Denise Austin

Director and Co-owner, Pearldrop Ltd

What do you do?

I’m a director and co-owner at Pearldrop, alongside Simon Mercer. I’m involved in the overall growth strategy for Pearldrop – looking at expanding our client base, evaluating and increasing our service offerings, reviewing our recruitment strategy and overseeing the financial, marketing and HR functions of the organisation. I also empty the bins at the end of the day… I’m involved in every aspect of the business really.

We joined the Chamber initially for the networking opportunities as well as the fact that the Chamber does a fantastic job at listening to businesses and our needs and relaying those back to government.

Who do you work for?

Pearldrop is a top-quality, full-service boutique creative agency, built around the power of video. We travel the world to shoot video and stills for big brands and multi-national corporations as well as SMEs and charities. We shoot interviews, live events, product demos, training and promotional films, documentaries and dramas.

We also offer a high-end photography service which covers live-event photography, lifestyle, product and headshots.

You’ll also find us up in the air with one of our drones, being flown by a certified, insured and experienced drone pilot.

The team believes in making video that works for the client and helps them reach their business goals.

We love and live film and ensure that this comes across in every project we undertake.

Why did you join the Chamber?

We joined the Chamber initially for the networking opportunities as well as the fact that the Chamber does a fantastic job at listening to businesses and our needs and relaying those back to government.

How has it helped your business network?

We’ve met many of our clients through the Chamber but also suppliers and organisations that we can collaborate with or support in some way. We truly believe that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

What advice would you give someone starting out?

Take regular reflection time. It’s super easy to be caught up in the everyday matters but it’s vital to step back and take a look at the whole picture and that includes the good, the bad and the ugly.

What do you think is the biggest challenge affecting running and growing a business?

Keeping up with technology. There’s a new piece of kit or software to evaluate every day. The industry is changing at an incredibly rapid pace, putting increasingly amazing technology in our hands to help us deliver fantastic content.

What support do you want from government?

A better deal for directors of small companies. A better approach to BIK for company car owners.

How confident are you your business will grow in the next year?

With the film and TV industry’s expansion and increased interest in Hertfordshire, we’re definitely set to grow in the next year. Organisations are becoming more reliant on digital content for all aspects of their business so we’re in a great place for growth. With the expansion of AI and its impact on our industry I can only see us growing creatively in huge ways as well –it’s a super exciting time for us as a company and the industry.