Meet the Business: Janey Kay Photography

Today we meet Janey from Janey Kay Photography. Janey was a nurse for many years before turning her passion for photography into her business.

Tell me a little bit about you and your business?
Janey Kay Photography is an established, self-taught photographer based in Humberston, North East Lincolnshire in the UK, and I’m a passionate photographer and a true believer in romance, ‘sass and class’ specialising predominantly in Women’s Photography, Portraiture & Boudoir Makeover Sessions, Bridal Boudoir and Styled photoshoots.

What made you decide to start your business?
My aim since starting my business was to capture natural & romantic photographs, full of emotion, and most importantly to enable my clients to view their beauty. With a background of 25 years as a nurse, I wanted to use my skills to bring health and wellbeing photoshoots to raise confidence and self-esteem for local people.

What do you love most about owning your own business?
What I love about having my own business is the ability to change lives sometimes in a subtle way, but often in quite a dramatic way, and the look on the faces of my clients after their experience. I love the freedom to be creative with my ideas, to utilise my surroundings in the stunning Lincolnshire countryside, and along the Lincolnshire Coast, and to embrace a whole new venture.

What do you least like about owning your own business? 
What do I like least? Well, that’s a tough one because I no longer have that Monday morning feeling, I have the ability to make a difference without the constraints of an organisation, and I meet lots of wonderful people who smile! So I guess the only thing I would say I like least is the pressure of the certainty of self-employment, but again that’s down to what you put in and I have amazing support locally not just from friends and family, but also clients who continually grow the network to spread the word about self esteem building.

What do you have planned for your business in the future?
There are some fantastic things waiting in the wings here at Janey Kay Photography which will be coming this year. My team has grown since opening a few years ago and I now have a cracking set of professionals working alongside me known as The Glam Squad. They provide my makeovers for shoots and these too are superb local businesses working freelance to bring the local people a bit of sass and class! This new concept helps me tailor-make my makeovers to fit for clients and gives more options on choice and flexibility to expand. I aim to work alongside other local businesses too with some of these developments to bring something a little unique and different to the area.

What advice would you give someone wanting to start their own business?
What advice would I give? Well from a complete novice who spent her adult working life as a nurse, I would say, go with it, embrace it, learn from your mistakes, and don’t be fearful of what others may be doing, thinking or saying. Be true to what you want to achieve and those who support you will be along for the journey. Never stop learning and always stand back and take in the view so to speak. Research well, know your market and most of all be you, be kind, compassionate and never lose the face of your business.

What are you most proud of when it comes to your business?
What am I most proud of? Well, I think starting my own business and it having the impact it has clearly had on the locality and my clients. Maybe if I am honest I perhaps needed to be less nurse and more business, but then again, its my unique approach and kindness that has also got me to where I am and recognised in things like Take a Break for my work on Body Image with a local group of ladies around Breast Cancer, and it enabled me the pleasure of shooting at the Gok Show last year when they heard about my work here in Lincolnshire and my approach to enabling ladies, in particular, to view themselves in a positive way. So would I have changed that? I’m not sure I perhaps would.  I’m confident that kindness is key. I hit the ground running with my business and it all happened so quickly and without planning that I’ve very much had to think on my feet, especially in the first year or so and to achieve so much in such a short time makes me very proud. I’m also extremely proud to be part of my clients’ journies, especially if health-related, and I thank each and every one for their honesty and trust in me to show them their beauty and for telling their stories so that others can relate to similar experiences and in turn embrace a similar journey.

Do you think local businesses are well supported in NEL? 
In NEL I think most businesses support each other well. I’m a bit of a stand-alone business with a more unique USP, but I do work alongside many small businesses and often I’m involved in commercial shooting and I think from talking to others that sometimes especially when premises are involved and the high street, that it must be quite difficult to compete with the internet.

How do you feel the business culture has changed in NEL?
This leads into business culture changing which is inevitable of course and should be seen as progress. Although we fear the internet and its effect on local business, its also our friend and allows us a far-reaching audience.  I’m hoping though that by pulling together locally we can marry it all up and bring back a bit of nostalgia, and enable our lovely little town of Cleethorpes and the adjoining areas to be as vibrant and thriving as they were when I was a little girl living in Humberston.

Where can people find you both online and in “real life”? 
You will find Janey Kay Photography in Humberston down Church Lane. I’m based in a little white cottage ( yes with roses round the door) and I live there with my 3 ginger pussycats and my husband who has been a great support to me starting my own business. I have an online presence and do all my business through social networking and word of mouth locally. I can be found on Facebook and Instagram

Thank you Janey!