Success story: Howard Barnett

Howard Barnett, BA Honours student in Business and Management, graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2008 with a HNC in Photography and Digital Imaging. Howard, who has been a budding photographer since an early age felt it was time to turn his hobby into a business, having previously worked as a managing director for a Sony subsidiary. The experience that he gained from his photography course and previous employment led to the establishment of Howard Barnett Photography.

At the pre-start up stage, Howard undertook vital market research, and realised that there was a high demand for professional commercial photography. For this reason, the business specialises in commercial and social photography, from weddings and barmitzvahs through to corporate events.

In January 2009, Howard became a multi award winner for a landscape and a portraiture, which were received from Nikon and Fuji respectively. He has photographed celebrities, including the hard-nosed BBC Apprentice boss, Sir Alan Sugar, and has work lined up with ex-Great Britain rugby league star, Ellery Hanley. His work has appeared in national magazines, and leading providers of digital media in the UK and worldwide, such as the Press Association and Getty Images have purchased his work.

Through his search for support and funding, Howard received the proof of concept grant in April 2008. The sum of money helped him fund a website for the company, as well as giving him the resources to consistently subscribe to the web optimisation tool, Google ad words. Howard had this to say;

“I owe it all to Business Start-Up, they gave me the tools to kick-start my idea, and made the whole process easier through the funding I received. I now have a website that is informative, and user-friendly. I hope that the success I have achieved, will encourage entrepreneurs to seek support and help from the service.”

For more information on Howard Barnett Photography, take a look at the website: www.howardbarnettphotography.co.uk

Updated August 2009