Sydney Jones, owner of Sydney’s Photography in Lancaster, Ohio, credits her stubbornness as the key to her success as a young entrepreneur.
Sydney Jones, owner of Sydney’s Photography in Lancaster, Ohio, credits her stubbornness as the key to her success as a young entrepreneur.
Sydney Jones never gave up, even when launching a business from scratch, without any business experience, didn’t seem promising.
“I feel accomplished with my life now,” she says. “I can say that I have started my own business, and most students in high school can’t say that.”
Jones started her business in 2013, simply out of a love for photography.
“I didn’t know anything about the business world, so learning how to even properly run a business was a process,” she says.
But Jones persevered, taking classes to learn more about photography and how to run a business as well as interning with a local photographer. She found clients; established her pricing and services; launched a business website; developed a social media presence on Facebook, Google +, Twitter and Pinterest; and even found a studio to use.
While Sydney’s Photography focuses mainly on senior pictures, Jones says she also provides her services for weddings and family portraits. Her school, Fairfield Christian Academy, has also hired her to take pictures for events, and she has volunteered as a photographer for her church, Lancaster Community Church.
Jones is currently a senior at Fairfield Christian Academy, and in the fall, she will be attending Ohio University-Athens to study psychology.
“I hope to continue my business because I enjoy it and also as another source of income to help with school,” she says. “Long-term, I want to keep it as a side job and even open a real studio one day.”
For other young entrepreneurs, Jones quotes a saying from George Washington Addair as inspiration: “Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”
“Just do it,” she says. “If you have a dream or an idea, don’t worry about all the excuses that you’re giving yourself, as long as you have a passion for it.”
