2Inspire Inspirational Women in Business Profile: Shoot It Yourself

In this inspirational business interview we meet the team behind Shoot It Yourself - Andrea and Becs!

Please tell us what is a typical business day for you?

Our day starts at 6:30 when the alarm goes up and the first thing I do is read my emails. It’s hard to keep on top of things when you’re rushed off your feet so if there have been any emails that have come in over night, it’s good to prioritise them before you get into the office so that you know what you’re dealing with!

With two small children the morning school routine is busy so when I get to the office at 9 it usually feels like I’ve done a whole day already! Most of my time is spent co-ordinating the busy post production schedule for the wedding edits. We have 200 weddings this year and 10 freelance editors to manage, which is full time job! All of the videos are quality controlled by me before they are sent to the client and there is a lot of media management and backing up that goes into a looking after people’s precious video files. It’s not like we could do it all over again.

I eat lunch at my desk, check the bank account and reply to emails in between watching videos, scheduling quality control meetings and training new editors. I leave at 5 in order to get home of the kids dinner, bath and bed routine and then back to the emails from 8 – 11pm. It’s a long day but it does mean that I can do 5 days work in 3 days which keeps me sane and happy!

What made you start the business and how did you get started?

Shoot It Yourself started after we, myself and Becs, decided to give up our careers as TV directors. At the time we were both planning our own weddings and after searching high and low for fun, unique wedding videographers we were surprised to find that there weren’t many offering a more personal wedding video. Having directed plenty of BBC3 and MTV youth programs with ‘home video’ footage we knew there was a market for ‘filming it yourself’, especially in the wedding market where the intimacy of the day is important. So with 2 examples wedding videos, a interest free credit card and a great idea, we headed to the National Wedding Show in February 2010 and we haven’t looked back since. Shoot It Yourself was an overnight success!

What would you say has been your greatest accomplishment in the business world to date?

Our biggest achievement is receiving the offer of investment on Dragon’s Den in September 2011. We were the first ever wedding company to appear on the programme let alone walk out with £60,000 from Hilary Devey. We knew that it would define our business for the future and set us apart from the competition who were obviously going to copy our idea. Over 4 million people watched that episode and we are still recognised in the street! It was also a big confidence boost to know that we had been given the thumbs up by four of the UK’s leading business entrepreneurs as having a good idea. We always knew we did but now everyone else did too!

What has been your biggest challenge in business so far?

Our biggest challenge has been trying to manage our work/life balance. We started the business thinking that we were going to be millionaires but soon realised that working 24/7 wasn’t making us happy and was putting pressure on our families. We have decided to manage the growth for the next couple of years to allow us to have babies and work part time from the office. We’re happier as a result and enjoy being mumpreneurs!

What are your future plans for the business?

Our future plans for the business are to explore the other markets in the wedding industry as we feel that there is huge scope for our Shoot It Yourself in the Asian market as well as the Jewish and Chinese market. Watch this space!

If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

Nothing!

Why is it so important to inspire young women in particular to follow their dreams?

It is a shame that so much pressure is put on women to pursue a high flying career and be a mum at the same time. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to use the pregnancy and maternity leave to think about using the skills that you have and applying them to a new and exciting venture. Money isn’t everything and working for yourself means that you can set your own working hours!

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to start a business in your industry?

The wedding industry is brilliant fun and we couldn’t recommend it enough! Make friends with the wedding magazines, get on Twitter and Facebook and make sure that you LOVE what you do. Very important!

What or who inspires you in business and why?

Richard Branson for following his crazy dreams despite what anyone else says.

What is your favourite inspirational quote?

“Entrepreneurship is about turning what excites you in life into capital, so that you can do more of it and move forward with it” Richie B x

Contact details

Office 13,
Spinners Court,
55 West End,
Witney,
OX28 1NH

Tel: 01993 224 185
web: www.shoot-it-yourself.co.uk
follow us: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shoot-It-Yourself/492611190295
Twitter:@shootityourself 
Google Plus: +shootityourself