Entrepreneur Magazine Says We're #1!

Home Video Studio is proud to announce that it has, once again, been selected by Entrepreneur Magazine as the Number One Franchise for Photography and Video Services in 2012.  This is the second consecutive year that Home Video Studio has garnered this ranking.  Home Video Studio also ranked #277 in the Top Overall Franchises, as well as #83 in the Top Homebased Franchises.

This is Entrepreneur Magazine's 33rd Annual Franchise 500, an annual ranking that reveals popular industries and the trends making an impact on the future.

Deborah Williams - HVS Owner of the Month - May

Home Video Studio owners come from all walks of life. They come from different backgrounds and cultures. They all have natural strengths and areas that need improvement. But one common trait among successful studio owners is a drive to take on the day; a willingness to try things. A thirst to drink what life has to offer. An exemplary model of this attitude is Deborah Williams, Home Video Studio owner from Erlanger KY. Deborah is our May Home Video Studio Owner of the Month.

Deborah's resume reads like a Hemingway novel. She's an accomplished flutist, a graphic designer, a wife, a mother of two boys and a personal trainer. She also has a sixth degree tae kwon do black belt and is a first dan in combat hapkido. Oh…and she also loves to knit and crochet. And how do all these life experiences and interests factor into her studio? "I like to take action and do things." says Williams. "I've never been one to shy away from things that interest me –no matter the investment. You've got to try." Deborah certainly took that approach when she decided to become a studio owner.

Spending eighteen years as a freelance design and layout artist, Deborah knows the risks and rewards of being in business for yourself. But, as with many talented professionals, she was finding it increasingly difficult to traverse the peaks and valleys inherent in such a position. "With no marketing plan I was finding it hard to get business while doing the work I had - then trying to get more when I was finished," Debra asserts. However, things changed.

A proven marketing plan was one of the things that most attracted Deborah to Home Video Studio. She had been looking for franchise opportunities when she saw an ad online. She liked what she saw, including Entrepreneur magazine's recognition of Home Video Studio as #1 Franchise Opportunity for photo and video services. Deborah called, asked some questions, got some answers and eventually attended a Show N Tell in Indianapolis. Soon she was in business with her own studio, opening her doors on November 16, 2011.

Williams is now running her business part-time and has already landed several film orders, a huge video transfer job and many editing jobs – including sports highlight videos. She is aiming to go full-time soon. Woman of action that she is, we know that when the time is right Deborah will be ready to take that step.

Ken Sander - HVS April Studio of the Month

Ken Sander in his Home Video Stuido

 Ken Sander spent three decades with the Federal Aviation Administration focusing on the safety of our nation's airline industry. Today this retired FAA manager is more apt to be focusing his video camera. Ken is a Home Video Studio owner from Fairfax, VA and is our April 2012 Owner of the Month.

To some a nice government job with a nice pension and full retirement would seem be the ticket to a wonderful life on easy street. And, to some, that is a good plan. But Ken had other plans in mind: "I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a longtime passion for video. I worked with video, graphics and animation as a serious hobby for over twenty-five years for family, friends, church and the community." So, when the opportunity for optional retirement came, Ken knew it was high time to start his own business in the field he loves.

Sander took action to educate himself in the video field by attending a Videomaker Expo and it was there he came across Home Video Studio. "I was thinking I just wanted to get into commercial video production and weddings but with HVS I learned that, besides that, there was a whole world of video services. What excited me was the prospect of preserving people's precious memories and all the other services we offer. We are, as our slogan says, ‘Video Services for Everyone' " On April 30, 2006 Ken opened his doors and has never looked back.

Ken at the 2009 Hanley Awards in Las Vegas

Now Ken makes money doing what he loves. And, what's more, draws satisfaction from sources he never thought of: "I have really cultivated a love of helping people preserve their memories. It really hits me what a valuable service I provide to my community." Another source of satisfaction for Ken is that he can get involve his family in his business as well – as evidenced by the contributions of his son Michael and his daughter Kathryn. Both are creative and well versed in the visual arts.

Sander has also garnered some video awards including Best Use of Titles and Best Photo Keepsake. "I'm really fond of the Keepsakes. I think they really portray the heart of what I do. I'm proud of a recent mixed Keepsake I produced that involved video and photos of a youth basketball team that spent four years playing together. That was special to them and, of course, their parents."

Ken Sander likes to say that he "helps keep your memories from fading while creating new ones." That's a job description you can retire on.

Tony & Lori Melendez Celebrate 10 Years as HVS Owners!

Tony and Lori Melendez, Home Video Studio owners from Amherst OH, have an important anniversary coming up very soon! “Robert [Hanley, founder and CEO of HVS] told us the day we bought a Home Video Studio that we’d never forget the date,” says Tony, “and he was right! We decided to become studio owners on May 11, 2002.” That makes Tony and Lori nearly ten year veterans and, in many of their colleague’s eyes, the “Deans” of Home Video Studio owners.

What makes them successful? If you’re looking for secrets or shortcuts there are none. Tony and Lori exhibit the age-old traits of teamwork, a tireless work ethic, daily attention to goals and doing what needs to be done. They also display good old-fashioned kindness – a winsome quality that makes them a hit with their customers and a joy to be around.

Like many Home Video Studios Tony and Lori have worked as a team their entire married life. Tony spent his career as an educator - teaching and coaching - and has run his video business alongside of these demands, first on his own and then as a Home Video Studio franchisee. “A mentor told me when I first started teaching not to put all my eggs in one basket,” says Tony. Some teachers paint or clean windows on the side. I liked video so I started my own video business and worked it in the evenings, on weekends and in the summer.” Lori, who has a background in marketing and also ran a successful daycare while tending to the video venture, has partnered with him from the beginning. Together they took the daily steps necessary to fulfill their dream of a full-time video business. Upon Tony’s retirement from teaching last May that dream has become a reality. Not only that, but it is a family affair with children Evan, Kaitlyn, Rocky and Amanda chipping in along the way as well.

So how did they find Home Video Studio? “That’s really interesting,” laughs Melendez. I had taken on a wedding job and it was turning into a nightmare. It started out with my needing technical support and I couldn’t find any help – even with the manufacturer of my equipment. I happened to pick up a Videomaker magazine and saw an ad for Home Video Studio and called. Soon I was talking to a stranger named Robert Hanley who not only pointed me in the right direction for my technical problem but advised me on some pricing as well.”

With that Tony realized he wanted to be in business for himself but not by himself and soon Tony and Lori attended a Show-N-Tell in Indianapolis. On that fateful day in May they became studio owners and have enjoyed the income, support, expertise and camaraderie that Home Video Studio brings.

In the past ten years Tony and Lori have built a business and made money doing what they love…creating videos and making people happy. They have also won many international awards, including Studio Owners of the Year, Rookies of the Year, Best Video Production, Best Wedding and Best High Concept Video.

Do Tony and Lori have any advice for someone looking into being a studio owner? “This is a good time, maybe even necessary for some people, to go into business for themselves. If you have a passion for video this is the best way to do it.”