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| David Gardner, Ottawa, Ontario Canada |
David Gardner, Home Video Studio owner in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, is making money in his video studio. And the best part? He loves it! “My favorite part of my business is the “busy” - ness of it. I like to have so much work that my biggest challenge is figuring out how much I can get done at one time with the equipment I have. I like to feel like the plate spinner on the old Ed Sullivan show.”
Dave came to love the thrill of “plate spinning” after a not-so-thrilling roller coaster ride. Like several studio owners in our family he spent the first part of his career in corporate high-tech. Then came some bad news. Like several studio owners in our family, he was laid off after many years in his industry. Then came some good news! He found a similar position in the same industry. Then came some bad news. He was laid off from that too. "Then I was finding myself going to twelve or thirteen interviews for a job I wasn't sure I wanted anymore," says Gardner.
Something got the wheels turning: “I went to a friend, whose hobby was video production, to make a photo montage for my wife’s birthday. When I saw the equipment, the software and, of course, the final product I wondered if a guy could make a business out of this,” says Gardner.
Gardner did make a business out of it, buying equipment and self-training. He began to pick up clients like dance studios, weddings and corporate promos. Still the sporadic nature of the business and the failure to get the prices he needed kept him from really moving his business ahead. Yet another roller coaster ride?
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| David Rookie of the Year - 2010 |
While browsing the web for ideas to improve his business he came across the Home Video Studio website and recalled ads he had seen in past years in Video Maker magazine for Home Video Studio. With encouragement from his wife to get things happening with his business, he decided it was now or never and began the steps of looking into a franchise. Soon David was on board.
The first thing he learned was to stop focusing on what he didn’t want and start focusing on what he did want - and what he wanted was to make money in the video business.
“My change of focus made all the difference in the world to me,” says David. “I came to Home Video Studio with some video skills but not a lot of knowledge on how to make it a business.” A solid marketing system and a presence in my market really helped launch me. Now, as my competitors are struggling I feel like the big gorilla on the block.”
“In business for yourself but not by yourself” is an often-quoted phrase that fits Home Video Studio and its relationship to the owners: "There are many things I like about Home Video Studio that I never would have thought of - or didn't have the resources to do on my own." says Gardner. "The website stands out. The tracking system. The camaraderie with other owners.”
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| David in his Home Video Studio |
Now, nearing his fourth year in business, David finds himself at or near the top income producers in Home Video Studio on a frequent basis. And, as it should be, David finds the ultimate reward in satisfied customers. “I love handing my customers as perfect a video as possible. It’s like their life on a silver platter. They thank me, but really all I do is facilitate the content that they brought to me. I should thank them for the opportunity.”
