Disappointments...

Just thought I'd update on the new studio.  You might have seen on Facebook or Twitter that I've been in the process of sorting out a new studio.  Well I've had a bit of a setback.

Way back in October I found the perfect studio in Grimsby.  Well actually Cleethorpes.  Massive studio room, entrance reception, kitchen, toilet, main road location.  Just what I wanted.  I spent a while deciding then went through the long winded process of applying for planning permission for change of use to a photography studio.  That in itself was an ordeal with conflicting advice being given to me and the landlord.  But that's another tale...

But to cut a long story short, permission was granted and I went back to the estate agent only to be told the property had been let to somebody else!  Throughout I was told I was fine and I didn't need to start lease proceedings so I took the agent at his word.  Other words I can think of regarding the agent are unprofessional, unethical, misrepresentation along with several others not suitable for a mixed audience!

I obviously won't name the agent in question but they do have a reputation in the area so I should have known better really.  But I wasn't going to let a perfect property slip just because I didn't like who was letting it!

Gutted is not the word!  But as I said here and here. I can't let it get me down.  I think I've just about snapped out of the low spot now and have found somewhere else!  It's actually in a better area.  Not quite as big, but much nicer.  So once again... watch this space!

Onwards and upwards...!

It has been, shall we say, not the best start to a year I've ever had!  It actually started just before Christmas with what I though was a chest infection leaving me very short of breath all of the time.  More on that later though...

January has been very quiet for me.  It's my first proper January so I didn't really know what to expect.  I thought it might be quiet but not this quiet!  It's been tough to be honest.  February is looking better and then there's Mother's Day in April so March should pick up a bit...  I hope!

The next worry was all about my new premises.  I am mega excited about having my own studio in Grimsby (if a little terrified at the same time) and was all geared up to be in during February.  Well, the Council have put a stop to that little plan!  It's still going ahead but the planning application process I have to go through to change the use is incredible.  The most complicated form I've ever seen and more scale drawings than you could shake a stick at (if stick shaking floats your boat).  And it's not cheap either!  And to top it off they gave me and my new landlord 2 different bits of conflicting advice meaning the 8 week process has been delayed by a further 4 weeks!  It's become a bit of a personal rant, but I would have thought they would be making it as easy as possible to get businesses into premises on a road with 40% of the shops closed!  And breathe...

And last but not least: last week I was diagnosed with a blood clot above my left knee!  No idea how I got it or even how long it's been there, but I am now having clexane injections in my stomach and warfarin tablets every day for the next 6 months.  And the best bit is the shortness of breath I had before Christmas could very well have been a pulmonary embolism!  Woohoo!

But let's not dwell on the negatives...  After all, a problem is just an opportunity in disguise!  At least I now know that January will be a quiet month so can plan for it next year.  My move will happen at some point and it will be amazing!  (Watch this space for a big opening party...)  And I caught the clot before anything really bad happened.  So not such a bad start really.

Every Snow Cloud...

There's a lot in the news at the moment about the 'chaos' caused by the snow.  The media like to use words like 'disaster' and 'disruption' and 'snow batters UK' and 'grinds to a halt'.  But there is a positive side to it all.

Yes, hospitals are struggling for staff and people can't get the medical help they need, which is obviously very serious and not to be made fun of.  Yes, airports are shut meaning thousands can't get away (and let's not get into the insurance companies blaming an 'act of god').  Businesses are no doubt losing out.  I know I've lost around £400 worth of business this week due to people not being able to get to me.  Although hopefully the Christmas Market will be rescheduled and my lost customers will re-book.  But let's have a look at the positives.

A while ago I wrote about turning a crisis into an opportunity.  Community spirit hasn't been big business lately, but this morning a neighbour I haven't spoken to since we moved in lent me a shovel so I could dig out my wife's car.  I heard from a friend of mine this morning that his whole street helped dig each others cars out!  That can't be sniffed at.

And the schools are shut as well.  Teachers get an extra few days holiday (not that they're short of them...) and kids have time off at a time when their parents can't get to work.  What better time is there to wrap up warm and get out in the open?  There are loads of parks around just begging to have a snowman built on them with good hills perfect for sledging.  Or go out and do it in your garden.  My nephew built a fort to shield him from his friends' snowballs!

I couldn't get my Skoda Igloo out yesterday so I walked to Tesco.  As did loads of other people.  Brilliant excuse to get a bit of exercise!  At a time when massive proportions of the population are the size of a snowman it can't hurt...

And let's not forget how pretty everything looks in the snow.  The perfect time for a photographer!

Houston... We Have an Opportunity!

OK, so I nicked that off a T-shirt. But it says everything I want to say. Problems come along all the time, but it's how we deal with them that makes us successful.

A fresh problem can knock you back and it's a natural reaction to let it get you down. You focus on fixing the issue, minimising the damage and generally getting yourself out of a mess. But that's all a bit time consuming. Which means the things you should have been doing get put off, timelines get compressed and the day-to-day things become the next problem leading to upset customers and unnecessary stress.

So why not flip it on its head? Turn a problem into an opportunity. OK some things need fixing but a bit of bad news can lead to something bigger and better! A couple of examples from me then...

I'd been wanting to start my business for a while, doing a bit here and there for friends and family. Doing a bit of promoting but not really trading and certainly not making any money! I was working full time getting a reasonable, regular salary. OK I hated my job but it was secure and regular and taking the plunge to take pictures for a living was a massive step. Which I was too scared to take. In January I lost that job. It was a huge blow to my confidence and a big worry as to how the mortgage would get paid. Even then I didn't start my business. I was focused on the worry of an income. I got a bit of a payout so I was OK for a few months. So I started looking for another job. Not easy in a small, out-of-the-way town in a recession. In April my wife suggested I went to eFactor to see if they could help me set up my business and do it properly. I registered at the start of May and here I am! From jobless to self employed, working for myself and choosing my own hours (sort of) in less than a year!

The latest "opportunity" came a few weeks ago. My studio in Grimsby is within another business and the owners told me they were selling up. I met with the new owners who told me there was to be no space in the new plan for a photo studio. So did I give up the portrait work completely? Did I find another studio to rent in Lincolnshire? Nope! I went out to find my own premises. I've found somewhere and I'm currently in negotiations with the agent and the landlord. All being well [searches for wood to touch] I should be in for January or February. A bit of a gamble though... It'll cost 3 times as much as I'm paying but I'm confident I can make more than that in the new location! Watch this space...

There's loads of books available about the power of positive thinking. None of which I've read... But it works. Get your head in the right place, know that every problem is just an opportunity in disguise and just do it!