10 Ways to Start Your Own Video Editing Business
As someone with experience in starting a business from scratch, I can tell you that it was one of the most difficult and rewarding things I’ve ever done. Starting a business requires tons of hard work, but once you get it off the ground and running, it’s extremely rewarding and exciting to see your dream become reality. In order to start a video editing business from scratch, you need to make sure that you have the right mindset and are willing to dedicate the time and effort needed to get everything off the ground and running smoothly so that you can grow your business into something truly amazing!
1) Become a Freelancer
Instead of starting your own business, freelance as a video editor. As an independent contractor, you have more flexibility to determine what jobs are available and can accept them in real time. If a job turns out poorly or doesn’t pay well, move on without worrying about hurting your business. This can be a great way to break into video editing if you don’t want to commit too much money or resources upfront. Once you gain experience and establish relationships with potential clients, it might make sense to transition into a full-time business venture.
2) Create a DIY video course
Thinking about starting your own video editing business? Before you can land clients, you need to make sure that what you offer will provide them with value. After all, if your potential clients don’t see an ROI for their money when they buy from you, they’ll likely move on and find someone else who offers a better deal. To build trust with potential customers, you could create a DIY video course in which you teach people how to edit videos themselves. For example, by teaching people how to edit videos using free software like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker, you’re showing them that your services are affordable and easy enough for anyone to use—not just professionals.
3) Hire out your services
If you have a special talent for video editing or design, consider freelancing as a side business idea and hiring yourself out for services. I did freelance writing for years (mainly blogging; and I made good money at it) before quitting my job and going full-time with ProBlogger in 2007. The great thing about being a freelancer is that you can set your own hours. In fact, many bloggers make more money from their side business than they do from their blogs or websites. The key is to create valuable content and offer paid services around that content—for example, if you’re a food blogger who offers healthy recipes on your site—to give people more reasons to pay for your expertise.
4) Be an educator
If you enjoy teaching, consider working as a tutor or being a teacher’s assistant. You could also look into teaching SAT/ACT prep courses, or become an online English tutor. There are many options out there if you’re willing to teach others what you know for a price. The key is to do something that will utilize your skills, and that you can leverage enough profit from when spreading costs across multiple students. Another good option is tutoring part-time and doing homework help online in your free time. This way, you’ll make money on two fronts: tutoring and helping people with their school work.
5) Offer editing in partnership with another company
If you’re not interested in starting a business yourself, consider becoming an editor for another company. For example, if you want to get involved with video editing, but don’t have much experience doing it, you could offer your services as an editor for local businesses on a contract basis. That way, you get your foot in the door with video editing, but aren’t stuck investing too much time into a skill that may not pay off immediately.
6) Create stock footage
Several stock footage sites make it easy for aspiring videographers and filmmakers to sell their clips, including Shutterstock, Videoblocks, Pond5 and iStock. Once you find a vendor, sign up for an account and upload your video. You’ll need to provide key information about your clip such as title and description (500 characters) along with information about you such as price, method of delivery and acceptable file formats.
7) Create free content for other businesses
Most businesses need help with their digital presence. There are tons of small business owners and startup companies looking for inexpensive marketing help, such as Facebook page setup, Google Analytics consultation, landing page creation, etc. This can be a great way to make money if you have experience in social media management or search engine optimization. Check out Savvy Sexy Social for info on these types of businesses and how you can become a contractor that helps them maximize their social media and search engine presence.
8) Work for small businesses and startups
Even if you’re not an employee, there are countless ways to start a side business offering video editing services. For example, if you live in any major city—think New York or Los Angeles—you can visit local businesses and offer your services as a freelance video editor. This can be lucrative because most businesses won’t have their own internal video editor on staff, so for as little as $100 you could edit a two-minute commercial that would air at your local ABC station or CBS affiliate.
9) Provide customer support via email and chat on their website and social media platforms
This is an entry-level position in which you’ll be paid a salary or hourly rate to provide support and communication with customers via email and social media. You’ll likely get on-the-job training through your employer, but if not, there are many resources available online that can help guide you. There are also plenty of ways to network with others working in customer service and learn from them. And don’t forget to check out our post on how to become a virtual assistant!
10) Get the word out about your business
Getting your name out there is important for new businesses, and a great way to do that is by attending conferences. Conferences let you meet up with fellow professionals, learn about new technologies and how they can improve your business, and network with other entrepreneurs. The more connections you make, the better your business will be. If you’re interested in starting a video editing business, consider attending one of these industry events
