Business Overview:

If you can write and you’re interested in the Hollywood aspect of the writing business, learn how to become a screenwriter and open a screenwriting business. With the right script you can strike gold in this industry, whether you’re the writer or the mastermind behind the screenwriting company. While you certainly don’t need any specific credentials to make it with a business idea like this, it is a given that you will possess a talent for writing and for capturing the essence of the genre you’re writing for (for example, your comedic writing needs to be timely and, ultimately, funny). Additionally, any credentials or contacts in the business can only help you get your foot in the crowded door of screenplay writing. There are lots of resources—the internet, the library, bookstores—to get you started in the right direction and that can help you determine where your screenplays should be sent for review. If you’d rather try your hand as strictly business owner rather than screenwriter, you can recruit writers to work with you; they do the writing, you do the screenplay “shopping” and try to get their work picked up by a producer. You’ll want to make sure you iron out the details of your fees and your rights before entering a business agreement like this, and a legally binding contract between your company and the writer should do the trick. No matter how you embark on the business, one thing is for sure: If one of your company’s screenplays makes the Hollywood cut, your business will take off.

A Day in the Life of a Screenwriting Business Owner:

A typical day for a screenwriter or manager of a screenwriting business will consist of a lot of networking. Your goal each day will be to get one step closer to having your latest screenplay accepted by a production company or agent, so getting your writing out there—and following it up with emails or phone calls—will be of paramount importance. Of course if you or your writers are brimming with ideas, you will also want to take time each day to write. In fact, having a portfolio of screenplays can only benefit your business, so get writing!

About Your Customers:

This is a unique business in that you won’t really have customers per se, though you are selling a product. You are trying to win over production companies and/or agents who will buy your screenplays. Ultimately, though, your final customer will be audiences who see your screenplays come to life on the big—or small—screens.

What You Need to Start:

• Solid writing talent or talented writers working for you
• Contacts in the business to help you get your screenplays distributed
• A contract if you will be hiring screenwriters to work for you
• Copyrighted screenplays (either original or written for your company)

The Good:

• If you’re the writer, you can enter this business whenever you want and work at it as often as you are able.
• If your work is picked up, you could stand to make a good deal of money.
• The work can be very enjoyable for a person who likes to write.
• You need no startup money to write a screenplay.

The Bad:

• This business is very competitive and it could take you some time to get your screenplay read by an agent.
• You will have to do some legwork in order to send your writing to the appropriate places.

Resources:

• International Screenwriter’s Association
• Screenwriters Federation of America
• Writers Guild of America, West
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Motion Picture and Video Industries
• Wikipedia on Screenwriters

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Business Overview:

If you’re pining to find that dream business that enables you to live life the way you want, you should learn how to become a DJ and start a mobile DJ business. With a solid mobile DJ business plan and some guidance, your business can become the first call of customers looking to book the entertainment for their prom, wedding, parties, and events. Here’s what you need to know: First, like any good business owner, you need to know the ins-and-outs of your industry, of being a DJ. To become a mobile DJ, you’ll need to own and know how to operate the electronic equipment effectively, and you’ll want to have a good variety of music available for your gigs. You’ll want a catchy business name and solid marketing techniques to get your first of hopefully many customers. With your new business, you will have the opportunity to select the events you wish to DJ and either limit yourself to these or grow your business to include multiple parties per weekend (or even weekdays). When this business idea takes off, you can even choose to hire DJs to work gigs for your company. Whether you’re the DJ or simply the mastermind behind the business, you can’t go wrong considering the mobile DJ business.

A Day in the Life of a Mobile DJ Business Owner:

A typical day in this business will include recruiting new customers and returning the calls of potential customers interested in gathering more information about your company. You will also want to have marketing demos made up so that potential clients can see your DJs in action. Additionally, you will want to make sure your equipment is in top condition and your employees are all doing their best by your company name. Checking your business calendar carefully will be very important to ensure you know when your next gig is. Finally, you will need to review your financial records to ensure your business is growing in the right direction.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be looking for a professional DJ they can trust to show up at their event on time, well-prepared, and ready to show their guests a fun time of music and entertainment (DJs often serve as emcees and even provide lights and dancing props). Of course, they will want to see your demo videos of some of your events, or at least have solid recommendations from previous customers, and they will be looking for a competitive price for your services.

What You Need to Start:

• A business name
• A business license and insurance
• A business calendar
• DJ equipment and a vehicle in which to carry it
• Contracts for customer events
• A means of advertising your business

The Good:

• Your mobile DJ business is entirely scalable.
• You can operate your business solely from home.
• You can work part- or full-time, as desired.
• You can employ other hard-working DJs.
• The business itself can be very fun as well as very lucrative.

The Bad:

• You will have to establish a reputation for your business, which may require doing a few gigs at very low or no cost to show your skills.
• There is a bit of startup capital involved, as you will have to purchase your DJ equipment and music.

Resources:

• American Disc Jockey Association
• American Association of Mobile Entertainers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Disc Jockeys
• Wikipedia on Disc Jockeys

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Business Overview:

If dance is your passion and you are looking for a way to turn your hobby into a business, you should find out how to open a dance studio. The dance instruction industry is huge and there is always room for a newcomer to open a dance studio. These days ballroom dancing is very popular but all varieties of dance classes are well attended from modern dance to classical ballet. Depending on your dance background, you may want to open a salsa dance studio. If you’re a classically trained ballerina, open a ballet studio. If your training is in more than one type of dance, you can offer classes on many different types of dance. And you can always hire dance instructors trained in different styles to expand your client base. You definitely will want to have a dance studio business plan. This is the document that will outline what types of dance you will focus on, whether you want to buy a dance studio or build one yourself, how many instructors you need to hire and how you will market your new studio. Your research on how to start a dance studio should include scoping out the local competition in your area. The dance community is close-knit and dance lovers are always willing to help other studio owners with tips and advice, so don’t be shy about contacting local owners for advice and input. Once you have hired a couple instructors, you’ll be able to offer a wide variety of classes, both to little children wanting to be ballerinas and to adults preparing for their wedding day. Soon you will be dancing your way to success with this dance studio business idea.

A Day in the Life of a Dance Studio Owner:

If you are an instructor in your dance studio, you will need to dress appropriately for your scheduled classes and make sure the studio is clean and ready for students to arrive. If you have other instructors working with/for you, make sure they arrive on time and are dressed appropriately. Spend time between classes marketing your new studio via magazine ads aimed at your target audience, distributing fliers to dance clothing stores and other businesses that cater to dancers. During your day you will be talking with students and parents (if your students are school-age), making sure they are happy with their classes. You will collect tuition payments and send out invoices as necessary. You’ll want to make sure to enter the tuition payments in your finance software and to ensure that your instructors are paid.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be dance lovers looking for quality dance instruction. Depending on what type of classes you offer, your students will range in age from pre-school to adult.

What You Need to Start:

• Passion for dance
• Business plan
• Marketing plan and materials
• Business license and insurance
• Dance studio (with proper floors, barre, dressing room, etc.)
• Dance instructors
• Music (CD player, record player, piano with pianist, etc.)
• Dance attire
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• For a dance lover, being able to dance all day and get paid for it is a dream come true.
• Watching people learn to dance is very rewarding.
• Demand for dance classes will always be high.
• You can charge top dollar for quality instruction.
• If you have instructors teaching all your classes, you won’t need to do a lot of work each day.

The Bad:

• Finding dance instructors up to your standards could take some time and patience.
• You will need a decent-sized building, so renting or buying a studio is a must.

Resources:

• National Association of Schools of Dance
• National Dance Association
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Dancers and Choreographers
• Wikipedia on Dance Studio

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Business Overview:

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a DJ like those you’ve envied in clubs, you must learn more about what it takes to start your own nightclub DJ business. You might be surprised that learning how to become a club DJ is a fairly easy process and doesn’t require a huge initial investment. Obviously, knowing how to mix tracks and spin records is quite important, but the competitive business is more about getting gigs and drawing crowds than anything else. In order to make this happen, you’ll want to have an appealing demo and marketing plan. So much of this business idea is about image that paying attention to how you promote your DJ company is of utmost importance. In your marketing material, you will want to ensure you have a thorough contract with potential clients to secure the position as DJ, whether for a one-time gig or for a long-term position. This contract should include DJ fees plus any other entertainment services your company might provide. If your goal is to hire DJs to work for you, you will also want to make sure the DJs know what exactly you expect from them as representatives of your company.

A Day in the Life of a Nightclub DJ Business Owner:

The first thing that you will do each day is review the calendar to determine which gigs are on the horizon and what type of music will be needed for the events. Next, a DJ business owner will want to make it a priority to garner more business for the company and get hired for more gigs. This will happen either through your own promotional work or because of the popularity of your DJ skills—many DJs draw fans that will follow them to whatever club they’re playing if they like the music enough. You will also want to track your profits and your spending—as you gain more work you can add to your music and equipment collection.

About Your Customers:

As a nightclub DJ business owner, your clients will be both the clubs themselves and the patrons of the clubs. Ultimately, your true customers are the club goers as they’re the ones who can make or break your business.

What You Need to Start:

• DJ equipment
• A contract for hire
• Financial-tracking software

The Good:

• You can run your DJ company as a part-time or full-time business—it is entirely scaleable.
• The business holds up in tough economic times if you’ve got a following.
• The job can be fun—you can meet great people and make a name for your company.
• If you’re the one spinning music, you get to do what you love at every gig.

The Bad:

• The business is competitive; you really have to sell your company and its “brand” of music and entertainment.
• The hours are very late, often running into the wee hours of the morning. You need to be a night owl or this business will be difficult for you.

Resources:

• American Disc Jockey Association
• National Association of Mobile Entertainers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on Disc Jockeys
• Wikipedia on Disc Jockey

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Business Overview:

If the idea of running an exciting, money-making business from home with no startup costs and little risk sounds alluring, consider starting a talent agency. The concept of this business idea is really quite simple: You discover new talent that you would like to represent and you seek out work for them. Usually, you get paid when your client gets paid, and you take a cut (10 percent or more) of their pay. This is what motivates a talent agent to find work for their clients. After you have successfully found work for a few entertainers, models, and actors, your reputation will grow and you will be able to start getting more talent just by word-of-mouth. Then you can consider hiring additional agents to work for you and bring in even more talent. Before that, you might need to do a bit of advertising to get your business going. Other than that, it doesn’t take much overhead to start a talent agency, and you can invest as much or as little time in your business venture as you see fit. Of course, the more you work and the more you keep yourself involved in the industry, the easier it will be to find new talent and to find your entertainers their gigs.

A day in the life of a talent agency business owner:

The usual routine of a talent agency business owner will start with a look at the calendar—you will want to see what bookings your entertainment clients have that day and perhaps give them a reminder phone call, just to check in. There may be days where you will want to be on the set to be sure that the client is receiving exactly what they wanted from your talent. Then you will want to sort through your casting calls to see what jobs look like matches for your talent and start setting up auditions. A good agent will send a postmortem message to a booking client to ensure they were happy with their talent and to thank them for the business. Meeting with your agents if you have hired a staff will be important to make sure everyone is on the same page, and keeping a close eye on your finances will also add to your business success. Finally, this business is all about contacts, so keeping your PDA and your little black book handy will be the key to a winning agency.

About Your Customers:

In this business, your customers (clients) are twofold—you will have your talent clients (actors, models, singers, etc.) and your casting directors or companies that seek talent. You will get paid from your talent, but you need to maintain solid relationships with the booking companies so that they look to you the next time they need an entertainer.

What You Need to Start:

• A phone
• A computer with a high-speed internet connection
• A company name
• A business license (if required in your area)
• Talent (actors, models, musicians, entertainers)
• Contacts in the entertainment business who will book your talent

The Good:

• You can literally run this business from your sofa.
• There is little or no startup cost.
• Your profits are earned by others’ work.
• It can be a very exciting business to be in.
• You can meet great people.

The Bad:

• There are many talent agents out there who you will be competing with to book your talent.
• Some talent you work with may be temperamental and difficult to deal with.

Resources:

• The Association of Talent Agents
• Talent Managers Association
• Wikipedia on Talent Agents

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