A question I get a lot: "Can anyone start a video business and make money shooting video?"

The short answer: Yes and No. Yes, anyone COULD start a video business, right now, with whatever resources, assets, and skills they may have and start making money right away.... No, most people will not do it, and here's why.

The number one reason is, it puts them out of their comfort zone. People are afraid of failure, and so they neglect setting goals and going after them. Starting a video business is a big step, and it scares most people, even if making money from video is really what they want. People will do almost anything to start in their comfort zone. A lot of people might think "none of my friends are starting a business, what makes me think I could do it". But if you decide that you want to start a video business... you set goals, and you decide that you'll do anything to achieve those goals... you will succeed, and you will make money from video.

Another reason is, they focus on the wrong things. As videographers, when starting a business our initial response is to focus on the equipment and the video production aspect, which, don't get me wrong, is important, but it's not the most important factor in making money with video. Your clients, for the most part, don't care about your equipment, and most of them will never even find you if you're too busy focusing on production and not busy enough focusing on marketing and getting yourself out there. Your number one focus needs to be your clients, what they want, and how you can get it to them the fastest.

The final BIG reason is, they take too long to start making money. There are many steps in starting a video business, and most videographers tend to get them out of order. Most start by picking a name, creating a logo, and trying to build a website... these are all important things, but if you're focusing on this before getting clients and making money with your video business, you're losing out on a lot. In fact, many videographers focus on these "non-money-making activites" so much, they run out of money, or quit, before they ever start getting consistent jobs. Your first priority should be putting yourself out there, getting hired, and making money... the rest will come naturally. Also, getting to work right away will allow you to decide what you're good at and want to focus on before you establish yourself. Successful video businesses understand that fast implementation is key.

If you don't mind getting OUT of your comfort zone, seeing your video business as a BUSINESS and putting yourself out there to find clients RIGHT NOW... you're going to do fine.