By Jill McDonough
Mandy loves her side hustle and it shows! She knows it is precious that people trust her and choose her to capture moments that are so sacred and beautiful to her clients.
How do you become a successful photography business owner as a homeschool mom? Let’s let Mandy tell us how she does it.
How did you get into this particular side hustle?
My husband went to college for graphic design and was required to take a photography class, so we bought a DSLR camera…I picked it up to do my sister’s senior photos and haven’t put it down since!
How long have you been doing this side hustle?
11 years
Talk about getting started, startup costs, time commitment, etc.
The initial investment was about $5,000. I gradually have added to my equipment, knowledge and training. I started out part time while I was working full time, and gradually, it became my full time gig.
Do your kids help you with this side hustle?
Yes, they love to assist me when they can!
What are the pros of this side hustle?
- I can set my own schedule
- I have most of the winter off
- I truly enjoy it.
What are the cons of this side hustle?
- The market is oversaturated
- There are lots of hours stuck at the computer editing
- It’s not super reliable/consistent income, particularly in the winter months.
How do you juggle homeschooling and this side hustle?
The hardest time for that is September/October because I am always super busy with photography in those months and launching a fresh year of homeschooling. I just edit photos after school and do my sessions around homeschooling. It makes things busy in those months, but it works.
How long have you been homeschooling? What homeschool curriculum do you use? What are your kids’ ages and grades?
5 years! We mostly use Sonlight, with a mix of a few other odds and ends. Jameson is almost 9 and going into 4th grade, Lillie is 5 and going into Kindergarten.
Would you recommend this particular side hustle?
Yes
Not only is Mandy such a sweet, wonderful person, but once you see her beautiful pictures, you will want her to capture all of your family’s precious memories.
We homeschool moms need to be proactive about getting our kids’ pictures done since they don’t have yearly school photos. I would strongly recommend Mandy.
You can see her work and contact her today through her website:
