Small Business Blog Series - Fish 2 Photography
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This new year I’m excited to bring you a short showcase of some fabuolous businesses. Through Isabella and Us. I am lucky enough to collaborate with, showcase and share amazing small independent businesses, which is just amazing and shopping small is something I am incredibly passionate about.
So over the next few weeks I’ll be bringing you a short showcase of some fabuolous independent businesses!
Today is Fish 2 Photography by Christina Davies
Tell me a little bit about your business...:
I'm a family, wedding and commercial photographer. I describe my style as natural and fun. I like to capture those little moments, the special memories that you can look on and smile.
I started my business in 2008 but have been taking photos for about 30 years since I was in Primary School using my dad's film DSLR camera.
Tell us more about yourself - What did you do before your business, your interests/hobbies and any fun facts:
I've always been involved in creative and arty things my entire life. I have had several jobs before I started my business. I have been a model maker for a science fiction programme where I was making props for the filming. I also worked at the BBC, an ad agency and more recently I did graphic design, photography and filming for a local charity. I decided to quit my part-time job in October last year after my son was born and fully concentrate on the business as photography is what I love to do.
Fun facts - I have ginger hair and blue eyes which is the rarest combination in the world.
What inspired you to start your business?
I really loved photography and I desperatly wanted to take the chance and see if I could make this business work. So after a lot of thought and advice, I decided to quit my full-time job in June 2008. It was a hard decision to make but at the time I was single, had no children so it was a great time to take a chance and see if I could make my dreams a reality.
How do you keep a good work/life balance with running your own business?
A good work-life balance can be really hard sometimes especially as running your own business means you are on call at all hours. You are the manager, accountant, social media person, admin, marketing, website builder, etc, etc so it can be hard to switch off. However, I try and spend 2/3 full days a week with my family. I can edit at night and spend the day with my boys. It's all about realising what fills your tank and what empties it. For me spending time with my son and husband, taking photos, being creative and seeing friends fills my tank oh and a good hot chocolate. Whereas anything accounting, administrative or paperwork related can completely drain me and my creative side. I try and do something creative after a major block of admin and I source out what I can to people who are much more skilled in that area than I am, accounting for example.
What top 3 tips would you give to someone starting their own business?
1- Think about what your strengths are, what you truly love to do. Get someone else to help you do the things that aren't in your skill set it will help you not burn out.
2 - Try and blank off days for time with your family or whatever helps fill your tank and try not to let anything take that time away. Make it a priority.
3 - Enjoy the highs and the lows. You will learn something from both, it's all about how you react and process good and bad to make yourself and your business stronger.
What is one thing you wished you had known before you started your own business?
Hmm, that's a hard one, there is so much I have learnt and so much I have forgotten from that time but I think that I wish I would have known how amazing checking off little steps on the way to achieving your dreams and goals can be. Also how your dreams and goals can evolve as you and your business grow so changing your focus isn't a bad thing.
