A Lanarkshire based photography business, is going from strength from strength following support from Business Gateway.

Branding by Zaria helps business owners enhance their brand and tell their story through the power of photography. Dubbing herself a ‘visual storyteller’, Zaria offers bespoke photography packages and branding clarity guidance to help other business owners increase their visibility and stand out from the crowd.

Zaria had been passionate about photography from a young age and decided to study the subject at New Lanarkshire College and later at Edinburgh Napier, where she graduated with First-Class honours in photography. Looking for ways to fund her studies while balancing her university workload, Zaria started her own business, Zaria Sleith Photography, in 2016, and began specialising in wedding and newborn photography. On a mission to grow her business further, she approached Business Gateway in 2016 for support.

Zaria was connected with a local business adviser who provided 1:1 support and signposted Zaria to guidance from Skills Development Scotland (SDS). Through Business Gateway, Zaria attended a wide variety of courses including bookkeeping webinars and graphic design workshops, which helped her in the very early stages of registering herself as self-employed.

Zaria also benefited from Business Gateway’s Early-Stage Growth service, receiving help from a digital marketing expert to focus on SEO engagement and raise the profile of her business online. This support was instrumental in helping the business go from page 9 to page 1 on Google. Continuing in her efforts to raise brand awareness in difficult times during the pandemic, she also benefitted from Business Gateway’s research service, which helped her understand her target market, competitors and identify her customer base. With support from Business Gateway, Zaria went onto rebrand and relaunch her business in 2021, focusing more on providing a business-to-business service.

Since launching, Branding by Zaria has attracted interest from all around Lanarkshire, with a steady influx of new clients interested in Zaria’s amalgamated approach of brand photography and visual storytelling.

Having been introduced to networking groups within the Business Gateway community, Zaria has also launched her own networking group for female business owners to help inspire and build connections. Business Gateway has supported Zaria on this venture, and the group has now grown to 125 members.

Zaria Young, Founder of Branding by Zaria, said: “I wanted to grow my business, but I had no idea where to start, so it was a huge help to have Business Gateway on hand to guide me to all the different webinars and workshops available. Business Gateway has provided me with opportunities to not only to grow my business, but also gain confidence in myself.”

Bill Duncan, Operations Manager at Business Gateway, added: “Zaria has worked incredibly hard to rebrand and relaunch her original photography business. As well as her bespoke photography services, Zaria’s personality and enthusiasm differentiate her from her competitors, so it’s great to see the business flourish and overcome the difficulties encountered during the Covid pandemic.”