Business Plan

CONTENTS1 BUSINESS OVERVIEW............................................................................1

1.1 Business Overview...........................................................................11.2 Service Features................................................................................11.3 Marketing Analysis............................................................................11.4 Marketing Strategy............................................................................21.5 Key Objectives and Financial Overview..........................................2

2 DETAILED PLAN......................................................................................32.1 Market Analysis.................................................................................32.2 Competition.......................................................................................42.3 The Service........................................................................................42.4 Marketing Strategy............................................................................52.5 Service Production............................................................................62.6 SWOT Analysis..................................................................................62.7 Business Structure...........................................................................72.8 Management and Ownership...........................................................82.9 Key Objectives...................................................................................82.10 Financial Information.....................................................................8

2.10.1 Start Up Costs.........................................................................82.10.2 Running Costs.........................................................................92.10.3 Additional Costs......................................................................9

2.11 Action Plan.....................................................................................93 APPENDICES.........................................................................................10

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1 BUSINESS OVERVIEW

1.1 Business Overview

The business idea is myself working as a freelance 2D animator and illustrator

within the arts and media sector. The main benefit for someone employing me

would be that there would be no fixed term contract and I would have a

flexible working schedule to suit their needs.

I will be offering my skills as a traditional and digital illustrator and a 2D

animator. My service could be bought by company’s anywhere. In two years

time I would like to have made good connections with companies and clients

and be working on a portfolio of work. In five years time I would like to have

established a good reputation with company’s and be well known in the

industry and to have built up a good portfolio of work, this will be achieved by

building up a portfolio of work and making contacts within the industry.

1.2 Service Features

I will be providing a service as a freelance illustrator and 2D animator. I will

work within companies as well as from home. The benefits I offer over other

competitors are that I have skills throughout the whole animation process

rather than specialising in one area. Also I am not stuck to one style of

illustration and can give a variety.

1.3 Marketing Analysis

My services will be aimed at the UK animation industry as there are many

different 2D animation companies in the UK that will require freelance

animators to join a team of animators. My illustration skills will be aimed at

people needing illustrations for books and story’s. I will also use my illustration

services for advertising as there is a strong industry for this in the UK.

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1.4 Marketing Strategy

I have designed a website to show my work and I have also produced

business cards that I will distribute to possible employers. I have created a

facebook page for my services which also links to my web site. I will also be

producing photo books to show my illustrations.

1.5 Key Objectives and Financial Overview

My key objective is to create industry contacts and gain a well known

reputation. I will also produce a portfolio to showcase my work. The start up

costs would be the cost of hardware and software to create the images and

animation. Also there would be start up costs of creating marketing materials

and advertising. The running costs would be updating software, maintaining

the website and producing more business cards and photo books when

needed.

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2 DETAILED PLAN

2.1 Market Analysis

In the 2D animation industry in the UK at the moment the majority of jobs are

in pre production, as the animation is being done over seas. Due to this the

main jobs I will be hoping to get will be in pre production. This will be anything

from script writing to a storyboard artist and character designer. Securing

these jobs will depend on the strength of my portfolio and the contacts I have

made. I may have to work as a runner to begin with to make connections

within the industry.

I will also be providing my services as an illustrator as this is a steady industry

with many different types of work. Whilst contracts will be extremely short it

will build up my portfolio and reputation. I will secure these jobs by advertising

and sending marketing materials to potential employers.

I will be based in the north east of England but I will be able to accept work

from anywhere as a lot of the work can be completed from home. There are

also more company’s developing within the northeast as the industry expands

and moves out of London. A down side to this location will be the state of the

economy, as grants and funding are lost clients will look to hire overseas as it

is cheaper. I would like to counter this by offering reasonable prices and a

more personal service. Also when working with local clients I will have an

edge as I live locally and know the area well.

When contacting potential clients and customers I will do so by arranging

meetings and by contacting them through emails and telephone calls. Also

with the use of programmes such as Skype I will also be able to use this to

have business meetings with clients I may not be able to meet in person.

I have used website such as Skillset to find out this information and I have

also looked at local companies that may hire freelancers. As I may struggle to

find work, also working as an illustrator as well will give me an extra edge as I

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can do this job from home and work with clients anywhere. I will use the

internet to show my illustrations and put my portfolio on illustration sites where

employers search for illustrators.

2.2 Competition

My main competition will be from other graduates looking to work as

freelancers, graduates with qualifications such as a master’s degree will also

be my competition as they are more qualified than I will be. Also I will have

strong competition from freelancer’s already working within the industry as

they will have the experience that I will be lacking. An advantage may be that

as I am a graduate I will have fresh skills and ideas and will also be paid less

than an established freelancer, which may appeal to employers.

2.3 The Service

I will be providing a service as a 2D animator and an illustrator. By working as

a freelancer I will be working for many different companies on a short term

basis. I will be willing to work on any part of the 2D animation production

process although I have the most experience in pre production. I will also be

offering my services as an illustrator and as I have no set style of illustration I

can work for anyone needing illustrations.

When beginning my career I will accept illustration and animation jobs but I

will also be happy to expect jobs as a runner for companies. This will be a

good way to get experience working within a company and to expand my

skills and also to create good contacts for future work. Wages for my services

will vary between different companies and will increase with the amount of

experience I gain and the strength of my reputation. After I have gained

experience in the industry and have some good contacts I would like to move

on to more difficult and challenging projects as this will help me to progress

and demonstrate my ability which will enable me to gain higher paid work.

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To create an advantage for myself I will be keeping up to date with all the

software and techniques used within the industry and any new software that is

produced. I will also make availability one of my selling points as I will be

willing to work at any time and I will work long hours. I will also keep up to

date on changes within the industry and what sectors are expanding so I can

direct my skills towards it hopefully gaining more work.

2.4 Marketing Strategy

I have created a set of marketing materials that I can give to clients, this will

help to make contacts in the industry and make me stand out from my

competitors. I have also produced marketing materials that will show my work

and that the clients can use to view my work without looking at a portfolio or

showreel.

I have created a set of professional business cards that each show images

taken from illustrations I have created. All my contact information and my

website address are on the back of the business cards. These give a potential

client a small view of my work and all the information they need to find more

or to contact me. I will also be getting photo books printed that will show my

illustrations so that I can present them to possible clients in a professional

way.

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I created a website and a facebook page to showcase my work. This will

make my work easily viewable and will allow potential employers to view my

work without having a showreel sent to them. It also enables me to show work

that is not part of the finished animation so employers can view my steps in

the pre production process.

I will gain industry contacts be sending out show reels and business cards as

well as advertising my website and inviting people to view my facebook page.

I will keep my website up to date and print business cards and photo books as

needed. I will also update my showreel with new work as it is needed.

I will market myself by appearing as a very employable person when in

contact with companies and also in interviews. I will do this by acting

professional and polite and friendly and displaying that I would be a good

candidate for a job.

2.5 Service Production

When agreeing to a job I will work out the price of the service with the client

before starting the job. When starting out as a freelancer this will be relatively

low and will increase I get a larger portfolio and a better reputation. As all the

software will be covered in the start up costs the price will be based solely on

the labour of creating the product.

2.6 SWOT Analysis

Strengths:

I have a good knowledge of the 2D animation process and the

programmes used for this.

I have a varied drawing style that can be changed to suit a product.

As I can work from home I can have a flexible work schedule and can

work unsociable hours.

I would have no fixed term contract which would allow employers to

employ me on a short term basis.6

Weaknesses:

I have no previous experience working in the 2D animation and

illustration industry.

I do not have the contacts needed that would help me gain work.

I will be competing against many other graduates many that may have

higher qualifications of a stronger portfolio.

Opportunities

I have skills in different areas, which allows me to work on different

things.

The north east is developing and there are more company’s opening in

the area.

I have a strong portfolio and different ways to access my work online.

Threats

The industry may change with the economic state which may result in

there being less jobs and businesses.

It may be difficult to create contacts in the industry and to gain clients

and a good reputation.

There are many other graduates that I will be competing with for a

small amount of jobs.

2.7 Business Structure

I will be working as a sole trader working under my own name. As I will be

working freelance for many different companies and clients this was the most

logical option.

I will be applying for advertised jobs and after establishing myself within the

industry I hope to have clients approaching me looking for a freelancer. I will

also network on sites such as Imagine to hopefully create contacts.

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2.8 Management and Ownership

I will be the only person in this business and the issues I may have with this is

that I will need to keep learning new skills to keep up with developing

technology and software. I will also be in charge of my own marketing and

maintaining my website which can be a time consuming process. The main

issue though will be keeping a steady flow of work and income as there is no

guarantee of jobs as a freelancer.

2.9 Key Objectives

Within the first year of operating of a freelancer I hope to have secured the

start up costs needed to function as a freelancer and have marketing

materials that can be distributed and a functioning website. I would also like to

be making a steady income.

I would also hope to create good contacts within the industry and to have

gained work as a freelancer and because of this I would like to have gained a

good reputation with clients.

2.10 Financial Information

2.10.1 Start Up Costs

The start up costs for my business will be any software that I will need and the

appropriate licenses for this. I will contact the license providers to get a yearly

licence cost. I will also need marketing materials which will be business cards

and photo books when needed. The initial costs of starting up my website will

also be included with marketing materials. My start up costs may be helped by

a new business grant.

2.10.2 Running Costs

The running costs for my business will be the maintaining of my website which

will be a minimal cost and also the upgrade of any software that is needed.

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Other costs will be producing more marketing materials when needed which

will also be minimal.

2.10.3 Additional Costs

The additional costs of running this business will be possible computer

updates as software develops and faster computers may be needed. Also

internet costs as I will be using the internet to host my website and to contact

employers.

2.11 Action Plan

Objective Task Completion Date Achieved

Marketing Business Cards 01/03/2011 yes

Website 01/05/2011 In production

Photo Books 01/05/2011 no

Show Reel 20/05/2011 no

Set Up Get software 01/06/2011 no

Contact clients 05/06/2011 no

Run Portfolio 01/03/2012 no

Good contacts 01/03/2011 no

3 APPENDICES

Marketing Materials

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