Anchor Animation 2.0
After freelancing for 6 months, I noticed a pattern and a problem. During the peaks I was so all-consumed with production work that I couldn’t have made time for marketing, even if I had wanted to.
A run of projects would then end, leaving a seemingly never-ending chasm of empty days. I would be filled with doubt that I’d ever be booked again. From day 1, I kept business money and personal money separate. A month where I invoiced £6,000 could cover a month where I invoiced £0. But still, it’s been nerve-wracking.
The solution, as I saw it, was to start an agency. It would be the same sort of work, but under a brand name. I would be able to charge a bit more, building up more of a financial buffer for the lean months. Outsourcing to other freelancers, which I had done already when work really piled up, would be the norm, not the exception. I would always have time in my schedule to do marketing.
In September, I hired a business coach who encouraged me to pick a niche. Animated explainer videos for pharma brands. The coach discouraged me from building a website because the business should be about personal connections. How do you build personal connections? Attend events. How do you find clients? Write a white paper about animation trends in the pharma industry. It all sounded like it would work.
At the start of 2025, my anxiety was the worse it had ever been. The market seemed quieter than usual. I had a regular client cancel their retainer.
Then, Storm & Shelter made a dozen designers and animators redundant, seemingly flooding the market with competition at the freelance level. Worse still, from my point of view, they all had gleaming showreels, from having worked on high-budget projects with large teams.
I came very close to walking away from self-employed life entirely. Then I had two conversations with two friends, a few things clicked into place, and I decided to carry on.
01 Niching Was a Bad Idea
If niching was the golden ticket to success, all other agencies would do it. You can see from their websites that they don’t.
During the first conversation I had with a potential client for Anchor Animation I was asked, “do you do non-pharma animation?” Here was evidence from the market that people just need good content from someone they trust.
I had asked my business coach what my USP was: They said I was friendly and approachable. I should have noticed an issue then. Why didn’t they respond with “your expertise with pharma brands?” Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of expertise with pharma brands, but I think my unique skillset is producing high quality work on a realistic budget. I made a 2-minute app tour video for less than £3,000. I’ve had freelancers approach Anchor who charge double that.
This isn’t about a race to the bottom. My experience is in producing good content when you don’t have the budget of a blockbuster. So why can’t that be my niche?
02 Lead Magnets Should be… Magnets
My business coach told me a way to attract potential clients would be to write a white paper about animation trends in the pharma industry. I did. No one downloaded it.
In hindsight, the white paper obviously needed promoting. But then it’s not a magnet, it’s a thing you have to build a magnet to pull people towards.
With freelancing I have a simple marketing funnel:
Phone people and tell them I am here (top of funnel)
Post to LinkedIn & email updated, keeping me top of mind (middle of funnel)
Someone would need animation, notice me, enquire and I’d speak to them / write a quote (bottom of funnel)
They would agree the price and commission the work (they are through the funnel and are now a client)
03 I like being self employed
I went to an older and much wiser friend for careers advice who asked me:
Forget about finding the work. Do you enjoy the work itself? Answer: Yes.
Do you miss working at a company? (an office, a water cooler, seeing colleagues daily, etc.) Answer: No.
Do you enjoy the benefits of being self employed? (Working at a coffee shop, managing own time, doing the school run, etc.) Answer: Yes.
Conclusion: Don’t quit.
04 The New Anchor Animation
I won’t say much more because I am a big believer in announcing things when they are finished. Let the work be the work, not the promise.
But I will say this: I am currently working with a good friend of mine to rebuild Anchor Animation so it reflects my personality and my unique skillset.
Anchor will still scale and give our team of freelancers work. It will still offer high quality animation for pharma brands. But it will also offer great work for theatres. For tech startups, food companies, charity & nonprofits.
And I am still here, as Pete the freelancer, ready to work directly with other agencies.
