1. Can you tell us a bit about RATCHET?
RATCHET is a content creation company. We are made up of TV and creative producers, directors, copy writers, motion graphic designers, animators and video editors. This range of skills all under one roof, enables us to deliver all forms of content to a variety of clients on any platform or marketing channel. We create bespoke products to help companies build brands, sell products and services both B2B and B2C.
2. When was the company formed and what was your goal?
I’m Katherine Nathan and I founded RATCHET in 2008 after a successful career in journalism and creative production, which began at the Daily Telegraph and continued as a creative director at the BBC. The mission was to address the changing needs of our clients and the way we all consume content today. Video content is now a critical tool for every sector and we wanted companies who don’t necessarily have a budget to keep large scale advertising agencies on retainer, to have a premium quality alternative that would be far more cost effective and efficient. We can be a creative resource that is essentially an extension to any in-house departments. Using our editorial experience we have the ability to get to know our clients business needs to best help them over a period of time to grow and reach their desired target audience.
3. Where do you find inspiration to innovate in the video & web development industry?
The short answer is everywhere!
The beauty of having an effortlessly culturally diverse and intergenerational team is that we all consume very different content via different platforms. This varied experience directly impacts our work allowing us to deliver the most relevant content to our customers. Technology also plays a huge part in what we do. Curating the best new tools from AI and graphics software to camera kit means that we never stop looking for the best solutions to achieve premium results on screen. We have started becoming the go to team for many clients, who don’t have the knowledge or capacity to aggregate new technological opportunities to improve their own work flow or output. We love finding new toys or new ways to utilise them to help people improve their businesses.
4. What is the proudest moment in your career since becoming a business owner?
I am most proud of building a multi-skilled and intergenerational team. This has been a conscious decision to bring people from a range of backgrounds to give them opportunities in a creative industry; one that relies heavily on young people starting out working for free which results in people who can’t afford to take up unpaid opportunities missing out.
5. What are your company values, and how does this impact the culture at RATCHET?
We champion and value expertise and creative collaboration so as well as giving our clients high quality work, our team has a spirit of inclusivity and generosity in terms of ideas and skills – we don’t work in silos. It means that everyone gets to work on a huge range of projects, building experience that would be almost impossible to find elsewhere.
6. What do you think is the most important lesson for business owners to learn?
To value experience, don’t be afraid to re-evaluate and be open to new collaborations to further your goals. For me growth is only achieved through investment, whether that’s in people or pounds. This is more important than ever given the absence of meaningful growth in the UK over the last 15+ years. For me, we need to think more about what the future looks like, to build trust in our brands, focus more on long term success and less on making a quick buck to sell fast and not build any lasting legacy for the next generations.
