It can be hard to make a living in the world of freelancing.

David Fish and John Knapich were well aware of this. And that's precisely why they decided to venture out on their own, starting a company where they could pool their respective talents to deliver a stellar product.

Fish and Knapich co-own Assembly, a Manayunk-based company that specializes in editing, graphic design, production and post-production.

Their clients include various corporations, nonprofit organizations, universities and pharmaceutical giants. One recent project saw them work on a marketing video for the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

"It's definitely grown, and, hopefully, it will continue to," Fish said of Assembly, which has been around since May 2008.

Fish and Knapich, who met in Philadelphia more than a decade ago, both worked as freelance editors prior to their latest business venture. Fish, a North Jersey native who now resides in Wayne, and Knapich, a New York resident who lives in Mount Airy, did work together for companies such as NBC and NFL Films.

But freelancing doesn't guarantee a steady paycheck.

"We talked about staring a company for at least five or six years," Knapich said. "It's just the timing never worked out."

Eventually, the two realized they could offer services not always found under the same roof, something that furthered their desire to have their own place.

"We thought we could combine our production and post-production skills, which are usually separate in the business," Knapich said.

Knapich's experience includes directing his own independent films and documentaries, making him well-versed in various aspects of the industry.

Fish ran his own editing company for six or seven years in the past.

Today, the two friends and business partners offer comprehensive services at their cozy office in the Lofts at Chimney Hill, a residential-commercial complex in Manayunk. Their suite, complete with exposed brick and rafters, contains three multi-purpose rooms that can be used for tasks such as editing and graphic design, plus a business office and lounge.

The pair originally looked at Center City as a possible home for the business, but realized Manayunk was the perfect, centralized location; both were living in Mount Airy at the time of the business's inception, and many clients come from the city and close by suburban communities.

When they started Assembly, each partner had his respective client list, which was soon morphed into a collective customer base. They also succeeded in networking and cultivating new clients in the year-and-a-half the business has been operational.

"We kind of combined our client list, but that changes," Knapich said. "It's not set in stone. It's always changing, the client base."

People typically learn about Assembly through word of mouth.

"It's a small community of people who do this in Philly," Fish said.