HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY WITH AN INVENTORY

HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY WITH AN INVENTORY

TAPING SERVICE

This is, in my opinion, THE business to get into with your

videocamera. You only need one camera, decent video skills,

little expenses and supplies, and, if done right, very low

marketing expenses. Besides your videocamera, you'll need an

instant camera and an engraving tool, which together should be

able to be found for under $100.

Here's the business in a nutshell: You videotape household and

business inventory and valuables for insurance purposes. Then,

if a robbery occurs, the owner has a video documentation of the

missing valuables for law enforcement and insurance agents.

Your primary prospects for this service will be upper-income

families and businesses that specialize in high-ticket items or

have a high investment in equipment.

The first step you should take to run a property inventory

taping service is to meet with your area law enforcement

agencies to find out what regulations, if any, they have.

Remember, you will be going into other people's houses and will

have full knowledge of their valuables. If you have endorsement

from the law, your customers can feel comfortable that you won't

use this knowledge for the wrong purposes. The person you want

to meet with would be the one in charge of neighborhood watches

or community services. Normally, police agencies are

enthusiastic supporters of services like this, as it makes their

job easier. Others to meet with include insurance agents,

private detectives, fire officials and attorneys. Not only will

you gain valuable information from them, you will be building up

a network for referrals. Be sure to keep a good record of who

you meet with so you can send them business cards, brochures and

periodic reminders of your services.

While meeting with insurance agents, take care of your insurance

requirements. You should carry liability insurance, and you

should also get bonded. The extra expense is worth it, as it

will both help to get business and will protect you and your

customer.

Your service will be ripe for publicity, so prepare a good press

release. You should be able to find a good book or two on

publicity releases at your library. Get these releases to every

daily and weekly newspaper in your area, as well as local

business magazines and television stations. When your service

gets written up in the papers, keep a clipping of each article

to use in your marketing materials. Send a copy to all the

insurance agents, attorneys, private detectives and law

enforcement agencies in your area. You WILL get referrals from

this!

Another idea for publicity is to set up a booth at local home

and garden shows, preferably in the home protection areas

(alarms, etc.). This will establish your name in the minds of

consumers. If you don't mind public speaking, offer to give a

short seminar on home inventory protection and how your service

can help prevent theft. You can prepare one presentation that

can be given numerous times at different community-related

functions and locations, such as country clubs.

Now for the meat of the service. When you set up an appointment

with a customer, make sure they know you will be charging by the

hour, so it will be to their advantage to have things such as

jewelry, china or antiques laid out and ready to be taped. Take

your videocamera with extra tape and batteries, an instant

camera with plenty of film, your engraver, forms for listing

valuables, and a three-ring binder for the forms.

When taping valuables, be sure to get a clear picture of them,

including any distinguishing characteristics. Be sure to fill

out your forms completely, listing special features or

characteristics, such as type and weight of gems, etc. Jewelry

is probably best photographed with your instant camera, as is

any small valuables. Large antiques and other primary household

items are easily videoed. Be sure to get any brand names and

model numbers clearly taped.

After taping the individual items, walk through the house. Be

sure to get any computer and video equipment, phones, TVs, art

and other items that would be tempting to thieves. Engrave the

client's social security or driver's license number on the back

or bottom of items that won't be damaged by doing so. Record all

this on the forms, including the location of the engraving and

all serial numbers. If the home is burglarized and police

recover the stolen goods, this will help the client get his or

her valuables back quickly and easily.

Don't forget to tape the outside of the house, including patios,

walkways and landscaping. This can help the client establish

value in case of vandalism.

In businesses, videotape the office equipment, as well as the

offices themselves, inside and out. In specialized businesses,

be sure to tape any special equipment.

A good idea is to provide window stickers for your clients that

tell potential thieves that items in the house have been marked

and recorded. These stickers can be purchased or printed. Your

local law enforcement agencies may even be able to provide these

to you at a low cost.

When through taping, give the tape a quick run-through to be

sure everything's ok, then give it to your client, along with

the binder. Encourage them to store these in a safe deposit

box, in case of fire.

How much should you charge? A typical mid-sized to large home

should take two hours, at most, to tape, if the owner has

prepared everything ahead of time. You can charge anywhere from

$50 to $150 per hour, depending upon what your local market will

bear, with $75 per hour a good figure to start with. You should

be able to see how this business can add up!

In your marketing materials, stress the fact that your charge is

a small price to pay, considering it is a crime deterrent and

will result in far less stress and time on the customer's part

if a mishap does occur. You can feel good that you are

providing a service which will help people in bad times.

Remember to be professional while in the client's home, don't

make any comments which could be construed in bad ways, and be

assuring about the safety and reliability of yourself and your

service. You can start this part-time and easily move it into

full-time, as referrals start rolling in.