HOW TO MAKE MONEY PROVIDING "INVENTORY VIDEO TAPING" SERVICE
HOW TO MAKE MONEY PROVIDING "INVENTORY VIDEO TAPING" SERVICE
This is, in my opinion, THE business to get into with yourvideo camera. You only need one camera, decent video skills, little expenses and supplies,and, if done right, very low marketing expenses. Besides your videocamera,you'll need an instant camera and an engraving tool, which together shouldbe able to be found for under $100.
Here's the business in a nutshell: You videotape household and businessinventory and valuables for insurance purposes. Then, if a robbery occurs,the owner has a video documentation of the missing valuables for lawenforcement and insurance agents. Your primary prospects for this servicewill be upper-income families and businesses that specialize in high-ticketitems or have a high investment in equipment.
The first step you should take to run a property inventory taping serviceis to meet with your area law enforcement agencies to find out whatregulations, if any, they have.
Remember, you will be going into other people's houses and will have fullknowledge of their valuables.
If you have endorsement from the law, your customers can feel comfortablethat you won't use this knowledge for the wrong purposes. The person youwant to meet with would be the one in charge of neighborhood watches orcommunity services.Normally, police agencies are enthusiastic supportersof services like this, as it makes their job easier. Others to meet withinclude insurance agents, private detectives, fire officials and attorneys. Not only will you gain valuable information from them, you will be buildingup a network for referrals. Be sure to keep a good record of who you meetwith so you can send them business cards, brochures and periodic remindersof your services.
While meeting with insurance agents, take care of your insurancerequirements. You should carry liability insurance, and you shouldalso get bonded. The extra expense is worth it, as it will both helpto get business and will protect you and your customer.Your service will be ripe for publicity, so prepare a good press release You should be able to find a good book or two on publicity releases at yourlibrary. Get these releases to every daily and weekly newspaper in your area,as well as local business magazines and television stations.When your service gets written up in the papers, keep a clipping of each article touse in your marketing materials. Send a copy to all the insurance agents,attorneys, private detectives and law enforcement agencies in your area. You WILL get referrals from this!
Another idea for publicity is to set up a booth at local home and gardenshows, preferably in the home protection areas (alarms, etc.). This willestablish your name in the minds of consumers. If you don't mind publicspeaking, offer to give a short seminar on home inventory protection andhow your service can help prevent theft. You can prepare one presentationthat can be given numerous times at different community-related functionsand locations, such as country clubs.
Now for the meat of the service. When you set up an appointment with acustomer, make sure they know you will be charging by the hour, so it willbe to their advantage to have things such as jewelry, china or antiques laidout and ready to be taped. Take your videocamera with extra tape andbatteries, an instant camera with plenty of film, your engraver, forms forlisting valuables, and a three-ring binder for the forms.When taping valuables, be sure to get a clear picture of them, includingany distinguishing characteristics. Be sure to fill out your formscompletely, listing special features or characteristics, such as type andweight of gems, etc.
Jewelry is probably best photographed with your instant camera, as is any small valuables. Large antiques and other primary household items are easily videotaped. Be sure to get any brand names and model numbers clearly taped.After taping the individual items, walk through the house. Be sure to getany computer and video equipment, phones, TVs, art and other items that wouldbe tempting to thieves. Engrave the client's social security or driver'slicense number on the back or bottom of items that won't be damaged by doingso. Record all this on the forms, including the location of the engraving andall serial numbers. If the home is burglarized and police recover the stolengoods, this will help the client get his or her valuables back quickly andeasily.
Don't forget to tape the outside of the house, including patios, walkways andlandscaping. This can help the client establish value in case of vandalism.In businesses, videotape the office equipment, as well as the officesthemselves, inside and out. In specialized businesses, be sure to tape anyspecial equipment.A good idea is to provide window stickers for your clients that tellpotential thieves that items in the house have been marked and recorded. These stickers can be purchased or printed. Your local law enforcementagencies may even be able to provide these to you at a low cost. When through taping, give the tape a quick run-through to be sureeverything's OK, then give it to your client, along with the binder. Encourage them to store these in a safe deposit box, in case of fire.
How much should you charge? A typical mid-sized to large home should taketwo hours, at most, to tape, if the owner has prepared everything ahead oftime. You can charge anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour, depending upon whatyour local market will bear, with $75 per hour a good figure to start with. You should be able to see how this business can add up!
In your marketing materials, stress the fact this your charge is a smallprice to pay, considering it is a crime deterrent and will result in farless stress and time on the customer's part if a mishap does occur. Youcan feel good that you are providing a service which will help people in badtimes. Remember to be professional while in the client's home, don't makeany comments which could be construed in bad ways, and be assuring aboutthe safety and reliability of yourself and your service. l the insurance agents,attorneys, private detectives and law enforcement agencies in your area.
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