Creative Work, Real Numbers
Please, let’s talk about this more. Normalising transparent and digestible business insights would be so good for creatives - especially behind the scenes!
SABI just wrapped its second full-time financial year here in Australia. We’re still growing, still building momentum,and still very much a work in progress. But I’ve always been open about what it’s taken to get here - so here’s a peek at what went down.
WINS BY (some of…) THE NUMBERS
+ 71 shoots with 40 incredible clients
+ 300+ hours on location shoots
+ 650+ hours editing
+ 350+ hours on client social media curation (yep behind-the-scenes, I help a few long-term clients with their socials)
+ ^^That’s not even counting travel, quoting, emails, meetings, marketing, admin…
AND…
+ Hosted our second SABI Social networking event
+ Had our first magazine feature! In Belle Magazine with Coco Republic
+ Updated the Melbourne Photoshoot Venue Directory three times, with another update coming soon
+ Travelled to Sydney twice and Queenstown for client projects
+ Produced our first SABI campaign shoot, collaborating with brands and creators I love - investing into our own marketing
WHAT I LEARNT (AND RELEARNT)
This year was a mix of numbers, gut instincts, and quietly watching what’s actually working. A few takeaways I’m bringing into FY25:
+ Editing takes twice as long as shooting.
Tracking my time showed just how much effort goes into delivery - which confirmed that my simplified pricing structure (updated earlier this year) is working and fair.
+ Investing in my own campaign shoot paid off.
One reel - showing my dream clients exactly what they get when they work with me - brought in new leads, new connections and new clarity. I’ll be doing this at least twice a year moving forward to stay inspired, show what's possible, and build my own content library. Would 10/10 recommend!
+ Video is no longer optional.
By mid-year, over half my projects included some form of video - from small 10 second reels to website banners or YouTube videos. It works. It converts. It connects.
I spent the first half of the year upskilling myself in all things video, and now video is one of the easiest things for me to upsell (without realising I’m selling!). It fits naturally into the kind of content my clients need.
WHO I WORKED WITH
Two full-time years in, it’s been exciting to see the work evolve. Interiors remain at the core, but the variety keeps me on my toes. Here’s a quick look at who I worked with this year:
20% Interior designers & stylists
19% Homeware brands
17% Beauty & wellness business’
14% Lifestyle & other brands
8% Corporate brands
8% Furniture brands
5% Creative service providers
Lead sources?
No surprise here: My top lead sources were Instagram and word of mouth.
I make sure to have an IG story uploaded nearly daily, and most of my new connections start in the DMs or by being introduced from someone. Plus, 60% of my shoots this year were with repeat clients - which says everything about the kind of long-term, values-aligned work I want to keep doing.
LOOKING AHEAD
This new financial year feels less about reinvention, and more about refinement.
I’ll be leaning more on my creative circle - so yes tax man, subcontractor expenses are going up :)
I’d love to work with more interior designers, builders, and architects - the kind of work that lights me up and works well with my interiors background.
No radical changes. Just more good work with good people!
Thanks for being here, whether you’ve worked with me, liked an Instagram post, referred a client (!!), or just enjoy a bit of behind-the-scenes business chat.
If you made it this far - I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Did anything resonate? Was something helpful? Have you got any advice for me? My DMs and inbox are always open.
With gratitude,
Sam x