8 things you need to start a videography business?

What You Need

1. Capital

To start a videography company, Danny Prince of Prince Creations says you’ll need at least Sh600,000. Most of this amount will go to buying a good camera, a good editing machine, registration and obtaining the necessary licenses. You will also need to consider operational costs like renting an office.

2. Camera and other shooting accessories

You’ll require a good DSLR video camera, which costs about Sh300,000. Other shooting accessories like lightings, dolly track, Ronin, and drone may be necessary if you don’t want to hire them on short-term basis.

3. Computer

You will also require a good video editing computer with fast processing speed for rendering the clips. Most videographers prefer an iMac which costs from Sh200,000. For Windows computers which come cheaper, you’ll need an i5 which costs between Sh50,000 and Sh70,000, but you’ll have to contend with slow video rendering speeds and sometimes poor quality of the videos.

“Time is important, and we prefer a good computer because of the heavy work involved,” Prince says.

4. Licenses

You’ll need to register your company’s business name which costs Sh150 through the e-citizen portal. The total costs may come to Sh1,000 when the Lawyer stamps the document. You are free to begin operations with a business name, but you can register a company especially if it’s a partnership. This will cost you Sh 18,000. You’ll also require a Kenya Film Classification Board license which costs Sh5,000 annually and register to become a member of Kenya Copyright Board.

5. Skills

To be better in your work, you’ll be required to have the necessary skills by enrolling for a short course in videography or learning the tricks online.

6. Employees

“In a videography business, it’s hard to work alone so you’ll need at least two to three employees to hold the cameras or assist you in shooting the videos,” says Koome.

7. Internet connection

You’ll need a reliable Internet connection for uploading videos online and doing online marketing of the company.

8. Office Space

A designated office space will give your business legitimacy. Also, you can ask customers to pick their completed work from the office as you go about other business activities. Lastly, meeting with customers in hotels or any other location may be time consuming and costly.

What You Don’t Need

You don’t need to buy all the equipment at once. You can hire.