Case Studies

Franchise case study - Brian Ellwood

I trained as a Radiographer (so I guess you can say I have been taking pictures all my life). I worked my way through the ranks, and was a senior manager in the NHS several years. I decided that a long career in general management wasn’t going to provide enough interest or challenge to form the rest of my working life, so I left to work as a sales and applications specialist for healthcare software company.

I have been interested in photography since my dad bought me a camera when I was about 15 years old. Like many people I processed my own films and prints in a makeshift darkroom. My work kept me up to date with imaging technologies and the advent of digital photography meant that I could make more of my hobby.

I decided that I’d had enough of travelling, not seeing my family and making money for other people. So I wanted to set up my own business, and my interest in photography seemed like a good place to start. I knew I had reasonable technical knowledge, but I knew next to nothing about how to turn that into a profitable business. I looked at lots of photography training courses, but felt they only wanted to tell students only so much. They guarded the real information to protect their own businesses. Talking to Andrew and others at Barrett & Coe I knew this wasn’t the case. I would get enough information to know if I could make a living from my hobby and decide if I should go it alone or take a Barrett & Coe franchise.

I liked that the courses are almost exclusively practical. The team provided excellent training, providing genuine constructive criticism when required. So many courses are always complimentary to students in the hope that they have a nice time and re-book. Barrett & Coe training is more about getting students ready to make it in a competitive market. Also getting to learn some of the knowledge of what works and what does not in a photography business was invaluable.

I did consider going it alone and having my own independent photography business. However I needed to make money from this business quickly and I didn’t have the time or money to make expensive mistakes. I recognised that the negotiating power of a large franchise is always going to be able to provide opportunities that as an independent, I couldn’t hope to emulate. I also value the ability and experience of Barrett & Coe staff. Which small independent studio could afford to employ staff experienced in sales and marketing, and have a graphic designer on hand?

Life is very hectic, working most hours of most days, but it is also very enjoyable. It is not like work at all to be honest, because we run the business as a family. My wife is very organised and does the majority of the admin and accounts.
So the business is more of a way of life than work. It is hard getting any new business off the ground, especially a portrait studio that needs referrals and past clients to form a significant part of the client base. However the average sale value and total sales volume are increasing in line with our business plan. Life is good and getting better all the time.