Dream job led to world adventures

Elizabeth Parker is originally from Nashville, Tennessee, but now based in Paris. She is a teacher who runs her photography business on the side, specialising in travel and event photography. You can see some of her work at elizabethparker.carbonmade.com

How long have you been in business?

I created Elizabeth Parker Photographie in April 2009. The start-up process was very fast: I completed all registrations online in one (slightly frustrating) evening. After hours of completing forms and triple checking everything with French friends I was officially a business owner.

Why did you choose to do it?

It has always been my dream to turn my photography into a business and eventually a full time career. As friends and acquaintances came to know my work and spread the word, more opportunities started coming my way, so I decided to make it official and create my own business. It has been the best decision I have ever made. Since April 2009, I have been lucky enough to work throughout France, in Egypt, and to exhibit in New York.

What type of business are you and how much did it cost to set it up?

I am an auto-entrepreneur. It was the logical choice as I have no employees and there were no start-up fees.

What was your expected income?

None at the beginning because I had my full-time job teaching. In some ways that was nice because the pressure of having the business support my living costs did not exist.

I could take my time and enjoy working in an area I love. On the other hand, my goal is to eventually shift full-time to photography and at that point a minimum income would have to be maintained.

What were the hurdles?

A major hurdle was time. Since I stayed at my salaried job, I could not devote as much time as I would have liked to my business.

Also, weeding through the options during the registration process was nerve-wracking. I was terrified of making a costly mistake.

What would you have done differently?

I would have had more startup capital and immediately moved to photography with the financial padding necessary.

Luckily there are many free ways to advertise and network. Twitter has been invaluable. Positive word of mouth continues to my most useful marketing tool.