“Ignore imposter syndrome and stay in your niche.”
Alicia Whitford of Generational Photography (at the time, a childcare worker) founded her business when she went looking through her family photos and soon realised that there weren’t many photos of her with her grandparents, who have now passed on.
Alicia is a mobile photographer who travels to locations in her Regional NSW area that are convenient or hold special memories for her clients. Alicia likes to make the photo sessions casual and comfortable so that those precious memories can be captured of the special bond between grandparents, grandchildren and the extended family. “Helping other families to capture their families legacy so that they don’t have regrets like I do of not taking more photos at family gatherings, is one of the things I enjoy most about my business.”
Alicia joined the HerBusiness Network in March this year and joined a Growth Group immediately. She says that her Growth Group helps to keep her accountable to the success of her business.
Alicia’s first piece of advice when starting a business is “Ignore imposter syndrome and stay in your niche.” Don’t worry about what other people in the same industry are doing if you are in the right place for you and your business.
Why did you start your business and what gave you the idea?
I started my business to help mums between the ages of 30-60 years and live in the surrounding suburbs of Glenwood NSW to help them to capture the families legacy as I myself don’t have many photos of my grandparents and it is too late as they are all no longer with us anymore.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
The thing that I enjoy most about running my own business is that I can work the days and hours that I want plus also helping other families to capture their families legacy so that they don’t have regrets like I do of not taking more photos at family gatherings.
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- To ignore imposter syndrome and to stay in your own lane and not worry about what other people in the same industry are doing in their own business.
- To ride the high and lows that come with owning your own business no matter what type of business that you own.
- Be comfortable about stepping out of your comfort zone.
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
My advice is to go ahead and do it and get the help from a business coach if you can afford one, to help with setting up the fundamentals of owning your own business.
Also join networking groups that are free to attend to help with making collaborations with other business owners and also getting your business out into the world.
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
- Have basic computer skills and knowledge about all of the social media platforms and how to use them as these will be the main way in which you will use to market your business.
- Have some maths knowledge especially when it comes to the financial areas of owning a business.
- Do the research about your ideal client to ensure that you are marketing your business to the right audience.
What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you’re not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?
My ideal business would be one that helps many families to realise the importance of capturing your families legacy through photos before it is too late and all that you have is the memories inside of your head that will soon fade unlike photos which are there for years to come.
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
Being a member helps me to set up a sole trader photography business to be one that is successful. This is being achieved through the networking sessions, workshops and also the growth groups which helps me to be accountable to the success of my business.
Learn more about Alicia and Generational Photography.
