Risky expenses

If the customers have their pictures in order, I have more time to do my own work for school!

I love when someone asks me what I do and I can say, "I own my own video production business." However there are always risks involved when you're an entrepreneur.

I need to make as much money as I put into programs and equipment. If I don't, I get in a hole with my parents, so I have to do careful bookkeeping, and track dollar and time expenses.

My parents made an initial investment of around $300 in software and DVDs. I paid that all back in four months or so. Since then, they have invested a lot more in my business.

Many of the investments are in items used by our entire family, such as a video camera, laptop, and firewire card, so I only have to pay for part of it. It usually takes me six months to a year to pay them back.

When I work on a project, I spend a lot of time scanning, editing, dubbing, and putting in music. This time ranges from 7 to 32 hours.

For example, a project with 165 pictures (resulting in a 10-minute video) takes approximately 8-10 hours. If customers are prepared, have their pictures in order, and know exactly what they want, the process can be shortened immensely.

A basic table for a breakdown of my expenses for one project looks something like this:

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