About this episode
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Tom Trevatt of www.tomtrevatt.com and I have been exchanging emails since 2021, when he completed the little questionnaire on the PhotoBizX website to receive some personalised interview suggestions.
At the time, he was into headshot photography, working part-time as a photographer, and looking to attract more clients.
In 2022, he told me, “Business was going well. I’ve had quite a profitable few months and am considering moving into a much bigger studio – it’ll be a big move and quite expensive, but I think it will be worth it in the long term.”
Two years later, in 2024, I heard another update from Tom…
I have now had two decent studios in central London and have grown the business to six figures. However, right now I am in the process of building out a small home studio to replace the separate studio, as I want to keep more of the revenue I make rather than let my studio landlord have it!
I have also decided to drop below the VAT threshold of £90k for this next year or two in order to grow the business's reputation without such a massive tax liability.
For me, this business was never about trying to make as much money as possible but about giving me the kind of life I want to lead—for the time being, that's perfectly possible under 90k.
Finally, in 2025, I had this update from Tom, “At the end of last year, I secured a contract to photograph 530 lawyers at a global law firm, and it has had a life and business-changing impact. The contract itself is worth over £200k and will likely include ongoing updates to pick up the new hires every month, so over the next few years, the value of this one customer may exceed half a million!”
So, within the first two months of the year, I’ve smashed past that VAT threshold of 90k and am careening towards a turnover this year of £300k or more, which is wild to me.
In this interview, Tom shares how a $200k contract changed everything in his headshot photography business.
Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:
