This month on the 21st it is World Entrepreneurs’ Day.
The word entrepreneur has a variety of definitions to many people; in fact I think that probably we all have our own version of what the word means.
For me, I’d say my quick definition is: it is doing what I want, when I want. Also, in my mind, being an entrepreneur is not a guarantee of financial success – especially if you don’t seek that, but seek other things from your business.
I think the reason I’d say I’m an entrepreneur is because I get bored with things easily and I seek new challenges to keep my interest in my work. The new challenges can either be structured, or I’ll just jump into something and do it. So if I see an opportunity I go after it. Some things have been successful and others not, but I’ve always enjoyed the path I’ve disappeared down. And the greatest reward for me is not getting paid, but the pleasure clients get when I create something for them; and even more so when they keep using whatever I’ve created.
I think being an entrepreneur is also to do with mindset.
If I see something that’s been created, I always wonder if I can improve it. Following that thought process, I’ve got two patents being manufactured, and other’s not. Presently I’m working on two other patents. The ideas are quite varied too. One patent I already have is for plumbing tools, and the other for shipping containers. I’ve also worked on ideas for games, though they take a long time to develop.
What I enjoy most is doing the research and developing it, but at the point of taking it to the marketplace, that’s where I pass it on to people who are specialists in that particular area. I’m not a manager and I don’t enjoy having to organise other people to do the work.
How did I get to this point in my business life?
I started my career manufacturing printed circuit boards, and became exceptionally good at production techniques, so much so that my work nickname was Technical Ted! In the first company I worked for, I was the only person that could do the maths for the CNC routing for the CNC shop; even the manager couldn’t do it. He quickly went on some courses.
The first website I built was for an AIM listed PLC company at a time when your dial-up modem only dished out 33.6Kb. This was long, long, before broadband had been dreamt of or the huge megabytes of data which are available to our houses now. Their “animated gif” logo we created was even displayed behind their director whilst being interviewed by Bloomberg.
This was the catalyst for my next adventure – to create a web design company! I had a large number of people working either from home or in the office, which is similar to the working experience many like to work to now. The recession of 2007-2008 came along and it was getting harder to get payment from clients, therefore taking into account a number of other factors I made the painful decision to close the company.
I quickly realised that I enjoyed the selling aspect more than having to be in the office, managing staff. When you’re out and about you meet new people all the time, you’re given opportunities and when you have an entrepreneurial mindset you’re always thinking of where these opportunities could lead you.
So, how did my photography business come about? Working for one of my early website clients I had to drive to Slough and photograph their MPV’s (multi-purpose vehicles) every week then put them onto their website. I bought a specific camera to do the job as the photos needed to be a true representation of the car. I had often seen parents coming to buy cars accompanied by their children, who would run excitedly around the showroom holding printed website pictures, looking for a specific car. When they found the car to match the photo they’d tell their parents. This was pre Autotrader days!
This was an opportunity – the need for good quality photographs for websites.
Initially as I was growing the web business, I engaged other photographers to do some shoots for me. But this was dead money, so I bought the best camera equipment I could justify and offered my own photographic services to my clients. An investment quickly returned.
I didn’t become a full-time photographer though until I closed my web company. I still had 60 clients who continued to work with me. However, now photography is my main business, I’m a licentiate with the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP), and occasionally I also help web clients get out of trouble when needed.
But I’m still working on my patents! As I’m a happy workaholic…
Please take a look at my portfolio and get in touch if you’d be interested in having photos of yourself, your team or your products, please contact me on: neil@moore-photographics.com
