HOW TO MAKE BIG MONEY WITH AN INVENTORY TAPING SERVICE

This is, 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 this 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.

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