Breige Cobane Photography
“In 2021 I left a nice, safe job in local government to take my chances as a full time freelance photographer. Turning a hobby I was passionate about (and had been paid to do a handful of times) into a solid business was an exciting and slightly frightening prospect. Leaving the day job was a massive release and the high lasted for quite a while (maybe I’m still on it), however the absence of a monthly pay day is great grounding and meant I needed to understand quickly what makes a business work and last.
I went through the Start Smart programme with the Business Growth Hub early on. This was really great in understand business basics like finance and tax, business planning, marketing and sales and gave me a brilliant base to work with. Fast forward to early 2023 and I was still in business (yay!) but finding it challenging to work out how to grow. That’s when I spotted the GM Libraries Build a Business programme. This was exactly what I needed, in depth guidance and support around understanding your business and market more fully, plus a little boost to keep going. Many of the ideas I learned about on those four sessions still inform how I run my business today. And I met some fabulous people, some of whom went on to become clients. The networking opportunities provided by the courses are by far and away the most diverse, relaxed, welcoming and inclusive I’ve been to (and I’ve tried a few!).
The icing on the cake after over three years in business has been returning to the Build a Business programme, this time leading a workshop on Smartphone Photography for Small Businesses. It has been an absolute privilege to share some of my skills and the things I’ve learned along the way as a small business owner with others starting out on their own journey.
Breige Cobane Photography
www.breigecobane.com
@breigecobanephotography
