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HOW TO MAKE MONEY PROVIDING "INVENTORY VIDEO TAPING" SERVICE
This is, in my opinion, THE business to get into with your videocamera.
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 should
be able to be found for under $100.
Here's the business in a nutshell: You videotape household and business
inventory and valuables for insurance purposes. Then, if a robbery occurs,
the owner has a video documentation of the missing valuables for law
enforcement and insurance agents. Your primary prospects for this service
will be upper-income families and businesses that specialize in high-ticket
items or have a high investment in equipment.
The first step you should take to run a property inventory taping service
is to meet with your area law enforcement agencies to find out what
regulations, if any, they have.
Remember, you will be going into other people's houses and will have full
knowledge of their valuables.
If you have endorsement from the law, your customers can feel comfortable
that you won't use this knowledge for the wrong purposes. The person you
want to meet with would be the one in charge of neighborhood watches or
community services.
Normally, police agencies are enthusiastic supporters
of services like this, as it makes their job easier. Others to meet with
include insurance agents, private detectives, fire officials and attorneys.
Not only will you gain valuable information from them, you will be building
up a network for referrals. Be sure to keep a good record of who you meet
with so you can send them business cards, brochures and periodic reminders
of your services.
While meeting with insurance agents, take care of your insurance
requirements. You should carry liability insurance, and you should
also get bonded. The extra expense is worth it, as it will both help
to 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 your
library. 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 to
use 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 garden
shows, preferably in the home protection areas (alarms, etc.). This will
establish your name in the minds of consumers. If you don't mind public
speaking, offer to give a short seminar on home inventory protection and
how your service can help prevent theft. You can prepare one presentation
that can be given numerous times at different community-related functions
and locations, such as country clubs.
Now for the meat of the service. When you set up an appointment with a
customer, make sure they know you will be charging by the hour, so it will
be to their advantage to have things such as jewelry, china or antiques laid
out and ready to be taped. Take your videocamera with extra tape and
batteries, an instant camera with plenty of film, your engraver, forms for
listing valuables, and a three-ring binder for the forms.
When taping valuables, be sure to get a clear picture of them, including
any distinguishing characteristics. Be sure to fill out your forms
completely, listing special features or characteristics, such as type and
weight 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 get
any computer and video equipment, phones, TVs, art and other items that would
be tempting to thieves. Engrave the client's social security or driver's
license number on the back or bottom of items that won't be damaged by doing
so. Record all this on the forms, including the location of the engraving and
all serial numbers. If the home is burglarized and police recover the stolen
goods, this will help the client get his or her valuables back quickly and
easily.
Don't forget to tape the outside of the house, including patios, walkways and
landscaping. This can help the client establish value in case of vandalism.
In businesses, videotape the office equipment, as well as the offices
themselves, inside and out. In specialized businesses, be sure to tape any
special equipment.
A good idea is to provide window stickers for your clients that tell
potential thieves that items in the house have been marked and recorded.
These stickers can be purchased or printed. Your local law enforcement
agencies 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 sure
everything'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 take
two hours, at most, to tape, if the owner has prepared everything ahead of
time. You can charge anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour, depending upon what
your 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 small
price to pay, considering it is a crime deterrent and will result in far
less stress and time on the customer's part if a mishap does occur. You
can feel good that you are providing a service which will help people in bad
times. Remember to be professional while in the client's home, don't make
any comments which could be construed in bad ways, and be assuring about
the safety and reliability of yourself and your service.