Ken and Natalie Cavanaugh, for example, formed Cavanaugh Photography in November 2002, upon the heels of a layoff.

“It wasn’t an ideal situation,” admits Ken Cavanaugh, president. While he’d been a photographer and photography studio manager for 15 years, Ken had detoured into sales for a computer consulting firm. The move didn’t pan out, and the Cavanaughs were left starting from zero in an effort to build their own business.

Another challenge: “I didn’t really have a portfolio since most of my work had been done on behalf of other studios,” he says.

While Ken feverishly pitches new business, Natalie serves as the company’s vice president and treasurer; she also holds a part-time job as a nonprofit event coordinator. State-of-the-art digital equipment was expensive and startup costs were high, but the Cavanaughs hope their ability to offer a studio-quality experience on location and the convenience of online ordering will help them stand out above the competition.

With their limited advertising budget, the Cavanaughs buy ads in the Yellow Pages, an online directory and the occasional bridal magazine. “We’ve got no choice but to spend marketing dollars wisely,” says Ken.

The Cavanaughs have also found success buying leads from a Web site that sells requests for bids from photographers. And, of course, good old word of mouth has proven invaluable.

Reprinted from COSE Update magazine