London, England – Pembridge Partners announced today that a major company profiling project in the UK’s TV sector is now complete. The project, part of the Business Growth Opportunity scheme operated by Skillset, saw Pembridge delivering individual Vital Statistics reports to 100 growing TV businesses across the UK. The aim was to show each participating business how it compared to its peers, where its strengths and weaknesses lay and set out a path forward. Reaction to the reports was very positive.
Richard Edwards, Element Productions, said: “The telephone interview was one of the most profitable 20 minutes I’ve ever spent. The result of our conversation was a detailed 23 page report which provided a snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of the company with considerable clarity, and suggested future strategies and potential remedies. A well thought-out health check.”
Ian Bradshaw, Technical Director of Title Role Productions Ltd, said: “The profiling report makes you think about how you are achieving or underachieving as a company and compares you to your industry competitors. It will really help us when studying the company progress to have a checklist, to be able to analyse and scrutinise its performance.”
Genevieve Dexter, Mangaging Director of Cake Entertainment Ltd, said: “It has mainly helped me to focus on the future of the company rather than dealing with the urgent day to day business. It helps you to look at your business in an analytical way and start to produce a plan which can structure new partnerships and attract outside investment.”
Karen Hamilton, Karen Hamilton Productions Ltd said: “It allowed me to distance myself from the day to day business and creative focus and to reflect on ways forward for the future. It was helpful talking to someone objective outside of the company as it made me think about what needs to happen. It has confirmed a growing realisation that being creative is not going to be enough if I am to survive and grow my company.“
John Finn, Deadcreative said: “Before the process I was aiming aimlessly but now I have a fresh spring to my step and feel more confident about a change. Before the process my company was like a rusty Citroen 2CV battling on with many difficulties and unsure of the future that lay ahead, after the process my company is like a Bentley, so refined, so finely tuned and a great future ahead.”
Dave Allison, Head of Production at Stampede, said: “The exercise revealed information about how we are in relative context to other companies in the same industry. We are more confident about what we are doing and how we are doing it. The report is another piece of kit for our armoury. The profile of our company business was such a useful way to discover where we are in the industry.”
Steve Gear, Calling The Shots said: “Figures that compare our turnover to the amount we spend in development were illuminating. Taking part in the IBDS has been an extremely illuminating experience, we were asked some very pertinent questions to help us focus on the future growth of our business.”
Neil Thompson, Formosa Films said: “A fascinating snapshot of your companies possible growth opportunities laid out in front of you. INVALUABLE.”
Graeme Matthews, 4 TV said: “To be asked questions that are 'business' rather than programme related was a pleasure and required me to think about the business in a different way. To have someone who is not a programme maker come into your company and pass judgement on it from a purely commercial perspective, is like having air conditioning switched on in a hot room: You feel better but not threatened. By and large a thoroughly enjoyable experience.”
Darren Bender, Bent Films said: “I have something to measure my company against now, stats, and I can study how much I knew/need to know. You need to know your profile, you need to see how others see you to know how to gain the trust they need to buy from you. It's about getting a 3 dimensional view of your company/prospects.”
Graham Addicott, First Freedom Productions said: “It concentrated the mind on what I had long suspected about the way we run the company. It concentrated my mind. Made me thing again about why we are doing what we do - and where we want to go.”
Emma Wakefield, Lambent Productions said: “This has been an invaluable process offering real insight into our approach to business and enabling us to evaluate what's working and what we need to improve. It's always useful to take a step back and think analytically about what you do and why you do it. Contextualising the business with others, Exploring our strengths and weaknesses was very useful and gives us a strong practical idea of where we can improve.”
Anne Cafferky, Pett Productions said: “I don't think any of the information was a surprise but just having it all in one document provides a useful learning tool for us. It was incredibly useful to have a conversation about weaknesses within our company set up and management but more so to then see it all in one concise profile.
Andrea Petch, Funkmeister said: “The business profile was far more extensive than I envisaged and enabled me to gain a greater sense of where my business was with my competitors.”
James Carroll, Evil Twins Artworks said: “Having a fresh pair of eyes look at your business can help develop new opportunities.”
Jessica Knock, Hollywood Classics Network said: “The profile drawn up is extremely beneficial. The profile is perfect to send onto potential investors etc and to use as a business plan.”
Richard Edwards, Element Productions said: “The telephone interview was one of the most profitable 20 minutes I've ever spent. The result of our conversation was a detailed 23 page report which provided a snapshot of the strengths and weaknesses of the company with considerable clarity, and suggested future strategies and potential remedies. A well though-out health check.“
Ian Morris, Bwark Productions said: “Has already been hugely helpful in making clearer our position, we will be taking on board many of the ideas regarding planning and training.”
Charlie Gauvain, Eye Film and Television said: “It's so easy to be too busy to try and take time out to plan for the future, but if you don't plan it cab be a very costly mistake. Doing a report such as this is not that time consuming and provides valuable information.”
Jason Hall, Teebster said: “Even if you already have a business plan - or are in the process of developing one - this is a great opportunity for third party input from an organisation that truly understands all the issues that are unique to this sector. If this was a paid for service, I'd still consider it. As a free service, it seems foolish not to.”
Ceri Wyn Richards, Producer at Torpedo Ltd, said: “It was a worthwhile exercise as it focussed the mind on some very relevant issues.”
Bill Rudgard, Raw Cut Television said: “A start to growing the company in a positive informed way, makes me think more of the big picture!”
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