Just setup my own video production business

[Mark]

A few weeks ago I had the idea to setup my own video production company and I had finally decided to do it. After a week or two I began to receive emails and calls, everything has really taken off.

Does anyone else run their own business? Do you have a list of do's and don'ts? I have never worked in a production company, I just have an ambition to create film of a high quality. I have about six years experience in film production and photography.

[knight errant00]

Good work!

I've been trying to get my own writing/communications business off the ground for a year now (have one small ongoing client, and did two other jobs -- glad I haven't given up the day job)

If I may ask -- and if you'd prefer to PM me -- how are you finding/lining up clients? That's been the hardest part for me in all this.

[Mark]

Good work!

I've been trying to get my own writing/communications business off the ground for a year now (have one small ongoing client, and did two other jobs -- glad I haven't given up the day job)

If I may ask -- and if you'd prefer to PM me -- how are you finding/lining up clients? That's been the hardest part for me in all this.

I have been lucky in a way, I interviewed a band member from a very popular band of the 60's and they told everyone they knew about me. At a benefit concert I filmed on Sunday, I just passed a card to everyone I saw. I have a few weddings coming up soon, I'll will be doing the same thing. I have already been contacted by a few potential clients from that evening. The best thing to do is advertise, word of mouth is always a good idea. You could print a few ads in newspapers, but you will need to setup a website. I haven't yet, but I am about to launch my own. I hope I have helped you out, if you need anymore help please feel free to ask.

[jimsmegos]

Good luck and Godspeed! It's a tough world for the small business man or woman but very rewarding most times. The main thing I would advise is to not let the gigs overtake all of you own personal time. Trust me on that one. Again best of luck!

[Brad]

I am half owner of an auto upholstery business. I own it with my best friend of 33 years now. We learned the trade hanging out at his dads shop back when we were 13. It is a very simple 50/50 general partnership. There are no employees as we do all the work. We started the business in 1994 and do no advertising, word of mouth and repeat/referrals only. Cuts out the time wasters. We usually go right to the customer as we specialize in muscle cars and have done all the "sweet" ones including a 71 Hemi Cuda and an LS6 convertible. My partner does this full time for about about 10 years now and I am part time. I do all the books, buying, bills, etc and do some work. We do work out of both our garages too but we rarely need to bring a car here. We have put on hundreds of convertible tops right in the customers garage or driveway. This keeps our liability and overhead way down. We have survived a few lean years by operating this way. I am also a full time mechanic and always tired.


This only applies to the US of course, but I thought it may help show others how easy your own business can be to operate. We have an Illinois State resale number and a FEIN (federal employee identification number) but we really keep it simple. I file a 1065 and two K9s (one for each partner) and that is it other then the yearly sales tax to the state. We also do boats (lots of covers), barber and dentist chairs, Dr. exam tables, and we make a ton of custom covers for our local UPS hub at the airport. We even make tail stand covers for the jets. This has turned out to be a great account. One of our close friends is a mechanic there and got us in.

So my limited advice, based on what I have to deal with here in the US, is keep it as simple as you can at first. You can survive bad times easier. Expand when you need to but only if it has a major increase on your profits because it's more work. All the legal stuff like filing for a partnership or LLC is easy to do yourself. The taxes are easy too if you keep simple records on your computers and I just complete and print the forms right from the IRS web site.


Good luck and I hope you succeed. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and we need more of them.

[SeattleEd]

Congrats!
You being Oz I'm sure you can drum up a lot of business.
Word of mouth is best and if you are into the music scene, you should approach bands and see if they would be interested in being recorded or do a video.
There are a bunch of guys where I work that do video production on the side as well. Mostly music videos and short films and from I learned is that it's no different from audio work. If it's a big time band offer your services for free AT FIRST as long as it's in a professional capacity, meaning that the end product will see the light of day and utilized. In return have your name on it. Along the way make contacts and follow up.
You seem to be headed in the right direction with handing out cards.
What you want to focus is your unique style that separates you from the rest.
Wish you luck and keep hard at it everyday. It's definitely work but if you like it then it will be fun.

[generic]

I've been self-employed for about 10 years. I think the other posts offer good advice: try to keep it simple for as long as you can and word of mouth is good promotion.

One thing that I'll add is this; it's good to be able to do everything yourself, but sometimes you need other people. With what I do, I have to have at least a few employees, but I try to keep it to a minimum. The most I've ever had is 5 full-time and a couple part time employees, but right now I just have 3 full-time. It really helps when times are tough to be able to do as much of the work as possible by yourself.

Also, if you're doing well and have all of the video gear that you need to do your job, try to put some money away for those unexpected expenses. If you ever run into a situation where you need the cash, you'll be glad that you have it!

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

That sounds like a great idea...best of luck with it Mark. And welcome to another Aussie.