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Small
Business Home >> Home
Business Opportunities >>
How To Start & Operate Your Own Video
Taping Service
Video taping services are not only tremendously profitable,
but timely, as more and more demand grows within this exploding
industry every day.
Video tape is rapidly growing in popularity among consumers
because as more and more people add video cassette players
to their home entertainment systems, the demand for expertly
produced videos of important events in a family's life is
skyrocketing. Weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, club
meetings, school sports events and numerous other gatherings
provide the perfect opportunity for you to enjoy a fantastically
profitable business while enjoying the company of new friends.
Now is the ideal time to get started with your own video
taping service. The purchase, operation and maintenance of
all the necessary equipment is quite easy. Advanced features
built into the equipment, combined with simple operating procedures
make video camera operation a snap. You can read through a
video instruction manual, spend several hours experimenting
with various lighting conditions and techniques, and develop
the ability to produce a high quality video tape of almost
any event.
One- and two-person video taping services around the country
are reporting substantial gross earnings. One large operation
we looked into reported an income figure of $800,000 during
the preceding 12-month period. They were accepting taping
jobs from all quarters and keeping four full-time teams busy.
In the beginning, however, success with this kind of business
does not require an office set up or any special education
or training. You can start it on a part-time basis from your
home and parlay it into a full-time, profitable profession.
The prestige this business will afford you is similar to that
of a real estate broker. You can begin working alone or with
a partner. You'll need a minimum amount of equipment, but
you must spend time developing sales leads and personally
contact prospective customers. Therefore, if you plan to begin
as a part-time operation and grow into a full-time business,
it would be advisable to have at least one other person on
the team with you.
The successful operation of a video taping service is found
through marketing imagination, organization, and attention
to detail. Ideas and requests for new events to tape and preserve
for later playback and viewing develop faster than one can
list. There are, however, so many things to remember and minor
details to take care of that the only way to operate successfully
is with a series of checklists. This applies to both the person
selling the service as well as the man or woman behind the
recording camera.
Don't let the numerous details scare you off. On the contrary,
you'll find video equipment easy and inexpensive to work with,
especially when compared to obtaining a comparable degree
of expertise with film. You can use the same tape over and
over again. This is definitely business where the phrase "practice
makes perfect" applies.
To begin your video taping service, you'll need a portable
video recorder, commonly termed a "camcorder" (camera-recorder).
If you don't already own your own equipment, now is the time
to buy. Prices have never been lower nor the selection greater.
Standard size camcorders can be purchased for well under $1,000,
often for half that price. Because technology changes so rapidly,
you can pick up a high-quality camcorder from last year's
stock, or perhaps slightly used, for under $500. And these
are still top-of-the-line cameras. Smaller, palm-size cameras
are now available, as well as adapters to make smaller tapes
compatible with most home VCRs.
Features and options for your camera will abound, but you'll
want to make sure your camera has some of the more important
ones, such as input jacks to add external microphones. This
will aid in taping extended vocal recordings, such as speeches,
weddings, concerts, etc. Your dealer can help you choose an
inexpensive external microphone to augment the one that is
already built into the camera. Other important features include
auto-character generation (for adding titles and captions)
and the ability to dub vocals onto a tape without harming
the original picture quality. Read through some current video
magazines available on the newsstand to get a general idea
of the features you would like. Make a list of those that
will be a necessity and those that are "wishes."
Then visit as many stores as possible in your area that carry
video cameras. Get a feel for prices and available options.
Then make your selection. Note that some stores may allow
you to lease a camcorder, thus reducing your initial cash
outlay requirements.
An important part of your service is the blank video tapes
that you will purchase. While standard VHS tapes can be purchased
quite inexpensively, you will want to make a habit of using
a high quality tape for the best results. Check out the latest
copy of "CONSUMER REPORTS BUYING GUIDE" at your
local library. Determine what their best recommendation is
concerning video tapes. Talk with the video salesman at your
local stores. You'll soon come to know what brands are better
and which to avoid. Find out if you can purchase tapes wholesale
by calling the home office of the manufacturer. Check around
in your area. Doing the necessary study in advance will save
you time and money in the future. These elementary learning
steps are necessary as the foundation of your business.
Once you have your video recorder, take it home and start
practicing with it. Think of yourself as being on a job for
a homeowner or an insurance company taking a photographic
inventory of the house and/or the occupant's possessions.
Practice by making a tape recording of your own household
furnishings. Make a tape, then play it back and critique your
work. Then repeat the process again and again until you have
a tape you can use in sales presentations to homeowners and
insurance companies. Video tape recordings of this kind are
becoming extremely popular for use in insurance claims across
the country.
The possibilities for selling your services to those who
would like a video record of some special event are endless.
Look through your weekend newspaper and make a list of the
girls announcing wedding dates. Find their names and telephone
numbers in your telephone directory and call them on the phone.
Ask them if they would mind if you came to their wedding and
made a video tape of it, without any obligation to them, of
course. Arrange to be at the wedding location an hour beforehand
to get your equipment situated. The secret is to get as much
of the wedding from a good angle as possible without being
obtrusive. Setting up slightly behind the officiating minister
and off to one side will allow you to focus on the faces of
the wedding party and guests without having to make large
movements. The zoom feature of your camera will allow you
to be far enough out of the way so as not to obstruct the
view of any guests. With your camera set up on a tripod, shoot
the wedding ceremony. Afterward, go to the reception and take
candid shots of the events--dancing, singing, cutting the
cake, the departure of the couple, etc. Use your imagination.
Get as many of the events as possible but without interfering
in any way. After the event, take the tape home and review
it. Keep practicing at weddings until you have a tape you're
reasonably proud of, and then call the bride. Ask to come
over and let her see the tape. Explain to her that you're
just getting started in the business and you simply want her
comments and suggestions. Chances are that when she sees the
tape she'll want to buy it.
While you're in the learning phase of your new business,
visit an apartment building and arrange with the manager to
make a video tape of her showing the apartment to you as a
potential renter. Contact a couple of property management
and real estate firms and do the same thing with condominiums
and houses for sale. You might want to listen in on the police
radio frequency and make tapes of auto accidents for law firms,
particularly those involving injuries. Consider taping golfers
practicing at the local driving ranges and letting them review
the tape on site to improve their swing. Other ideas include
any kind of sports practice sessions, birthday parties, special
anniversaries, baptisms, bar mitsvahs, publicity stories,
sales presentations, and "fireside chats" by company
presidents or general manager. These are just a few idea suggestions
you might want to pursue. You may find a certain kind of video
taping assignment especially enjoyable and want to specialize
in that area. Or, you may want to leave the door open for
any kind of assignment and handle each as the opportunity
presents itself. Whatever you decide, there are a few "sure
success" points to keep in mind as you begin to sell
your services.
Virtually everyone likes to see himself as a star in a home
video. Thus, when you show a client of a video tape of himself
in the starring role, he'll either buy the tape on the spot
or contract with you to make a similar tape of another event.
Modesty aside, everyone likes to show pictures of himself
and explain to his friends the different highlights of his
or her life. Thus, when you make a sales presentation featuring
your client, your sales rate should be close to 100 percent.
The best way to sell your services is to run a regular ad
in your area newspapers. Consider something along these lines:
Smart Video Taping Service
Whatever your idea or assignment, we can handle it for you!
No job too large or too small! We're experts at taping weddings,
anniversaries, birthday parties, and other special occasions.
Commercial assignments welcomed. Your satisfaction is guaranteed,
so give us a call-- 123-4567, right now!
When you receive calls in response to your ad, your objective
should be two-fold. First, find out what kind of taping job
the customer has in mind. Second, set up an appointment to
show them an example of the kinds of tapes you can produce.
Present the prospect with an example of your work.
Never meet with a prospect in a selling situation without
some sort of demonstration tape for him to preview. Try to
match the tape you show them as closely to their wants and
needs as possible. Don't show wedding tapes you have made
to golfing prospects or demonstrate a tape of home insurance
inventory for prospective wedding clients. Once you've met
with the prospect and shown the proper demonstration tape,
you should have the sale in your pocket.
Besides an ad in the newspaper and yellow pages of your telephone
directory, make copies of your ad and get it up on the bulletin
boards in your area. Send news and publicity releases to all
the media in your region, especially when you have an unusual
or special assignment that would be of interest to the general
public, such as the testing of a new invention by a major
corporation or a birthday party for a centenarian. Have some
impressive business cards printed and hand them out to as
many people as possible, as often as you can. The slogan on
your business card might read: "You Name It, We'll Tape
It."
Radio and television ads are much more expensive than the
resulting jobs will sustain, so be very cautious when considering
this type of advertising. However, it will very definitely
be advantageous for you to pursue guest interviews on any
kind of talk show. Talk show appearances and free write-ups
about your business in your local newspapers are promotional
angles to grab at every opportunity. Always be on the lookout
for promotional ideas and gimmicks that will result in area-wide
publicity for your services.
The bottom line is simple: Don't be adverse to creating a
story or set of circumstances if it results in a talk show
appearance or newspaper write-up for you.
How much should you charge for your services? Basically,
the going rate in most large metropolitan areas is about $75
per hour you spend on the assignment. Thus, you're going to
have to learn to estimate pretty accurately exactly how long
you'll need to spend on each job to produce a quality recording.
Some jobs, like weddings, might go for a standard fee of $150
to $300, depending on the competition in your area. It's always
a good idea to check out what other video taping services
in your city or comparably sized cities are charging. Newsletters
and trade publications serving the video industry often feature
articles on typical rates that free-lancers charge. Check
with your equipment supplier for the names or sample copies
of any newsletters about which he might know.
You can form a relationship with a client that can last a
lifetime.
Beginning with a young couples' wedding, if you follow up
on each sale properly, you'll probably end up making tapes
for birthdays of their children, youth sporting events, school
pageants and graduations, anniversaries, family histories
and scores of other events.
To make yourself a success, you will need imagination, an
affinity for people and a flair for salesmanship. Imagination
is important, because in many instances, you'll have to suggest
an idea for taping services. Although just about everybody
would like to have a taped record of some event or part of
their life to pass along to future family members, most will
not be able to decide what to tape until you suggest something
to them. You'll also find that almost no one is aware of even
half your capabilities until you make suggestions.
Taking pictures of people requires an ability to get along
well with them--to get them to relax and immediately feel
comfortable in your presence. You've got to be persuasive
while exercising a great deal of tact and diplomacy. Learn
to make friends easily and quickly. Be aware and understanding
of wants, desires and ambitions. Do your best to instill a
feeling of confidence in the prospect--confidence that you
are the best choice he could have made, and confidence that
what they are doing is important and doesn't look silly or
staged.
Selling and getting along with people are almost synonymous.
Life is an ongoing program of selling yourself to achieve
your own wants and ambitions. Read a few good books on the
art of selling, such as "How to Sell Yourself,"
by Steve Girard or "How to Sell Anything to Anybody"
by Tom Hopkins. Remember, selling is really just a matter
of recognizing someone's needs and then satisfying those needs
with a product or service. Your customers will automatically
accept as fact that you have the professional knowledge and
equipment to fulfill their needs. All you have to do is reassure
them, listen to their opinions on how best to meet their needs,
and, in closing the sale, become a good friend to them.
With the simple plan outlined above, you can get started
with your own video taping service. By combining our suggestions
with a bit of energy and persistence, you should be able to
begin with very little start-up investment and quickly begin
to reap the fruits of your own profitable labor. Having laid
it all out, the rest is up to you. Your future is in your
own hands. Grab on to your future today!
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