Finance - Film and TV have a few options for finding funding, more often than not being a large corporation like Disney for high scale productions along with various independent producers and businesses paying for product placement. For smaller scale studio or independent productions however, a typical source of funding would be from an independent production company such as A24 or even self-funded by the people working on the film themselves which could be risky depending on how much money they have available. In the UK specifically, there are organisations who are very open to producing films for new talent, including BFI's 'BFI film fund', BBC Films and Film4. On top of this UK nationals also get access to tax relief and rebate from the UK government with a maximum of 80% being paid back, even 100% of the funding is qualified as tax expenditure.
Insurance - Insurance is always important to have for anyone as it can cover us financially from the majority of grievances depending on the insurance you have. All businesses who work in a public space or work in close quarters with clients need to get public liability insurance to protect them from any claims that the company has harmed someone or their property in some way. Film in particular should always have equipment insurance to cover any shooting equipment or props which may get damaged in an on set accident or stolen. Any crew should also be covered by employer liability by law, which is another consideration that must be taken by film producers. A creative industries wide insurance that is a must is professional indemnity insurance, especially for client work. This insurance protects you from any breach of contract claims, intellectual property claims or from any clients who take action if they feel they have lost money in any way dealing with you.
Working from home - Working from home comes with the added bonus of tax relief as long as its a mandatory requirement for work such as a business decree or covid safety. For up to £6 a week combined from electricity, gas, water and phone call (business related only) bills, a person can claim tax back based on their tax rates. An important part of working from home is balancing work with a healthy life, making sure to take regular breaks, stay fit and healthy and also spend time to socialise.
Business rates - Business rates are charged by the government if a property is used for non-domestic purposes, such as a shop or office and each tax year in February or March the local council will send a business their bill for the year, which varies by location and size of the business. Local councils offer a relief scheme for various businesses which depending on your area is automatic or applied for.
Geography, transport and accessibility - Geography is important for businesses, especially smaller ones, to gain success. A wrong location can leave a business with nothing, so a lot of consideration needs to go into picking where to set up shop. A business needs to plan its location based on what it can afford, how much demand for their business is there, how accessible it is and many more.
References:
BFI - sources of funding for UK filmmakers
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