How To Start And Operate Your Own
Video Taping Service

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This is a fabulously profitable business that's still in its
infancy.

And for sure, if you want a business that takes no special
training, expensive office set-up or large investment - yet is
capable of showing almost immediate profits - this is it!

Now is the ideal time to get started with your own Video Taping
Service.

Purchasing and learning how to operate, as well as maintain the
necessary equipment is easy.

The technological improvements built into the equipment, and the
operating procedures have been so simplified that almost anyone
with the ability to read, can study a video instruction manual for
a couple of hours and immediately produce professional quality,
highly marketable video tapes.

Without a doubt, video tape technology has replaced Super 8 home
movies as the most desired memory saving system.

One and two-person taping services around the country are
reporting gross earnings of œ50,000 to œ75,000 per year.

One operation I looked into, reported an income figure of œ700,000
during the proceeding 12 month period.

They were accepting taping jobs from all quarters, and keeping 4
hired teams busy.

Marketing imagination, organisation, and attention to detail are
the keys to success in operating this business.

Ideas and requests for new things or events to tape and preserve
for later playback viewing, are coming in faster than one can
list.

Then, there are 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 - for the person selling the service as well
as the man or woman on the recording camera.
But don't let mentioning of details to remember scare you off.

On the contrary, you'll find video equipment easy and inexpensive
to practice on, especially when compared to attaining a comparable
degree of expertise with film.

Then, look through your weekend newspaper and make a note of the
girls announcing wedding dates.

Open your telephone directories and call these girls on the phone.

Ask them if they'd mind if you came to their wedding and make a
video tape of it, without any obligation to them of course.

So you do to the wedding, introduce yourself, and practice making
a video tape of the wedding ceremony.

Take the tape home, and critique it.

Keep this up 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, when she sees the tape, she'll want to buy it.

While you're in this learning phase with 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 flats and houses for sale.

Another idea might be the taping of golfers practising in the
local driving ranges.

Other ideas might include any kind of sports practice sessions,
birthday parties, special anniversaries, baptisms, publicity
stories, sales presentations, and statements by company
presidents or general managers.

These are just a few suggestions you might want to pursue.

You may find a certain kind of video taping assignment especially
enjoyable and want to specialise 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.

Remember, the idea of having a video cassette system in one's
home, is going up in popularity every day.

There are already millions of video recorders in British homes,
with an estimated 100,000 being sold to new customers every month.

All of this means your market is growing and is expected to
continue growing throughout the rest of the 90's.

The slogan on your business card might read:

Have Video Tape Recorder
Available for ANY kind of assignment -
You name it, and I'll tape it ...

Radio and/or television advertising will probably be much more
expensive than the resulting job assignments 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 just about any kind of broadcast talk show.

Talk show appearances and free write-ups about your business in
your local newspapers are promotional angles to reach for 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 simply this: 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 œ30 per hour you spend on the assignment.

Thus, you're going to have to learn to estimate pretty accurately
just how long each job is going to take you to produce a quality
recording.

It's always a good idea to check out what other video taping
services are in your area, or in a comparably sized city in your
neighbouring towns are charging.

Newsletters and trade publications serving business of this type
are available, however, we don't know of any that have attained
national prominence currently.

Check with your equipment supplier on any that he might know of.

Success with a business of this kind 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 build it
into a full time, very profitable profession.

The prestige this business will afford you is similar to that of a
doctor.

Starting with a young couple's wedding, if you follow up on each
sale properly, you'll probably end up making tapes of the
birthdays of each of their children, school results,
anniversaries, more birthdays, family histories, last wills and
testaments, and into a whole new cycle with each generation.

You will need imagination, an affinity for people, and selling
sense.

You can use the same tape over and over again, and this is
definitely a business where the phrase "practice leads to
perfection", applies without qualifications or reservations.

To start a video taping service, you'll need a video recorder, and
at least half a dozen tapes.

Check around in your area.

Start by "reading up" on all the available equipment used for
video taping.

A trip to your local library and a few hours browsing through the
periodicals on video equipment should give you added interest and
a basic indoctrination.

Next, check out the suppliers listed in the yellow pages of your
telephone directory.

A few phone calls to those places listed, plus a few in-person
visits, should supply you with enough catalogues and "idea
material" to keep you busy for a week or more.

These elementary learning steps are necessary as the foundation of
your business.

You should be able to buy a good quality video recorder for about
œ800, with blank tapes for œ3 or less.

When you buy, always 'dicker' with the dealer - explaining to him
that you're in the process of establishing a video taping service,
and if he will include a supply of tapes with the recorder, or at
least give you an especially good price on them, you'll buy all
your tapes from him.

It may not be your regular way of buying things, but when you're
starting a business, every pound counts, so always shop around for
the best prices.

Once you have your video recorder, take it home and start
practising 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 record of your own household
furnishings.

Make a tape, then play it back and critique your work.

Then do it 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
with homeowners and insurance companies alike.

Virtually everyone would like to see himself as a star in a home
movie.

Thus, when you show him a video tape of himself in the starring
role, he'll buy the tape on the spot, or want you to make a
similar tape for him.

Regardless of false modesty, everyone likes to show pictures of
himself, and explain to his friends the different highlights of
his or her life.

With this understanding about your prospect in mind when you make
a sales presentation, your closing rate should be quite close to
100%.

The best way to sell your services is to run a regular ad in your
area newspapers.

Such an ad might be similar to this one:

VIDEO TAPING SERVICES
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,
or other special occasions.
Commercial assignments also welcomed.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed, so give us a call right now!

When you receive calls in response to this ad, your objective
will be two-fold: find out what kind of taping job they have in
mind, and set up an appointment to show them an example of the
kinds of tapes you can produce for them.

Show them an example of your work.

Once you've met with them, and shown them a demonstration tape,
you should have the sale in your pocket.

Never meet with a prospect in a selling situation without some
sort of demonstration tape to show him.

Try to match the tape you show them as closely to their wants and
needs as possible.

Wedding tapes you have made for prospective wedding clients, and
shows of golf practice or instruction to golfing prospects.

Besides an ad in the newspaper, and the yellow pages, make copies
of the ad and get it up on the notice boards in your local shops
and supermarkets.

Send news and publicity releases to all the media in your area,
definitely whenever you've got an unusual or special kind of
assignment.

Have some impressive business cards printed, and hand them out to
everyone, as often as you can.

Imagination is important because in many instances, you'll have to
suggest an idea for your taping service.

Although just about everybody would like to have a raped record of
some event or part of their life to pass along to future
generations of their family, 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 people - 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.

Make friends easily, and quickly.

Be aware of, and have an understanding of wants, desires and
ambitions.

Actually, selling and getting along with people are almost
synonymous.

Life is an on-going programme of selling yourself to achieve your
own wants and ambitions. Read a few good books on the art of
selling and remember, selling is really just a matter of
recognising someone's needs and then satisfying those needs with a
product or service.

Your customers will automatically accept it as fact, that you have
the professional knowledge and equipment to fulfil their needs.

All you have to do is reassure them, listen to their reasons for
these needs, and in closing the sale, become a good friend to
them!

And that's it - the plan that can enable you to get started with
your own Video Taping Service.

By following our suggestions, and with a bit of energy as well as
persistence, you should be able to begin with very little start-up
investment, and quickly begin to realise the fruits of your own
profitable business.

Having laid it all out for you, the rest is up to you.

Your future is in your own hands!