Be The Boss

As an Ex-Royal Marine I was entitled to business support from a branch of the British Legion known as Be The Boss. For this I had to attend a business course, run by Business Link, which allowed me to develop my business plan, cash-flow forecasts and concentrate on my strengths and weaknesses. In the early stages of planning I focused upon my brand name MRE-Photography with regards to what I had been doing commercially...wedding photography which I will talk about at a later date.
After I had been assessed by a panel consisting of ex-bankers and members of Be The Boss I was given a small business loan which was spent on equipment for ongoing and future use. It's all well and good knowing how to do the job, but you do need the right tools!
As a result of my meetings with the Be the Boss team I was asked to cover an event in London where I was paid expenses and £250 to provide images in a documentary style, it was also a chance to meet other ex-servicemen who were in the same situation as me. At the time I would have been more than happy to cover the event for free, but as a professional photographer you have to charge and it's only right to do so. I did some research on freelance photographers in London, and their daily rates which on average was around £500. At the event I was only there for less than an hour, I don't think I've ever been paid £250 an hour before...great work if you can get it!
Attending the event was the business MP Mark Prisk who was keen to question me on the help I had received.

Mark Smith talking to Mark Prisk MP ©2012Matt Elliott

What I took from the day is how to work in these sorts of situations. One of my strong points is the ability to plan, and it's something I personally don't have to put a lot of thought into. Get your basics right.

• Timings
• Equipment
• Batteries charged
• Memory cards
• The right lens 
• Will I need flash?
• Look smart
• Remain professional 

Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm not a big fan of the Conservative party at the best of times, but telling a conservative MP this while I was there in a professional role would not have gone down well!

As a result of doing a professional job, and providing the Be the Boss team with the images requested, I have been asked to work for them again. I wouldn't have a problem with that.

Meeting with Mark Prisk MP and Be The Boss ©2012Matt Elliott