Accent Photography is a newborn, family and personal branding photography business based in Tuakau in North Waikato.
"We believe in capturing all of life's important moments and displaying these as artwork in your home so you can look back on them for years to come," says Accent Photography owner and director, Katrina Johns.
Katrina approached Soda through the Regional Business Partner network in 2022 as she needed support learning how to launch and market a personal branding service.
“I worked with Sarah from Sweet Spot Business Coaching to launch my personal branding services and get financial training so I could get clear on my business finances - an area I generally like to bury my head in the sand about! The funding has been invaluable, allowing me to grow both personally and in the business.” says Katrina.
This is the second time Accent Photography has received funding from the Regional Business Partner programme.
“I first heard about the Regional Business Partner programme in an online woman’s networking group during the first Covid lockdown of 2020. I received funding to complete marketing training with Sarah from Sweet Spot Business Coaching. Working with Sarah was fantastic – it allowed me to get clear on my messaging and put a marketing plan in place that speaks to my ideal client,” says Katrina.
The results speak for themselves. In 2020 Accent Photography doubled its income – whilst in the middle of a pandemic.
Katrina is grateful for the support and funding provided by the Regional Business Partner programme and says she wishes she knew about it when she first purchased Accent Photography 14 years ago.
“Soda has been amazing to deal with. When I first started with Soda I had a video call with Anna where I felt she really took the time to get to know and understand my business. Not only did she help me get the funding I wanted but she also offered alternative options and sent through a list of recommended providers. The process was quick, efficient and approved fast, meaning I could get the application underway, and funding sorted to grow my knowledge. Anna also followed up with me to ensure I had received the training and to check it was beneficial for me and my business,” concludes Katrina.