Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with John Peltier, Owner of Peltier Photo Courses, located in South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We're an online photography school specifically catering to photographers in the Fujifilm camera system, but all photographers are welcome and can find courses to improve their photography. Most students are hobbyists, but we have some working photographers in the courses. The courses are more than a collection of videos, though. The courses, all self-paced, have quizzes and tests so that students can assess their understanding of the material and can revisit topics as they need to. Some courses also have assignments, challenging them to go out and create specific photos and then turn them in for feedback. And finally, there's a community of photographers so they can all participate in photo challenges and connect with one another.
Tell us about yourself
I've been a professional photographer for over ten years and love teaching. I started teaching in-person photography lessons about five years ago. I found it extremely rewarding to pass on that knowledge to give photographers the tools they need to express their creativity. Living in a small mountain community, however, really limited my reach. I adapted my in-person lessons into an online format and went from there!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Bringing photographers together in the community was an unexpected accomplishment and one I'm very proud of. It was difficult to get a functioning community going at first, but now we have students on opposite sides of the country planning trips for photo walks with one another. It's a tight-knit group, and it's wonderful to have facilitated those introductions and friendships.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
It was tough to admit that I needed to hire help, an assistant to take over administrative tasks. I hired an assistant probably a year beyond when I really could have used one. It was even harder to let go, trust, and delegate those tasks to someone I didn't know. As solopreneurs, we'd rather work 80 hours a week and do everything ourselves than hire someone else to take on some workload. But once I got over those trust issues, my quality of life increased. I was able to focus on the aspects of my business that I really enjoy, which are creating educational content and interacting with my students.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, don't view failures as failures. Not every idea is going to work. When one fails, use it as a learning experience to apply to other ideas. Second, don't be afraid to hire out, even for small tasks. Those investments can increase both product quality and quality of life. And finally, don't wait until everything is "perfect." Get the product out. Start building an audience. Gather their feedback. That will guide you toward perfection.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.peltierphotocourses.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peltierphoto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peltierphoto
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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