@Foodman - Alexx Henry is trying the mobile approach.
Sadly, he did not reach his kickstarter goal, but good on him for trying.
I like his thinking - create awareness with a great product, opens up possibilities to a franchise, and being in many areas will see him as the industry expert & leader.
I have always considered the dslr array best for B2B with high quality for electronic use.
3D figurines make it a value added product but it is not the main money area.
People do not value what they pay little for.
When was the last time you heard someone complain about the new (not second hand) car they purchased?
If the figurine business was handled like good photography businesses then they would all be making $1MM+ / year.
There has to be customer engagement with an experience.
A good sales person presenting the images well, will do very well.
I intend to do this and make it a premium piece with the large 'bust' figurine.
Small colour figurines are too gimmicky and people will not pay for a gimmick.
A bronze bust to be commissioned can cost anything into the $MM's depending on the artist.
Consumable costs are around $1.5k
Photographers are artists and therefore, the artist is worth what he can get - $50 to $500k
Pixi Foto in Australia, a shopping mall franchise went from $85MM/year to broke in just 3 years after 25 years+ in business. There are no longer any successful photography studios in shopping malls (in Australia) any more.
Shopping malls lack customer engagement and selling techniques.
However, good photography studios still thrive.
In Australia, something like 75% of all photographers make less than the average wage, but the top 5% earn into the $MM's.
It is not about the product, it is how it is marketed and sold.
@ Pearce - what business are you currently providing?