First off, thanks for checking out my site! I really appreciate it.
I have been doing the slideshow thing as a business for about a year. I was lucky enough to get hooked up with a hosting company that was really helpful and allowed me to make my own site...with all the space and gadgets i could ever want...and still be able to get help when I needed it. Now, I have become pretty proficient with the html and css stuff and have kind of branched out into web design...fun stuff!
As far as the slideshow business goes...it really fluctuates. Though, I always seem to be working on at least one project. I recently got lucky enough to get a customer who has thousands upon thousands of slides...she plans on transfering them all into DVD slideshows...The most recent show she purchased was around $700...so needless to say this is a great client! Alot of my business seems to come from referrals. I don't know if you saw it on my site...but I give a referral bonus to customers who refer others...it has really helped!
With adverstising...there are so many options out there. I haven't ever put myself in the paper, or sent out mailers or anything, but I often times add my listing on business websites (wedding planning pages, ect...) or even the local and nationwide classified ads. Plus, you should really keep up on the search engines....entering your site often. It helps!
Any other questions...don't hesitate to ask!
Thanks!
-Jessica