AFTER starting her own business by selling eggs while still at primary school, a young entrepreneur from Thorndon Cross, now aged just 17, is developing a flourishing professional photography business. Farmer's daughter Emily-Fleur Sizmur left school at 15 to run her own business and just two years later has been nominated for a national enterprise award. With a deep love of the countryside rooted in her farming background, she is now working hard at building her business, Emily Fleur Photography, taking pictures for weddings, landscape, country sport, ball, and parties and portraits. The countryside is very much in her blood. The Sizmur family are beef and sheep farmers — Emily is the youngest of Martin and Diana's four daughters with sisters Bridget, Ali and Lucy; her brother Ross is an award-winning sheep farmer. Emily left Okehampton College in 2012 knowing she wanted to run her own business 'but not exactly sure which one'. Her opportunity came when she was invited along to the wedding of her former college science teacher, Marie Ewen, who was getting married in a double wedding with her sister Jo, and Emily, although not the official photographer, took some pictures. Emily said: 'Some of their friends liked my photos and put them on Facebook and people started to ask me to take some for them for their wedding. I thought then this could be a business and something there could be a demand for.' At the time she was also working as a beater on pheasant shoots at Haine Manor at Stowford and the enterprising youngster asked the owner if she could take pictures of the shoot. 'The wedding photography stopped in October which was exactly the time the shoots started up; these finished in February when the weddings would start again. It kept me busy. 'I found it was perfect for me because I love everything about weddings and working outdoors in the countryside.' Emily also has set up and designed her own website with the help of her friend Tony Harbron. Her entrepreneurial spirit first emerged when, aged around seven, her dad took her along to Hatherleigh Market. He gave her £10 to spend, so she bought a chicken and took home to the farm. 'I remember hearing its first cluck and so I went and looked and there was an egg! I showed a local farmer and he offered to buy my eggs and because it made money I decided to buy more and more chickens.' Emily, although still at Boasley Primary School, soon started selling eggs at a stall at the end of her drive and when one customer asked for a box to be delivered she 'expanded her business' to deliver to more and more customers. At its peak she had 64 chickens to look after — and when she left the junior school for Okehampton College she began to sell eggs to her teachers. So eager was Emily to promote her business that even although she was too young to drive she would catch the bus to deliver her eggs four days a week. Emily realised from an early age that her future lay not in 'formal education' but in developing her business and so left Okehampton College aged just 15. 'I just wanted to do something different,' she said. ' I never knew what I would do but I did know I would by working for myself.' She acknowledges her parents for making her stand on her own two feet and although they have encouraged and helped in many ways, Emily has proudly remained financially self-sufficient. She said: 'It was my dad who showed me how to make money. He took me to a farm sale and advised me to buy some pig troughs. 'He said "Clean them up and sell them and you will make yourself a few bob." 'So I washed off all the muck off with a pressure washer and cleaned them up and sold them for a good profit at Hatherleigh Market. 'From my savings from selling eggs and the profit from the pig troughs I was able to buy my first camera, a Nikon.' When her eldest sister Bridget had her first three children Emily thought it would be a great idea to record in pictures for the family record. 'I went around and thought of all the wonderful moments that you can capture on camera of the family and on the farm. 'It's not the photography I love so much it's being able to give people enjoyment. They see my work and they are happy. 'How many can say that of their job?' Being a member of the Young Farmers' Club has also given her the confidence to try new things. She joined Okehampton YFC aged 13 and now is a member of Cheriton Bishop YFC, where her boyfriend Matt Hurrell is a fellow member. The aspiring Emily already is looking to the future. 'I love photography but I don't want to do it forever. My ambition is to open a wedding venue. 'I love weddings and if I go to one I just want to help out to make the occasion as wonderful and memorable as possible. 'When I say a venue it will start with a marquee in a farmer's field for a reception. I would gradually build the business little by little, one step at a time.' When asked if she had any advice for people her age who were thinking of starting their own business. She said: 'I'm not sure about giving advice but I would say if you want to try, just do it. 'When you are young and trying to do something new, like start a business, people I find are happy to help you, and some are willing to take a gamble because they are trying to help. 'When you are starting out don't be afraid to offer your services for free because you will learn so much from your mistakes and it will pay in the long run. 'It won't take long before you gain experience and then people will be happy to pay you money for a good service.' It's this sort of drive, determination and application that have earned her a nomination in the Jack Wills Young Brits Business Awards for Enterprise 2014. The awards are looking for rising stars who have excelled in creativity, enterprise, innovation or Endurance. The winners will have the opportunity to showcase their talent to a broad audience, receive professional mentoring and £5,000. Emily was selected out of 9,000 entrants to become one of the 40 finalists and is currently waiting to find out whether she has made the final five. Asked what is her motivation to succeed, Emily said: 'It was never about just making money, it's about making other people happy with what I do. 'If they are happy then I'm happy! 'If I'm being paid to be at a beautiful wedding venue or to work outside in the woods or be out and about in our wonderful countryside then I'm happy to do so.'