Outsourcing for Photographers: How to Start Hiring Help

Outsourcing for Photographers: How to Start Hiring Help | The Systems & Workflow Magic Podcast Episode #39

*This blog post is based on a conversation from Episode 39 of The Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast, originally recorded in 2022. Some links, pricing details, and resources referenced by our guest may have changed since the original recording. The strategies and systems discussed remain relevant and applicable.

You are wearing too many hats in your photography business. You are the photographer, the editor, the social media manager, the bookkeeper, the email responder, the blog writer, and probably the person who runs to Target for printer ink on a Tuesday at 9 pm.

At some point, something has to give. That “something” does not have to be your sanity or your family time. It can be a few tasks on your to-do list that someone else is fully capable of handling. That is where outsourcing comes in, and this post will walk you through exactly how to get started, even if you are a solo family photographer with a tight budget and zero experience hiring anyone.

This topic came up on The Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast with my guest Jill Gum of Jill Gum Photography & Education. Jill has been outsourcing for over six years, and her VA now handles roughly half of her weekly work hours. She had so many practical tips that I knew this conversation deserved a full blog post, too.

If you are a family photographer ready to build real structure into your business, grab The Backend Organization System for Family Photographers. It is a Trello board template that helps you organize your entire business backend, and it pairs well with everything we are going to cover here.

🎙️Listen to the full podcast here ⬇️

When Should a Photographer Start Outsourcing?

Photographers should consider outsourcing once they are consistently profitable and their workload regularly exceeds the hours they want to be working. A lot of photographers assume outsourcing is only for businesses pulling in six figures. That is not accurate. You do not need a massive revenue number. You need to be at the point where the money you are making feels worth the time you are putting in, and then you notice your workload is pushing past that tipping point. As Jill shared on the podcast, profitability is personal.

For one photographer, it might mean earning enough to cover business expenses and pay themselves. For another, it might mean hitting a specific income goal. The point is that you are no longer operating at a loss and can reinvest a small amount back into support. Here is the part most photographers miss: starting small and starting early is better than waiting until you are completely buried.

If you wait until you are drowning in work to figure out outsourcing, the process itself becomes yet another overwhelming task. But if you begin handing off one or two small tasks while your business is still manageable, you build a rhythm that grows with you.

One strategy I learned from Shana Skidmore’s Blueprint Model is to set aside $25 from every session you photograph and deposit it into a savings account labeled specifically for your VA fund. I saved three months’ worth of VA pay doing this before I onboarded my first contractor. That gave me 90 days of budget to train someone on just two specific tasks at about three hours per week.

What Tasks Should Photographers Outsource First?

Start by outsourcing tasks that do not require your personal expertise, voice, or creative eye, such as tagging vendors in blog posts, creating Facebook albums, formatting content, or managing inbox organization. Here is the exercise that makes this click: for the next two weeks, write down every single task you do in your business. Keep a Google Doc open while you work, and each time you switch to a new job, jot it down. After two weeks, you will have a full picture of every hat you wear. Then sort that list into two categories:

• Tasks only you can do (photographing sessions, writing personal emails, recording podcast episodes)
• Tasks someone else could do (tagging vendors in blog posts, uploading images, formatting newsletters, scheduling social media)

You can also add a “want to” layer. Tasks you can do but genuinely dislike, such as bookkeeping or Pinterest graphic design, are strong candidates for outsourcing, too. Jill started with two small jobs: tagging vendors in blog posts and creating Facebook albums for her wedding photography clients. Those two tasks alone freed up about an hour and a half per week. Over a month, that is six hours. Over a year, that is more than 70 hours of your life back. If you want help mapping out your own workflows and identifying what you could hand off, The Family Photographer’s Workflow Blueprint walks you through building repeatable client processes step by step.

What Systems Do You Need Before You Can Outsource?

You need documented, repeatable processes in place so a contractor can follow your exact steps without guessing what comes next. This is where many photographers get tripped up. They know they want help, but when they try to explain their process to someone new, it comes out as “sometimes I do this” and “it depends.” That is not a hand-off. That is a headache for everyone involved. Before you bring on a VA or contractor, you need a consistent system for each area you plan to outsource.

If you want to hand off your client onboarding process, you need a set sequence: the inquiry email, the response template, the questionnaire, the contract, the invoice, and the welcome guide. Every client should receive the same experience, and that experience needs to be documented somewhere your VA can access it. Here are a few ways to document your systems:

• Screen recordings using Loom or QuickTime. Walk through each task as you do it and narrate your steps. This is the fastest way to create training material.
• Written SOPs (standard operating procedures). These can live in a Google Doc, a Trello board, or a project management tool. List each step in order.
• Shared folders with organized file structures. Google Drive works well. Create a shared folder with subfolders for each task category.

Think of it this way: your VA should be able to complete a task by following your system without texting you with questions every five minutes. That level of clarity is the goal. And yes, it takes some upfront time to build. But once it is done, you can hand off that task to anyone, anytime, and it will get done the same way. Want a plug-and-play system for organizing your backend? The Backend Organization System for Family Photographers is a Trello board template built specifically for this.

How Do You Find and Hire a Virtual Assistant as a Photographer?

You can find a VA through industry referrals, photography communities, creative VA agencies, or by reaching out to organized, detail-oriented people already in your network. Finding the right person matters more than finding the most experienced person. Trust is everything. You are giving someone access to your client data, your email, and your social media accounts. Look for someone who is reliable, communicative, and willing to learn your systems. Photography Facebook groups, referrals from other photographers, and people already in your network who are organized and tech-comfortable are all solid places to start.

Make sure you have a contract in place. You need written clarity around expectations, deliverables, timelines, pay, and confidentiality. I recommend checking out The Legal Paige for photographer-specific contract templates (use code DOLLY10 for 10% off). Understand the difference between a contractor and an employee. A contractor uses their own equipment, sets their own hours, and works for other clients. An employee works under your hours and structure. This distinction affects taxes and payments, so talk to your CPA before making any hiring decisions.

How Should You Communicate with Your VA for the Best Results?

Set up weekly check-in calls during the first 90 days, then shift to monthly meetings once workflows are running smoothly. Communication is where outsourcing relationships succeed or fail. Your VA cannot read your mind, no matter how talented they are.

Plan for a 90-day training period. Give yourself a full quarter to train, refine, and build trust. They will make mistakes during this time. That is normal. What matters is how you communicate about those mistakes and how quickly you both adjust.

Set a weekly check-in during the first month or two. Even a five-minute Zoom call to ask “How is everything going?” goes a long way. These regular touchpoints create space for honest feedback in both directions and prevent small misunderstandings from growing into big frustrations.

Use a project management tool for task assignment. Tools like Trello, Asana, or ClickUp let you assign tasks, set deadlines, attach files, and track progress in real time. Both you and your VA can see what is done, what is in progress, and what is coming up next. Email alone is not enough for managing outsourced work.

Use a password manager for secure account access. Programs like LastPass or 1Password let you share login credentials with your VA without revealing the actual passwords. Know the difference between a genuine mistake and a red flag. A missed link on a blog post is a mistake. Fix it, talk about it, move on. Repeated no-shows, poor communication, or disregard for your processes? That is a red flag, and it is worth addressing directly.

What Tools Do You Need to Support Outsourcing in Your Business?

You need a shared file system (Google Drive or Dropbox), a project management tool (Trello, Asana, or ClickUp), a password manager, and a CRM for client workflows. Shared file system. Google Drive is the go-to for most photographers. Create a shared folder with subfolders for each area your VA will work in: blog posts, social media, client onboarding, newsletters, and so on.

Project management tool. This is where you assign work and track what is getting done. I am a fan of Trello. It lets you create boards with cards for each task, add checklists, attach files, assign team members, and move tasks through stages. It is free to start and scales as your business grows.

Password manager. LastPass, 1Password, or a similar tool lets your VA log into your accounts without ever seeing your actual passwords. This is non-negotiable for security.

CRM (Client Relationship Manager). If your VA will touch anything client-facing, they need access to your CRM. I use Dubsado (use my link for 30% off). Your CRM is where contracts, invoices, questionnaires, and automated workflows live, and your VA needs to understand their specific role within it. Set these tools up before your VA starts. That prep work is what separates a smooth onboarding from a chaotic one.

How Much Does It Cost to Outsource as a Photographer?

Most photographers can start outsourcing for as little as two to three hours per week at $25 to $40 per hour, depending on the VA’s experience and the complexity of the tasks. You are not committing to a full-time salary. Two hours a week at $30 per hour is $240 per month. That might be the cost of one mini session, and it gives you back eight or more hours every single month. Use the savings strategy I mentioned earlier: set aside $25 from every session and funnel it into a dedicated VA savings account. By the time you are ready to hire, you will have a buffer that covers the first few months without financial stress.

The return on outsourcing is not just financial. It is time.

Those hours you get back can go toward booking more clients, building your marketing systems, creating new offers, or spending an afternoon with your kids without your laptop open on the couch. If you want to build a marketing system that practically runs itself (and pairs perfectly with a VA handling the backend), check out The Blogging and Organic Visibility System for Family Photographers.

Your Next Steps for Getting Started with Outsourcing

You do not have to outsource everything at once. Start small. Start with one task. Start with two hours a week. Build from there. Here is a quick recap of where to begin:

1. Track every task you do for two weeks
2. Sort tasks into “must be me” and “could be someone else.”
3. Document your systems with screen recordings or written SOPs
4. Save up a 90-day VA budget using session-based savings
5. Find a trustworthy VA through referrals or photography communities
6. Set up your tools: shared files, project management, password manager, CRM
7. Onboard your VA with weekly check-ins and a clear 90-day training plan

If this post helped you see outsourcing differently, share it with a photographer friend who is still trying to do everything alone. And if you want to keep building real systems in your business, join The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society for monthly marketing plans, templates, and a community of photographers building sustainable businesses right alongside you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Outsourcing for Photographers

Can I outsource if I only book a few sessions per month? Yes. Outsourcing is not reserved for high-volume businesses. Even handing off two hours of admin work per week can free up mental space and help you focus on the parts of your business that actually need your attention. Start with one small, repeatable task and build from there as your budget allows.

Should I hire an employee or a contractor? Most solo photographers start as contractors, meaning they use their own equipment, set their own schedule, and work for other clients as well. This is typically simpler for tax and legal purposes. An employee works under your set hours and structure. Talk to your CPA to determine which option best fits your business, and always use a contract regardless of which route you choose.

What if my VA makes mistakes? They will. Expect it, plan for it, and communicate about it with clarity and kindness. A missed tag on a blog post is not a crisis. Give your VA a full 90-day training window to learn your systems, and use regular check-ins to address issues early. The goal is a long-term working relationship, not perfection on day one.

How do I keep my business data secure when sharing access with a VA? Use a password manager like LastPass or 1Password. These tools let your VA log in to your accounts without seeing your passwords. You can also set permissions in tools like Google Drive, Trello, and your CRM so your VA has only the access they need for their specific tasks.

What is the best project management tool for outsourcing? There is no single “best” tool. Trello, Asana, ClickUp, and Monday are all solid options. The best one is the one you will actually use consistently. Pick one, learn it, build your workflows inside it, and stick with it. Switching tools every few months creates more chaos than it solves.

Meet Your Favorite Marketing Strategist and Business Coach for Family Photographers (Dolly DeLong Education)

Hi, I’m Dolly DeLong, a Nashville-based family photographer, marketing strategist, and systems educator for family photographers who want structure, clarity, and consistency in their marketing.

My photography journey began in 2006, and over the years, I built a sustainable family photography business while navigating motherhood, client work, and the realities of running a solo creative business. Along the way, I discovered something unexpected: I loved the backend just as much as the creative side.

What started as organizing my own workflows turned into helping other family photographers simplify their marketing, build repeatable systems, and stop relying on last-minute posting or panic marketing.

Today, I focus exclusively on helping family photographers intentionally market their businesses (not with trends but with consistently showing up).

I offer two ways to work with me:

• The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society: a systems-first membership that provides a clear weekly marketing cadence for Instagram and email, so you always know what to focus on without starting over.

• 1:1 Strategic Marketing Support for established family photographers who want hands-on guidance in building a sustainable, SEO-supported marketing system.

Through my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, I teach family photographers how to think like marketers, plan ahead, and create marketing rhythms that support both their business and their family life.

I still photograph families around Nashville because it’s one of my greatest joys. But helping family photographers build calm, consistent marketing systems that actually fit real life is a close second.

I’m so glad you are here, reading this blog, listening to the podcast, or watching the embedded YouTube video. I hope this educational content was helpful. Please let me know what future systems content you would like me to create!