
6 Steps to Starting Your Own Videography Service: Shooting and producing videos can be exciting to many people. It happens to be a very in-demand service. Couples getting married are always looking for a good videographer to take action shots of their special day.
There are a host of other situations where a videographer might be needed, but this article is going to show you 6 steps to starting your own videography service.
1. Get a Good Video Camera
Having a real good camera will enable you to produce quality videos. Add to this your own talent for getting great shots, and you have yourself a goldmine of opportunity to make a decent living.
Be mindful that a good camera is a significant investment. You can get 4k camera under 2000 dollars, but assuming you do everything else right, the investment will pay for itself within a short time.
Videographers often become so backed up that people have to book them 2 years in advance. So you can see the tremendous potential here.
2. Get Business Cards
Business cards have been used to get the word out about entrepreneurs’ ventures for a very long time, and they are still as effective today. Once you get them, hand them out to anyone you can.
But be smart about it. If you happen to hear a couple of passersby talking about needing a videographer, politely catch up with them and let them know what you do.
Business cards are a tried and tested marketing method for a reason. Much business has been acquired this way. Don’t be afraid to use them.
3. Get Organized
Set yourself up for success. Determine how you will keep track of leads, how you will handle your appointments, finding the right things to talk about during an appointment, payment policy, etc.
Also give serious thought to how you will keep your books. Time is money, so you don’t want to spend time with mundane tasks when you could be on appointments. Consider having someone handle your books.
Lastly, think about creating a good filing system that works for you. The worst thing that can happen, and it usually does at a most inconvenient time, is to be looking for a file when you need it.
4. Business Entity
Don’t make a really big deal out of this yet. You may want to start out as a sole proprietor to save money on registration fees. LLC’s and corporations also require more of a time commitment, as they may require more tedious formalities. These can take up time that keeps you away from seeing potential clients or other matters that contribute more to making money.
5. Delegate
You may need at least one additional person to help you keep things moving smoothly. If your spouse is open to the idea, consider delegating some duties to them.
Remember that you want to maximize your time spent seeing clients and closing deals. You could have them keep your books and other important tasks while you’re out caring for these things.
When you’re actually performing the service, you may also need an assistant to help you set up the equipment and every shot that you plan to put in the video.
6. Insurance
Getting some sort of liability protection is a good idea, because things can go wrong, no matter how hard we try to avoid it.
You could accidentally bump a delicate object with your equipment, breaking it. You might accidentally bump into someone, knocking them over and possibly injuring them.
If any of these people decide to sue you, insurance will help protect you, especially if you are operating as a sole proprietor.
Summary
If you are getting ready to start a videographer service, then we hope these tips have been helpful to you.