Partners analysis & Networking

Duration: 1 hour

Learning outcome: By the end of this unit learners will be able to focus on specific things in order to make a successful partnership. They will also gain essential knowledge consisting on tips about effective business networking.

Personal story

Anna Vlasiuk (p.34-36) is from Kyiv, Ukraine. She came to Italy for family reasons in 2010, when she was 25 years old. Photography was her hobby for many years, however at one point she saw that the photos she published in social media received good feedback, and she started receiving invitations to shoot weddings and engagements from people she didn’t know.

At the same time Anna was faced with the necessity to provide for herself and her little daughter, so she started building her photography business from scratch. She characterises her product as “taking photos of everything related to love” – christenings, engagements, weddings etc. Anna believes in gender equality and feels like photography is a male-dominated field. “Sometimes I feel like being a photographer is a very physically demanding job, because I need to carry all of my equipment etc. However, it’s easier for women to create a contact with the client”.

She says that she doesn’t really look for clients, they find her on their own, mostly through social media, Facebook and Instagram. Her first contact with clients normally happens through Skype in order to create contact. She also communicates with them via email. For Anna it’s very important to know her clients before the shoot.

Thanks to this unit, Anna will focus on specific tips on how to make effective business networking.