One and two-person video aping services around the country are

reporting gross earnings of $50,000 to $100,000 per year. One

operation we looked into, reported an income figure of $80,000

during the preceeding 12-month period. They were accepting taping

jobs from all quarters and keeping 4-hired teams busy.

Marketing imagination, organization, and attention to detail are

the keys to success in operating this business. Ideas and request

for a 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. 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 "porta-pack"

recorder, and at least a half dozen tapes. Check around in your

area. Start by "reading up" on all the available equipment used

for video taping. A trip to your public library and few hours

browsing thru 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 catalogs and "idea

material" to keep you plenty 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 porta-pak recorder

for about $850, with blank tapes for $20 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 probably buy

all your tapes from him. It may not be your regular way of buying

things, but when you're starting a business, every dollar counts,

so always shop around for the best prices.

Once you have your video recorder, take it home and start

practicing 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.

Then, look thru your weekend newspaper and make a note of the

girls announcing wedding dates. Open your telephone directory 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 go 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 of 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 a potential

renter. Contact, a couple of property management and real estate

firms, and do the same thing with condominiums and houses for

sale.

You might want to listen in on the police radio frequency, and

make tapes of auto accidents, particularly those involving

injuries. Another idea might be the taping of golfers practicing

at the local driving ranges. Other ideas include any kind of

sports practice session, birthday parties, special anniversaries,

baptisms, bar mitsvah's, publicity stories, sales presentations,

and "fireside chats" by company presidents or general managers.

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

You may find a certain kind of video tapping assignment

especially enjoyable and want to specialize 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 gaining

in popularity every day. There area already some two-million

videocassette recorders in American Homes, with an estimated

100,000 being sold to new customers every month. Further

estimates indicate that by 1990, at least one half of all U.S.

households will own either a videocassette recorder or a

videodisc player. All this means your market is growing and is

expected to continue growing thru the end of this decade.

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

movie. Thus, when you show him a video tape of himself in the

starring role, he'll either 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

percent.

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

area newspaper. Such an ad might be similar to this one:

VIDEO TAPPING 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, birthdays parties and other

special occasions. Commercial assignments

also welcomed. Your satisfaction is guaranteed,

so give us a call---123-4567,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

shots of golf practice or instruction to golfing prospects.

Besides an ad in the newspaper, and the yellow pages of your

telephone directory, make copies of the ad and get it up on the

bulletin boards in your market area. 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

whomever, and as often as you can. 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 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 area is about $50 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 in your area, or in

a comparably sized city in your neighboring states are charging.

Newsletters and trade publications serving businesses of this

type are available, however we don't know of any that have

attained national prominence as of the date of this report. 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 parlay it into a full-time,

very high profit 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 for the

birthdays of each of their children, school graduations,

anniversaries, more birthdays, family histories, last wills &

testaments, and into a whole new cycle with each generation.

You will need imagination, an affinity for people and selling

moxie. Imagination is important because in many instances, you'll

have to suggest an idea for your taping services. Although just

about everybody would like to have a taped 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 understanding of wants, desires and

ambitions.

Actually, selling and getting along with people, are almost

synonymous. Life is and on-going program of selling yourself to

achieve your own wants and ambitions. Read a few good books on

the art of selling, such as: HOW TO SELL YOURSELF by Steve

Girard; and HOW TO SELL ANYTHING TO ANYBODY by Tom Hopkins.

remember, selling is really just a matter of recognizing

someone's needs and then satisfying those needs with a product or

service.

Your customer will automatically accept it as fact, that you have

the professional knowledge and equipment to fulfill 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 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

realize the fruits of your own profitable business.

If you have any questions, or run into special problems feel free

to call me or drop me a line. Having laid it all out for you, the

rest is up to you---Your future is in your own hands...