We recently connected with Ken D’Errico and have shared our conversation below.

Ken, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The mission behind me and Flash Me Maine Photo Booth Rentals is to provide our clients with a result that far surpasses any other business in the same line of work.

We do not want to be a cookie cutter company where our products and finished results look just like everyone else’s. We want to stand out and be a top provider.

I pride myself in providing the best possible Photo Booth results and make sure my attendants realize this as well. I do this by reviewing all of our finished results and then making any corrections, if needed.

There are many booth operators out there that don’t know much about photography, composition or lighting. I am a professional photographer by trade and this is in my wheelhouse.

We produce a top quality result and want to be known for that!

Ken, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Ken D’Errico, I am the owner of Flash Me Maine Photo Booth Rentals.

I have over 35 years of still and video photography experience. I became interested in photography around the age of 8 or 9 when I received a Kodak 110 film camera as a Christmas present. As the years went on, I transitioned over to 35mm and began using my stepmom’s Ricoh. I took a photography class while in high school that taught the fundamentals of B&W photography, including darkroom processing. That wasn’t enough for me though, at 16 or 17 years old, I enrolled in an adult education class for photography. This is probably when I decided I wanted to pursue a career in photography.

I decided that photography school was too expensive and did not want my parents to pay for it. I learned that the US Navy offered one of the best photography schools in the military, so I enlisted and went through their schooling.

I spent the next 15 years working as a professional and freelance photographer, including 12 years as a Television News Photojournalist, capturing news stories on video.

In 2002 I decided to hang up my hat because it was a financially challenging market to be in for both photography and videography.

It wasn’t until recently that I became interested in digital photography and started watching YouTube videos. I got the bug to get back into photography and purchased a digital camera. After discovering that I could still take quality photos, I thought about starting a business to earn some extra money on the side. I did not want to photograph weddings and at the same time, I discovered photo booths.

I launched a website and started promoting my newly created business idea, but, was worried about whether or not there would be interest since the market is already fairly saturated.

I pressed on and decided to delve into the photo booth business because of my love for making people happy. There’s no greater feeling at the end of the day than knowing I help people have fun at their once in a lifetime event.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

As I mentioned previously, my love for photography had me thinking of what I could do as a side-hustle to earn some extra cash.

In 2021 I was working full-time as a parts manager at a local RV dealership when I launched my $30 Wix website to promote my new Photo Booth business. I owned no Photo Booth equipment and decided to give this a shot.

I began by promoting my website on Facebook and within a week or so I started getting inquiries. About two weeks in, I received my first booking with a paid deposit. Time to buy the equipment!

I did my first event on New Year’s Eve 2021 and really wasn’t happy with my results. I went home and set my booth up in my dining room and played with it, making adjustments until I was satisfied. All the while paid bookings started to trickle in.

In May of 2022 I did my first event of the year and from that point I was booked every weekend through November.

December rolled in with a handful of corporate holiday parties but then after that it was like someone flipped off a light switch!

January and February of 2023 were slow and no bookings were coming in, despite the advertising I was doing.

As of this writing, bookings have exploded and my summer is beginning to look like a carbon copy of 2022, only bigger!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Several factors have helped build my reputation in my market.

I spent the money to put together a professional website along with search engine optimization. Now, when searching for a Photo Booth in my region, my business appears as one of the first.

I spent six months doing radio advertising to get my business name out there.

I promote and market to Facebook groups. I pay for Google Ads. I use social media frequently and have recently joined my local BNI (Business Networking International) chapter.

Most importantly though, I provide a superior quality product and I am seeing the results since I am now getting referrals as well as repeat clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flashmemaine.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/flashmemainephotoboothrentals?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlashMeMaine?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenderrico