Archive for the 'Business Management' Category
posted by Steve8th, 2008
In a downturn, the first thing many video producers and independent videographers cut is marketing. They stop advertising, they stop sending out demos and generally, they cut down on their promotional activities -if not eliminating them entirely.
This may sound like a logical thing to do, but it’s a dumb move.
And it’s exactly what a lot of your competitors are going to do -if they haven’t already done it -which gives you a terrific opportunity to gain new business.
To give you an extra boost in these difficult times, I’ve written a short, easy-to-read little guide to helping you maintain your business in tough economic times.
And I want you to have a free copy.
“Marketing Your Video Business Through A Downturn” will give you some common sense guidelines for stepping back, assessing your production business, and applying practical, low-cost tactics for stretching assets and marketing spending further -in the right directions -for a greater yield.
And it’ll show you some great ideas and techniques to add a little extra to your bottom line, too.
The last time I put out one of these recession-busting reports, I sold it for $19.95. This time around, it’s free. No charge, no obligation.
All I ask is that if you like it and it’s helpful to you, pass it along to a friend or two. You can give them the link to the download page or you can just send the .pdf book to them by email. Or burn it to a CD and flip it to them. And if you’re in a local video association, feel free to let your fellow videographers know it’s available.
Fair enough?
Thanks. As always, I wish you the best of success! And go get your free copy right here.
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posted by Steve7th, 2008
Time to hit the Panic Button? Boy, I’m close. My well-organized schedule has turned into a moving target! In between the normal spring cleanup tasks and finishing up a new book and a new audio program, I’ve been trying to move my office into our home. Which means more time spent sifting through things to see what gets moved, what gets stored and what gets pitched. And then to top it off, Jenny -starting her third year of college -decides she is ready to vacate her bedroom at Casa del Yanqui-Wolfe…so it’s pandemonium around here. I recorded a half-hour audio program yesterday in the “home office,” then broke all the equipment down so Gayle could do her thing last night…then when I sat down to edit the program this morning, discovered I had left out a couple critical paragraphs, so I have to set everything up again, and hope I can match the levels.
Well, luckily the chaos will only last a couple more weeks, so bear with me.
But if my refrain is far too familiar a one, you might check into my Success Without Stress video on how to manage a successful home-based video business. Details here.
Chaos or no, tomorrow I’m releasing my brand new book, Marketing Your Video Business Through A Downturn, to my Weekly Video Tips readers and to readers of this here blog. Make sure you’re here tomorrow or are a subscriber to get your hands on this when it’s released; it’s a free resource that will help get you through the hard times we’re all experiencing.
posted by Steve2nd, 2008
Hope you didn’t buy your big screen TV last month…According to Gizmodo, Sony is leading a huge price drop next month.
posted by Steve23rd, 2008
My old partner Randy was one of those guys who never threw anything out. As a result, our production company had a lot of…well, interesting is a good word…interesting stuff cluttering up the place. Laser disc players, a couple of broken reel-to-reel 1/2″ VCR’s, some hopelessly antique cameras and camcorders…he had so much of this technojunk that we finally built him a large storage space -”Randy’s Room” -filled corner to corner with sturdy steel shelving. I was down at Great Lakes Video the other day and -guess what -even though he’s not with the operation any more, Randy’s Room remains, securely locked and apparently still loaded. Sort of like Al Capone’s vault. Who knows what treasures lurk inside?
Well, Randy isn’t alone. Old computers, camcorder, motherboards, broken audio boards and switchers, cell phones, CDs, jewel cases, old VHS tapes…we of the video production persuasion certainly can stack up the old equipment quickly.
As we move farther into the information age, the volume of obsolete computer equipment and supplies is becoming a serious problem that needs to be dealt with responsibly. Today, it’s estimated that over 90 percent of technojunk is not being recycled. Some is thrown away, but most remains unused sitting on desks or taking up storage space.
You know what I’m getting at; I’m asking you to recycle your old broken and outmoded gear. There may be a local drop-off that legitimately recycles your equipment. If so, why not make a stop there part of your spring cleaning ritual?
Alas, many communities don’t have a good recycling point. If this is your case, I recommend an operation such as GreenDisk. You can use them to recycle ‘puters, iPods, MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm pilots, and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees.
Check ‘em out right here: www.GreenDisk.com
posted by Steve2nd, 2008
My friend and Video Business Advisor Advisor (I’ve got to think of another name for this great group of people!) John Easton has produced a video of a panel discussion he recently participated in on business networking strategies.
Says John, “I thought the video serves as a good example of how end users can use program-based streaming video to turn their expertise into effective marketing tools. FYI, our Chamber of Commerce (Charlotte, NC) has signed on a distribution partner (4,000 + business audience) and we are working on others The programming is also an opportunity for video producers to sell yet one more service.
“In addition, I mention you and your rule of 8:16 in the discussion. I thought you might get a kick out of the mention.”
I watched the series, enjoyed it and yep, I did get a kick out of the mention, John. Thanks for that, and for giving us another great tip for marketing our businesses.
See the series on John’s Blog. And while you’re there, sign up for a free subscription to John’s stuff. He’s a terrific source of marketing ideas that really work.
posted by Steve25th, 2008
On one of our Video Business Advisor members-only discussion boards, VBA member Case Marsh remarked how, when he was preparing to graduate from college and just beginning his search for work, he came across one of the handiest resources he had ever used.
“One of the books I bought,” says Case, “provided a list of 20 questions that a job seeker should be prepared to answer quickly, calmly, and convincingly. This book offered the reason behind the questions the interviewer asked, and how a job seeker could use these questions to their advantage, as well as sample answers.”
Well – being the resourceful folk they are, VBA members got together early this summer and developed a list of 16 questions they most often encounter when approaching new client-prospects. And then came the fun part: They chipped in their ideal answers for each of the questions; answers that you can take and use for yourself while you’re out there building your own successful video production business!
Thus was born “Great Answers to Tough Questions” –a book that tackles all the tough questions, from “Why are your prices higher than other producers?” to “Can we just tape the stuff and bring the footage into you to finish?” This book will have you nodding in recognition and taking notes for your next encounter!
Currently, “Great Answers to Tough Questions” is available to VBA members only. It’s an exclusive resource that is going to give them a huge head start on their competition. If you’d like to be in the select group that will benefit from this uncommon book, join the VBA now, and you’ll have your own copy in about half a minute.
posted by Steve21st, 2008
It’s a fact, Jack. (Or Jill.) You need customers; customers need your production and duplication and packaging services. It’s definitely a win-win situation. But -if your potential buyers aren’t aware that you exist, or they can’t find you…you’re certainly not going to have a roaring success on your hands. People won’t benefit from your services, and you’re not going to be collecting any money from them. No doubt about it that marketing is an absolutely necessity to keep your name on the tip of their tongues, and at the top of their minds. And don’t worry if you’re on a very limited budget -or even a very very very limited budget. There are still quite a few ways for you to promote yourself and your services. Here’s a dozen ideas you can use to get started.
click to continue >>>
