Step-by-step guide to starting a successful Photographers business.
At minimum publish a starting price, because photographers with no pricing at all lose budget-matched inquiries to competitors who show a number. Full package detail can wait for the inquiry reply, but 'starting at' filters out mismatched leads before they waste your time.
Shoot styled sessions with model calls, offer discounted portfolio-building sessions to friends of friends rather than strangers, and second-shoot for established photographers in your niche. Every early shoot should be chosen for what it adds to the portfolio, not the fee.
Take varied work early to pay bills, but market one or two niches, because a client planning a wedding wants a wedding specialist, not a generalist. Your public portfolio can be narrower than your actual bookings.
Requirements vary by location, but plan on a business registration, liability insurance, contracts covering usage rights and cancellation, and possibly sales tax collection on prints and albums. Some venues will not let you shoot without proof of insurance, so sort it before wedding season.