Kit BarberOwner, Kit Coaching · Business Coach and Mentor

My £1m business was failing when I stepped away!

25 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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0:38

In this video, Kit Barber shares a personal account of running the UK's largest photography studio in Leamington Spa about 20 years ago. He explains that the studio incurred massive fixed costs—over £100,000 annually in rent, rates, and taxes—yet performed exceptionally well while he was constantly present and directly managing operations. The moment he attempted to step away, even briefly, the business began to wobble, not because of market failure but because the entire system relied on his personal involvement. The narrative underscores the danger of a founder being the sole operational engine and the need for systematic delegation.

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I know that feeling because I've lived it. 20-odd years ago, I had a photography studio in Leamington Spa in the UK. At the time, it was the largest photography studio in the land, and it cost over £100,000 a year, and whatever that is in dollars, almost $140,000 in rent plus business rates and taxes before taking a single bloody photo. I was working constantly, and the business was working brilliantly. As long as I was in it. The moment I tried to step away, even briefly, the whole thing kind of wobbled a little bit. And it wasn't because the business was failing. The business was amazing, but the business was me. I was the system.