“Isn’t it funny how amazing things can happen when you least expect them to?” laughs Jo Tennant when we chat about how her business idea came to be.

After 16 years working in the industry as a freelance photographer, during lockdown Tennant started playing around with the concept of creating beautiful fine art prints from the images stored on her smartphone. After posting her creations on Instagram, friends started getting in touch wanting prints of their own. From there, small business and tech start-up 20 Photos was born.

As part of The Big Upskill – a campaign we’ve launched with Google to equip more women with the digital skills they need to change careers or re-enter the workforce – we spoke to Tennant about how a Google Career Certificate in Project Management is helping her navigate this new industry, while still allowing her to focus on long-term business goals. Here’s what she said…

The idea for 20 Photos actually came about while trying to escape the pressures of lockdown. I was out of work and homeschooling was taking its toll. So, for half an hour a day, I would step away from the kids and give myself a task to keep my creativity ticking over.

We all have thousands of pictures on our phones that we do nothing with. As an exercise I started pulling images from my own archive and making prints using the home printer. At this point, I had no plan – this practice was more about prioritising my own self-care (and sanity).

Friends started showing an interest when I posted these images on social media, so I created a separate Instagram account and began taking commissions. It was then that I started thinking about how I could evolve this side-hustle into a profitable small business. And, judging by the interest I was getting online, there was real demand for the service I was offering. 

I went through the process of creating a website. The issue I was having was not the editing process itself (that’s the bit I love), but the time it would take me to physically look through a client’s photographs in order to select the right 20 images to fit their brief. 

I recognised that I needed some kind of tool or software to help me streamline the process without losing the storytelling element – but if that tech existed, I certainly hadn’t found it yet.

So, I started working with an AI expert at the University Of Edinburgh to see if we could come up with a maintenance tool that would impact the time I was spending editing. To continue this work, I applied for and won funding from Innovate UK to help me scale up and automate the back end of the business.

This has been incredibly exciting and the project has become huge in the space of just 18 months. I want to be able to grow 20 Photos in a way that’s sustainable for both me and the business, which is why I’ve chosen to enrol on a Google Career Certificate in Project Management. 

Right now, I’m learning all about budgets and managing stakeholders – all key when it comes to trying to secure more investment further down the line. It’s also teaching me how to onboard teams, both internally and externally, to help develop the business.

It’s also really handy being able to understand the terminology. Having the skills to communicate using the correct language has streamlined the entire process so I’m no longer spending all my time doing admin. I also get to see in real time how applicable these skills are to what I’m doing on a day-to-day basis. Effective project management is based on logic and planning – two things that are absolutely critical in the world of technology.

The next step is to create a 20 Photos app or website using the new AI tool I’m developing. The human element has to sit at the heart of 20 Photos, as it’s the personal stories that prompted me to start the business in the first place.

When I look back to where I was three years ago – that awful instability of lockdown, the loss of my creative outlets – it’s incredible to think where I’ve landed. I know I’m never going to be an expert in everything, but giving myself the opportunity to broaden my horizons and further my learning has now taken my career in a completely unexpected direction. And I’m 100% enjoying the ride.

Offering flexible online training programmes to help more women learn job-ready skills in high-growth, high-demand careers, the Google Career Certificates are ideal for those looking to upskill in their own time. Available via Coursera (£48 per month), as well as via free scholarships through selected partners. Simply click here to find the right Google Career Certificate for you.