“Be yourself. Try not to be something or someone that you’re not. A business idea doesn’t need to be the final article. It can change and adapt as time goes on. As an almost one-year-old business I am still learning constantly and can’t wait to see how things change as time goes on!”

It’s a pleasure to welcome Charlotte to The Business Diaries today! Having founded ‘Styling by Charlotte’ just last year, she has quickly established herself as one of the go-to Product Photographers + Stylists. I’m having a chat with this lovely lady all about her experiences as a business owner, the challenges she’s overcome and the lessons she’s learnt, so grab and quick cuppa and get scrolling…

1. How long have you been running your business for? How was your business born?

Styling by Charlotte started like a lot of new small businesses, during the lockdown in June 2020. It started as a personal project to get more creative and to stay entertained when there wasn’t much else going on. My full time job in marketing was reduced and I wanted to get back into styling somehow. I was a Freelance Stylist in London a couple of years after leaving University and it was something I hadn’t really been able to pursue when I moved back to Devon. Once the lockdowns were over and without much advertising I was being approached for styling and content creation work so I decided to go for it and leave my Marketing job last November to give it a go full time.

2. What did you want to do for a career? Was this something you’d always intended on doing?

I have always been really passionate about pursuing a creative career. After finishing Uni where the main focus was on becoming an artist there was a fast realisation that the dream of being a full time creative was great but I also needed to be able to pay the bills! When I left Brighton I moved straight to London and landed a dream job as a Photographic assistant in an advertising studio. This is where I learnt about the world of styling.

3. What is one thing you know now that you would have told yourself when you first launched your business?

I think the thing I would tell myself now is to not sweat so much about quiet times. All small businesses go through quiet moments and actually that can be a great time to go on a course or create personal work or just get your accounts in order. I know that’s easier said than done but when things get super busy you wish you’d enjoyed those quiet days!

4. What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a business owner, and how have you overcome it?

I still get nervous when I send work back to a client. I’m very critical about my own work so and I probably spend far too much time making sure I am 100% happy with what I am producing. When a job has a fast turn around I have had to learn to work really efficiently and to a deadline. It’s just something that comes more naturally as time goes on. I know a lot more now about when I can use the best light for photos, which props work best for different brands etc. I will always get nervous when I hit send on the final project but that’s only because I care!

5. Tell me an invaluable lesson you have learnt as a business owner?

To believe in your own skills. I am by no means a pro at this but people will believe in you if you believe in yourself. Quoting for jobs accurately is really important and when some businesses are eager to get a discounted price it can sometimes be hard to refuse. It’s important to realise your worth and to not get knocked down.

6. Being self-employed can be a struggle! How do you stay motivated? Do you have any productivity tips?

We all have ‘off’ days but I think if you genuinely love what you do then finding motivation isn’t too tricky. When I’m not busy working on other brands I love to create my own personal work. This is how I got my jobs in the first place and it gives me a chance to try out new techniques, props and styles. Although I shoot my content work myself I also work with a photographer @headcake_ and we work a lot together on portfolio work. It’s really great to team up with someone who has a similar taste and you can bounce ideas off each other and create some really interesting work. It encourages me to not just stick to one style and to challenge myself. I also love a list so when I’m busy I find it really useful to start writing lists of things and ideas to work on when I have time.

7. Is there anyone (within the industry, celebrity, friend or family member) who inspires you and what you do for a living?

I would probably have to say my friends and family as a whole for this question. I have taken risks with my work over the years by jumping from full time to freelance a couple of times and I think when sometimes I have an idea and I’m pretty confident with my plan it’s so nice to also have the backup from my friends and family. They always say they believe in what I’m doing and that I can make it work even when I’m like WHAT HAVE I DONE. So I am very lucky to have them around.

8. Name me your go-to podcast, audio book or song that you listen to while working?

I love listening to podcasts while I work. My favourites are HOSTEing Laura Jackson and Table Manners. If I’m in the mood for music I really like listening to the office playlists created by ‘A Weathered Penny’.

9. I’m all about supporting small businesses. How can your followers / customers / clients support your biz?

Instagram has been a crucial tool in helping me get to where I am now. Without the follows, likes and shares I wouldn’t have had the confidence to build my own business. My clients have also been amazing when leaving reviews! Just sharing work you like and by leaving a review is so important to help spread the word!

10. What’s one thing you dislike about being a business owner?

I was so nervous about doing my own tax return. When I first started my own accounting I had a free consultation with Becki at Lagom Finance and she was amazing. She answered all of my questions and I downloaded their guide for completing a tax return and now I feel so much more confident with my accounting!

11. What’s one thing you love about being a business owner?

I love being in control of my own day. I like to make my days really varied with propping for shoots and the styling/content creation itself. I’m constantly flicking through Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration and I love when brands I follow want to work with me. I have met and worked with some really great people over the past year and it’s so nice to be able to work alongside each other rather than in competition with each other.

12. What is a common myth about your business / field of expertise?

I guess a common myth might be that people are quite competitive and don’t help each other out. I must say on the whole I haven’t come up against too much competition and if anything I have gained lots of new friends that work in a similar area to me and we all help each other out. If someone comes to me and I am booked up or not sure it’s quite my thing I am more than happy to pass them on and I know people have also done that for me! Instagram has been a crucial tool in making these contacts/friends.

13. If your business could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?

I just love making things look nice. I want Styling by Charlotte to be remembered for managing to make any product look nice! I have worked with quite an array of products from teeth whitening kits to paint brushes and really do enjoy a challenge.

14. What’s something your followers / customers / clients wouldn’t know about you?

In terms of social media I tend to not share much of my personal life on my business account so I’m not sure my followers know much about me at all. I’m sure they would know I have a cat because she sneaks into a lot of my behind the scenes videos but aside from that I got married this summer and eventually hope to live by the sea and have enough space in the house for a large prop collection.

15. What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their own business?

Be yourself. Try not to be something or someone that you’re not. A business idea doesn’t need to be the final article. It can change and adapt as time goes on. As an almost one-year-old business I am still learning constantly and can’t wait to see how things change as time goes on!

16. What do you have in store for your business? Is there anything exciting around the corner?

I have been working with some great brands recently and if I’m honest I never know who which projects are just around the corner. Alongside Styling by Charlotte I am also training to be a Further Education Teacher specialising in Art & Design. I hope that this means that I will be able to help young people learn to turn creativity into a career. This is a long-term goal though and I am hoping that my business will continue to grow alongside this. I really look forward to creating work for more brands!

17. Describe being a business owner in three words.

Exciting, Changeable, Rewarding