I'm Officially Changing my travel fee... And here's why!
I have officially hit over a year in my business, and while I've stayed pretty consistent with my bookings, there is one thing that takes my clients from an immediate yes to an absolute no: my travel fee.
As a photographer, when starting a business, you ask other photographers questions and try to create similar structures regarding booking processes and fees to ensure a smooth process for your clients. When I first began, I was not charging for travel, and it wasn't a huge priority to me because the majority of my clients were around my area. I didn't feel the need to charge because I only had one or two clients booking from a distance. But once I began booking more clients who were farther away, I noticed that my travel expenses were starting to become more than what I was actually making. Gas prices began rising, and my package pricing was lower than the cost to fill my tank.
I reached out to a few fellow photographers who had established businesses, and they suggested charging at least $.60 per mile round-trip. To me, it seemed a little high, but once I started comparing gas prices, it made quite a bit of sense. Being in a small town, I frequently get clients in my area and the surrounding towns.
Thirty miles round-trip doesn't seem super high when you're quoted a $36 travel fee. But when I started getting clients in central and eastern Kansas, my travel fees were either the same as or double my package prices. To me, it just did not seem realistic to quote somebody a travel fee that was higher than the actual session. Even though gas prices haven't gone down and have actually gotten a little more expensive, I realized I was starting to lose more clients than I was gaining simply because of my travel fee.
So I knew I had to make a change. Did I want to continue losing clients simply because of travel costs, or did I want to figure out a way to ensure I was still being compensated for travel while also providing a more realistic quote? Here's what I decided to do.
My travel fee is still going to remain $.60 per mile round-trip. But here's where the difference comes in. I have a location in the McPherson area where I stay during sessions that are close to that location. If, for example, you were booking in the Wichita area, instead of charging my travel fee from Hays, Kansas, it will be calculated from McPherson, Kansas. There is still going to be a travel fee, but it's going to be much smaller than if I were charging from my home location.
I figured I would retain more clients if I didn't have such a high travel fee. Even though I'm still traveling from Hays, I also have the ability to stay overnight in McPherson and spend time with my family and in-laws. It's a win-win situation for me, and my client receives a lower quote.
So what does that look like for other areas? For example, if you were booking in Great Bend, I would charge whichever travel fee is closest and most affordable for you. In that case, you would be charged the Hays travel fee instead of the McPherson travel fee. This will also apply to other areas throughout Kansas.
My hope is that this makes the travel fee much less of a concern than it has been. I understand that times are tough and the cost of living continues to rise, so I'm trying to ensure my clients receive reasonable pricing without my business taking a hit. I felt that being charged a travel fee that was the same as or higher than the session itself, on top of the session cost, was already a significant added expense. So I wanted to give my clients the best deal possible.
I'm hopeful this change won't negatively impact my business. The more I've researched it and thought it through, the more I feel like this is the best solution for both myself and my clients.
So, for future sessions starting today, any travel fee will be determined based on the location you're wanting me to travel to. If I have the ability to stay at my second location, your travel fee will be calculated from there instead!
Stay tuned for future updates from Angelina Monet Photography!
Much love,
Angelina Monet