There are definitely numerical and profit benefits if you develop a one-size-fits-all mentality and build a huge team where you cover all areas of production in-house. That said, it’s important to ask yourself two questions when growing your team: 1) is this sustainable? 2) what’s the best thing for my partners?

In the world of content, there are definitely highs and lows. For a lot of us in the creative world, the slower months are often at the beginning of the year; so when you are planning your next hire, it’s crucial to consider all of these periods to ensure it’s a role that will support you through the quiet and the busy.

The quieter times are the perfect opportunity to plan ahead and focus on when you might need to hire a new role ahead of the action-packed months ahead. This added time allows for you not to rush a hire, as finding the right person takes time and thought. Ultimately, there is nothing more satisfying than making a great hire in time for when things start to pick up but there’s nothing worse than asking yourself why you didn’t look for your new team member when you knew that you are about to go into a busy old period!

At Tiny, we have an analogy where we don’t want to grow down, we want to grow outwards. This ultimately means you shouldn’t copy and paste existing roles so that we can just take on more work, as this can often mean you are just as busy without any levelling up on creativity, profit or output. Instead, try to find the holes within your internal structure and bring in people who have new skills or experience to support the existing team with their roles, so everyone is less stressed and performs better, ultimately helping the bottom line of the company too. Growing outwards  is also a chance to look at creating new opportunities or services for the company which can best help your partners as well.

Every brand is unique which means that having the same team on every project is not the solution for supporting them on their projects. There are so many incredibly talented freelancers who are specialists in their area, so if you are wanting to create something bespoke for your partner, it’s important to tailor your teams to ensure each project is executed in the best possible way. This nimble approach allows you to align seamlessly with your partners' visions, creating results beyond the screen. By collaborating with a team of freelancers, you also allow headspace for your team rather than working them to the bone.

If you are looking to build the perfect crews and a freelance community, it’s important to engage with a diverse pool of creatives from various backgrounds. There are various groups you can interact with to build a more inclusive set, for example Making Moves (female and non-binary filmmakers), Queer Lens (LGBTQ+ filmmakers) and Free the Work (supports underrepresented creators). Representation matters not only on-screen but also behind the scenes, shaping a richer and more inclusive creative process.

Sustainable growth doesn’t restrict you financially but instead it can open new ways of working and supporting your internal teams, partners and freelancers.For us at Tiny, sustainable growth is a deliberate choice that keeps us aligned with our values, fostering the authentic Tiny experience for our partners.