In February 2022, Simcoemedia celebrated its 20th year in business.
The company was created in 2002 by Peter Simcoe and functions on a freelance / sole trader basis. From those early days designing posters, flyers and creating photographs for Joogleberry Playhouse in Brighton (now Joogleberry Acts) to the design and production of complex websites for SME’s such as Greenbarnes Ltd to the last 8 years of video production and photography for Airbus at Broughton near Chester,… it’s been an incredible journey. Here are a list of some of the key advantages when working for yourself as a designer, video producer and photographer:
Freedom to choose your hours
Ah,…freedom :). Whilst freelancers work long hours, they can choose their hours and their breaks. Personally I find this to be one of the most useful aspects of working for myself as it allows for the optimisation of the creative process: if progress is poor in the afternoon, take a break and look at it again in the evening. If you need a day off in the week or its quiet for a couple of days, well, it’s time to press on at the weekend to ensure you compete with other companies and freelancers effectively. Knowing how to manage your own time is key and if you lack self discipline or your enthusiasm for creative endeavours is waning then this career path is not for you (and you should consider doing something other than design).
No boss
Nobody is telling you what to do? Well, actually now you have 20 different bosses in the 20 different companies you work for – so you need to manage your business relationships effectively. However, in my experience, I usually encounter and interact with people with a vested interest in completing the freelance project in a way that benefits everyone: the client rarely works against you as they want the best outcome and it’s up to you to impress them within the alotted time. 99.9% of the time the many “bosses” or clients I work with are both positive and fully engaged.
There’s money to be made
Freelancers can command much higher daily fees than employees. However, this usually means that the stakes are much higher due to the fact you are probably hired as an expert in the field and the old saying “you are only as good as your last job” rings true. Essentially, an “off-day” (when you’re not at your best) could result in losing a client – so the pressure is on. Working efficiently, effectively and pacing yourself appropriately is an important skill to learn. In the world of business, there’s nothing more pleasing than impressive work and this must happen for every assignment, with every client…a tough call – but that’s part of the deal of freelance.
You can choose your creative career path
Another key advantage is that, when established, the freelancer has much more control over the future of the company they created than as an employee. However, this also involves putting significant energy into self promotion and understanding your selling points…not to forget being aware of the reasons why a client might want to work with you. The last point is crucial because understanding the business benefits of your proposal is vital for presenting a compelling case or “pitch” and a budget that is fair to both the client and you.
Your porfolio is your own
Creating content for a variety of companies and organisations can be satisfying when presenting your previous assignments. Sometimes, as in the case of my own Airbus work, it is not possible to publicly share project details due to confidentiality agreements. However, loosely describing the types of content you have created, such as documentary video, event photography and the occasional piece of graphic design is often enough to establish your credibility with potential customers without giving away inside information (and I always confirm any references to projects as these with the client to ensure they are happy with the content).
These are just some of the advantages and related challenges when working for yourself as a designer, video producer and photographer. See Simcoemedia’s selected examples in the company’s portfolio of work including Airbus, Toyota, Greenbarnes, Torse Ltd, Loughborough University, Matterport, Gordon Giltrap, Bill Bruford and many more.
