Next to photographing some amazing and stunning women, I think my next favourite thing is writing these High Tea posts. Every month I look forward to going through the questions sent in and how I’ll answer them. I can’t say I know everything, cause heck I don’t, but I’ve learned a lot during my time of trying to find my own way and want to share it with you.

This one, is about owning a business, since last time was about finding your niche this is about finding a way to use it to your advantage – open your own business. But before you go running to the Chamber of Commerce to register your business, take another step back and really think it through.

I mentioned that my mom was in town, and it’s been lots of fun to hang out with her, but at the same time it has been a challange to balance family life and work. I’ve never really had to do this before, balance life and work.

See, the thing is, Mister and I are in this together. Adley Studio is my heart and soul, but together it’s our sleepless nights, sweat and tears over technical and website issues, questions over marketing materials, collaborations with vendors, or whether to continue the business in Europe or close it down. Evening dinners usually consists us discussing upcoming clients and workflow rather than the latest film that came out or listening to the latest band.

As glam as owning a business sounds (not having to work for anyone, work your own hours – it’s all true) sometimes it’s not. I work for myself and the pressure of making sure that there is somebody in the studio, food on our table, shoes on my feet is all up to me.

That means I work 10+ hours a day, that some nights Mister comes home and I’m still in my pjs. That if I go out with my mom, emails will sit unanswered, photos go unedited, and my business goes quiet. It makes me wonder that if we had kids if I’d be walking around with a half naked babe and Mister wondering where his meal was. Actually I think I’ll be walking around half nakes, my babe wondering where his meal was, and Mister not wanting to come home!

So, that is why I asked you to stop for a minute before running to the Chamber of Commerce to register your business. Owning your business is not as glam as you think. It’s blood, sweat, and tears, as well as endless nights about talking about what program is best to use for accounting and which account it should come from. You have to be willing to sacrifice a lot before you actually start seeing results, as each step is slow and painful.

What do you find challenging in owning a business and what did you wish others had told you before you ran to the Chamber of Commerce?