Need Advice On Photo Editing Service...

[Camilla and Darwin]

This is kind of an awkward post for me to write, but I would really appreciate everyone's input. I have been considering starting a photo editing service.,

DH and I are in the process of saving up so we can move and go back to school, and my job just isn't cutting it. Since I do so much photo editing for people already, and love it, I thought it may be a good option for me. I am lucky to own some really good editing software, and I have become pretty darn proficient at using it. So I'm trying to figure out if this is a good or bad idea, what services I would offer, etc. I would appreciate honest frank thoughts on this. :-)

Right now I'm trying to decide how to group the services. One thought I had was different tiers.

Base: Lighting and color fix, red eye removal, crop

Medium: All of the base plus sharpening, other effects like background blur or special filters.

Advanced: cloning, portraiture, etc.

Or, I could just list everything separately. I also wanted to have a custom category where I could do books similar to this, and this. As well as photo restoration, things like that. Pricing is really hard for me to decide, but I'm considering pricing it so that people could have me do batches of photos. 

example: 25cents per photo in the base plan, 50 cents for medium plan, 1 dollar for advanced, etc. As far as photo books or other custom work I have no idea yet.

Here are some before and after examples I've made.

Cloning: 

(thank you Nancy for allowing me to use this example)

Leash removal:

Basic fix:

Middle package: 

Portraits:

As well as some of the photo effects I can do

Do you think these examples are okay? Any you would like to see, or would not like to see? Am I forgetting any services that should be offered?

I hope I am not doing anything wrong by asking for advice here. Just a request for honest opinions. Thanks!

[Camilla and Darwin]

Wow, thank you so much for your input! Well, I am not really aiming to have a big successful business, I was more hoping to make some extra money while in school, with just a small service. I don't know if it's possible, I actually know very little about this, so I really appreciate your comment, thanks!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think this is a great idea but as I read the others' input, I am not sure you can make much money from computer saavy people and the others may not know how to access your services.  I really like the samples. You had a good variety of samples. 

I, for one, would pay for a cloning job as I really do not know how to do it and I don't think the shutterfly type sites offer picture fixes like that. That being said, how many photos would I have you clone repair..... don't know. So, would you make any money? I don't know.

I think you should sell your wonderful cakes.  Not very many people can decorate pastries like you can.  How about meals to go?  I would pay to pick up dinners that were freshly cooked and not fast food.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Unfortunately the cake making is really not that feasible either. It costs so much to make a cake when you aren't a big kitchen, that you have to charge high prices that most people can't afford. Not to mention the lack of space to make big projects, cost of delivering the cakes (I don't have a car) etc. Sooo complicated. :-)

I am going to continue contemplating the photo editing idea, and I may just do it, as I've said earlier I don't have anything to lose. I'll let you guys know, I really appreciate the input so far. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I hear you. Anything that takes lots of your time and supplies is very hard to make money on. If you can avoid  spending much to launch the photo editing it may be worth a shot. If it makes you some money great, if not onwards.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I didn't realize about cakes being so expensive.  Box mixes? Picked up by the person who orders? Not large cakes?

[Camilla and Darwin]

I do use box mixes. :-) The problem with people picking up is that delivery of a cake is very delicate and I don't think the average person in the average car would be able to handle it adequately. Also, the problem IS the small cakes, not the large. I find that people are willing to pay more for a wedding cake, but not a cake for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. It's really just an issue with me being a single person, not being able to buy in bulk, not having fridge space or a kitchen, etc. 

Maybe one day. :)