Peachy Pics Alex Polizzi - The Fixer

'I am Alex Polizzi.

'I cut my teeth inside my family's international hotel empire

'and now run a multi-million pound food business with my husband.

'Last year, I battled to save six failing family firms.'

-I don't know if it's ever going to get better.

-You must see some hope.

'Now I'm ready for a fresh fight...'

-Hello!

-Hello, Alex.

'..to save six more families on the brink of losing it all.'

-Why has it got so bad?

-Because he won't talk to me.

I feel like my dream is moving further and further away.

'But in the midst of a triple-dip recession,

'thousands of firms are going bust every month.'

Just in the last three months, you've lost about £3,000.

-I'm really struggling.

-'The stakes could not be higher.'

Where is the money coming from?

'It's not just finance, it's family.'

What are you walking away for? I can't work with someone like that.

Everyone keeps saying, "You're the lazy one, you do nothing."

Something is very, very wrong.

'This week, a photographic studio that's totally in the dark.'

-Oh, zooming the wrong way.

-None of us have been trained in marketing.

I don't even know where to start.

In the eye of the storm, they're all just sitting there like puddings.

I'm not saying you can't do it!

-Will a gaggle of unruly sisters...

-I am, I'm BLEEP off,

cos I feel like everybody thinks that I haven't got my own mind.

'..Push their mum over the edge...'

I feel I'm rubbish as a bloody manager.

Unless they do their bloody job,

there is not going to be photographs to take!

'..before the lights go out for good on her lifelong dream.'

Only THEY can bring themselves success and unless they're

prepared to do that, this business is going to go down the tubes.

I'm heading to Aylesbury in Bucks,

to visit a start-up photography studio called PeachyPics.net.

A third of all new businesses go bust within three years,

so this is going to be quite a challenge.

Everything that I've seen about the business

looks incredibly amateurish.

It's a start-up business, there's no money,

they've been making no money and, and...

I can't really see how it could get much worse.

That's it, good girl.

OK, I want you to look right up into the lens, that's it.

Three years ago, Andy Lane recovered from a life-threatening illness,

so she jacked in her job to pursue her lifelong dream of running

a photographic studio.

Oh, look! Oh, darling!

Hello, Bubba! 'I love it.

'You know, not everybody has such a fun job.'

If I could do it for nothing and give the photos away,

if I was a millionaire, I would.

She focuses on family portraits, some rather questionable makeovers

and charges hundreds of pounds for them.

Just close your eyes. Great.

But whatever the shoot, Andy just wants to make people smile.

Hopefully, everybody's happy that comes here.

How many people can say that?

But it's not just customers she's trying to please.

I feel like I'm holding her! I'm like, "Aah!"

Instead of employing professionals,

Andy has handed out jobs to her totally inexperienced daughters.

-Manager Emma...

-We don't know what we're doing, really. We don't.

-Budding photographer Rachel...

-You're in the way a little bit.

-Sorry, I'll move.

-Thank you.

It's just a big mess.

And Nicky, who doesn't even have a role.

Generally, I do a bit of everything.

And a bit of nothing.

-No one's saying you can't do it!

-Sadly, it's not happy families.

-Working together often ends in fireworks.

-I'm a massive BLEEP letdown.

-No, you're not.

-With odd-job Nicky at the centre.

I'm absolutely sick of being made out like I do BLEEP all here.

Rather than crack the whip, mum Andy lets it all happen.

Go and have a break. Go and do some shopping.

Customers are few and far between and in two years,

-Andy has never paid herself a penny in wages.

-What have we got on now?

-Nothing. Nothing at all.

-Nothing?

-No. Nothing.

I don't know, some people are natural business people. I guess I'm not.

We're really on the way to having to close the business

if things go the way they are.

Andy has invested her life savings in the business,

but with little money coming in,

it will go to the wall within six months and she will lose everything.

I don't want it to fail. I want to carry on.

I just want them to be able to...

..work doing something they love, something they're proud of doing.

PeachyPics is situated in a shopping centre in Aylesbury.

In this economic crisis, the high street is on its knees,

but town centre shopping arcades are doing even worse.

This is an in-town shopping centre

that has very middle-of-the-road shops.

So, are people who come here really going to be prepared to

spend £380 on a family portrait?

Aylesbury is the least affluent town in the county,

with the average income below £30,000.

For a company selling a luxury product,

being here just doesn't seem to add up.

Aha! PeachyPics.

Dearie me.

Just the rather sad attempt at the bunting is enough to warn me

of what I'm going to see inside.

It looks like a little run-down family business

and it's only been open a couple of years.

Oh, God.

OK, I'm now dreading it, properly dreading it.

-Hello!

-Hello! Nice to meet you.

-Hello.

-Hello, Alex.

-Andy.

-Nice to meet you.

-So nice to meet you.

-And you.

-Good.

-Nicky and Rachel, which is which?

-Nicky.

-Hi, Rachel.

So nice to meet you, thanks very much.

Gosh, well this is a very boutique space, isn't it?

-It is bijou.

-Bijou!

To say the least.

'Competition is fierce in this industry, particularly in the south-east,

'home to a third of Britain's professional photographers.

'To win customers, you must stand out from the crowd.'

It's just quite...

Quite downmarket. There's a bowl of plastic keyrings.

You know, it's just cheap. It's mass produced.

What you want someone to feel is that they're coming out of here with something really unique.

Every single picture on here is kind of framed slightly differently,

all hung at different heights,

and they're giving no value to their own work.

I mean, honestly. That's really embarrassing.

'Outside isn't any better.

'The few cheesy poses on display certainly wouldn't entice ME

'through the doors. And I'm not alone.

'On average, only four paying customers come in each week.'

They've got this pale pink and green, very childish font and name.

I mean, the whole effect is pretty haphazard, thoughtless and,

you know, if they can't do a window,

how on earth can they compose a photograph?

That's what I automatically think.

It does strike me that you're not selling yourself very well.

-I think we realise that.

-Well, why haven't you done anything about it?

-I don't know!

-We don't know HOW to do it, do we?

I say all the time, I don't know how to market.

None of us have been trained in marketing.

-I don't even know where to start.

-OK.

They've got no get-up-and-go about the business.

They're all so passive - in the eye of the storm,

they're all just sitting there like puddings, going,

"Oh yes, well we know we're not very good at this and that and we've never done that..."

I just... It makes me despair!

This business has been here almost two years.

And they haven't tried anything yet.

I suppose I'm going to look like a genius.

PeachyPics looks downright cheap, but with their photo shoot packages

costing up to a whopping £700,

let's hope their service is more impressive.

I want to see how you work together.

-Have you got anything booked in this afternoon?

-No.

-No clients?

-Not even one?

-No.

I thought that this might be the case,

that you might not be snowed under by customers,

-so I'm going to go and slip into something incredible elegant...

-Ooh!

-And then let you talk me through it as if I'm a client.

-OK.

-Does that sound good?

-Yes, we can do that.

-Yeah?

'It's time to freshen up,

'but as the studio doesn't even have a sink, customers are expected

'to trek to the public toilets on the second floor.'

What are the loos like here?

All right, fine.

Unusual, to have to walk through a shopping centre in...evening wear.

Right...

'This is a terrible start to try and sell what should be a luxury experience,

'but the girls are making it even worse.

'Forget champagne - there's not even a cup of tea to warm me up!'

-OK, so put your weight on your back leg, that's it. That's great.

-OK.

-That's good.

-Now do a hand-on-hip.

Photographers Rachel and Andy start taking me through

their repertoire of cheesy poses.

That's it.

-I was worried you might give me a feather boa.

-No. No, no!

-Oh, I wish I'd clicked then!

-Yeah! Oh, you missed it!

-I did!

I might have dodged the stuffed tiger and antique phone, but it

remains to be seen whether any of these photos will be half decent.

-It's a bit girly for me, sitting on the floor.

-That's lovely.

-I love black and white, it's so forgiving!

-It is good.

Any effects that we've popped on can be transferred to any of the others.

I love that one, I think that's really nice. Well, I thought...

I'm feeling a bit more cheerful than I was this morning.

-Cheerful or tearful?

-Cheerful!

-Oh, good!

The basics is, you can take a photo.

So it's nice to know we've got something to work with.

You've just got the business sense of dormice(!)

'The photos are OK, but I don't understand why it takes

'up to four people standing around to achieve them.

'And Nicky knows things aren't as they should be.'

I do find there are times when I can twiddle my thumbs...

Or I'm sitting there, going, "Is there something for me to do?"

Which is always filled with, "Well, you can tidy up".

I don't really want to be a cleaner. I want to have a bit more of a specific role.

-Yes, but you want it every which way...

-Yes, I do.

You don't want to be a cleaner, you want more of a specific role,

but you don't want any of the stresses of thinking about it afterwards,

you want to be able to stop your job and go home and put an end to it.

To be honest, I'm probably quite selfish in that respect.

I think, you know, unfortunately I just don't think the world of work is really like that.

'PeachyPics is clearly underskilled and overstaffed.'

Right. 'One look at the books tells me it's killing this business.

'And that's without Andy even taking a wage.'

The golden rule in a business is that the rent

-and the wages must only come to 35% of the sales.

-Right.

-Yours is 75%.

-I didn't know that golden rule.

-Basically, darling, you're quite a lot down.

-Yes.

How have you been funding that?

My money!

-And how long can you continue to fund that?

-Not much longer.

Do the girls have any idea what the situation is?

I do try to tell them,

but they always say, "Oh, you're just panicking, Mum. It'll be all right."

Well, it obviously won't be all right.

Just in the last three months, you've lost about £3,000.

Where do they think that's coming from?

-You haven't paid yourself for two years, sweetheart.

-Oh, I know that.

Well, I know, but I don't think that that's normal.

Most photographic studios run on one and a half people.

And you just don't have the level of trade to allow for this.

To allow to employ your three family members,

who all do little bits and bobs...

And all think that the situation might continue indefinitely,

it seems to me.

So does that mean I've got to sack some of them?

I'm not going to say that to you, because apart from anything else,

that isn't my role to tell you what to do, that is your business.

I'm asking you to take responsibility for the situation.

Andy is facing an incredibly tough choice.

Sack one of her own daughters, or put her business at serious risk.

You know, the thought of having to say to any of them...

..they've got to go, is horrible.

I don't want to do that, so I'm going to have to work really,

really hard at making us more profitable.

It's clear I have to revamp the way they present themselves,

and find new revenue streams for this business.

But first, I need the rest of the family to face

the reality of their frightening financial situation.

PeachyPics is haemorrhaging money,

draining any hope Andy has of having any money left for her retirement.

-Morning.

-Morning.

'If Andy refuses to sack someone,

'she will need to almost double her sales to break even.'

You're not teenagers any more.

I don't think your mother is doing you any favours with you guys

being in the dark about the real situation

and I want her to put it on the table for you.

And I want to make sure that you listened.

If you work it all out...

We actually lost £4,000

in the last three months.

-And that money...

-In three months?

-Yes.

And that money has come out of my savings...

We need to work harder. You're not on your own now we all know.

I didn't know it was that bad.

I just think, you know, your mum said to me,

do I have to fire one of my daughters, or two of my daughters?

And I said I'm not going to say that to her.

That isn't where I'm coming from.

But the choice is, quite blatantly,

it's either do that or make sure the sales go through the roof.

We need to make sure the sales go through the roof then, don't we?

Trying to almost double your sales overnight is practically

Mission Impossible for any business, let alone this one,

where the girls have few real skills.

I have said it before. We need to pre-plan.

I bought that planner for us to do that and for us

to put on there events and everything...

The next time that you're sitting here, going, "I'm bored,

"what shall I do?"

why don't you self-direct yourself to get the bloody planner out of

the bloody cupboard and start making a stab at putting something on it?

I mean, if you need someone else to tell you to do it,

YOU'RE not being effective.

Well, I don't feel I'm a robot that needs pointing to to do stuff.

I... Oh!

-Don't get upset.

-No, I am, I'm BLEEP off!

Because I feel like everybody thinks that I can't, I haven't

got my own mind and that I sit there and you need to tell me what to do.

"Empty the bin, Nicky."

And that I'm nothing more than, "Just give her a BLEEP job,

"because she can't actually do anything."

-That's not true.

-That's how everybody makes me feel.

-Nobody's having a go at you.

-"You can't do nothing.

-"You can't think your own ideas."

-It's not that.

-You all take over.

Nick, you're strong. You can take over as well.

This is why you never GET anywhere.

I mean, we're talking about a sodding planner.

It's the fact of actually taking a step forward rather than

talking about why it's so difficult to do everything.

When you're constantly told that you're lazy or you do nothing...

..it just sort of underlines the fact that...

Why the hell am I there?

And that the only reason they keep me there is that I'm family.

I do feel quite vulnerable.

I've always felt that way here, and it's not a nice feeling.

If mum Andy is determined to keep all four family members

in the studio, then I want every single one of them

to get off their backsides and prove to me that they can earn their keep.

Just ten miles down the road is Whipsnade Zoo.

Filled with families,

it's got exactly the type of customers they should be targeting.

I've got some leaflets here with your names on.

I want you to go round, persuade people to come here

and have their photos taken by your brilliant photographer mother.

The reason we've got names on them is because I want to see

how many people that each of you talk to come back.

-So I'll see which of you is the most effective salesperson.

-Good luck.

-Bye!

-Rachel's off!

-Rachel and Emma are off to a flying start.

Can you help me beat my sisters in this competition to get

people to have their photo done?

We've got a pop-up photography studio down by the sea lions.

And Nicky is putting her gift of the gab to good use for once.

If I give you one of those, it shows you where it is.

-Thank you very much.

-See you.

Hello!

Give monkey a cuddle!

Emma and Rachel are neck and neck, but I mean,

that's on pretty minimal numbers. I'm sorry Nicky hasn't got any yet.

-I hope she's doing all right.

-He's got the monkey!

Despite the showers, the studio is starting to fill up,

but I want the girls to keep dragging in the customers.

Nine photos have been bought, one of them was yours. The last one.

-Oh, great.

-It's about even for Rachel and Emma.

This is a great way to make me feel BLEEP then, isn't it?

Don't get upset. It's all right. You're doing your best.

No, it's not, it's to make me look like even more of a BLEEP lazy BLEEP.

-Oh, no.

-No, it is!

-Don't get stressed, Nick.

-No, well it's not, isn't it?

-Don't worry, you get knockbacks.

I haven't had any knock backs! No-one has knocked me back.

But they haven't come. It's usual, giving out leaflets.

You get one in ten, you're lucky.

-Oh, well then, Emma and Rachel are BLEEP brilliant.

-Oh, dear.

-You know what...

-I can't say anything right.

No. No, you can't, I'm sorry, you can't.

I've never seen so much drama in all my bloody life.

'Nicky's behaviour is totally unprofessional.'

I'd rather you hadn't have said... Why say...?

'But I now see that it's Andy who's letting her get away with it,

'acting as mum, not boss.'

Great way to make someone feel BLEEP good, isn't it?

THUNDER RUMBLES

Today has been a total washout.

The problems for PeachyPics

are so much more than just finding customers.

And to be honest, I'm realising this one is going to be really difficult.

I'm already finding it incredibly hard to deal with, basically.

I feel very frustrated.

Quite bad-tempered with them, which isn't great, considering

that this is only the beginning of a long and painful journey.

And slightly feeling, why should I bother to help them

if they make absolutely no sodding attempts to help themselves?

This business is in chaos.

But like so many family firms,

PeachyPics is not just about making money.

For Andy, it runs deeper.

She set up the studio after recovering from cancer.

When you have cancer, I think it gives you

a perspective on life that you can't let things go to waste.

You can't have any what-ifs in your life, you have to just do it.

If Andy continues to throw good money after bad,

she could lose her life savings, the business AND her dream.

It's been great, working with my girls, and...

Sorry.

I wouldn't really, I wouldn't want to pack up, I can't.

I've got to really make it work. I have to make it work.

A month later, I'm back in Aylesbury.

I want to help PeachyPics get back on track,

but for this business to work, it needs a boss.

So Andy will have to learn to manage the girls.

I know it's not easy being boss lady sometimes.

But to keep on track,

it's absolutely dependent on you kind of squaring your shoulders

and just telling each of them what they have to do

-and making sure that they actually do it.

-I agree.

-Good.

I've just got to get more focused myself on what needs to be done

and then I can pass that on to them.

The best way to focus Andy's mind is to start again from scratch.

Businesses work on a basic calculation of costs and sales,

but this is where PeachyPics simply doesn't add up.

I've worked out that you need to take

approximately 100,000 a year

for this business to be profitable.

One way to make 100K a year would be to make sure that ten people

came through this door every week who are prepared to spend 200 quid.

It's quite a big ask, isn't it?

But I want you to face the cold, hard, horrid facts - we have to

have more customers who are prepared to have a higher average spend.

-Do you think you can do it?

-Definitely, yes.

-Yeah?

You're a bit more tentative.

-Are you scared?

-No.

I think it's finding the starting point, isn't it?

Because it's a bit like, right, we know what we've got to do,

but where do we actually start?

I want to start them off by teaching them

how they can present their photos in a way that adds value.

To successfully drive sales, you need visual impact.

So, I've brought them to the Getty Images Gallery in London,

which sells an archive of over 18 million photographs as high-end art.

Whenever you're curating anything or putting anything together,

it's got to have an instant wow factor.

It's a little bit like when you're going for an interview.

How you walk in through the door, how you shake hands -

someone has immediately got an impression.

As well as keeping the overall look clean and crisp,

gallery director Louise Garczewska puts a huge amount

of thought into where each photograph is hung,

to get the best possible impact and generate higher sales.

Think about how you're putting them on the wall, how they flow.

I mean, these are all landscape.

The way that we've actually hung them creates more impact.

Because they're just not in a line and just not plonked on the wall,

and it's the precision about what you do.

I think these sit together very, very nicely.

It's all about the black-and-white and it's all about the tone.

Slightly spooky, in a way, and then in comes this cute little chap here.

I love the way he sits on the end of there,

-because he sort of surprises you after these, doesn't he?

-Exactly.

I love how clean it all is and that it's about the images.

Your eye's not drawn away by anything else.

Your eye is drawn to the image, there's no...

There might be a nice pot of flowers there,

but that's not what you're drawn to.

I want the girls to practise adding value

to their photos by displaying them with a lot more punch.

So I've set them each a challenge - to curate a mini exhibition

from 60 of their own photos.

I hope that shows them how important the thought is that they pay

their images before they show them to their clients.

Why don't you talk us through what you've put up and why?

I grouped them into piles of what I thought complimented each other

and I kept going back to these because I thought they are quite eye-catching.

This girl, gazing at all the other girls, giving you eye contact as well.

I think they show a different side to us, that we're more creative,

that we're not just stuck in this niche of fun, family photography.

-Yes. Which it does.

-Which is brilliant. It's very well explained.

I like the combination of the styles.

As you say, the direction that the imagery is looking

and I quite like the level that it's pitched at, visually.

I have to say, thumbs up. 'Nicky has surprised me.

'Across the gallery, photographer Rachel has tried something similar.'

I don't want to be overly critical, but for me,

I think it's slightly weak. Handsome though he is, he's diluting it.

Cute that they are, it doesn't seem to work.

So actually, your sister has done something rather like this,

but more successfully.

To be brutal.

While the girls have gone for impact,

Andy's layout is harder to get excited by.

-This is my least favourite board.

-I thought it might be.

This is my pitch to maybe a hotel or a restaurant.

They can have a lovely photograph of the building and maybe

if they do weddings there, how it could look.

Yes, but what you failed at is giving us some beautiful images!

-They're not the best images, are they?

-Mmmm.

I could have picked out some gorgeous portraits... I wish I had, now.

I am so disappointed, because I feel I've failed.

I think the point is, it does illustrate how strong every

image needs to be in order to tell a story.

I hope Andy has finally learned the lesson of how important

presentation is to sales.

But Nicky has proved she might have some talent.

If I can get her motivated, she may yet make a saleswoman.

Lots to take home from today. It's been a good experience.

Yes, lots of positive feedback, so I'm really pleased.

Presentation is also a problem with their brand image.

Unless you're in nursery school, I think the name PeachyPics.net

AND the colours are a real turn-off.

-Hello, Alex Polizzi.

-'Hi!'

Thanks.

So I've brought them to meet Lee Scott at brand agency Firedog.

He's run international campaigns for hundreds of clients,

including Sony Ericsson and Clinique.

-Hopefully, he can set them straight.

-PeachyPics.net.

It sounds like a small kiosk within a supermarket

where you'd get pictures developed.

It doesn't shout out that you're a creative photographic studio.

The fun, childlike font does make the brand look quite juvenile

and that's sort of reinforced by the kind of bright, neon colours.

The least thing it does say is quality and a professional service -

it says the complete opposite, unfortunately.

-I'm starting to hate the name PeachyPics now!

-Good!

Then I can call this afternoon a complete success!

'To rebrand, Lee thinks they need to start again, from scratch.'

The .net is the biggest issue.

It looks like you're an online brand,

not that you're a physical space that you go to have imagery taken.

So we're left with PeachyPics.

Now, we know that Peachy comes from Andy's maiden name.

It isn't indicative of the family unit at the moment -

you're all Lane. So maybe we should flip that one out.

You have the term "pics" in there.

It's quite a budget, kind of low-end word. It sounds quite throwaway.

There's maybe another word there we can use which adds to

the sophistication and professionalism of the business.

And you're left with something like Lane Studios.

-So how do you guys feel about that name?

-I don't know.

I just don't really like it.

-I think it's kind of boring.

-I love it.

Although Peach is your maiden name, it doesn't feel anything about me,

do you know what I mean?

Where is this feels more like us.

This is, again, just supposed to start you thinking down that track.

I'm excited so far. I think it's really good.

I hate, hate, hate and always have hated our PeachyPics.net

and the way it's been written.

I'm incredibly enthusiastic about the transformation of Nicky.

She appeared to be quite lazy, quite uncommitted.

That impression has definitely been dissipated today.

She has been enthusiastic, and somehow a real drive for change,

so I'm starting to enjoy working with her.

With Nicky at the fore, there have been some very tentative

and surprising steps forward.

But to double their trade, this business needs giant leaps.

They need to find more customers and fast.

But rather than focusing on my fix,

Andy has become obsessed with looking for new premises...

-High ceilings.

-..which could risk even more of her dwindling life savings.

-Nice, bright room.

-We're having a rethink now.

I think we've outgrown the studio where we are.

It doesn't take her long to find somewhere in the neighbouring

town of Wendover, but I'm worried it's another enormous gamble,

so two weeks later, I join them,

to assess whether Andy is making a good or a bad decision.

So far, I must say I'm very impressed with the town.

-It's lovely.

-Is this it?

-Yes.

-In all its glory.

-Gosh. Well, it's a nice, big, solid building, isn't it?

'With ten rooms over two floors, it could have potential.'

A loo!

We are moving up in the world!

'But every inch of this property is in need of dramatic work.'

To make a bit more room,

we're going to have an archway built through here.

'I'm worried it's a money pit Andy can ill afford.'

There's a lot to do.

Yes.

'Taking out a three-year lease here is a massive risk,

'when PeachyPics has never even made a profit.

'Worse, I can see a huge drawback with these premises -

'it's not on the high street,

'so they won't be able to rely on footfall to bring in the punters.'

It's very easy to get excited about a new premises.

The colour of the walls, the makeover,

and it's quite easy to ignore the elephant in the room,

which is how you're going to get people here to make the money.

They are now locked into a three-year contract

and they have got to make every minute of that work for them.

On the plus side, Wendover is a much more affluent town,

so every customer they DO get through the door could spend

significantly more than their current average of £150.

But hitting my target of ten customers a week in this spot

will be hard, so we'll really need to blow them away

with what's on offer.

They're slightly lacking in creativity.

I see them do the same poses again and again and again.

And although they can take a good picture,

it would be interesting to see them push themselves that much further.

I've brought Andy and Rachel to meet Daniel Kennedy...

Nice to meet you, ladies.

..one of the leading snappers in the business,

he makes stars like Keira Knightley look good.

It might be quite good if your arms are through them... Yes, exactly.

So the leg comes down a little bit - lovely.

And today, he's let us in on a promo shoot

with TV starlet Jessica-Jane Clement.

Love it. Can you see I've gone landscape now,

so I'm moving all the time,

my brain is yelling me to do different things.

Just over my head now, Jess. Lovely. Really nice.

Can you see there's this wow factor a little bit to the whole

setup of the shot?

That's only gone on as a result of us thinking - two days ago,

we were thinking, what colour wig shall we get? I was like, blue.

This might not be a look that will take off in Aylesbury,

but all Dan's shoots have a unique idea at their hearts which is

meticulously planned days before he snaps a single frame.

I've got a whole folder here, it's called the download folder

and it's got about 500 images - things that I've seen that I like.

If you got a redhead booked in next Wednesday,

start to think how about you go out

and get a sack full of autumn leaves and throw those up

in the background with a hairdryer on and suddenly, her red hair...

She'll be like, "Oh, my God, I got these amazing pictures of me".

Dan is not just planning for the next shoot he has,

he's planning for every next shoot he's ever going to do.

Also, this is not a shot that you've ever replicated with anyone else?

No.

That's what's impressive, darling, to constantly come up

with something that hasn't been done before, but is very specific.

A lot of our stuff, we feel we're a little bit limited,

but it's not like they've spent loads of money on this set.

The concept of it, it's doing something different,

that's what everyone wants.

They don't want, hopefully, to look like everyone else.

High-end portrait photographers charge hundreds of pounds

an hour for bespoke shoots with the public.

And the prints can cost thousands on top.

But can Andy raise her game to anywhere near this level?

-Great, it's over to you.

-Thank you.

-Just have a go. Fill your boots.

Thank you. Just look... Oh! Zooming the wrong way!

-Just look straight at me.

-The pressure is on.

That's good.

-But Andy looks shaken.

-OK, look straight at me.

Can you look over this way a little bit?

-And seems to be running out of ideas.

-Could you bring this...

Your left arm up like this? That's it, lovely.

Oh, I've got the wrong button again.

That's lovely. Have I got the right button, hold on?

Do the hands-in-the-hair shot, like on the mood board, he had...

Can you do one hand like that and then the other hand low, like that?

-That's it.

-That's lovely. Thank you, Rachel.

Fortunately, Rachel proves to be the perfect support for her mum.

If I can actually get this to go. That's it. I was very nervous, yes.

But I got through it.

If I actually get used to the different camera,

it would have been even better.

Lovely.

I tell you what you notice when you see Dan and you see Rachel

and Andy together, is Dan is a very high-energy person,

just from the way he talks and the way he expresses himself

and that's something that I really feel that the Lane girls

are missing.

Andy is not getting the best out of Jessica.

So Dan has an idea to help her nerves and guarantees some

really expressive shots -

using a series of comedy props.

It's not about the lighting or what she's wearing.

They'll scream, they'll laugh,

they'll blow a big bubble, they're going to cover one eye,

I think just shout things out at her, anything.

-Let's get some great shots.

-OK, right.

-Can you cover one eye?

Look through your fingers.

Can you like, mess up your hair, loads, like crazy?

Bring it all in your face, like that?

LAUGHTER

Um, I thought Andy and Rachel were first of all lovely girls,

you want to be comfortable in front of someone.

Towards the end of the day, they got more of an idea about me,

they were like, "Throw your arms up, do this, do that",

and it was all coming together really well.

So I think they did brilliantly.

Stick your tongue out.

Yeah, that's good!

Yes, really got into that last shoot, really in the zone,

cos it was quick and there was lots happening.

I think they did a really good job.

This is a different way of working to the one that they're used to.

Hopefully, now, they've been shown the way...

-they'll be able to follow it on their own.

-Wahey!

LAUGHTER

With a little bit more energy and fun,

the girls have taken some great photos.

I look at these immediately

and think I would probably join four or five

that I think really work,

almost like a comic book, really, you know, so you've got a series

of five of these great expressions that you've managed to capture.

Once they've laid them down, the results are pretty striking.

So there are your five - I think they're absolutely brilliant.

I could never do what she did, but looking at something like this,

it's the kind of thing that I'd love to give my mum. You know what I mean? For Christmas.

A whole series of photos of me looking like a twit!

LAUGHTER

You know?! It's really appealing.

I'm really hoping that it's hammered home to Andy

and Rachel just how much more you get out of a situation,

a photographic situation like this, the more preparation

and inspiration you put into it beforehand.

Now, drop this shoulder right down, that's it.

This may have helped improve their portrait work,

but we're still a long way off a successful business model.

And...go!

They can't rely on just one revenue stream to get

to my £100,000 a year target. Successful photographers diversify.

Industry figures suggest 40% of sales should

come from non-portrait work.

I don't think many photographers have the luxury of saying,

"I only do portraits".

And THEY are certainly not on the David Bailey level.

Commercial photography has grown to become the second biggest

sector in the industry.

'Every business from high-end chains to your local takeaway now need

'good pictures to sell their wares online.'

-Hi.

-Hello.

Nice to see you.

'The girls should get a slice of the action,

'so I want Nicky and Emma to learn to pitch for business.'

You two are going to be the sales team.

You have to be, because the other two are the photographers.

The main aim of this afternoon is to get you used to pitching

yourself as potential photographers for commercial businesses.

I've lined up a couple of businesses who

I know are interested in getting photographs done for their ventures.

After honing their portfolio, I give the girls half an hour to

research their potential clients - a hair salon and a butcher.

I'm a bit worried about pricing, because obviously it's

something we've never done before, so we don't know really...

At the end of the day,

we can just find out what their budget is. We need to get it right.

They won't succeed unless they put themselves out there.

Time to try and win some real business.

Hello, nice to meet you.

I understand that you're interested in some photography.

Are you looking just for website or do you want website

-and stuff that you can use for advertising?

-Both.

-Okey-dokey.

Did you have a budget in mind?

I hadn't looked at how much things have cost,

but nothing is cheap any more, so...

-No, sadly nothing is cheap!

-I would hope 200 or 300, or £400.

We're currently doing a rate of £200 an hour.

We offer a minimum of two hours at that price.

That includes all your images, so you don't have to pay anything extra on top of that.

And I get the use of the images or whatever?

-You get the use of the images for your website...

-And whenever I want?

-Yes.

A good lead, but Nicky's pitch wasn't as confident as I'd like.

You need to think through the mechanics of it,

because you really want a shop list, don't you, when you're doing something like this?

Can she do better at the salon?

I'm looking for some leading-edge shots that reflect

what our salon is about and we want to create an atmosphere that is

actually not intimidating, that people feel welcome

-whenever they come into the salon.

-OK.

We've got a little bit of a portfolio that we can show you.

Obviously these are sort of an idea - we do staff shots

and we do product shots as well.

Again, an interior of a beauty salon that we did before.

-So you have experience of working in this type of environment?

-Yes.

Do you have a budget in mind? Do you know?

As little as possible.

As little as possible?

We want to provide you with good photos.

We want other people to be able to look at them

and ask you, "Where did you get them done?" and that kind of thing.

We're quite happy to sit down and have a...

-So you're happy to negotiate?

-We're happy to negotiate, yes.

-Sounds like you've got yourself a deal, then.

-Yes? Lovely, thank you.

-Thank you.

-A much more confident and assertive pitch.

I thought the girls were absolutely professional.

They were photographers who looked at what we need, what we wanted

and that came across very much in the pitch.

I feel really quite confident about it. We're going to follow it up.

Even where we are now, there's still loads of independent shops there,

so we'll get in touch with them and see.

They can only say yes or no at the end of the day.

Relatively speaking, I think they've done pretty well.

It's just whether they can now take this initial impetus

and use it as a launchpad to create another string to their business.

If they can build on this, they will have a fighting chance to

achieve their 100 grand sales target.

But so far, any progress has only been made when I've pushed them.

And so needless to say, three weeks later,

the diary is looking as empty as it did when I arrived.

It's been really quiet this week.

Really, really quiet.

That's next week.

And the week after.

It SHOULD pick up, but...

The girls are back to dawdling -

incapable of drumming up any fresh business.

-We do have things to do, so... Yeah.

-What have I got to do?

I don't know.

A bit of panic stations going on.

If this is the girls panicking, we're in serious trouble.

-What's it for, again?

-It's for a Visa.

They do at least get a walk-in,

but it's just a couple of passport photos

that will earn them the grand total of £20.

They're all done, yes.

I'm disgusted that the girls' laziness is putting their

mum's life savings at risk.

No-one has even contacted the butcher or hair salon

since the last time we met.

All their earlier progress seems like a mirage.

Their success or failure lies in their hands.

I'm not going to bring them success.

Only THEY can bring themselves success and it means getting

off their bottoms and touting for business, dragging people in.

Unless they're prepared to do that, this business is going to

go down the tubes.

But Andy is supposed to be the boss of this business,

and it's about time she acted like it.

It is not acceptable that I've given them,

and I put myself out to give them

introductions to two businesses that said they would like to use them...

-Yes.

-..and that they've never contacted them.

Even if only to say, politely, thank you so much for your time.

I feel very frustrated because I feel like there isn't any

fire in their bellies and you are letting them.

They would not survive in a business that wasn't owned by you.

-You need to be tough with them.

-OK.

-Tough love.

-What do you think?

-Well, I agree with you.

So why are you letting them get away with it?

I'm desperate for this to work, but apart from showing the way,

I cannot make them passionate about doing it.

I can't enthuse them.

You're just saying what I think inside.

I do say to the girls, "Oh, you've got to...do this".

I think... I'm...just not strong enough, or something. I don't know.

I don't want this to fail, darling.

You've made a big business decision, which is to move the studio,

but I don't know if it was the right decision.

We have to get those people through the door

and that is up to the two of you who do not take photographs.

Unless they do their bloody job,

there is not going to be photographs to take.

If you really think,

after you've committed yourself to three years in another studio,

then you have got to find a way to kick their arses in gear.

I feel I'm rubbish as a bloody manager, boss.

I'm really struggling.

I can't be horrible to them.

This business will stand or fall on Andy's ability to step up

to the plate.

But with daughters not pulling their weight and the huge refit to tackle

with limited funds, she has a massive challenge on her hands.

From one minute to the next,

I'm really excited about the business and then I'm really scared.

I'm worried it won't work, that we won't get enough business in.

With so much on her shoulders,

it's more important than ever the girls put the effort in.

Big mother's here, come to see what you've been doing.

And Andy is forcing herself to crack the whip.

I've spoken to ten businesses.

I think you need to step it up a bit,

because Alex said you need to contact 20 people a day.

But we can't... We don't physically have the time.

-We've got customers coming in and out.

-Well, that's just excuses.

They don't like it, because they think I'm turning into Alex now!

They'll get used to it, they'll have to, won't they?

Andy is now also keeping tabs on each of her daughters'

-sales performance.

-Nick, four! Some more on there, well done.

-What's that, this morning?

-Yep.

-OK, well done.

She's not...

so backwards in coming forward any more.

There have been times when she's...

..given in to us a little bit when we've said we'll do it later.

Now she's like, "No, I want you to do it now",

which I think is brilliant, to be fair,

because we can take advantage of each other a little bit.

Hello, can I speak to the manager?

It's been a long road, and running a family business is no easy street,

but the penny seems to have finally dropped - at least for now.

It's my last day with PeachyPics

and I'm longing to see the new studio in action.

But there's bad news -

and my final meeting with Andy is back at the shopping centre. Hi!

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm good, thank you. How are you?

Really well. I'm surprised that you're still here.

I know, so are we.

There was a few problems with the place that we want to move into.

There's a problem with the chimney, it's got a crack in it. It's got dangerous electrics.

I don't want to move in when there's problems with it.

I want them fixed, or at least a promise to get them fixed,

-before I move in.

-You still think it's going to happen, then?

Yes, yes.

I do. I hope so, because we're out of here in about six weeks.

Well, I'm sorry that you're not in your studio for me

to be able to applaud loudly at the massive change.

You can't wait for all the stars to be aligned.

It is about you making your own fortune.

With no contract between her and the landlord yet signed,

I think there's still every chance that the move could fall through.

I'm not sure that the landlord is prepared to do all

the changes that she's expecting.

He might decide to sell the building

and not be bothered to do anything to it

and that would leave her both out of pocket and out of studio space.

But if they are to hit the £100,000 annual turnover,

it's vital that we hold an event to let people know

about the revitalised business and increase their customer numbers.

So I've hired a shop in Wendover to set up a temporary exhibition

of their improved photos, which they will launch in four hours.

Lease or no lease,

Wendover is a far better place to target wealthy clients,

and if all goes well,

means people will know who they are when they move to the new premises.

This exhibition is a massive deal for us. It's the first time

we've tried to showcase all our work that we've done.

We have had stuff on our website,

but we really want to show off what we can do today.

If we get the babies over here...

-Gosh, that's gorgeous! Is that Jessica?

-Yes.

Darling, that's lovely!

'As well as the striking portraits,

'I'm thrilled to see that there's been a push for commercial shoots.'

A big part of the exhibition is going to be our commercial stuff.

It's not been the biggest part of our business,

and it still isn't, but we want it to be as big as the portrait.

-Darling, these are really good.

-Thank you. I loved doing it.

-I really loved doing it and I didn't expect to.

-I'm impressed.

And this is such a good source of income.

The gallery space really grabs the attention.

They've clearly learnt the lesson that showcasing their photos

in simple themed displays shows their work off to great effect.

It's a world apart from the old PeachyPics.net

and they've even taken the branding agency's advice

and chosen a new name that is much more fitting to a professional

photographic business - Peach Lane Studios.

Darling, you come quite a long way from PeachyPics to Peach Lane.

-It looks very chic, the name.

-Yes, it looks better.

It looks very smart, very professional.

Sadly, not all the family will be here to promote it

for the first time. Nicky can't make it. Her young son is ill.

-How are you feeling about tonight?

-A little bit nervous.

Upset that Nicky can't be here, but hopefully it will be OK in the end.

Darling, all I can say is roll on the mulled wine!

-You can't have vodka in mulled wine, can you?

-No, no.

If you could, I would!

They've got some lovely images in there.

But they haven't had a huge presence in Wendover.

This afternoon, this evening, is all about getting names and

contacts and making sure that their name is out there in the community.

Mix 96, Bucks' best mix of music, morning, it's Gareth here.

If your Facebook photo makes you look like Sloth from the Goonies,

Peach Lane Studios are going to be in Wendover

with a pop-up exhibition - go and check it out.

Hello, can I give you guys a leaflet, please?

Having targeted the local schools and businesses, Rachel has taken on

Nicky's marketing role and is leafleting up until the last minute.

Thank you very much.

But will it be enough to get people through the doors

for Peach Lane Studio's inaugural exhibition?

Hi, very nice to meet you.

She's so gorgeous, she had the tiniest little bum.

Comparing this to their studio in Aylesbury, it's...

There IS no comparison, this is wonderful.

I think they're amazing, really stunning photos.

The large prints look really amazing.

I think it's wonderful.

It's great to see it here and there was a buzz about the arrival.

Clearly this afternoon, it seems to have had a very warm welcome.

Some of their commercial clients have come too,

and I'm keen to hear what impression the girls made on them.

-You own this restaurant?

-I do own a restaurant down the road, yes.

-Were you happy with the photos?

-Fantastic, they came up very well.

-Good.

-They came in and they were very professional,

then they enjoyed all the food afterwards, as well!

The girls have set up a quick-fire photo booth to show off their new,

fun way of working, which is a clever marketing strategy.

-Quick, quick! Heads together!

-It's a real hit with the kids.

Even the big ones(!)

Raar!

Oh, lovely! That's it! Your time is up.

That's the best one.

What a twit I look! Brilliant, it's brilliant.

So I've seen lots of people having fun and actually,

it's nice to see how many people have come and supported them.

I've been really pleased how many people have turned up.

I was busy taking photos and turned around and suddenly,

there was loads of people, it's packed.

The turnout has been impressive

and I'm thrilled that the girls are now savvy enough to get contacts

for every person here, so they can chase up bookings at a later date.

I think since we first met Alex, we have moved on quite a bit.

I really love the new name. It looks so much better.

We've always known what we've wanted to do,

but never done it, so this has been such an eye-opener,

so I can't wait to start again, really.

The most important advice Alex has given me

is to be more proactive and to be stronger with the girls.

Be the boss and not just Mum.

One day, I'm going to retire, so they'll have to carry it on.

-To Peach Lane Studios.

-Cheers.

United, I think there is real possibility.

Don't be passive, don't wait for business to come to you.

That way, failure lies.

You just have got to go out and really get them by the scruff

of the neck and shake them

till their money drops out of their pockets.

I must say, I'm really pleased with how it's worked out -

I never thought they would do as well.

They're getting people out on such a miserable night.

Certainly, they've taken at least some of the advice I've given them.

They're thinking much more commercially, they're thinking

much more practically, they're keeping an eye on their finances.

Tonight has given me

enough confidence to think that maybe they've turned the corner.

Eight weeks later, time is up on the girls' studio space

in the shopping centre, so what's next for Peach Lane Studios?

Well, we've signed the lease at last!

There's loads to do, but what we're going to do is the bit that the

customers are going to see first.

How long all together, do you think?

-Mmm... Two weeks.

-I'm going to hold you to that.

And impressively,

Andy has more than managed to calm my fears about the building.

She has negotiated the first nine months rent-free

and after that, it will still be a lower rate than the Aylesbury

premises - saving her £8,000 a year.

We got a little bit of leeway, but now we're in here,

I want to get it done as quickly as possible.

I can't wait!

Bring it down a bit, so it's pointing... That's it.

Rachel is also busy in Wendover.

She's pushing the commercial shoots.

This time, she's doing a tryout for a high street boutique.

I've done half a dozen commercial photo shoots

since Alex has been with us to try and build up my portfolio.

That's great, that's really great, actually.

But turning test shoots into real contracts has not been plain sailing.

We're just going to have to keep on pushing to get new customers.

We can't sit back and wait for them to come through the door,

like we used to. We're fully aware of that now.

The average shoot takings are up by almost 90% and it

looks like they stand a good chance of keeping the family firm intact.

I was never going to sack one of my daughters, I couldn't do that.

We're all working together now.

The girls are all getting on OK and things are looking good.

Subtitled by Red Bee Media Ltd