|
“Without Box Hill Institute, I would not have reached the position I’m in as quickly.”
Piero Tabbakh has managed to turn his photography hobby into a successful business.
Piero took part in the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) program, which helps aspiring business owners with mentoring and the development of a business plan.
The snap-happy entrepreneur excelled in his studies and scooped a nomination as a finalist in the 2007 Outstanding Student of the Year Awards Vocational category.
Called Images for Life, Egyptian-born Piero and his Spanish wife, Dolors, offer photography and video services.
“Without Box Hill Institute, I would not have reached the position I’m in as quickly,” he said.
“I was blinded by things I had heard before I did NEIS about what business was really like.
“Basically Box Hill TAFE has shown me exactly what’s going to happen in real life. Most importantly, there will be no surprises and I’m prepared for both the worst case scenario and best case scenario.”
Piero, who is fluent in six languages, said he had successfully broken into the competitive wedding and commercial photography market.
“Eighty per cent of our business is weddings. But we have done 12 commercial jobs, including documentaries explaining certain procedures and products,” he said.
Piero said he had always had a keen interest in photography and cinematography but never knew how to make a living out of it.
“I did photography for friends and relatives and occasionally I got a bottle of wine or whisky and a thank you,” he said.
“Doing the NEIS program and developing the business plan has helped me tremendously,” he said.
29 June 2007
|
