Business for Entrepreneurs with Helen Richmond

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to business entrepreneurs. Every week we are
joined by an expert to talk about their business journey,
and this week is no different. We are joined by
the lovely Helen Richmond of Helen Richmond Photography, talking to
us about her business, how she got into business, and
her journey, basically her story. So let's welcome her in. Helen, Welcome,

(00:23):
Welcome to the podcast. Welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Thank you, thank you very much. I've never done a
podcast before, so this is all rather exciting.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
I'm so thrilled to have you with us on the
podcast to explain a little bit about your journey as well.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
It's just like zoom really yeah, recorded and it goes
out to millions of people. Thanks, no worries, don't worried
that I've got you. Nice and relation. So Helen, tell
us a little bit about tell us a little bit
about photography first right, So obviously you're a photographer, okay,
and I do understand that that that doesn't necessarily mean

(00:59):
that you cover a lot the field. We will go
into that a little bit later on, but tell us
a little bit about how you got into photography first off.

Speaker 4 (01:09):
So I think I probably.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Got super interested when I traveled to India when I
was twenty twenty one, and the guy.

Speaker 4 (01:21):
That took us had this lovely camera and he.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
Said, at the end of the trip, let's get together, let's,
you know, share each other's photos. So, you know, when
I got home and I looked at mine and then.

Speaker 4 (01:35):
He said, oh, come round for coffee, and you know,
I'll show you my photos.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
And he'd mounted all the photographs on pieces of card
and they would just be I thought, I want my
photographs to look like that. So he was a real inspiration. Actually,
I probably haven't thought about it massively over the years,
but I definitely since done further traveling realize that I

(02:02):
really do like to take candy photographs of people and animals,
and whether it's a market in Cambodia or you know,
children playing on the street in Burma. You know, it's
just all that candy stuff and reactions and emotions that
you get.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
I just love it.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
And of course the cultures and the colors and all
of that, which I kind of wasn't getting on my
I don't know what, I can't even.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
Remember what I had at the time.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
And then yeah, I think that's probably where I realized
that actually I do want to take some really nice.

Speaker 3 (02:35):
Photographs, and so yeah, that's actually where I got I mean,
I'm not a profession of a t about I do
like taking photographs, and that's starting about traveling because I
think capturing that you can do when you travel, and
also like use markets and things where people don't know
and you look back and there's so many lovely memories
from that, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Yeah, But let me just point out right that there's
a massive step forward between I want to take nice
photographs to a professional photography. So how did how did
I mean? So let's let's call it a transition from
it being a hobby to a business. So how did that? What?
What did? What did that picture look like? Did you

(03:15):
see how I did that?

Speaker 4 (03:16):
That's very good, Jamie.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
It's really funny because you know, I was a teacher
in a previous life before I had children, so always
obviously work with children. So that's I think where my
family photography love comes from working with children and Newball photography.
And I did do a couple of class photo shoots
when I was teaching at the school.

Speaker 4 (03:43):
That was harder than it looks.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Trying to get those children and teachers or looking at
the camera at the same time. And then I left
teaching to have my children, and then for a couple
of years just enjoy being at home.

Speaker 4 (03:58):
You know, with the baby, had another.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
Baby, and then I just knew that I didn't want
to go back into teaching.

Speaker 4 (04:06):
And it happens like for a lot of photographers. A
friend says, oh, will you just take some pictures of
my family?

Speaker 2 (04:14):
So I think yes, And you know, I remember sitting
in the car thinking, this is my first shoot, this
is my first page shoot. And I remember it now
feeling terribly nervous driving to Swindon to take photos.

Speaker 4 (04:30):
And it just went on from.

Speaker 2 (04:31):
There, really, and because I wanted it to grow slowly
and organically around childcare and in set days and sickness
days and holidays, all of that working for myself just
really worked because it's flexible and you know, yeah, it's

(04:52):
just worked. So it's grown organically, and now ten years in,
I'm still here. My youngest is now at secondary school.
Just freeze up a lot more of my time to
concentrate on the business, which is just brilliant.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
And it is, but it's not easy, right, I mean,
you know, anyone can take a photograph. I've got a knife,
I've got I'm got ife, I can't stand if I've
got an android phone, right, I take a photograph. That
doesn't mean that I'm a photographer. So you you mentioned
there a little bit that you you do child photography,
all right, and people photography. So tell us a little

(05:29):
bit about what what photography you do, because there is
a massive range of disciplines, right, so let's just talk
a little bit about let's cover off what it is
you actually do.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
So I love taking photographs of things that move, So
people and animals are my main things. I don't do landscapes.
I don't have the patients, and I don't like getting.

Speaker 4 (05:52):
Up at four o'clock in the morning.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
And I don't do buildings unless it's part of my
wedding photography. So really I love taking photographs of people.
And that's at the moment where I've where my genres.
I've done weddings in the past, I've done families, I've
done horses, I've done dogs, I've done newborns.

Speaker 4 (06:16):
So I've done all of that and.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Now I'm really honing in and my love is working
with business owners, male and female small businesses. Soul Traders
slightly bigger, still working with people and getting to know
behind the scenes. I'm quite curious and a bit nosy really,
so I get to see what happens behind the scenes,

(06:40):
and that's what I also love. And it's still quite candid,
natural photography of people at work, some posy pictures, some
LinkedIn headshots, that kind of thing which is still required.
A lot of website photography, so that I helped tell
the story of of other people's businesses and I love

(07:02):
it absolutely.

Speaker 3 (07:03):
I can tell that you're there's a lot of passion.
And then I actually had the pleasure to be with
you on a retreat over the weekend where you did
the photography for sixteen women.

Speaker 1 (07:15):
Business owners and women.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
How did you get out there alive?

Speaker 4 (07:22):
I'm here, I'm here. I've had a lot of sleep
since then.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
But I really came across was that you don't just
like you really want to tell somebody's story, You really
want to make it right for them. So you're asking
the right questions that you kind of want to hear,
like what you're branding colors? What what what are you
going to be wearing? You know, and you want to
create the scene so it fits in with the business.

(07:47):
That was something that I really took away that I
thought was fantastic. Is that So that's something that you're
really specializing, isn't it. Yeah?

Speaker 2 (07:53):
And I love doing that, and of course asking questions
and then really listening to the answers is really really
important because obviously I want to make sure that the
photographs that I take show the tone and the nature
of your business so that it all blends and harmonizes
in you know, the story that you want to tell

(08:16):
your potential clients. So and that's also what I love,
that sort of getting to know getting to know people
a little bit. It's quite difficult in a really short
space of time, but that is part of it, is
asking questions and really listening to the answers and making
sure that my clients get what they want.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
So I've got a question about this, all right? So people, Okay,
they're not the easiest of subjects. I mean, photographing a
building is a lot easier.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
It's much more pooring. Though. You can't have a conversation
with the building.

Speaker 5 (08:52):
No, no, but they do as you tell them, so
you don't really have to. But let's talk a little
bit about that. So how do you get people to
do what you want to achieve off them? And let's
not mistake the fact that some people are camera shop
some people don't. Like We've got friends that you even
mentioned the word camera and they come out in a
cold sweat. We've got some yeah, I know, people that
have got a face for radio, right, they shouldn't even

(09:14):
be on camera. You know, how do you deal with
these kind of obstacles that you got to have you
come up against every day?

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Right, So you know the lady that goes, oh, haven't
done my heir, or you know the guy that's like, oh,
you know, how do you deal with all this? What's
your what's your your coping mechanism?

Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (09:34):
I do get that a lot. I'm not phosagenic. I
hate having my photo taken. My nose looks big. Here,
can you make sure you take this side of my face?
I don't know what to wear and all of that,
and a lot of it just boils down to a
bit of a narrative. Really, you just talk and just
just in that conversation and just that answer questions and listening.
I mean, you can obviously you are going to feel

(09:56):
awkward for the first ten or twenty minutes of a shoot,
but I have to show that by the end of
the shoot. A lot of my clients are like, Oh,
I've got another top I could put on.

Speaker 4 (10:05):
Have we got time to do that? Oh I quite
like that spot over there by the bench.

Speaker 3 (10:08):
Can we just go there?

Speaker 2 (10:10):
And I'm like, yeah, of course, And then it just
takes a little bit of time to sort of settle
into it, and then you know, they just.

Speaker 4 (10:18):
Forget that the camera.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
You know, the camera's there, and it's all about putting
people at ease and helping people to relax and I
you know, and having a bit of a giggle and
a laugh and that as well, and that just helps
to relax people. And most most people that I know
work with, they say, oh, Helen, you just really put
me at ease. You really got what I you know,
was talking about. You really got me and knew what

(10:42):
I wanted. And that's just lovely to hear, really really
lovely to hear. And I think I can prise out
of people little little nuances that you know they're after
for themselves and their business.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
And it is brilliant and it's funny you say about
like yeah, because there's another side of this right? How
did you deal with the people that rock up and
they're like, yeah, I know what I'm doing, and they're
over confident and you and you really just want to say, look,
shut up and let me do the job. You do
as it's told. How do you I'm quite blunt, but
how would you? How do you deal with those type
of people?

Speaker 3 (11:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (11:15):
I mean quite often people will come with some great
ideas and I love working with people like that because
you know, you get the creative juices flown together and
you sort of back between each other and go, oh,
let's try this, and oh but no, I'd quite like
to go here and do that. And it's quite it's
really quite nice, and in a way it makes it
slightly easier. I know how to guide people as well,
so I can I can say, I can say we'll

(11:38):
just turn like that and.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
Just put your poor head forward, that that kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
So even though they might you know, I think they
know how to stand or see it. I've just got
a few little tips that I can give them just
to make the photograph look that much even more flattering.

Speaker 4 (11:56):
I'm not sure that was good English, but that's so good.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
We go.

Speaker 3 (12:02):
When we were working together. And I think every photographer
has a little hints and tips that they like because
they know what the outcome is going to be, like
you know, and I think it's different as well when
you're working obviously with if you're working with children, if
you're working with women, or if you're working with men,
because we post differently, don't we, and you know, we
wanted to look in different all right? Yeah? So yeah,

(12:25):
and I think you really really show that in your photography.
I think that's fantastic. So I'm going to bring it
back a little bit to the business.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
Side before we do the business side. Yes, can I
ask one more question? Yeah, go for it, So, Helen,
as you know, right, just I'm disabled, right, so I
use a wheelchairs, sometimes use crutches. But actually photography, photographing
someone with disabilities can be a little bit more challenging,
right So, but it's also really important. So what what

(12:55):
what kind of experience have you had with working within
the disability community, and if so, like how is think
how do you do things slightly differently?

Speaker 2 (13:05):
I don't think there's anything to do that differently apart
from you know, making sure it's accessible and so that
people that perhaps aren't quite so mobile laws as a
lot of other people. You know, the health and safety
and that so in some but the rest of it
is just the same. You still have that same questioning
and just building that rapport during the photo shoot, and

(13:28):
it's all about really just being as natural as you can.
So whether you're in a wheelchair or you've got crutches,
you know, it's just the same for me. It would
just be the same approach, just ensuring that you know,
you choose locations. Obviously location is quite important, that they're
accessible locations.

Speaker 1 (13:48):
Everything's accessible to me. But yeah, I know I've heard yeah,
but it's a it's a fair answer actually to a
fair question because a lot of the time, you know,
there's something that I come up against lot is that
people can be a bit awkward. So you've got the
customer that's a bit uneasy, and then you know the
photographer has been awkward. Some of the best birds I've
ever had taken to me was done by my dear

(14:11):
friend who literally just stuck a camera in my face
and clicked it. Uh so, yeah, you don't have to
plan Sorry, I butted in. I do very often.

Speaker 3 (14:23):
I wanted to bring it back to the sort of business.
So if people are sitting and listening into this podcast
and they love photography and they always thought about changing
career and things, do they have to go to Do
you have to sort of have some formal education? Can
you be self taught? What are the sort of steps
to take into building a successful business?

Speaker 1 (14:44):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (14:44):
For photography?

Speaker 2 (14:46):
So I'm self taught. I do hear of a lot
of people that would love to go into photography and
they've got a degree. But I know that the business
side of things isn't always part of the syllabuson It's
just such a massive part I spend with my camera
probably five actually taking pictures, and the rest is working

(15:11):
on your business, working in your business, marketing.

Speaker 4 (15:15):
And sales and all of that.

Speaker 2 (15:17):
So yeah, and I'm not.

Speaker 4 (15:22):
Sure I understood that when I even started.

Speaker 2 (15:26):
And so I would say, go for it.

Speaker 4 (15:31):
See if you can get yourself a mentor.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
I know I was very lucky in the first few
years that I started out. I had a lovely mentor
and that really really helps. And just ask for help. Definitely,
don't be afraid to ask for help.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
What a really good point because one thing I have
noticed about the I'm going to call it the media industry, right,
So videographers, photographers, media industry. They're all keen to help
each other, and quite often they're all keen to work
with each other as well. Like it's not always about
I mean, you do get it, you get in every industry,
but it's not an industry where they look at everyone

(16:12):
and go they're my competition. We've seen so many photographers
now that collaborating, working together because you can't be everywhere
at the same time.

Speaker 2 (16:22):
Exactly, and you're you're not always everybody's cup of tea either.

Speaker 4 (16:25):
So I love collaborating. I love meeting photographers.

Speaker 2 (16:29):
I'm always meeting other photographers for coffee and catching up
and just sharing ideas and you know, sharing work as well,
because you know, if somebody asked me to do food photography,
I don't do food photography, but I know somebody that does.
So there's always I think it's really really useful and
I think it's really really important to have a community
that you can, you know, reach out to if you

(16:50):
need to, and they can reach out to you. And
I think that's all part of the industry, whether it's photography, video,
or you know whatever.

Speaker 1 (16:58):
I think that's a really good point. I mean not
that I can I can ever imagine you're not being
someone's cup of tea. Mind.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
I just want to put that you you know, you
know people, you know, work with people.

Speaker 4 (17:09):
What's that saying?

Speaker 2 (17:11):
I can't remember around people. People buy from people, so
and we're all different. So but there's you know, there's
there's plenty of plenty of work to share.

Speaker 3 (17:22):
Absolutely well.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
We always say this about but the enough photographers is
one of the is the one of the subjects that
I use a lot, right, And people talk to me
about photography. So like they'll say about the scene of
Bounce community, they go, oh, but you've got five photographers,
and I go, yeah, but that doesn't mean that you're
going to want to buy or someone's going to buy
from that particular person. So but with photography, people buy style.

(17:46):
And one of the things that I always say, if
someone says to me I'm looking for a photographer, I
will give them literally a list of photographers, right, go
on their websites and look at their style, because everything
like I see two wedding photographers completely different style. I've
seen two portrait photographers completely different style, right, And you

(18:07):
buy if the picture jumps out at you buy it. Yeah,
because if you're going to love the picture, you're going
to love the photography. If you hate the picture, it
doesn't matter how good it is. If you hate the picture,
they never got you're never gonna want it. It's not
going to hang on your wall because you just more
like it. Right, So I start that's my top ten.

Speaker 3 (18:25):
Also, like you said, Helen, it could be different photography,
so you you know, food photography is very different in
wedding photography or business photography. I mean there's so many
different fields and and that sometimes you use different photographers
to get a different field website, so you have different
events and so on, and I think that that's quite important.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
I don't think I could be a food photographer because
you've got to leave the food and that's that's happily cooked.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
I worked in a missile style restaurant. We had a
lot of ptographers coming because there was you know, obviously
their food, and half the time that food is not
actually cooked, so I'm not then it looks like it's cooked,
but it's not.

Speaker 1 (19:12):
So let's let's bring it back in the business. You
made a really good point, right that you spend five
percent behind the camera and ninety five percent, you know,
behind a computer screen doing all the other stuff. And
you know what, actually that's probably right for you know,
probably ninety per cent of businesses. Right, So let's talk
a little bit about business now, Okay, putting photography on

(19:32):
the on the shelf for the time being, talk a
little bit about business. What kind of what learnings have
you had? I mean, you're self taught, right, so you
never did a business degree or anything like that. What
kind of learnings did you learn along the way? What
what have you done really really well? And what have
you done really really bad?

Speaker 2 (19:52):
Oh gosh, so I think in the beginning I've still
done it now with my brown photography, I do a
lot of re search and I read a lot lots
of business books here, and I have my favorites. But
I discovered the photographers in brand whose work I love.

(20:13):
I just so I follow them and I learn a
lot from them, and I go on courses with them.

Speaker 4 (20:23):
Forgot, that is the question.

Speaker 1 (20:26):
Really really good? And I really like that, by the way,
like that if that would I'm actually going to say
that that is actually a top tip. It's probably one
of the best top tips we've had because it is
Mark right, No, I think you know him that. There's
a guy that we work with called Danny Matthews.

Speaker 4 (20:42):
He's a marketing Yes, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:44):
You know Danny and he's one of his top tips
is learn from the big boys because you don't have
the budget to do that. You know, to to create
your own marketing campaigns. You don't have the data where
they do. So if they're doing something, and copy them, right,
because but then you put your in on it, which
is exactly what you do. So you've got the people
that you really like and you really you like their work.

(21:05):
You're not copying it, but you're learning from them. And
my dad used to say, I can teach you a trade,
I can't teach you the tricks of it. So you're
learning the trade and then you develop your own tricks.

Speaker 4 (21:15):
That takes time to build.

Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yeah, and you know doing you know, working on your genre,
all that experience and you know mistakes that you are
bound to make along the way definitely help.

Speaker 1 (21:28):
So let's go on to mistakes right in business? What
is the things that you've done that you've gone do
you know what we shouldn't have done that. I'll tell
you what I'll tell you mine, right to give you
an example.

Speaker 4 (21:39):
So I took it might be the same as mine.

Speaker 1 (21:41):
Yeah, so I took it out. I took out LinkedIn.
Remember I took out LinkedIn premium right for a month
on trial, and then I forgot to cancel it and
they took out one thousand pounds out of the bank account,
which just so happened to be the wage is for
our member of staff. Right, I mean, if you're going

(22:04):
to drop the ball, that's one to do, right. So, yeah,
we've made plenty of mistakes. So just give you an
example that you know we've had a good go And
so what are your mistakes? What are the mistakes there? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (22:16):
Well two of them, yeah were money.

Speaker 2 (22:19):
One was website, getting somebody, choosing somebody that I thought
was great to do a website and spent rather a
lot of money on a website and then couldn't change
anything or do anything with it afterwards. And then the
two guys that were actually working on it split the

(22:42):
business and I couldn't get hold of that guy, and
I couldn't get hold of.

Speaker 3 (22:48):
It, you know what.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
That is such a story.

Speaker 3 (22:51):
And then, to be honest with you, that's part of
why we wanted to set up super bounds to what
it is today, safe place for people to be able
to communicate and rate and make refer us.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
We know someone that spent thousands on a website, right,
and then they wanted them to add a blog, and
they were like, yep, that'll be seventy quick, and you're like,
like what you know, Like it's yeah, it's shocking.

Speaker 3 (23:12):
It happens fast often, I think, more often.

Speaker 1 (23:14):
Than we wish. So that's one of the reasons why
we love working with the people we work with, because
we know like the customer.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
And I think that's a great thing to say on
the podcast, like this when you're starting out or whether
you have started out that really do your research and
look into people and a consultation about a website or
you know, insurance or whatever, it is a discovery call
with yourself. This is always a free service that you

(23:41):
will offer and if they don't offer it free, then
I wouldn't work with them, quite frankly.

Speaker 1 (23:46):
And always make you've got control. I work with an
organization they spent forty grand on their website, right, and
they didn't own their domain name A one ninety nine edition.
They didn't own it but that that domain name is
basically the fundamental part of their website. And I mean
that was to me, that is a catastrophic steak. Right now,

(24:08):
all of a sudden they held ransom. They've got a
forty thousand pound website which is useless. So always make
sure you own it. That that's the that's the time
going off on the tangent. But it's tough, I know.
But it's the same with photography, right, so you know
when you when you create photos, you know, you when
when they're paid for, you give them to the customer, right,
so they own those furs. They can use them for

(24:30):
anything they want effectively, you know, could you imagine going, oh, yeah,
you can only use them when I give you permission.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
It's it's crazy.

Speaker 1 (24:36):
It's a crazy concept. So yeah, that's what really good
content that actually? So what I what are you said?
There was a couple of booboos you've made? Come on, Helen,
what was the other one?

Speaker 4 (24:46):
The other one?

Speaker 2 (24:47):
The one it's another money one.

Speaker 4 (24:53):
My husband's not listening.

Speaker 1 (24:58):
We'll send it to him later. Go on, you spreads here.

Speaker 4 (25:01):
Yeah, it was it was. It was when I was
doing weddings and it was a venue that.

Speaker 2 (25:06):
I really really wanted to work at so in order
to get on their website and be in their brochure
and directory. You know, I met this guy who was
a sales guy, who was all sales, and it sounded
so good. I said yes on the spot and handed.

Speaker 4 (25:28):
It's funny. And then the.

Speaker 2 (25:32):
Pandemic hit, the weddings were off, and I just thought,
that's just money down the drain.

Speaker 1 (25:41):
Acause can I just point out as well, right, there
was only one company in the whole world that planned
for a pandemic, and that was Wimbledon, Right, And Wimbledon
actually took out pandemic insurance and yeah, and they actually
broke records because they were the only company that took
out pandemic insurance. Right, So don't be so hard on

(26:03):
yourself because you were actually one of millions of people.

Speaker 3 (26:07):
And I think we've all done that. And you know,
if it's a really good salesperson, they're going to make
it sound fantastic.

Speaker 4 (26:17):
I mean, I've done very good job.

Speaker 3 (26:19):
Yeah, you learn from that mistake, don't you, Because now
those people I go, Wow, this sounds amazing. I really
want to do that. Then I take a step back
and go right, Charlotte, break it down, you know, is
it really that good? And then I look into it, so, yeah,
I've learned mistake the hard way, and I'm sure you

(26:40):
have to.

Speaker 1 (26:41):
Also. Don't be frightened to say I just need to
speak to one to my business partner.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
I remember that.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
We're really cool because we just go, oh, yeah, we
just got to speak to our directors to get it
signed off. Speak to my business partner, who's also my accountant.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
Be your business partner.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
We've got another's the top tip for you. So we've
got another company that we work with. Funny enough, another
photographer company. Right, and he actually created a fictitious person, right,
I know, I know, right, but I'm not going to
me today, so no one's going to know about it, right,
But he's created a person and he says, oh, I've
just got to consult with this person or my assistant

(27:23):
will be in touch whatever, and then he emails them
more contacts through.

Speaker 3 (27:27):
You say, what that is? Actually, it's a really good
tip if you're working on your own, mean assistant and
have a different email, especially if you're chasing money or
something like that. Yes, that's hard to do if you're
working on your own and you say you've done a
photography is shoot for a business and they're not paying
and you need to ask them. And that obviously relates

(27:48):
to any business. It's always good to come from that
third party. So that's another little that's talking about.

Speaker 2 (27:54):
That as my other top tip is always asked for
a booking fee.

Speaker 1 (27:59):
Yeah, yes, so.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
That they're in the dine then you say, you know,
there's a booking fee. At this stage, I would usually
take a booking fee, and on receipt of this, then
your date is firmly in my diary and then I'll
send you an invoice a week before or however long
I've learned that along the way.

Speaker 3 (28:17):
Yeah, that's a really good tip.

Speaker 1 (28:19):
It is people could just, you.

Speaker 2 (28:22):
Know, the day before just say I've had it. Has
never happened to me, but I know that colleagues of
mine have had a lot of people phone up the
day before and say, oh, I can't do the shoot tomorrow,
and then you've you've diarized a day out of your week.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
And then yeah, no, really good, So I tell you, right,
taken all that aside, right, So taking that now, we're
going back on the business. We've got a couple of
questions ask you back on business. Someone's setting up their
own business, right, doesn't need to be a photography company necessarily,
someone setting up their own business, what would be your
top top tip? What would be your top tip for them? Oh, gosh,

(29:05):
you've give us some fairly good content, So I think
I've probably stumped you a little bit on this one.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
Probably go and find somebody just to talk to and
sit down over a cup of tea and.

Speaker 4 (29:21):
Talk to ask questions.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (29:24):
Yeah, they're one of the things that you'll we don't
have this, didn't we Because it's really hard to be
in business, you know, on your own or even if
you're a family business or whatever.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
You need to find like minded people. And one of
the things I often say to start is, don't rely
on your family and friends because they want to protect
you and they want to be the nice people. You know,
they love you for what you are. You need like
minded people who can I think that's a great top
tip because you need to speak to people and you

(29:56):
need to be able to collaborate, regardless of what it is,
sort of in your business, like you said, sometimes with
people that are within the same business as well, so
you can learn hints and tips from them as well. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Absolutely, it's not always easy to find the right person,
but over time you'll you'll gradually find the right positive, encouraging, supportive,
helpful people that you need to be surrounded.

Speaker 3 (30:25):
The other thing you said earlier on was as well,
you know, to ask for help. I think that's one
of my things that I learned the hard way.

Speaker 4 (30:34):
Yeah, it's not that easy to do. It's my favorite
page in where is it here?

Speaker 3 (30:40):
It is?

Speaker 2 (30:40):
I just get it now by my side. My favorite
page in this book.

Speaker 3 (30:45):
You've got to love this book.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
I buy it for a lot of my friends. There's
a page in there that says, what's the hardest thing
you've ever done? And the character replies, ask for help. Yeah,
it's it's the greatest thing I can't remember.

Speaker 4 (31:08):
Yeah, it is the bravest thing you've ever said. Asked
the boy, help, said the horse.

Speaker 1 (31:16):
That's brilliant. Actually, So I'm going to ask you another
one final question, right, because you mentioned it before that
you read a lot of business books, right, so what
is your one your go to business book? What is
your When anyone says to you, I'm thinking about buying
a business. The thing is setting up what's the book,
you say, go to book? What a book?

Speaker 3 (31:37):
Yes, you mentioned this one to me before. I haven't
read it. Have you read it.

Speaker 1 (31:43):
I've read some of it, but I've read lines within it. Routine,
Routine equals results. That's a really big one in the
networking world as well. A lot of people in the
networking world tends to she's got a live I can't
see it.

Speaker 3 (31:58):
The other fear and do it anyway.

Speaker 1 (32:02):
That's I think that is generally, that's my life policy.

Speaker 4 (32:06):
This is my favorite though. I think this was written.

Speaker 1 (32:09):
Like, oh, how to how to make friends and influence? Yes,
we've got that somewhere here as well.

Speaker 4 (32:15):
You know, this was written in the nineteen forties.

Speaker 2 (32:17):
It was written in the nineteen thirties or forties, and
it still resonates today.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
Written they've they've done like newer editions of it.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
Yeah, yeah, really, really, really good.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
I think we need another girly holiday with a book club.

Speaker 7 (32:34):
Oh yes, that sounds good. Arts coming up anyway. We
have to end the show, Helen. Do you know what
you are? The million Dollar Lady. We absolutely love working
with you. We love having you on the show.

Speaker 1 (32:47):
We've loved hearing all your top tens and there's some
serious golden nuggets in there that people can seriously learn about,
not just about photography, but about how to choose a photographer,
how to work with photographers, and also how to get
into business. So thank you for your time and thank
you for your your your your time today. We've absolutely
loved having you here, so from all of us, massive

(33:09):
thank you, thank.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
You so much for being on the show. Helen. You're
done and that's it.

Speaker 1 (33:14):
That's the end of the show, So don't be don't
be worried. This will be going back out. This will
be going out live onto the podcast channel forevery shortly,
and we will be back here next week with another
fantastic expert talking all about their business journey. So stay
tuned and from all of us you take care, stay safe,
and we'll see you against so Bine