Throughout the last couple of unprecedented years, which saw the COVID-19 pandemic turn many people’s worlds upside down, stories have been told of silver linings.
From more time spent with families to the ability to reflect and make life-changing alterations, many people have spoken of the positives found with regard to the impact lockdowns and restrictions had.
Sir Thomas White Loan Charity business loan borrower and ambassador Lee Tomes is one of those people to be able to reflect on the past two years and highlight professional positives, as he revealed how fortunate he feels to have seen his video production company, Orange Fox Studios, grow during the pandemic.
“When the pandemic started, it was so unprecedented that, as a business owner, the worry was there immediately,” Lee admitted. “I actually had a bit of a slow period at the back end of 2019 leading into 2020, but there was so much going on that I sort of expected that. However, from 1 June 2020 to now, it’s not slowed down. It’s been full-on in terms of work and we’ve come through really strong, which is great.”
Celebrating the company’s fourth anniversary shortly after the pandemic hit, Lee points to the business relationships he had forged during those four years as being key to his ability to retain work. Lee has even been in a position to employ a full-time member of staff following a fruitful internship period.
“Those (working) relationships came to a crescendo at the right time,” he said. “We do a lot of work with Loughborough College and an agency that used to be based in the area, as well as a couple of other clients that have continuously given us work. I’ve been able to keep busy and maintain income, because they stuck with the business. After the three months prior, there was a real bounce in June 2020.
“I hired somebody on an internship and she has since become part of the business, going full-time last year,” Lee continued. “That’s enabled us the business to make more profit, because we’re now able to keep work that we previously outsourced in-house. That’s been fabulous and a great business decision during a turbulent time.”
Fortunately, thanks to social distancing restrictions and measures put in place for safety, Lee was able to film projects on location. Initially, however, animation became a more focal service for the business, which could be delivered completely remotely. With restrictions lifted since, things are back to normal for Lee and Orange Fox Studios; although the experiences of the past two years have enabled the business to grow and evolve in many ways.
“Because of how things have gone over the past two years, the way that the business plan has evolved has given me a real bolt of energy, because more money in the account and greater turnover means I can do more things with the business,” Lee explained. “I can spend more on marketing and make decisions that I may previously not have been in a position to make. We’ve been working with a brand consultant and undergone some coaching, which has been very positive. We have a new website launching shortly and a new mission statement, new set of values; I’m so excited by all of it, but it’s only been able to happen because of how successful the past two years have been.”
Please visit https://orangefoxstudios.co.uk/ for more information on Lee’s company, Orange Fox Studios.
For more on our interest-free business loans, please click here.