Business Overview:

If you’re good with your hands and love making beautiful art, you should consider starting your own ice sculpture business and let others enjoy your work. An ice sculpture is a sculpture that uses ice as the material. Ice sculptures can be decorative or functional and are usually seen at weddings and other extravagant events due to their limited lifetime. Sculpting ice is a specialized skill but if you’re an artist who works with clay, wax or wood, you should be able to make a smooth transition to working with ice. You will need a few tools you typically won’t see in an artist’s studio such as a chainsaw, some chisels and a die grinder. Search your area for an ice house that sells ice that is clear and not cloudy. It’s important you start with clear ice so you end up with a clear sculpture. Consider working out some sort of discount deal with your ice supplier since you will be purchasing from him quite often. Business ideas like this one are only successful if the work is topnotch. So it’s important that before you try to sell your sculptures, you practice a great deal. Start with smaller blocks of ice and work your way up to large blocks. You’ll need to be familiar with what each tool does to ice and when to use each tool. Take pictures along the way so that when you’re ready to sell your first piece, you can put photos of your better sculptures in a portfolio (or on your website if you choose to have one) to show to potential clients. You’ll need to work out a delivery method to transport sculptures from your workshop to your clients’ venues. You can either purchase your own refrigerated truck or you can choose to hire a courier with a refrigerator truck to transport your ice sculptures. Make sure the transport vehicle has proper tie-downs so your sculptures are stable and make the trip safely. Market your business by talking with event planners and wedding coordinators in your area. Show them your portfolio or website and give them plenty of flyers that they can then show to their clients. Your marketing materials need to include your price structure so customers know what to expect. You could have a few pieces that you specialize set at one price and if a client wants something unusual for their event (or just something not on your list) you would charge more. You may quickly find that your ice sculptures are the talk of the town and you’ll then be able to raise your prices.

A Day in the Life of an Ice Sculpture Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any orders you need to complete that day. Depending on how quickly you sculpt, you may only be able to do one or two sculptures a day and you will need a large freezer if you plan to keep them at your workshop for very long. This means you will probably sculpt and deliver pieces in the same day. You will arrange for transport of your sculptures and stay in contact with your clients to make sure the venue is prepared for delivery. On days you are not sculpting, you will work on marketing your business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be event planners, brides and anyone else needing an amazing centerpiece for their elaborate event.

What You Need to Start:

• Ice sculpting skills
• Relationship with an ice house
• Sculpting tools
• Method of transporting sculptures
• Marketing materials
• Website (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• For an artist, sculpting ice is a fun way to show your skills.
• You can easily run this business part-time.
• Start-up investment is relatively small.
• You can charge top dollar for your sculptures.
• It’s rewarding to provide beautiful ice sculptures to your clients for their events.

The Bad:

• If you’re not already a skilled ice sculptor, you will need to spend some time honing your skills.
• It can take some time to sell your first few pieces.

Resources:

• National Ice Carving Association
• Sculptor.Org
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Artists and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Ice Sculptures

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Business Overview:

If you enjoy working with your hands and find satisfaction in making people’s memories last a lifetime, you should start a picture framing business. Picture frames are needed for everything from fine art and diplomas to posters and snapshots and can be made in any size. Operating a framing store that offers customers plenty of frame choices as well as excellent customer service can turn a hobby into a lucrative business idea. In order to have a large enough display area to properly show all your frame options, you will need to have a storefront. You should look for a location in a high traffic area, perhaps in a mall or outdoor shopping center. People love one-stop-shopping and if they can get a piece of art framed on the way to buy their child some shoes, they’re more likely to stop in. If you’re unsure how to start a picture framing business, you should look into purchasing a franchise. This will be a more costly investment but the benefits are huge. A franchise will come with training so you don’t need to have any prior experience in framing. You will also receive branding, marketing assistance, equipment and materials. Very few decisions need to be made when starting up a franchise which is great if you’re ready to get right down to business. However, if you’re interested in a more unique framing shop that perhaps caters to fine art, personally selecting each frame for your store would be important to your business model and a franchise wouldn’t be the best option. If you already operate an arts and crafts business, you could add framing to your services to bring in more customers. You can quickly learn this skill by reading a how-to book and practicing with a few pieces of your own before handling others’ art and photographs. Market your business by placing ads in the phone book and in magazines that cater to your market. If you specialize in framing large pieces, try to contract your services with a local art gallery so you can handle all of the framing for their business. They can also refer local artists to you for their framing needs. With excellent selection, skills and service, a framing business can be fun, exciting and quite lucrative.

A Day in the Life of a Picture Framing Business Owner:

Your day will begin by opening your store. You will help customers throughout the day with their framing needs. If you have a staff person helping you, you can work on framing during business hours while your employee mans the front of the store. You can also train your staff to do the framing as it’s a skill that many people are eager to learn. At the close of the day you’ll want to check your inventory and take of the finances to be ready for the following day.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals who need excellent framing services for their art, documents and photos.

What You Need to Start:

• Picture framing business plan
• Marketing plan
• Storefront
• Frames and mattes
• Framing skills (or you can hire an experienced framer)
• Equipment and other supplies
• Staff (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• The demand for custom frames will always be high.
• You can charge top dollar for excellent framing services.
• Franchises are available to help you get started.
• You get to work with interesting people and unique art pieces.
• Excellent service will earn you repeat business.

The Bad:

• The start-up investment is high.
• It can take some time to build your client base.

Resources:

• New England Professional Picture Framers Association
• Professional Picture Framers Association
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics Article on Framers
• Wikipedia on Picture Frames

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Business Overview:

If you have a good eye for design and are looking for a unique business venture, you should consider running a personalized stationery business. These days there are plenty of online companies that print and ship personalized stationery, invitations and thank-you cards, but there is plenty of room for another truly unique business idea. To do this, consider offering higher quality products and craftsmanship as well as topnotch customer service. If you’re not already familiar with paper products and printing techniques, you’ll need to do some research and perhaps take a class so you can get some practice before opening your own business. Experiment with different paper textures like linen, cotton, vellum, leaf paper or recycled paper. Look into purchasing equipment that creates embossed or engraved stationery. If you want to create beautiful and unique wedding invitations, you could use foil stamping to weave in metallic designs. Calligraphy is another option that adds a high-class touch to personalized stationery and invitations. As you can see, this business will be very hands-on since you will be essentially handcrafting each item; however, you can easily operate this business part-time and ramp it up as you are ready. You can also operate this business from your home and sell your products at local stationery shops. Also consider creating a website on which to display and sell your products. The more variety in products that you offer, the more markets of consumers you will attract. Or you could go the opposite direction and specialize in one particular niche like wedding invitations, for example. Become an expert on creating elaborate, gorgeous wedding stationery and yours will be the go-to business for brides everywhere. Another trend that could turn into a profitable niche is using recycled materials to make your products. Attracting the green market is a good way to be considerate of the environment while making your business eligible for government tax incentives. Another valuable service you can offer is envelope stuffing. Customers will gladly pay someone to address and stuff all the envelopes for a wedding or party. There are many options to consider when starting a personalized stationery business but with the right equipment, skill and customer service, your business can be very successful.

A Day in the Life of a Personalized Stationery Business Owner:

Since you will be working from home, you can set your own hours and your day will begin when it fits your schedule. You will check email, voicemail and website orders and contact potential customers to clarify their needs. You will continue to work on any ongoing projects and start work on new projects. If you sell your products at local shops, you will contact them via phone or in person every few days to check on your inventory, collect your sales and restock items. You will need to spend some time marketing your business in local phonebooks and magazines as well as online.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking for beautiful, unique and handcrafted stationery products.

What You Need to Start:

• Artistic skill
• Printing equipment
• Paper
• Other materials (foil, thread, etc.)
• Computer with design and finance software

The Good:

• There will always be a demand for unique stationery items.
• For an artist, this is a wonderful way to experiment with new materials and techniques.
• You can sell your items locally or online or both.
• You can easily run this business part-time and from home.
• The start-up investment required is minimal.

The Bad:

• This is a competitive industry and you will need to work hard to set yourself apart.
• It can take some time to build up your client base.

Resources:

• British Engraved Stationery Association
• Highbeam Business on Stationery Stores
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Office Supplies, Stationery and Gift Stores
• Wikipedia on Stationery

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Business Overview:

If you love the beauty of blown glass and you have artistic talent, learn how to make blown glass items and start running a glass blowing business of your own. Glassblowing is the process of shaping molten glass by blowing into a pipe. Color is added to the hot glass and the artisan can transform this raw glass into beautiful works of art. One of the most famous living glassblowing artists is Dave Chihuly whose works can be seen in museums and outdoor displays around the world. You don’t have to be a world-renowned artist to sell blown glass items, however. Glass blowing businesses can be quite successful making items like marbles, beads, drinking glasses and pendants. You can start this business relatively inexpensively and upgrade your equipment as you become more skilled. The essentials you will need are a torch, glass rods, color, oxygen, propane, regulators and ventilation. You can definitely operate this business from home but you’ll need a dedicated area for your studio and you will need to check your home owners insurance policy to see if any adjustments need to be made to allow for the additional risk to your home fire elements can pose. If you do not have any experience with glassblowing, you’ll need to invest in some training classes, books and videos. Finally, although it’s not required for small items, at some point you will need to invest in a kiln, which can be purchased for around $500 USD. When you have some items ready for sale, you can sell them online. You just need a website with detailed photos of your items and a method of purchasing though the site. If you create items like vases, platters and art pieces, you could work with local art galleries to display and sell your items. If your work includes pendants and jewelry items, consider working with accessories stores or boutiques and always wear your items when you go out. When people ask you where you got that beautiful necklace or pair of earrings, you can hand them your business card and tell them where they can buy some for themselves. For an adventurous artist, glassblowing is one of the most exciting and rewarding business ideas you can embark upon. Not only are the items fun to make, but they’re also beautiful and people will pay top dollar for them.

A Day in the Life of a Glass Blowing Business Owner:

Since you work from home, your day will begin on your schedule. You will continue work on pieces you started previously as well as to begin new pieces. If you have a website, you will spend time photographing your items and updating your website. If you sell online, you will check orders and ship out items. If you work with local shops or galleries to sell your items, you will contact them once a week to check on inventory. You will create new items, deliver them to the shops or galleries and collect money from previous sales.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals looking for beautiful blown glass items for themselves or as gifts or galleries looking to sell your pieces.

What You Need to Start:

• Art business plan
• Torch
• Kiln (optional at first)
• Glass rods
• Oxygen
• Propane
• Regulators
• Ventilation
• Insurance
• Home studio
• Website (optional)
• Relationship with local shops and galleries (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• For an artist, glassblowing is a fun and exciting method of creating art.
• Blown glass can sell for top dollar.
• Start-up costs are relatively low.
• You can sell your items online or with the help of local gallery and shop owners.
• You can easily run this business from home.
• You can work as much or as little as you like.

The Bad:

• It can take some time to become skilled at glassblowing.
• You will need to be patient while you build up your inventory and make your first sales.

Resources:

• Art Glass Association
• The Glass Association (UK)
• Art Glass Blowing & Hot Glass Casting Fabrication Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Article on Artists
• Wikipedia on Glassblowing

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Business Overview:

By starting an art restoration business, you can help art lovers preserve their valuable paintings so they may pass them down to future generations. Art restoration is the practice of cleaning, repairing or retouching artwork in an attempt to return it to its original look. Every effort is made to make art look new without permanently changing it. With this in mind, most art restoration techniques are fully reversible. A famous example is Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” fresco which was restored using watercolors. Before you dive into this business, however, it’s very important you are well trained in art restoration. If you don’t have experience working in a restoration shop, you can take classes to get practice with various techniques and materials. You could also hire skilled art restorers to work for you. You may run your art restoration business from home in which case you would need a storage room and studio space in which to perform your work. Or you can open a storefront and do all the work there. In either case, talk to area art dealers and galleries and give them business cards to hand out when people come to them looking for art restoration services. If you live in a larger city that is home to one or more museums, talk to the curators, show them your work and let them know you are available for any restoration projects they may need. You’ll find it’s helpful to have a website that explains what techniques you specialize in as well as some before and after photos so clients can see exactly what you do. To increase the value of your service, in addition to restoring art, you could also offer to pick up clients’ art at their homes or offices and deliver it when the job is done. You could also contract with a courier service to handle this service. You’ll learn when researching this business that acquiring all the supplies and materials you’ll need is going to be a sizeable investment. However, art owners will pay hefty sums to have their prized possessions handled with care and restored to their original appearance. You should be able to make back your investment relatively quickly with just a few larger projects. As you can see, this is one of the more specialized business ideas out there but with excellent skills and marketing, you’ll find it’s a business that’s in very high demand among the art community.

A Day in the Life of an Art Restoration Business Owner:

If you operate your business from a storefront, you’ll arrive before opening time to get some work done before customers start coming in. If you offer consulting services, you will travel to potential customers’ homes or offices to discuss how your business can help them and their art. You will spend the majority of your day working on current projects (consider having a bell on the door so you can work in the back of the store but be alerted when a customer comes in). If you have a restorer working for you, you can manage the front of the store while your staff works in the back. If you run your business from home, you can make your own hours but it’s important that you dedicate a few hours each day to working on current projects in order to stick to promised deadlines. You will spend some time marketing your business around town and by placing ads in area magazines and online.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be art owners and art dealers who need high quality restoration services.

What You Need to Start:

• Art restoration experience (or a staff of skilled restoration professionals)
• Supplies
• Storefront or home studio with storage space
• Website (optional)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• Among the art community, art restoration is a much needed and very valuable service.
• You can charge top dollar for highly skilled restoration services.
• If you are not qualified to restore art, you can hire restoration professionals to work for you.
• You can run this business from a storefront or part time from home.

The Bad:

• The work can be painstakingly detailed.
• You (or your staff) must be highly skilled so you don’t damage the art you are working on.

Resources:

• Association of Restorers
• Midwest Art Conservation Center
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Artists and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Art Restoration

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Business Overview:

If you’re looking for a unique way to use your artistic talents and be your own boss, you should look into how to start an art headboard business. Traditional headboards are made of wood and have a matching footboard. Today’s modern bedroom has a “floating” mattress and box spring with no footboard. The headboard can be made from a variety of materials – painted canvas, fabric, even a photograph. Making headboards customizable opens up a vast market for people to choose exactly what they’d like the centerpiece of their bedroom to look like. Before starting your art headboard business, however, you should closely examine your artistic strengths and decide what your niche will be. If you are a skilled painter, you could offer a few “stock” painted items and also offer customers the option of a custom look. You could paint from a photograph or just an idea your customers present. If you’re not a painter but have skills as a photographer, you can enlarge your own photographs to attach to headboards. A third option uses the limitless world of digital imaging to create art for truly custom headboards. This option would be perfect for a graphic designer looking for a way to branch out into another industry. Like an artist who uses a computer as a canvas, creating beautiful digital art means the graphic designer can duplicate popular designs as well as offer custom work. If you’re skilled with a sewing machine, you can offer custom fabric headboards. All you need to get started with this business is a great website and a few tools. Each headboard will be custom made and assembled in your clients’ homes so you don’t need a lot of storage space. You’ll find that this is one of the most creatively rewarding work-from-home business ideas out there today. Not only do you get to express your artistic side and make a good profit in your spare time, your work will be the showpiece of many people’s bedrooms and that will surely get you plenty of referral business.

A Day in the Life of an Art Headboard Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any new orders. You will meet with potential clients, look at their space and discuss what their needs are. You will then continue work on any ongoing projects. Depending on what your medium is, you will tweak a digital image and print it out (or take it to a print shop), continue working on a custom painted headboard or work with your clients to select the perfect photo from your portfolio. You will need to spend some time marketing your business. Contemporary style furniture stores will be most in tune with your products and if you can arrange for a headboard or two to be displayed in a few stores around town, you will see a huge bump in sales. Of course you will need to pay the furniture store a commission so be sure to consider that when pricing your items.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals and couples looking for a beautiful, modern, custom piece of art that is also a headboard.

What You Need to Start:

• Artistic skills (or an artist on staff)
• Website
• Tools and supplies (will vary depending on your medium but may include canvas, paints, fabric, glue, nail gun, etc.)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• This is a great way to express yourself creatively.
• It’s rewarding to create the perfect centerpiece for a living space.
• You can run this business part-time and from home.
• You don’t need a lot of storage space.
• You can charge top dollar for high quality products.

The Bad:

• Getting your first few clients can take some time.
• Installing these large pieces of art can be labor intensive.

Resources:

• Professional Association for Design
• American Home Furnishings Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Artists
• Wikipedia on Headboards

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Business Overview:

If you are a skilled artist looking for a fantastic way to showcase your talents across various media, you should consider running your own animation business. Whether you are a graphic designer or a traditional artist interested in making the transition to high-tech, you will find that animation offers many options. To be truly successful with this business idea, you should first choose a niche. Animation is used in television commercials, movies and video games. Decide what your experience and interest draws you to and concentrate on that area. Next you need to design a website to showcase your projects. Create a demo that potential customers can see that shows your range. You can operate this business exclusively online or you can market to local businesses, or both. If you are not a skilled animator but see the potential of this type of business, you can hire skilled animators to work for you. Market your business by reaching out to advertising companies to see if you can contribute your animation to their current or future ad campaigns. If you live in a city with a sizable motion picture production community, meet with production companies to discuss how your business can add special effects to locally produced movies. If you’d rather concentrate on the video game sector, you can contact video game producers and show them your demo animations. This field is highly competitive so you’ll want to seek out connection with possible clients through friends, family, and word of mouth. Getting started is the hardest part; once you have a few clients, word of mouth will be a valuable marketing tool. The animation business may be competitive but it is also one of the most best online business ideas for an entrepreneur looking to get into the world of digital artistry.

A Day in the Life of an Animation Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any emails or phone calls from potential customers. You will follow up with them and meet with them (virtually or in person) if needed. You will then work on any ongoing projects and make sure they are completed on time. You may need to talk to your clients throughout the design process to ensure you are both on the same page with what they need. You will spend some time during your day marketing your business by calling local businesses or placing ads on various websites. When time allows you will also create new demos and post them to your website.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be various businesses in need of high quality animation services. They may be movie production companies, advertising companies or video game producers.

What You Need to Start:

• Animation business plan
• Experience with cutting edge animation programs or a staff of experienced animators
• Website
• Demo animation projects
• Computer with various animation programs and plenty of storage space
• Marketing plan
• Finance software

The Good:

• Animation services are in high demand in various industries.
• You can charge top dollar for high quality animation.
• You will likely get repeat business from satisfied customers.
• You can operate this business online only or work with local businesses.
• This business can easily be run part-time from home.

The Bad:

• You will need to invest in extremely robust and costly animation software and computer equipment.
• It can take some time to build your client list.

Resources:

• International Animated Film Society
• Professional Association for Design
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Artists and Related Workers
• Wikipedia on Animation

Technorati Tags: animation business plan, running your own animation business

Business Overview:

If sports and photography are two of your passions, why not combine the two into one great business venture and start a youth sports photography business? Even if you are an amateur photographer, you can be a success with this business. You just need a camera and with a little practice you’ll be taking exciting action shots before you know it. With all the youth sports leagues playing games after school and on weekends, sports photography is one of the more lucrative business ideas available if you have an interest in providing thrilling photos to athletes and their friends and family. If you happen to own a photography business, adding youth sports to your repertoire can be a smart move considering you already have the equipment and skills you need. To get started, you should contact any local sports leagues and schools and explain what you do. Have a few example shots available either in person or on your website to show potential league managers. Your clients will typically be parents of athletes playing various sports in your area. Parents tend to miss a good portion of an event if they’re constantly concerned about getting just the right photo of their child. Knowing they can purchase professional photos of the event allows them to relax, cheer for their son or daughter and truly enjoy the experience. A professional website will be key to the success of this business. Simply hand out business cards at each sporting event and post the photos from that event online. If you choose, you can password protect each event; just be sure to write the password on the business cards so parents can access photos of their child’s event. Customers can then place orders online which will free you up to keep marketing your business and taking more photos to sell. You may find that demand is so high for your business services that you need to hire freelance photographers to work for you. That way your business can cover multiple sporting events simultaneously. The more photos you take, the more your services will be requested. Your business will grow as fast as the sprinter you photograph.

A Day in the Life of a Youth Sports Photography Business Owner:

If you have events, your day will begin with a check of your schedule and your equipment to ensure batteries are charged, extra memory cards are packed and you have all the other equipment you may need to take your photographs. You will also set up a place holder page on your website for the event(s) you will cover that day. You will get your business cards ready to hand out. If you have multiple events and/or have a staff working for you, you will coordinate with them to make sure they know where to go and when to be there. After your event(s), you will hurry back to your computer and upload your photos. You will field questions via phone and email but sales should happen automatically. You will then need to print and mail your photos to your clients—or use an online service to do this for you.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will typically be the parents of the young athletes you photograph. Youth leagues and schools may also purchase photos for promotional materials and yearbooks.

What You Need to Start:

• Digital camera
• Accessories (extra memory cards, external flash, tripod, etc.)
• Website
• Staff (if needed)
• Computer with photo editing and finance software
• Business cards and other marketing materials

The Good:

• For a skilled photographer, this is an excellent secondary business.
• For an amateur photographer, sports photography is a relatively easy skill to learn.
• Return on investment is huge.
• You get to work in an exciting environment.
• You’re not stuck in an office 9-5.

The Bad:

• It can take some time to get your name out there and get your first sales.
• The hours can be long and irregular.

Resources:

• Sports Photography Association of America
• Society of Sport and Event Photographers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Photographers
• Wikipedia on Sports Photography

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Business Overview:

Learning how to start a logo design business is an ideal online business idea if you are a graphic designer looking to go out on your own and be your own boss. Graphic design is a broad category of the design business but if you choose to focus your talents solely on logo design, you can create a specialized service and build up your reputation among online businesses. This business can be run exclusively online, but if you’d like you can also go after local clients. If any of them have outdated websites or no websites at all, you can contact them and offer your services to create a logo for them. You can also work with your local chamber of commerce. This is a good way to find new businesses and contact them directly. New businesses may not have the budget for a top dollar logo but that will work to your advantage because you will be able to build up your portfolio and make a small profit to start. Once you have a few clients on your list, you can market your business to larger companies who are looking for topnotch logos—and are willing to pay for it. The more experience you have, the higher price point you can set for your work. And because the startup capital needed for this business idea is so small, you will make a good return pretty quickly. Soon you may find that you need to hire additional logo designers to help you handle the number of jobs coming in.

A Day in the Life of a Logo Design Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of any ongoing projects. You will work on those projects with a close eye on deliverable deadlines. You will contact the client throughout the design process to make sure you are still on the same page with what the client wants. If you do not have any jobs on the horizon, you will spend your day marketing your new business locally and online. If you have a staff working for you, you will check their progress with any projects they’re working on and assign them new projects.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be business owners looking for high quality, competitively priced logo designs for their websites and print media.

What You Need to Start:

• Computer with excellent software design programs
• Graphic design experience
• Marketing plan
• A web site
• Staff (if desired)

The Good:

• You can easily run this business part time.
• Start up costs are minimal.
• You can charge top dollar for high quality logo design (once your portfolio is large enough).
• You get to use your creativity to help others’ businesses.
• You don’t have to work in an office 9-5; you can set your own hours and work from home.

The Bad:

• It can take patience to build up your client base.
• You will need to be sensitive to your clients’ needs even if they have a hard time expressing them clearly.

Resources:

• The Professional Association for Design
• Graphic Artists Guild
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Graphic Designers
• Wikipedia on Logos

Technorati Tags: how to start a logo design business

Business Overview:

If you love making home movies and are the go-to friend to record everyone’s special events, you should start your own video recording business. Imagine doing what you love and making a healthy living off of it. You can start small, recording events like birthday parties and dance recitals, and ramp up to larger events like weddings and business conventions. But before you go too far with this business idea, you’ll need to purchase a high quality digital video recorder, tripod and some digital video editing software. You may have gotten by in the past with your old recorder but in order to charge your clients top dollar, you really do need the best equipment. You can find brand new high quality cameras wholesale or on sites like eBay. Next you will need to consider your marketing plan. Start with friends and family – have them spread the word about your new business telling potential clients what a great job you did with their events. You should put together a short promotional video to give people an idea of your shooting and post-production style. And here’s a hint: the better your post-production skills, the better the video will turn out and the higher you can charge for your services. Anyone can shoot a wedding start to finish but if you edit it well, include appropriate transitions and music, it can be the difference between amateur and professional. After you have a few events under your belt, your reputation will spread among the markets you are targeting. Take out some ads in local wedding magazines and community periodicals. Before you know it, you’ll need to hire additional videographers to handle the workload and you will just need to manage and promote your successful business.

A Day in the Life of a Video Recording Business Owner:

Your day will begin with a check of your schedule to see if you need to prepare for any events that day. If you have an event, you will need to load up your gear and get to the event site well before the start time to set up. If you have a crew working with or for you, coordinate with them to ensure everything is set up on time. After the event, you will touch base with the client to let them know when to expect the finished product and arrange for final payment. If you don’t have an event that day, you will concentrate on marketing your business. You will review the ads you have lined up and determine if you need to widen your range to include other media like the Internet, direct mail, flyers, etc. Each day you will also check your finances to ensure everything is in order.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be individuals or businesses who need high quality video recordings of various events.

What You Need to Start:

• Digital Video Camera
• Tripod
• Computer with editing software
• Marketing plan and materials
• Finance software

The Good:

• If your passion is video, you can spend your days doing what you love.
• The hours are flexible; you’re not in an office 9-5.
• You can work as much or as little as you want.
• You can easily start this as a side business while keeping your day job and ramp it up to a full-time business.
• You get to work with many different and interesting people.

The Bad:

• It can take some time to build your client base.
• You may run into trouble with some clients if your vision doesn’t match theirs.

Resources:

• The Digital Video Professionals Association
• Wedding and Event Videographers Association
• Association of Video Professionals
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Television, Video, and Motion Picture Camera Operators and Editors
• Wikipedia on Videographers

Technorati Tags: video recording business