A Battersea woman had a stroke of luck during the Notting Hill Carnival after she earned nearly £1,000 (almost $1,200) by selling Polaroid photos. During the August bank holiday weekend, Amma Antwi took to the streets, capturing candid shots of carnival-goers and charging £5 per photo. Now, inspired by her local success, she aims to expand her Polaroid photo business on a global scale
The 32-year-old entrepreneur who resides in South London also offered bundle deals to revelers while selling three Polaroid pictures taken with her Instax Mini 11 camera for a price of £10.
In total, Antwi captured over 200 instant pictures, resulting in a £573 profit after covering setup costs. Inspired by her trading skills, she indicated that she plans to expand her photography business in the next round of carnival now that she is equipped with a full photography kit for future events, according to the Daily Mail.
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Antwi, also known as BSG, described her experience selling Polaroid photos at the Notting Hill Carnival as reminiscent of a candidate on the TV show The Apprentice, encountering rejection but viewing it as redirection.
Despite facing some rejection, the freelance photographer found that most carnival goers appreciated her entrepreneurial idea. She said she saw this venture as an opportunity to enhance her photography skills, network, and engage with people she wouldn’t typically interact with in her daily life.
She explained that the rejection she encountered during her expedition fueled her determination to make sales. What did the magic for her was her use of a Polaroid camera for her photo-selling venture. Antwi said the pressure of using a Polaroid camera to capture moments in real-time during her photo-selling endeavor presented its own set of challenges.
According to her, the game changer was the series of rejections she faced as it pushed her to adapt and improve her sales tactics. In her pursuit of success, she offered both cash and card payment options at the carnival to cater to a wider range of potential buyers.
On strategies adopted to advertise the Polaroid photo business at the carnival, Antwi explained she employed creative marketing strategies including the walking billboard style by wearing white tops from Primark with iron-on letters displaying her prices. She also used a giant megaphone to vocally promote her venture.
These efforts garnered widespread positive feedback, with nearly 95 percent of people expressing admiration for her entrepreneurial skills and endorsing her to continue selling, whether or not they made a purchase.
