Choosing Business Clients

I believe the second most important to ask after wondering if you should start a business, ought to be who would you do business for?

It goes like this:

“Do I want to start my own business?”

“Yes, I do!”

“Who would I do business for?”

Some would say the second question should really be what do you really want to do business in, but that all depends on how you see business. Some see it as a chance to make money, while others see it as a way to serve others.

Me? I’m all about being in service to others, and while money is enticing, it is important to not get too caught up it in, or else you lose sight of your business’ purpose. Basically, it is like that famous quote: “If you don’t stand for something, you’d fall for anything.” So standing for something other than raking in the moola is important for me.

I like working with video. I enjoy filming and editing. It’s like cutting and pasting, and I enjoy losing myself in the process. I have dreams of one day producing a documentary film and other video projects, but that’s a long way off. I mean, I am just at that point yet.

So when I decided I wanted to create a video business, I asked myself – right after deciding that yes, I wanted to start my own business – who did I want to do video for?

My initial decision was for authors. I am a writer myself, and I wanted to help fellow authors reach their audiences via video.

But why not other artists? Why not actors, dancers, musicians and other creative people?

I added those people to the list.

I also have a lot of respect for most nonprofits – the ethical ones, to be exact – and I wanted to find ways to help them. Besides doing grant writing, as I also do, I added video services to the things I could do for nonprofits. After all, those organizations need all the funding they can get to help serve their communities.

Which leads to my next target clientele – small businesses! And by that, I mean those that recently opened their stores, have a small online store, and so forth. Video marketing is the latest way for small businesses to get the word out about themselves, and since I believe in helping the little guy, I added small businesses to my clientele list. That does not mean I am against other businesses – such as medical offices, law firms, and so on. Everyone needs help, and even those guys qualify as a small business.

Once I was done creating my list of types of clients I wanted to serve, I was satisfied. They reflected my values and interests. They reflected what I wanted for Pearl Eyes Media. They reflected what Pearl Eyes Media is all about – seeing the world differently. Maybe I could help people realize what an artistic process is really like. Maybe I could showcase what really goes behind the scenes at a nonprofit, or what inspired someone to open their own store or firm.

These clients reflect how I want help others, and help the world see things from different perspectives.

~ Megan