Start Up Of The Month - Showboat Old Tyme Photo

This startup began from an experience at a carnival midway, in which a guy doing old tyme photos out of a re-styled RV had a line down the street. My Daughter and Niece wanted one, so I stood there for an hour until it was our turn. I immediately noticed that the old fashioned dark room was gone, and that with digital photography it was all about marketing, choosing costumes, posing people, and keeping them entertained. The carnival guy was not good at any of the above. I knew that I could do a better job. Plus, it would make for a fun weekend hobby business. So I found all the companies that supply the old tyme photo industry, and bought and put together my old tyme photo studio. I rented a building in a historic downtown area. Unfortunately, I spent most of my weekends just sitting there, waiting for a customer to come in. Very boring. So I decided to try and take the old tyme photo studio to where the people really are, high traffic events, like fairs and festivals. It took about a year to learn how to pull it off, but I eventually got to where I was making $200.00-500.00 per day doing this.

This is such a great business, the way we've constructed it, that we can get you outfitted and trained in it for about $12,000.00 total, including all the costumes, computer, software, printer, props, everything. This is one of the best weekend businesses I have ever seen.