How to Start an Inventory Video Service

I have a cousin who is an entrepreneur. Kay is also a college graduate. And, she’s a wife and a mother of six. When she was looking for a part-time job- preferably something she could do from home- Kay couldn’t find any profitable opportunities. So, she created her own part-time job, and it’s a highly successful business that you can duplicate. Kay started her own Inventory Video Service. An inventory on video tape is an ideal way to keep a “list” of your possessions. It’s faster and easier than walking through your household and writing down each and every item you see. Plus, in the event a tragic incident such as a fire or hurricane would destroy your home, a video tape is proof positive of the possessions you had. A video tape will also show what your belongings looked like, what condition they were in, and so on.

Another advantage of having your home inventory on video, is that you can review the tape yourself. You’ll want to do this in order to determine how much renter’s or homeowner’s insurance you should have in case tragedy should strike.

Kay didn’t have a lot of money to start her business with, but that’s one of the beauties of the video business. All she needed was a business license, a camcorder, and a few video tapes. So, she borrowed a camcorder from a friend and then spent about fifty bucks for the license, the tapes, and a receipt book. The receipt book made recordkeeping easier. Plus, it gave her a quick way to give her customers a receipt. My cousin then called her first customer- me- and she was on her way!

Note: My cousin the entrepreneur didn’t do this, but it would be a good idea to write up a disclaimer for each and every one of your customers to sign. The disclaimer would simply state that you claim no responsibility in case any item in their home gets broken or otherwise damaged during the time you are on their property.

I’m not sure what the going rate is in other areas of the country, but Kay decided to start out by charging twenty-five dollars an hour. Before she actually started videotaping a client’s possessions, she first did a quick walk-through of the house. This would give the owner a chance to point out specific items of value such as high-priced electronics, antiques, et cetera. This also gave Kay a chance to remind people to get out any hidden items they had stored in drawers, closets, and so on. She also instructed the owner that he/she would provide the narrative as they toured the house with the camcorder going.

Then, armed with her camcorder and a fresh tape, Kay began her tour of the house with the owner. She made sure to zoom the camcorder in on the serial number of items such as televisions, stereo systems, computers, and the like, while her client described the item, told when it was purchased, where, and for how much.

I, for one, was pleased with the job Kay’s Inventory Video Service did for me. So, I recommended her to family members, neighbors and friends. As you know, “Word of Mouth” is the best advertising you can get!

To recruit other clients, you can call your own house insurance agent and explain your new business to the agent. You can also design and print out some business cards on your computer.
Place these cards anywhere you can around your community. Look for bulletin boards at the post office, grocery store, and so on.

After each video recording session is finished, and the tape is clearly labeled, you should then advise your customer to store their videos in a cool, dry place. Inside a locked security box, in a home safe, or in a bank security box are three great places.

So, there you have it. If you’re looking for a part or full-time job, or, just an easy way to make some extra cash, you can easily start your own Inventory Video Service. It’s sure a needed service that few people provide.