Everyone making a name and a business for themselves has to start from a low place. Even if you already own the top-of-the-line expensive camera that does most of the work for you, you still need a way to sell your service as more than just its owner. You need the job, not your camera. So how can you get started on your business venture? What are some uncommon, underspoken tips that can help push you forward? 

Here’s five big tips for new creators and for business pros that are looking for a boost in the marketplace.

Work With Your Audience

Know who you’re selling your service to and adjust yourself to work with them. Don’t go into an industry you have no knowledge about and expect to be handed high-value work. If you want returning business from high-end clients you need to bring yourself to their field of expertise and collaborate, not be a stranger from another industry trying to force yourself to fit into their puzzle.

Write a Good Contract

With every new client should come a new contract. Not necessarily a brand new one, there are templates and contract services you can utilize, but you want a guarantee that your work will be paid for fairly.  You need to protect your business and your right to practice it with solid, legal contracts that bind your service to their pay. Work with a client to reach fair terms and understand one another so you can deliver the work they want and you get what you need.

Offer New Payments

If you’re taking lump sum checks after all the work is done, you aren’t living up to your potential as a business. Videos and images can be licensed to make money continuously by leasing them to clients. If one stops paying, you can sell the image rights to someone else. You can also offer subscriptions. Repeat buyers will want good deals for giving you more work over a long period. Offering a subscription, a guarantee of work for pay automatically, gives you an earning benchmark that keeps your business stable.

Beta Test Your Business

A Beta Client is a representative of a client working in an industry, not necessarily someone who hires you but someone who you can bounce ideas off of or show your work to and get professional feedback. You’ll make back the time you spend working together with them by receiving helpful advice and feedback on how you approach their problem. The best thing you can hear from any client, when you present your idea for their video solution is, “I never thought of that,” because that means you’re thinking the way they wish they could.

Outsource the Out Of Reach

One man can’t do it all, but you can’t leave anything behind. If you’re struggling on the business front, don’t reach out to a marketing firm who only cares about certain kinds of engagement or broadening your appeal. Find someone in your niche, in your industry, and hire a sales rep that knows what’s going on. Or better yet, an editor, which is where a lot of video production gets stopped up in the production pipeline. Focus on what you do best, and bring on employees - freelance or part-time - that can do the rest.