Self-Employment: Reap the Rewards
Do you hate working inconvenient hours at low wages? Ever get frustrated with your boss? Maybe self-employment is the answer. It sure works well for me!
I'm the proud owner of A Media, a video editing business. That means I make videos by compiling photos, video clips and music onto DVDs. My customers enjoy seeing their memories of different occasions preserved this way.
The Story Behind the Name
This is my standard logo—the one I use on my business cards.Close
I needed a name for my company that would be short and catchy, and my own name starts with an "A." So I named my company "A Media."
It's simple, and easy to remember, and that's what counts.
Watch me turn a truckload of pictures into a DVD! 
I'm 16-years-old, and self-employment is very good to me.
The idea
It all started in eighth grade. My school was a test site for Sonic Foundry, a video production software design company. It gave the school free software so the teachers and students could provide feedback.
This gift transformed our basic, boring computer course into a fun and educational video-editing experience.
My Video-Editing Experience Because my school was a test site for Sonic Foundry, I got the best. I have become proficient in Vegas Video (my current software), Acid Pro (music editing software), and Sound Forge (more music editing software).
Sony Pictures bought Sonic Foundry's desktop software division in 2003.
CloseAfter making some videos for school I decided to start my own private video service. I've been doing it ever since.
Starting a business is often very hard. Fortunately, I had a lot of support from my family when I started A Media or else it would never have happened.
My Family is my Inspiration My family is very supportive of my business and helps me in any way possible, even during the rough times. They provided the initial capital for the software I use and paid for blank DVDs and other miscellaneous expenses.
Over the years, I've paid my parents back, but I never could have gotten A Media off the ground without their help.
My dad is even learning how to use the software and helps on all my projects. I don't know what I'd do without my family.
CloseSurprisingly, it didn't take long to begin and get organized. After some initial advertising, I got a large project and many more followed. I turned a profit after completing my first or second project.
My Ad Campaign When I started the business, I had to advertise to get customers. I made a free video for a family friend of a birthday party that I knew would be well attended.
After that, I began to get jobs.
I've sent fliers to seniors at my school to advertise my videos, and have done one other pro-bono (free) piece for a graduation.
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