Supporting growth and investment in a creative business

Dudley-based Spectre Visuals has strengthened its capacity, improved efficiency and positioned itself for its next phase of development after engaging with the Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) in Dudley programme. Investment in specialist equipment has enabled the business to respond more quickly to rising demand and better support local clients across the region. 

From a specialist start-up to a growing creative business 

Founded in 2022, Spectre Visuals is a photography and videography business led by owner and director Jake Maddox. The business specialises in high-quality visual content for health, fitness and other local service-based businesses, helping clients strengthen their marketing and reach new audiences. 

As demand for Spectre Visuals’ work increased, Jake recognised the need to invest in specialist equipment to support further growth and enable the business to operate more efficiently. 

Responding to growing demand while managing capacity

By 2024, Spectre Visuals was experiencing strong demand driven by word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat clients. However, growth was increasingly being constrained by limited in-house equipment. 

Jake was regularly hiring or borrowing specialist kit for shoots, which added cost, reduced flexibility and took up valuable time. This made it harder to respond quickly to new opportunities and meant too much time was being spent managing logistics rather than focusing on filming, client relationships and business development. 

At the same time, Jake had been investing personally in business mentoring, creating a difficult choice between continuing to develop his skills or investing in the equipment needed to take on higher-value work. 

Expert support to unlock investment at the right time 

Through the BGWM in Dudley programme, Spectre Visuals worked with Oxford Innovation Advice adviser Paul Sampson. 

Paul supported Jake to develop a strong SME Capital grant application. This helped him clearly articulate his growth plans, investment priorities and the impact the investment would have on the business. The support was practical and responsive, giving Jake confidence throughout the process and helping him address queries as they arose. 

Reflecting on the support, Paul said: 

“Creative businesses often need to invest early in equipment and capability to unlock growth. Supporting Spectre Visuals to secure funding at the right time has helped Jake improve efficiency, raise production quality and put the foundations in place for sustainable growth.” 

The successful grant award enabled Spectre Visuals to bring forward its investment plans and purchase specialist equipment that would otherwise have been out of reach at that stage of the business. 

Turning equipment investment into real business growth 

The new equipment has had an immediate and tangible impact. With multiple cameras, lighting, stabilisation equipment and drone capability now available in-house, Jake can take on a wider range of projects and respond more quickly when work comes in. 

The investment has significantly reduced the need to hire equipment, freeing up both time and money. Shoots can now be completed more efficiently, improving production quality while reducing stress and logistical complexity. 

The equipment has already been used on high-profile projects, including an international shoot in Italy, and has supported a period of strong revenue growth, with record months achieved since the investment. 

Crucially, the time saved has allowed Jake to focus on filming, client relationships and developing additional services, while outsourcing editing work to trusted freelancers. This has increased capacity and laid the groundwork for future recruitment. 

Building capacity and planning for the next phase 

With the right equipment in place, Spectre Visuals is well positioned to continue growing and supporting more local businesses across the region. Jake’s next focus is on building capacity further, with plans to bring additional filming support into the business as demand continues to rise. 

Reflecting on the value of the programme, Jake said the support had made a real difference at a critical point in the business’s growth. 

“The support made it possible to invest in the equipment I needed at the right time. It’s saved me time, reduced costs and allowed me to focus on growing the business and supporting my clients better. If the support is there, creative businesses should take it.” 

The support has also encouraged longer-term thinking around sustainability, resilience and future investment, helping ensure the business can continue to grow in a structured and manageable way. 

The programme is funded by Dudley Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, supporting more than 850 unique businesses across the borough. 

For further information, please visit www.businessgrowthwestmidlands.org.uk