Case Studies

Franchise case study - Julia Taylor

Having worked in a corporate environment in the financial services industry for 20 years, I was well and truly ready for a change in direction. I had always been a keen amateur photographer and was always the one taking photos during social events with friends and family. I had an SLR that I tinkered around with, and I had been on a couple of basic courses on how to use it, but that was about it. The thought of becoming a full time photographer seemed completely out of reach.

However, in March 2009 I had the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy from my employer, and decided from that point on that I would change my career and become a professional photographer. I started researching the various courses on offer, and initially felt quite daunted by the prospect of such a massive change in career. I started to wonder if I had made the right decision, or if it was even possible to set up my own business with no previous experience.
I started talking to various colleges and training establishments, I also had a chat with my sister-in-law’s brother who I knew was an established photographer with his own franchise business. That chat was the best thing I could have done, as it was him that introduced me to Barrett & Coe. Since that point I haven’t looked back.

I started off by having a chat with Andrew Coe, who made me aware of the options available through Barrett & Coe, including the various training programmes offered, and the different type of franchise models available. Within a few weeks of that chat and after reviewing all the franchise documentation I decided that Barrett & Coe was for me. It was very clear to see that their training programmes were extremely comprehensive and effective, and their support mechanisms were well established. I decided that I wanted to set up my own studio and opted to progress along the fast track franchise route. This option provided me with a comprehensive programme of photography training and business support and gave me all the knowledge and skills I needed in order to be up and running with my own studio in a matter of months.

I will not say it was an easy 6 months, as there was a lot of work involved in setting up the business, alongside all the photography training. However, I’ve never been shy of hard work, and did not begrudge the long hours I was working (after all, I was working for myself now) and I knew I would be the one to benefit from it in the end.... I also loved the challenge that I was giving myself. The support provided by Barrett & Coe was superb, with someone to help me along every step of the way.
The studio has now been up and running for 18 months and is progressing well. My diary is kept busy. There is never a quiet time, be it a shoot, a viewing, editing, admin, marketing, accounts etc, all such varied elements... I can honestly say that I absolutely love my job, and will never go back to the life I had before. I meet great people every day and its tremendous buzz to see them walk away so happy with the results of my work.