How I make it work: making movies with animals
We're lifting the lid on one self-employed woman's business
I’m keeping Out Of Office newsletters free, because I think every self-employed woman deserves as much support as possible. Want to say thanks? I bloody love a flat white…
Morning, Colleague.
I hope you’ve had a great weekend, and are starting to work on making your emails more badass? This week - a special treat if you’re ever curious about how other women keep their businesses running…
How I make it work: working with animals
Out of Office delves into the nitty-gritty of one self-employed woman’s business – including money, motivation and their top tips for other freelance workers
Grace Dickinson, 37, is the founder of Reptiles, etc – a company that trains animals for education and events. Grace has been self-employed for three years, with a background as a zookeeper. She now works within schools and the film industry (more on that in this article I wrote for The Guardian last year – seriously, it’s a very cool job).
A common theme with many self-employed women is how to manage and promote a business that is made up of lots of different elements and specialisms. While Grace’s work (partly education – unis, conferences and schools – and partly entertainment – including film work and live events) usually involves working for a client, she’s also used lockdown to pivot with some customer-facing initiatives, such as selling (utterly adorable) greetings cards made with the help of her animals. (I will be ordering a batch of Christmas ones, made with little hedgehog footprints in animal-friendly paints!)
I’ve actually been lucky enough to know Grace for over a decade (we met when I volunteered at Shepreth Wildlife Park, where she was working) and I don’t think either of us expected to be self-employed at any stage in our careers – but now it’s unlikely either of us would go back!
What I love about being self-employed
“I’ve reached a point in my life where I’ve cobbled together my favourite parts of any job I’ve ever done,” says Grace. “It wasn’t pre-planned, I ended up here after going through terrible trauma and life emergencies, but I’ve managed to create a lifestyle for myself where I’m not mentally ill, bullied, or having to compromise my standards for someone else.
“I don’t get many days off (my animals need my constant care) but I eat lunch in my garden, take daytime gym classes, and experience a higher level of relaxation on a daily basis.”
The benefits of social media for my business during lockdown
“The best thing about lockdown for my work is that it’s made me realise the value of having a social media presence. I’ve always been quite against social media – I only got a smart phone two years ago – but it’s allowed me to build an online community of followers. I was always quite scared of being judged before - but it was dumb, because it’s gone really well, I haven’t received a single negative comment.
“That meant that when I needed to ask for help [an Amazon wish-list for items to feed her staggering assortment of ‘around 70 animals, if you count colonies as an individual’, including insects, snakes and rats] that people were keen to donate. It was the first time I’ve ever asked for help, and I was blown away by the support. It hadn’t occurred to me before that people might get something from following me, and want to support me as a business.
“Facebook and Insta work well for my demographic – schools and parents looking to book parties – in a way that Twitter doesn’t. I’ve found people like quick videos – around 30 seconds to three minutes seems to work best. I’m building followers slowly, which I’ve struggled with a bit – I’m a ‘now now now’ person!”
Social media breakdown: Grace uses Facebook and Instagram (where she has one more personal account, @gracedickinsonwildlife and one purely for videos of her animals and what they’re up to, @reptilesetcetera) to interact with her supporters and clients.
How the money works
“The time-to-money split between the two is quite different. Film work is what keeps the roof over my head. But it’s a seasonal industry – it pretty much shuts down between September and March, which is the hardest part for me. I have to shift gears and use that time to make contacts in schools, or update social media.
“I also took a part-time job for 10 hours a week, at my local martial arts club, which keeps me going during dry spells.”
How I stay focused
“When I first went self-employed I started becoming a bit of a hermit, and I started getting social anxiety for the first time. I made myself go and find a local kickboxing class (which actually led to my part-time work) and that really helped. It was hard not to just sit and watch Netflix all day – again, the part-time job helps with that because it gives me structure.
“I’m really big on list-making – I make one before I go to bed, which also helps improve my sleep. I try to do certain jobs on set days, so it becomes more of a routine and it’s easier to stay accountable.
“Another thing that’s important for me is making myself take a lunch break, otherwise I get to the end of the day and I’m exhausted.”
Find more reasons to take proper breaks here
How I plan to grow my business
“I’d love to be able to pay for adverts where it really makes a difference, but at the moment I just can’t afford to spend £500 on an advert in a publication. But I’ve reached a point where my personal life is settled, and I have enough money to take a three-day trip somewhere, or get a takeaway. Now I just need to break the schools and get more work with them. I’m going up against companies who have a monopoly but aren’t too bothered about animal welfare, so it’s about convincing schools that I’m better.
“I rely on a small team of local assistants, who help out on film jobs, and I pay out of my own pocket. I’m not eligible for a loan as I run quite an unconventional business, and they would want a clear five-year plan. My plan is to meet my rent and not be miserable!”
My three top tips for self-employed women
I regret worrying too much about ‘what ifs’. I’ve held myself back from opportunities before by worrying about taking on too many jobs – but being self-employed requires leaps of faith. If you do nothing, you achieve nothing.
Be prepared to get a part-time job while you’re finding your feet. Unless you have a loan or a lump sum, it’s a good way to supplement your business and helps you build it organically.
Be kind to yourself while you’re figuring things out.
I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about Grace’s business - I am chronically nosey (goes with the territory as a journo, so this is a dream job for me). Let me know if you’d like to see more Q&As with other business owners or freelancers in future issues.
Don’t miss next week’s OOO, which is all about avoiding loneliness and finding your ‘tribe’ when you work alone.
Love OOO? Please consider sharing this letter with a friend.
Catch up on back issues here