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Videographer
Vital Information
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Start-up Investment
Low - $1,000 or less for home-based operation
High - $100,000 and up for outside offices and acquisition of sophisticated
equipment.
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Break-even time - 2 months to 1 year
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Estimate of Annual Revenue and Profit
Revenue $30,000 - $800,000 Profit (Pre-tax) $20,000 - $250,000
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A Market With Continued Major Growth
New video technology of recent years has created
opportunities for a new segment of professional videographers. While certain
types of video-taping will require a highly skilled videographer in assignments
such as sports events, or a stage presentation, other assignments such as the
taping of individuals for a dating service, legal depositions, insurance
matters, and most social events will mostly require good knowledge of the
equipment, experience, and the ability to work with various groups.
The marketability and demand for various services is almost
unlimited. Video presentations are more commonly used now on sales presentations
of all types, various insurance claim matters, real estate sales, all types of
training material and in a variety of other situations. The market is really
only limited by the ability of the videographer to sell his services for a
variety of purposes.
Finding Customers Who Need Your Services
The Individual who has a good personality and enjoys mixing
with people will have a marked advantage in this field. Since many individuals,
organizations or companies may never have considered to utilize video for their
event or presentation the trick is to create the demand through the sale.
Networking your services through a group of friends and
associates will be most effective along with advertising. Advertising may be
used to reach the social event buyer as in the case of wedding and barmitzvahs
and advertising in business publications for a variety of business services.
Yellow Page advertising will also be an excellent way to get known in your
community. Direct mail properly followed up in personal and telephone sales
contacts will also be quite effective.
Churches, hotels, restaurants, florists, jewelers, clubs and
other organizations and businesses servicing the social market will also be able
to generate new leads. Getting your name out to as many of these companies as
possible will be a major plus. It is easy to track social events yourself. Check
the social pages in your newspapers for engagement announcements and synagogue
records for upcoming batmizah. You can then match names against those in the
phone book and will be able to mail your brochure or flyer.
You may even consider specializing in a certain market
segment as, e.g. legal videographing. Before you embark on this market find out
what laws are in your state pertaining to videotaping for legal purposes. They
differ substantially by state. An excellent way to get started may be to try
associating with court reporting service. In states where it is legal, many of
these services now tape the deposition in addition to keeping a written record
of it.
Another fertile market may be to initiate a direct marketing
campaign to an affluent neighborhood to sell video-taping services of valuables
for insurance records.
In your sales presentations to various businesses, the time
savings that can be accomplished through video presentations should be stressed.
A real estate agent can save hours of time which can be utilized to generate
more sales by utilizing video presentations of residences rather than driving
potential buyers all over town.
You may be able effectively use bartering to get your
business going. For example, you may want to video-tape one or more catering
events for a cater and in return have the cater recommend your company. The free
video-taping of a social event for the owner of a graphic design business or for
a printer may get you a free brochure.
The Operation of Your Video-Taping Business
Operationally it will be rather easy to get started.
Depending on your budget you have the choice of buying equipment outright which
can be quite expensive, or you can finance, or rent it. If you are on a
relatively tight budget, or are not quite sure if you want to pursue this
business long term it would be advantageous to go with the rental option. You
will be able to rent all the basic equipment required for the taping of most any
event, such as camera, player, color monitor, lights and sound equipment. You
can even rent editing equipment, or you may want to utilize an editing service
in the beginning. A van or station wagon to lug the equipment round will be very
helpful.
Other expenses will be for basic office supplies, telephone
and answering machine, a professional brochure or 2 to 4 page flyer, business
cards, etc.
While specializing in a given area such as social events,
business services, or something else will probably make good business sense over
the long term, it may be advantageous to pursue all markets during the first
year. This will build revenue quicker and you will be able to determine which
market you enjoy most.
Working social events can be trying. Some knowledge of social
etiquette and how a certain event should be conducted will be very helpful. Even
more, be sure you know who is truly in charge of the event. Each event will have
is own little idiosyncrasies depending on the participants. It may be that a
given relative should be taped more than someone else. Whoever calls the shots
will be able to direct you.
Surely this business is ideal to be started from your home.
As your business grows a design a design studio can be rented. Once you have the
basic equipment in place, most of your revenue will go to the bottom line,
unless you are renting equipment. It is therefore often possible to generate a
profit relatively quickly.
While it may be necessary to grant credit to established
businesses and organizations, it is not recommended that you grant credit for
social events. To do so is not commonly done even by hotels and restaurants and
is generally considered quite a risky practice.
Resources
Books & Publications: An excellent book is: "How to
Capitalize on the Video Revolution", Holt, Rinehart & Winston, New York, NY
Videography Magazine, 50 West 23rd St.,New York, NY 10011
Broadcast Week, Box 5727, 2500 Curtis St.,S-200, Denver, CO 80205 Organizations:
Women in Film & Video, 27 West 20th St.,New York, NY 10011-212-206-8555
Film councils can be found in most larger cities.
For additional information helpful in setting up your new
business, information about licenses, permits, the legal structure of your
business, taxes, insurance and much more refer to the Business Start-Up Fact
Finder Manual.
Contact us for more info
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