Thinking About Starting a Video Editing Agency – Advice Needed

Hey everyone,

I’ve been doing video editing since 2021, mostly on Fiverr (Level 2 account).
It’s been good, but Fiverr takes a big cut on each project and payments can take 5–15 days to arrive.

Now I’m thinking about starting my own video editing agency instead of just freelancing.
I’d love to hear from people who’ve done this:

• Is this a good move?
• What challenges should I expect?
• How much does it cost to get started?
• Anything you wish you knew before starting your own agency?

Really curious to hear your thoughts before I take the leap!

Thanks

Agency life is more about sales and systems than editing, so be ready for that shift.

shijin said:

Agency life is more about sales and systems than editing, so be ready for that shift.

Click to expand...

yeah, I kinda expected that running an agency would mean less time editing and more time managing.

I don't think leaving platforms like Fiverr or UpWork is a good move.

Sure, open up your website, optimise it for your niche, get a VAT number, open a company and all that jazz.

But do stay on those platforms, they are great for hunting clients and getting the foot through the door.

Most of the guys with whom I'm working right now I got them through UpWork and Fiverr, and then throughout the projects we've switched over to B2B contracts and avoid the platforms.

So;
Sure, open up the agency, get some trust signals in (Clutch, Trustpilot, SoMe etc)
No, don't delete your profiles, just transfer them to the agency name and use them for hunting clients
Create processes for converting a Platform Client to a B2B client

As a new business, you’ll face challenges such as finding clients, managing a team, and covering startup costs. My suggestion is to start small.

Gonassis said:

I don't think leaving platforms like Fiverr or UpWork is a good move.

Sure, open up your website, optimise it for your niche, get a VAT number, open a company and all that jazz.

But do stay on those platforms, they are great for hunting clients and getting the foot through the door.

Most of the guys with whom I'm working right now I got them through UpWork and Fiverr, and then throughout the projects we've switched over to B2B contracts and avoid the platforms.

So;
Sure, open up the agency, get some trust signals in (Clutch, Trustpilot, SoMe etc)
No, don't delete your profiles, just transfer them to the agency name and use them for hunting clients
Create processes for converting a Platform Client to a B2B client

Click to expand...

right now, I actually don’t have a client-hunting problem — I have over 1.3K reviews on my Fiverr account, so work comes in pretty steadily.

but you’re right, I don’t want to rely on a single platform forever.

That’s why I want to start building my B2B setup so, that I’m not completely tied to Fiverr long term.

Do you think it’s smart to start building that now, while I still have consistent Fiverr work (so I’m not stressed about cashflow)?

Obviously yes.

If you have some major, really cool projects, I would feature them on your website.