Making Your Pet Photography Business Eco-Friendly
Starting and running a pet photography business is a challenging feat in and of itself, often presenting a plethora of unique challenges, from networking to marketing and everything in between.
However, one of the most significant broader factors that you must bear in mind, more so now than ever before, is the issue of making your business as eco-friendly as possible.
Establishing Eco-Friendly Principles in an Age of Increased Scrutiny
Having an eco-friendly and sustainable pet photography business accomplishes the key goal of improving your carbon footprint, and reducing your emissions and negative impact on the environment. What’s more, by taking proactive sustainable steps, you could, by extension, be reinforcing your brand image.
More consumers nowadays are actively looking to support companies that align with their values of eco-friendliness and making a difference to the environment in a good way. According to recent statistics from TheRoundup, 55% of modern consumers will pay more for brands that are forthcoming about being eco-friendly and that take sustainability seriously.
There are some simple and effective ways to make your pet photography business inherently more eco-friendly with some greener practices. Some other methods are not so easy or as clear-cut, but with time, they can make a great long-term difference. Fundamentally, however, it’s important to realize that making a pet photography brand environmentally friendly does not have to be a cost-intensive or complicated exercise.
Starting small, planning, and making incremental changes can reduce your impact on the environment and appeal to more eco-conscious consumers. This short guide is here to give you food for thought when considering how to make your pet image brand greener.
Evaluate Your Current Carbon Footprint and Environmental Impact
First things first, take a retrospective look at your brand and see how much waste you are generating. You can usually get an accurate approximation by using sustainability calculators online, and from then, pinpointing areas to optimize.
This can typically start with your cameras, lighting, and equipment. E-waste is a continued growing problem and, if you need to get new gear, it can be much better to buy used photography equipment from eco-friendly online retailers, or even opt for trade-ins. This will make a big difference in your overall carbon footprint from the outset.
As far as day-to-day operations go, look at your heating solutions for your studio space or home office. Find out whether it’s prudent to switch to alternative heating methods like heat pumps and solar panels, and if grid power is needed, whether you can switch to providers that can ensure green, renewable energy distribution. This means that you can still power your devices and equipment while giving more back to the environment and using less.
Use this time also to consider any props in your pet photography shoots, like toys, treats, backdrops and more, and how often they are reused. If you can find reusable alternatives, that’s a great start rather than buying new ones each time.
Consider transport and emissions from your vehicles. How often do you travel to photography sessions off-site? Could you find way to reduce your travel such as limiting your location options or utilising a more sustainable travel method like public transport or ride sharing options.
Having evaluated your current situation and practices, you can then get an idea of how best to optimize your operations and preserve more energy while using fewer resources.
Increase Energy Efficiency
As global net zero target deadlines loom ever closer and as world leaders continue to exclaim how more must be done to mitigate long-term climate damage, there is no better time than now to improve energy efficiency in everyday situations.
As far as pet photographers go, it’s a segment of global carbon emissions that’s relatively small, but that does not absolve them of responsibility to take proactive, energy-conserving steps if the options exist. Operating lighting, heating, cooling, and using electronics all use energy to some degree, and there are easy ways to make that less destructive collectively.
Try these tips for increasing efficiency in your pet photography studio or home-office:
Install LED bulbs which use 75% less energy and last longer than incandescent lighting.
Use smart power strips to completely cut power to equipment when not in use. Make sure that equipment goes into standby mode when dormant for a short period.
Seal drafty windows to optimize heat retention in the studio and prevent unnecessary heat escape.
Purchase ENERGY STAR-certified electronics like computers, printers and appliances that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines.
Change air filters regularly so HVAC systems run efficiently.
Schedule a professional energy audit to identify other ways to maximize efficiency. Many utility companies offer rebates on efficiency upgrades, so it’s worth pursuing these to see if you qualify and save on upfront costs and falling into a cash flow negative situation.
Consider going on location more often or introducing more natural light whenever possible to reduce electricity usage for artificial lighting and strobes.
Reduce Emissions With Smarter Transport
Transport accounts for a huge percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions. For each person, however, giving up driving entirely is out of the question, with cars being the only feasible form of transport available for most of us meeting clients on location or in their homes.
Driving to photoshoots, holding client meetings, and running everyday business errands can mean that emissions build up quickly. For eco-conscious business owners, consider making some changes to make your transport greener.
When it’s time to replace your current vehicle, consider investing in a fuel-efficient hybrid or electric vehicle that’s owned or leased under the business. In some places, this could be a tax-efficient solution for business owners who commute longer distances and who need to preserve working capital. On top of this, plan routes efficiently to minimize mileage where possible.
For those of you selling printed product to your clients like wall art and albums, choose a lab local to you where possible and opt for white-label, drop shipped direct to the client. If that’s not possible, find a carbon-neutral courier service like the Australian company Sendle which is now available in the U.S. and Canada too.
If you’re really passionate about reducing your impact, you may like to offer clients discounts to host sessions in convenient locations that can reduce commute times for either party. Don’t forget to include this incentive in your marketing to help set you apart from your competitors!
You may also wish to consider opting for phone calls or video meetings as introductory sessions instead of meeting in person, as this has an emission-saving advantage.
If you want to take it one step further, you could also look for local carbon offsetting programs where you can negate emissions caused by commuting and everyday operations.
Manage Waste Responsibly
You’d be surprised at how much waste can be generated if you are not managing it appropriately. Printing, packaging, shipping, and general office tasks can collectively generate large amounts of waste before long. However, fear not, because there are some simple ways to mitigate this.
Go digital as an alternative to printing if possible, and use eco-friendly materials like recyclable paper and soy ink to ensure they're not coming at a huge expense to forests. Client questionnaires and contracts no longer need to be printed thanks to simple client management software like Studio Ninja. Printed proofs for client ordering can also be replaced by online galleries or virtual ordering appointments.
Use recyclable or biodegradable packaging materials for mail orders and simplify packaging design to use as little as possible. Reuse any materials from any shipments you receive in return to get more bang for your buck
What’s more, only upgrade your equipment when absolutely necessary - don’t simply get the newest camera model just because it’s there. Maintain and look after your equipment properly to ensure it lasts as long as possible, and use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries where possible.
Promote Your Energy-Saving Efforts
Once you have implemented some sustainable practices, it’s important to let your audience know about it. Don’t make changes in the dark without highlighting the efforts you are taking to ensure better environmental management.
Promote your sustainability initiatives on your website, social media and in email signatures to catch your clients’ and prospects’ attention. Highlight recent changes in print order forms, packaging, and order confirmations. Additionally, consider applying for green business certifications and display these badges on your website and in any other marketing materials to prove how committed you are.
Even the smallest of adjustments can make running a pet photography business more eco-friendly while also attracting more of the best types of clients. With careful planning and methodical execution, you can adopt practices that better serve the planet and make a more meaningful impact while keeping the business ticking over.
Starting with switching to a digital client management system?
Studio Ninja Discount Code
We use and recommend Studio Ninja for most pet photographers. If you have employees or often do commercial work it won’t be ideal for you, but otherwise, it’s the cheapest option and we believe, easiest to learn!
Pet photographers can save 50% for their first year, making it just $10 a month!
Use code: PPPI50
Author
Kirstie McConnell |
Founder
The Pet Photographers Club
When Kirstie launched her pet photography business in Australia in 2012, the genre was barely a thing. She spent the next years at the forefront of this niche, marketing not just her own business, but the concept of pet photography. Each year she photographed around 100 dogs, cats and horses per year to create wall art and albums for pet-parents.
Now based in Italy, she continues to offer pet photography to her clients back in Australia on return trips, but otherwise spends her energy helping other pet photographers build a business which will allow them to follow their dreams.
Internationally recognized as a leader in the industry, she hosts the podcast, workshops, courses and business events for The Pet Photographers Club which she co-founded.
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