STACEY SWEENEY Owner, Scarlet Butterfly Media
What did you set out to achieve this year?
Most of our existing clients are keen to keep their images regularly updated, however we focused on developing our videography offering with our photography clients and visa versa. We have a strong presence in the Financial, Charity, Property and Education Sectors but we were also looking at the Construction Industry and others to fully explore our other services such as drone images. We also work with some great clients who are also introducers such as PR Companies and Event Organisers, so our goal was to expand our business network.
Has everything went according to plan?
Pretty much so. We seem to have been really busy and successful during the year, however we haven’t added as many new clients as we would have liked to.
How has the ongoing Covid crisis affected your business and how have you mitigated this?
Every cloud has a silver lining. Our offering has been in demand to substitute for in-person activity. A prime example would be the school promotional videos, as parents of prospective pupils were unable to visit the school.
What are you most proud of this year?
From a numbers perspective, we continue to have strong growth in turnover and profitability. There have been several highlights, but I do love the work we do with primary and first schools especially.
What’s the best piece of business advice you have received this year?
The very best sales people are great listeners.
What have you learnt about yourself this year?
Self development is an ongoing task, which must be embraced. Also whilst my business is recognised for our collaborative approach with our clients, there are times when I need to ensure that the scope of the project is clear. We have seen quite a lot of “stretch” requests beyond what was originally agreed, but we are accommodating within reason.
What has been the most enjoyable Business social event you have attended?
We have supported the Open North Foundation over the past 18 months and really enjoyed their first Anniversary Celebration at Ramside Hall.
Describe 2021 in three words…
Collaborative, Unpredictable and Successful.
What does the remainder of the year hold?
Working up to 29th December, then have a few days off. This tends to be the season of events and dinners, so we have a few booked in.
