10 Years in Business – #4 The power of a great community
January 2024 marked 10 years since I started my own product photography business. There have been lots of ups and downs, “ooh’s” and “aah’s” over the years. To celebrate this milestone I’m doing a recap of key moments and lessons I learned running my photography business.
It has been a bit of a journey thinking back about all the different stages of my career so far. On a professional level, this recap has allowed me appreciate my own growth as a photographer. On a personal level, it has taught me to trust my instincts and follow my passion.
In this 8 blog series, I’m sharing some lessons I have learned over the years. Other product photographers may have had different experiences but I know we all face similar challenges in the industry.
Whether you are a photographer or run a different type of small business, I hope you find this blog series useful and interesting.
This is blog 4/8 – check out the rest at the end of the page.
The Power of a Great Community
They say the connections you make at university will be useful in your professional life. For me, the connections I made after university are the ones I am most thankful for professionally. A big part of freelancing is networking and making new connections. When I started my photography business in 2014 I was lucky to be in Cardiff, UK. It’s a small city where sometimes it feels like everyone knows everyone and usually everyone knows someone who knows someone, etc. There are lots of exciting things happening and there is a broad spectrum of business types. It was fairly easy to meet the right people and navigate the network of who can help with what as everyone is very friendly and open.
In the early years of my business I really made the effort to attend networking events and met lots of great people, some of whom became clients and some became great friends. I am still in touch with a number of people who I met whilst networking 10 years ago and we still ask each other for help occasionally. Networking helped me grow my business and allowed me to gain access to really helpful people. The great thing about having a niche is that you become known for being the one who does a specific thing. In my case it was product photography for small businesses. So when a small business was looking for a product photographer they would often ask their connections for recommendations or they would check out who was hired by other small businesses. The top tip I learned was…
word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool you’ll ever use.
Forget the competition
I’ve also been very lucky to have met some lovely, openminded and happy-to-help photographers. It’s great to chat about common experiences and even ask for help and tips every now and then. I have no problem recommending other photographers to certain briefs if I feel like I’m not suitable even not available. Likewise, I have been recommended by other photographers too. Being part of a community means you have the support when you need it and helps your business grow. It’s a really important part of running a business. Competition is pointless. If you work hard and clients think you’re suitable for a brief they will hire you regardless of competition. A photographer I know once said, “If a client chooses to book another photographer instead of me, it’s no one else’s fault but mine.”
BFF (Business Friends Forever)
I’m sure I’ve forgotten some people but here are some biz friends who have made a difference to my business is some way or another over the years:
- Mela Studio
- Home by Kirsty
- Alice Artwork
- Little Hound Creative
- Marie Francesca
- Gabriella Jackson
- f/36 studio
- Printhaus
- Claire Hill Designs
- Emma-Kate Jewellery
- Black and Beech
- Auralab
- Manon Houston
- Lisa Derrick
THE REST OF THE BLOG SERIES
- #1 Getting into product photography READ IT NOW
- #2 Follow your gut and take risks – getting a studio READ IT NOW
- #3 Know your worth READ IT NOW
- #5 Be yourself – Instagram and managing expectations READ IT NOW
- #6 Learn, share, grow – try new things, stay creative (COMING SOON)
- #7 Take your work-life balance seriously – work hard play hard (COMING SOON)
- #8 Embrace change and opportunities – moving countries and new challenges (COMING SOON)
You can see my work, continue following my journey on Instagram and subscribe to my newsletter for occasional news and updates.
