3 years ago I took a bit of a gamble, jacked my job in and decided to go freelance full time. I had a few clients that I had been supporting whilst working full time so it wasn’t a complete dive into the unknown. However, with a mortgage, children, bills and the other life pressures we all face, it still felt like a risky move. Without boring you to much with all the little details I finally have some time to reflect on the last 3 years and what I’m doing now, which wasn’t really planned at all. You may want to click away now before you nod off.
To cut a long story short, after just 4 months I had moved from being a lonely individual busy working away in his underpants creating magic in his loft, to a small office here in Eastleigh. Now 3 years on, we’re still in Eastleigh but it’s no longer just me. Somehow freelancing turned into a proper business that now has staff along with a whole new list of challenges I’ve never encountered before. Looking back at the first couple of months, working for myself was a doddle.
Over the last 3 years I have made some massive mistakes, but I have learned so much from them. I have discovered that I’m shit at all the financial stuff, I am even worse at all the admin gunf and I don’t need to take on every single project. My staff are not mind readers and I’m a little blunt with clients at times. By acknowledging my mistakes and identifying what I am no good at, to now addressing them will hopefully stand us in good stead for the next 3 years and beyond.
So, what now? The company has a clear vision, we have a plan in place to hit certain targets by 2020 and to achieve those targets we will need to continue evolving. Finding the right type of client is a key factor in this, but also building a team and culture at Frost Creative that people want to be a part of.
I’m not in this business to make a quick buck here and there. I want to do the job I love and create work the whole team is proud of. Working for clients who value what we do and who let us become an integral part of their team is important to me. Although the business may be small, the truth is our creative set-up is just the same as some larger agencies out there e.g. designers, strategists, writers, art directors etc. The difference with us is we’re more design led, we’re not trying to be jack of all trades. If you want PR or SEO then we’ll happily point you in the direction of our partners. We have the structure and flexibility to nurture our clients brands to help them grow, becoming part of their DNA. Our success is driven by theirs. I believe we’re pretty good at what we do but know there’s always a better way to do things. With a larger team in place I am now able to utilise my time better, I can focus more on what I am good at and ensure Frost Creative continues to improve in all areas. My goal is to build the design agency of choice for big businesses in the region.
Whether it’s branding, communications, websites or video – we’ll deliver. Our clients deal directly with passionate experienced people who are driven by helping your business grow by delivering award winning, effective strategic design.
If you’d like to find out more about Frost Creative and meet the team then feel free to get in-touch.
Frost Creative.
Think. Create. Deliver