Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in photography but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia Ho, Owner of Precious Ones Photography, located in North York, ON, Canada

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Hi there! I am the photographer and owner of Precious Ones Photography, a fine art portrait studio located in Toronto. Our customers are expecting and new parents who are looking to capture the beautiful moments of welcoming their precious bundle. We offer an exclusive full-service photography experience to our customers, taking them from the session design process to having a wonderful photo shoot and seeing and enjoying beautiful artwork in their homes.

Tell us about yourself

My journey into maternity and newborn photography was ignited when my son was born almost eight years ago. The newborn phase was absolutely my favorite because it was just an exciting time as a new mother, and the baby was such a precious bundle for a short amount of time. From then on, I dove deep into perfecting my craftmanship to become the artist I am today. Every single family that chooses me to photograph them is an amazing honor to be able to be a part of their beautiful journey from pregnancy to welcoming their new family addition.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

One of my biggest accomplishments as a business owner was being awarded First Place in the prestigious International Photography Competition called Portraits Masters in 2022. But more than the award itself, it was the confidence that I received in knowing that my customers are truly receiving beautiful heirloom portraits that capture their finest moments, and we're creating incredible artwork of their amazing milestones.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is trying to create a work-life balance between work and family. It is easy to entrench myself into constantly thinking about how I can make the customer experience better every single second of the day or worrying about how to execute the next marketing strategy. So, learning to give myself more time with my family as a mother of 2 and trying to separate my identities can be challenging at times.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Push through the Fear - When something is new, it's easy to try and keep avoiding it. Everyone has their fears; it could be a sense of insecurity, a sense of potential failure, etc. As you keep pushing through the fear, you start to control your fear better, and you can achieve great things.
  2. Doing something less than what you expected is better than doing nothing at all. Sometimes, we want to make sure everything is planned out perfectly before executing. But the best way to learn is by doing it. Start small; take small steps toward your goal. One small step is better than no step at all!
  3. Believe in yourself! No matter where you are in life, if you believe and persevere, you will create a better future and reach your goal.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.preciousonesphotography.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PreciousOnesPhotography
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PreciousOnesPhotography

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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