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In this episode of the Conversations with Creators podcast, I'm discussing building a 6 figure creative company with Billy "Skipper" Hughes of Skipper Films. We'll discuss rates, advice for scaling a business, and how to market yourself so that clients come to you!

Whether you're looking for advice about your creative career or just want to hear two filmmakers talk shop for a couple hours, this is the episode for you!

0:00 - 2:06

Intro about upscaling a business 

2:07

building a team to do tasks to increase output.

4:53

Stock videos and day rates. Is it worth it?

7:40

Kickstarter

8:50

- breakdown on pricing when bringing in a new editor or basically a new team member?

- project based charging

- expenses

- making a profit margin

- Getting/setting a business account that will help you prevent in expenses.

15:40

Taxes and get someone to do it for you. 

16:45

- Going back to budgeting, do not charge less than expenses.

- Getting clients through website.

- Using keywords for search engines on your blogs.

- How Google has helped on growing business.

20:10

Freelancer vs Business 

25:00

Closing the gap on raising your prices and still getting yes for an answer.

- getting your page to Google's front page is key

27:35

telling clients about price and packages and why every part of it is important in your business. 

- How to present your work to clients. 

- Bringing value to clients' business through the work you're doing.

- doing small moves that will build to someting bigger for your business.

37:44

Story Time - Parkour video for a conference of a big company.

- One of his fave videos made.

- becoming a part of different video productions.

- Expanding your business with different kinds of videos that you can offer through your website.

- Grabbing the opportunity/being first to new types of videos that's becoming a trend.

46:06

-Google is key in getting you business grow.

-Putting yourself in your client's shoes

48:08

Multimedia Freelancer sites

48:48

Choosing jobs, raising standards 

- choosing jobs from businesses, not from personal, singular people.

52:20

You're not better, you're different.

- charging more because of your experience, your style.

- people have to start coming to you because of your products, not your rates.

1:00:00

Talking to clients/scaling up

-ranging your rates x client's budget

1:07:00

Proposals/Contracts

1:10:00

Proposals/Contracts + Making personal relationships with clients.

1:20:00

Website, SEO, Social Media

1:24:00

FB Ads / Social Media

1:27:00

not posting negative/failures in social media. Just posting positive things, posting on how you are growing.

- Trying to figure out social media algorithm.

1:33:00

You can't be a positive guy at one aspect. You have to live it. Make people wanting to work with you.

1:35:40

Biggest lesson.

- sustainable growth is not fast.

- increasing charges gradually. 

- avoiding the package price. Make project price.

- Trying to scale back/giving discounts.

1:48:50

Is the money going in to the business change when you scale back with your prices?

-creating a buffer for your expenses.

2:02:30

Diversifying and looking into new trends.

2:06:05

Current business set up

employees, contractors?

2:14:20

Closing

Clothing For Creators: https://www.snowmanfilms.shop

Work with me! https://www.snowmanfilms.net

Use video clips I've shot on your next project: https://wirestock.io/snowman.films

Find Billy:

www.skipperfilms.com

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conversations-with-creators/donations