I was asked by FotoJet to do a review of their photo editing, collage and design tool.

(For the purposes of disclosure I was given access to the premium account in order to do my review).

Initially I had a few issues and found it quite slow and I played around with the free version for a bit just to see how well it worked - it definitely doesn't work as quickly as the paid version. The ads do delay things a bit which can be a bit frustrating, especially if you have a laptop that's a bit temperamental like mine!

However, once I was logged into the paid version, it ran much better. What FotoJet offers is an online tool to do photo editing, design work and also collage. If you have a business or blog, it's actually very useful to have all these in one package. I do a lot of design and have been using Canva up to now which is brilliant for creating Social Media images and lots more - check it out here - Canva Templates. If you are used to Canva, FotoJet compares very well. The user interface is similar, with lots of templates to choose from and the option to create your own design with custom dimensions.  The premium version offers the full range of templates and fonts. You can add your own images and clipart, as well as text. One thing FotoJet doesn't have is the range of premade text box designs which Canva has but this isn't a huge issue as these can be a bit awkward to work with once you change the text.

I created a sample Facebook cover and Twitter header, the first was done in the premium version and the second in the free.

Facebook Sample Cover Premium Version

Sample Twitter Header Free Version

Now I didn't spend a lot of time on these but they were very easy to do, both based on templates that were provided, so you just need to change text and add your own images. You get popup instructions/tips when you begin so even if you aren't used to using this kind of tool, I think you would get the hang of it fairly quickly.


Next up was the photo editing element. I really had fun playing around with this because I have just completed a photography course and have been taking lots of pictures but hadn't really experimented with editing tools.  I think maybe this is the part that I found the best. There are other online editing tools which I use from time to time such as Pixlr but this compared very favourably.

I'll first show you a subtle edit. This was very useful for me as I'm still getting the hang of correct exposure and light with my camera. Sometimes what I'm imagining doesn't come out quite right and whilst it's obviously better to have a great photo in the first place, editing can improve those you would like to keep which maybe aren't perfect.
First Tulip is the unedited version, second tulip has some very subtle editing to sharpen and improve light and the third is a bit more dramatic.

Tulip No Edit

Tulip Subtle Edit

Tulip Dramatic Edit

The difference in the subtle edit isn't huge but I wanted to improve saturation and sharpness just to give it a bit more edge. You can choose to adjust exposure, colour, sharpen or focus and lots more. Photos can be cropped and resized also.  For something more dramatic, there are lots of filters and effects available if you really want to change a photo completely.

Greenhouse Subtle

Greenhouse Overlay

Greenhouse Filter

You can use overlays and filters to create some pretty cool effects!

Floral Collage

The nature of running a business is being a bit like a gambler I imagine in many ways. I've done so many craft fairs over the years and each time I set out I'm thinking 'this will be great, I'll make lots of sales and get my name out there'.Over time, I've honed my selection of fairs quite well so I'm generally pretty happy heading home, but that wasn't always the case. There were so many where I sold practically nothing and barely covered the cost of the stall - and that's not even counting time and energy and petrol and food. It's completely soul destroying and yet you pick yourself up and head to the next one with the same optimism. I suppose it's a hope and belief in what you are doing that keeps you going.
For me that has been the case anyway. I'm very passionate about what I do and the ethos and quality of my candles is something I'm very proud of but when that doesn't translate to sales, it's hard to keep the energy going. I started the year well and in my head I know that it balances out over the whole year but having a month of zero sales has really dampened my enthusiasm. Current thoughts in my head are:


'There are a million other candle makers. I just can't compete.'

'People just don't like my candles particularly.'

'I don't have what it takes.'

'Why am I putting so much work into something that isn't working?'







I know that all that thinking could change in a flash. I could get a shop order or an online sale that would pick me right up but just in this moment, it's a struggle. I realised a long time ago that I want to keep my business small, I'm not hugely interested in becoming a manufacturer. I want to be able to offer the quality and customer service that I like to get from other businesses and for me, that means keeping things to a certain level and I'm happy with that. On the other hand, having customers is pretty essential :)

I guess that it's also the amount of work involved and feeling that it has to be validated with making some money. My candles are all hand poured in small batches and require a good few hours to complete a small batch. They then have to be packaged and labelled and left to cure. Then they have to be photographed and photos edited and added to shop and social media.  Social media in itself is a daily task for me. I try to make my photos as good as I can and I'm currently doing a photography course with a view to improving the quality even more. So I spend a lot of time trying to get photos right and it's also important to me to interact with others on social media because I like to support other small businesses.
I do it because I love it and it gives me a focus and an outlet for my talents that I wouldn't otherwise have but it's a business, not a hobby.

That's where the problem lies, I guess. It's that feeling of 'how can I justify all this time and work if I'm not getting a return?'

But even as I write this I'm starting to feel better, the wonderful thing about writing is putting all the negative thoughts outside your head instead of having them swirling around doing damage in there.

I know that things will turn around, this is always a quiet time of year for me and I have to remember all the lovely customers who have connected with me online or in person, the people who 'get' what I do and give me a reason to keep doing it.

Does anyone else feel like this from time to time? I'd love to hear your thoughts if you have a small business. How do you deal with the 'down' times?

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