next if they want it?
RUN A COMPLETE PRACTICE EVENT.
Load the booth. Drive it somewhere. Unload it. Assemble it. Start the software. Take photos. Share them. Break everything down. Pack it again. Repeat until the process feels normal.
GET YOUR FIRST REAL BOOKING.
Eventually you have to stop preparing and actually let somebody hire you. Real events will teach you things another month of researching never will.
FIX WHAT ANNOYED YOU.
Maybe a cable was too short. Maybe setup took too long. Maybe guests struggled with a screen. Maybe your intake process missed an important question. Fix those things one at a time.
THEN GROW.
Add printing because customers want printing. Add another booth because you're turning away bookings. Add equipment because the business creates a reason to own it.
WHAT DO YOU
ACTUALLY NEED
TO START?
Start with the equipment required to deliver the service you're actually selling.
START WITH THE PIECE THAT MAKES THE BUSINESS POSSIBLE.
If you're still deciding which booth to start with, take a look at the MWE iPad booth and see the current options, pricing and shipping.
THINGS YOU
PROBABLY DON'T
NEED YET.
- Five booth styles before you've booked five clients.
- A warehouse full of backdrops.
- Every prop you've ever seen online.
- A printer if your first service is digital-only.
- A giant menu of packages nobody understands.
- A perfect logo before you've run a single event.
- Equipment bought solely because another booth owner owns it.
HOW DO YOU GET
YOUR FIRST PHOTO
BOOTH CLIENT?
Nobody pays you simply because you own the machine. They pay you because they have an event and believe you'll make it better.
START CLOSE TO HOME.
Friends, churches, schools, organizations, workplaces and community events can put your booth in front of people who didn't know your business existed yesterday.
GO WHERE EVENTS ALREADY HAPPEN.
Wedding venues and event spaces already serve people who need the exact kind of service you're trying to sell.
SHOW THE EXPERIENCE.
Don't only show the machine. Show guests taking photos, laughing, using the screen and receiving the finished result.
SHOW UP WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOOKING.
Build useful pages around the questions customers actually search for and make it obvious how to contact or hire you.
THE BOOTH
GETS YOU IN
THE BUSINESS.
The equipment matters. Reliability matters. Good photos matter. But once you've got a dependable booth, the business becomes everything you build around it.
Answer inquiries. Make booking easy. Get the event details right. Show up when you said you would. Make the setup look professional. Deliver what you promised. Then make it easy for that customer — or somebody at their event — to hire you next time.
Buy smart. Start simple. Let the bookings fund the growth.
YOUR BOOTH.
YOUR
BUSINESS BASICS.
START WITH THE BOOTH.
If you're ready to start building the actual setup, take a look at the iPad booth I think makes a very sensible starting point.
SEE THE MWE BOOTH →GET YOUR CONTRACT READY.
Once somebody wants to hire you, you need to define what they're buying and what both sides are responsible for.
PHOTO BOOTH CONTRACT GUIDE →
QUESTIONS PEOPLE
ASK BEFORE
THEY START.
What photo booth should I buy to start a photo booth business?
For a first setup, we like the simplicity of an iPad photo booth with dependable built-in lighting and a professional enclosure. The goal is to start with equipment you can transport, operate reliably and confidently sell to clients.
Can I start a photo booth business with an iPad?
Yes. An iPad can combine the camera, touchscreen and computer in one device. Add compatible photo booth software, lighting and a professional booth enclosure and you have a simple digital setup.
What equipment do I need to start a photo booth business?
At the simplest level you need a booth, an iPad or camera system, lighting, photo booth software, power cables and a safe way to transport the equipment.
Do I need a printer to start?
No. You can start with a digital-only photo booth and add printing later if your customers and business model justify the additional equipment and expense.
Is a photo booth business a good side hustle?
It can work well as a side business because many weddings, parties and corporate events happen during evenings and weekends. The important part is remembering that the business also includes sales, preparation, transportation, setup and client service.
Do I need a contract for photo booth rentals?
A written agreement gives you and the customer a clear understanding of the service and can address payment, timing, cancellation, venue access, equipment, outdoor events and other responsibilities.
How do I get my first photo booth booking?
Start with a service that is easy to understand and easy to buy, then put it in front of people who organize events: people you know, venues, schools, churches, local organizations and businesses.
START WITH
THE BOOTH.
Take a look at the MWE iPad photo booth, compare the available options and see the current pricing and shipping. Then start building the rest of the business around it.