From redundancy to resilience and building a successful business empire
Bardon Mill based entrepreneur Sarah Smith, turned her side hustle into a thriving business portfolio with the support from local business support service, Northumberland Small Business Service.
The founder of Mirror Image Photography is no stranger to reinvention, driven by creativity, resilience, and a deep commitment to community impact. Sarah has now grown her business from a single photography studio into a dynamic enterprise that now spans portrait photography, e-commerce, and youth employment services.
The Northumberland Small Business Service (NSBS) is delivered by Northumberland County Council. The project is part funded by the North East Combined Authority and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund, with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority.
After being made redundant from her corporate role at a law firm, Sarah saw the opportunity to follow her passion and launched Mirror Image Photography. Specialising in school, nursery, family, and pet photography, the business quickly established a loyal local following.
Throughout her journey, the Northumberland Small Business Service (NSBS) has been a vital source of support and guidance. Sarah credits the programme with helping her develop key business skills, build confidence, and access funding at crucial stages.
From support in developing a professional website to attending training on social media and digital marketing, the practical help she’s received has made a tangible difference in how she promotes and grows her businesses.
Sarah said: “The wealth of information and expertise shared by the business advisors has been another critical advantage of the programme. Their guidance has offered me insights into industry trends, strategic planning, and business development, equipping me with the tools necessary to make informed decisions and pursue my career goals with greater clarity.”
Now, Sarah is preparing to launch her latest venture: Empowerment Employment Services, a project focused on delivering high-quality careers guidance to students across North East and Cumbria.
Driven by her own experience of poor careers advice in school, Sarah aims to equip young people with the tools, confidence, and insights they need to transition successfully from education into employment.
In recent months, Sarah’s businesses have seen considerable growth. Sarah has partnered with a local letting agency based in her office space, creating additional income while also branching out into property photography.
To support the growing workload, she has brought on a part-time assistant to help with administration and accounts. Her school photography contracts have expanded, she’s delivering workshops at local colleges and universities, and she is actively engaged in supporting local jobseekers through collaborative efforts with the job centre.
To any entrepreneur considering joining the Northumberland Small Business Service, Sarah offers wholehearted encouragement. She describes the workshops as insightful, the networking events as energising, and the personalised advice as instrumental to her success. For her, NSBS has provided not just knowledge and resources, but a genuine community of support.
NSBS offers assistance to micro-small sized businesses across Northumberland. The experienced team and its range of experts work directly with businesses and individuals to help them start, grow, diversify, and sustain their ventures through workshops, 1-2-1 support and networking events across the county.
Eligible businesses can still access a Rural Capital Grant Investment Fund, which supports rural businesses with clear growth plans by providing capital investment to expand production capacity or diversify into new markets or products.
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
If you have any questions about the event or the Northumberland Small Business Service, please visit Northumberland Small Business Service or contact the team at business@businessnorthumberland.co.uk.