Starting a video production company is challenging but also very rewarding. If your videos are good enough to sell and production is your passion then why not make it a business? Sure, you could be an in-house videographer, but nothing has been fulfilling to me like OWNING my own production company. Being my own boss, making my own hours, and running a business on my own terms is incredibly rewarding and I hope you can find the same joy and benefits of making money with something you love! How to start a video production company in 5 steps: 1. Know what you are getting into: talk to a few people that own production companies and make sure it is the right path for you before you get started. Starting a business takes a lot of work and you don't want to waste time on doing something you don't absolutely love. If you do 100% know what you're getting into you will be excited and dedicated to the process. 2. Learn about marketing and selling: it's easy to learn videography skills. There are plenty of resources (many free) about video gear and how to use it and practice makes perfect when it comes to developing your production quality, but learning the business side of video is a bit more difficult. Making a video and selling video are 2 much different skills and to be successful you must have both. Commit yourself to shifting your mind to learning business principles and not just video production. 3. Plan: Success means something different for each person. Think about what your company will be like when it is "done". How many employees? How much annual income? What type of projects will you work on? What type of clients will you work with? Do you travel or are your clients in one area? You must plan out where you want to go before you start working towards the goal! Also consider how you may have to plan your business launch, advertising plan, and daily activities. 4. Be consistent and diligent: Starting a production company not only requires effort, it also requires repetition. You have to commit to learning, marketing, networking, and selling consistently. In the beginning you have to be additionally diligent because chances are there are not many people that know your company and building your client base will take some hard work early on, but with consistency comes a big payoff overtime. It gets easier and easier as you go, but you have to make the choice up front to put in the work. 5. Have support: There are many questions and challenges you will face when you start your video business and it much easier to move past them if you have someone to help you. Going into owning a company without support is really hard and is easy to become frustrated. Wouldn't it be great to have access to a business coach or teacher who has gone through the process of starting a video production company? How many pitfalls could you avoid if you had the advice of someone who has gone through an achieved what you want? You MUST have support. When I started my company I hired a successful video business owner to be my coach and mentor and it was the greatest decision I made. Being able to get encouragement and strategies that are proven to work is incredibly valuable. So invest in yourself and make sure you have the support you need even if you have to pay for it! I hope this helps you as you start your own video production company!