Who here owns their own business?
I own a photography business specializing in weddings. I've owned it for about 3 years now. The original owner (and a close friend) of the successful photography business passed away while I was working for him. He owned the business for over 20 years and no one in his family wanted anything to do with the business so all the cameras/camcorders (30 of them), lights, backdrops, and everything else in his studio were given to me so I didn't have to put too much money into the business. I make anywhere from $35,000 - $50,000 per year depending on how many couples I feel like booking. I don't have any employees and it is hard work.
Because I was working for the original owner of the business for 7 years, people (customers and other vendors) in my area knew me quite well (which saved me from spending too much money on advertisement) so I haven't had any problems booking weddings since I took over the business so the money came in immediately.
Who here owns their own business?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ericwt
You are into music? Well I think I can think about 50 different ways to make serious money with music. The question I have to ask you is are you willing to pay the price, to succeed?
What kind of ways?? I am in a state of mind now that is almost like panic mode, college applications are due soon like I was saying and I honestly have no direction to look in right now. I am not really interested in starting some CD store if that's what your ideas are like though. I am ideally looking for a business that involves the creation of music. Recording studios are extremely hard to get on with, with 10,000 grads leaving a Recording School every year and only a few hundreds jobs in North America being open. Self-made recording studios make little-to-no money right now with recording software being so accessable and so many people wanting to do that. That was my dream for a while but I realise it is better to identify that I'd be dumb to even try this avenue then take a shot at it and prove that it's nearly impossible.
Who here owns their own business?
Few years ago I signed up for a Linux expo that I had to go to for college while stoned. It asked for the name of my business, think I might have gotten a corporate pass somehow.. anyways, I said the name f my company was Chronicmeditation which is an old ganja tune reggae song, then it asked what my job title was, so I entered "The Guy" dunno, sounded important right? "The Guy"
Got my pass in the mail day or so later was so cool,
said chronicmeditation
The Guy
Was funny talking to like SUSE reps having a serious conversation about a technology when they would notice my pass and *laff chronicmeditation*
Since then I have gotten countless small business credit cards with Chonicmeditation printed on em, and other assorted types of mail and free samples.
Who here owns their own business?
I intend to own a business someday.
Hopefully an organic cafe or tapas bar with greenhouses on the premises, and try to get a homebrewer to do organic beer too.
But I need some SERIOUS investment cash first.
Who here owns their own business?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lagstronaut
What kind of ways?? I am in a state of mind now that is almost like panic mode, college applications are due soon like I was saying and I honestly have no direction to look in right now. I am not really interested in starting some CD store if that's what your ideas are like though. I am ideally looking for a business that involves the creation of music. Recording studios are extremely hard to get on with, with 10,000 grads leaving a Recording School every year and only a few hundreds jobs in North America being open. Self-made recording studios make little-to-no money right now with recording software being so accessable and so many people wanting to do that. That was my dream for a while but I realise it is better to identify that I'd be dumb to even try this avenue then take a shot at it and prove that it's nearly impossible.
In order for me to answer that question I need to know a few things.
Do you want to make your own music or help others make their own. Do you write music or just want to record and mix someone else's? Is it your own material you want to promote? Do you play an instrument or are you a recording tech?
A CD store is not what I had in mind. The life cycle of CD stores is on the decline.
You realize that it usually takes a few years to make serious money in music. There is no instant millions unless you totally luck out. It could happen but do not count on it.
Do you have capital? Do not worry if you don't. Time is capital too, so is effort. Can you pay your bills and cover your expenses for a few years.
Remember in business, like life if we are desperate for something to happen now, we will push it away.
Answer my questions and I can can answer yours.
Who here owns their own business?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ericwt
In order for me to answer that question I need to know a few things.
Do you want to make your own music or help others make their own. Do you write music or just want to record and mix someone else's? Is it your own material you want to promote? Do you play an instrument or are you a recording tech?
A CD store is not what I had in mind. The life cycle of CD stores is on the decline.
You realize that it usually takes a few years to make serious money in music. There is no instant millions unless you totally luck out. It could happen but do not count on it.
Do you have capital? Do not worry if you don't. Time is capital too, so is effort. Can you pay your bills and cover your expenses for a few years.
Remember in business, like life if we are desperate for something to happen now, we will push it away.
Answer my questions and I can can answer yours.
I love to make my own music but if I had to I would still help somebody create their own music. I write my own music but again I wouldn't mind engineering somebody else's. I wouldn't mind promoting my own material but I realise that is too idealistic for today's world, though I would definitely give it a shot. I play guitar and though I'm not a recording tech I could probably find my way around most home-recording software (not professional home-recording software that would need hardware though).
I have no money at the moment but I know my parents said they have some stashed away for my future. Just how much I do not know. Also I will 75% probably be going to the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology if I were accepted. That is $25,000 for one year but is an industry leader in audio schools and provides all you need to know in the field.
Oh and by the way -- "in life, if we are desperate for something to happen now, we will push it away" -- I have never heard that before but it's a quote I've actually taken to heart
Who here owns their own business?
my dad owns his own business- sorry cant tell, its his privacy not mine
Who here owns their own business?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lagstronaut
I love to make my own music but if I had to I would still help somebody create their own music. I write my own music but again I wouldn't mind engineering somebody else's. I wouldn't mind promoting my own material but I realise that is too idealistic for today's world, though I would definitely give it a shot. I play guitar and though I'm not a recording tech I could probably find my way around most home-recording software (not professional home-recording software that would need hardware though).
I have no money at the moment but I know my parents said they have some stashed away for my future. Just how much I do not know. Also I will 75% probably be going to the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology if I were accepted. That is $25,000 for one year but is an industry leader in audio schools and provides all you need to know in the field.
Oh and by the way -- "in life, if we are desperate for something to happen now, we will push it away" -- I have never heard that before but it's a quote I've actually taken to heart
Okay now we have narrowed it down a little. I am assuming you can play guitar well and have something to share with others.
I do not know what kind of music you play. But that does not really matter right now.
1) Teach people how to play guitar. Easy cash here. Do a DVD instruction course or video.
2) Write songs for other people or Recording companies. You know several popular singers and bands do not write their own stuff.
Go to Amazon.com and search for How to Write a Hit Song. Read the reviews and pay attention to How to Write a Hit Song and Sell It
by Tommy Boyce. But look at other titles. You can sell songs to companies by mail or over the Internet.
3) Write music or songs for motion pictures. Place an add in the Trade Papers and offer to write good music for cheap. Offer to customize your songs to their Movies. If one independent film makes it big and you have a song on their soundtrack you will have offers flowing in.
4) Find a company or product that you love and write a song about it. Send it to the company. If they use it in a commercial you will get a nice check.
5) Write you own music. Post it on Myspace. Make a video and place it on Youtube, google,yahoo, ect.
6) Start a band write music and tour. Even unknown bands can make a good living.
7) Become a band or event promoter in your area.
8) Write music for video games.
This is just a start. As I do not know you or what talent that you might have.
I know a Piano player that all he does is play the piano at a department store. He makes over $60,000 a year. It is an upscale department store, but you get the idea.
These basic ideas do not require a big investment. But they involve your creative ideas and the ability to play guitar.
I bet there are even more ideas. I had to eliminate other ideas because of investment or technical training. Also Music is general and we are talking playing guitar and songwriting.
If you have computer skills there are even more opportunities.
There are so many ways to make money and there is a fortune for anyone who is willing to pay the price.
Who here owns their own business?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ericwt
Okay now we have narrowed it down a little. I am assuming you can play guitar well and have something to share with others.
I do not know what kind of music you play. But that does not really matter right now.
1) Teach people how to play guitar. Easy cash here. Do a DVD instruction course or video.
Good suggestion but not really enough to pay any bills
2) Write songs for other people or Recording companies. You know several popular singers and bands do not write their own stuff.
Go to Amazon.com and search for How to Write a Hit Song. Read the reviews and pay attention to How to Write a Hit Song and Sell It
by Tommy Boyce. But look at other titles. You can sell songs to companies by mail or over the Internet.
I write creative songs that don't follow formulas and quite frankly I couldn't bring myself to stunt my creativity and commercialize myself for the sake of a paycheck. Also I don't think I'd be willing to part with my own songs in favour of someone else -- they come from my heart and if I saw some dick make millions learning a song in 5 minutes that took me a week to write, I would be pissed.
3) Write music or songs for motion pictures. Place an add in the Trade Papers and offer to write good music for cheap. Offer to customize your songs to their Movies. If one independent film makes it big and you have a song on their soundtrack you will have offers flowing in.
Movies tend to use orchestrated music (something I can't do) or hit music but that's also a pretty decent idea. Small time movies won't even pay you for your songs often times, the band considers it promotion enough just to be included in the film
4) Find a company or product that you love and write a song about it. Send it to the company. If they use it in a commercial you will get a nice check.
Yeah or rewrite a couple lines of it and claim they've never heard of me
5) Write you own music. Post it on Myspace. Make a video and place it on Youtube, google,yahoo, ect.
I was thinking of that but that's not really going to make me any money at all. Maybe good word of mouth, but on international websites like that most of the people that like my songs would be people too far away to play to
6) Start a band write music and tour. Even unknown bands can make a good living.
It takes an unbelievable local fanbase to have an opportunity to tour. That or above-average connections and a decent label
7) Become a band or event promoter in your area.
I don't know what that even is to be honest. I have the general idea but it's kind of a vague job to be getting into IMO
8) Write music for video games.
Most video games either want chart-topping music, orchestrated music, or full-out rap or old school punk-rock music in their games. Things I do not specialize in unfortunately
This is just a start. As I do not know you or what talent that you might have.
I have a decent talent level and I've been playing for about 5 years now
I know a Piano player that all he does is play the piano at a department store. He makes over $60,000 a year. It is an upscale department store, but you get the idea.
These basic ideas do not require a big investment. But they involve your creative ideas and the ability to play guitar.
IMO those are either not really careers (more like freelance work that takes more time than money earned) or do require big investments. Touring? Gigging equipment alone is thousands of dollars not to mention being a tight band, playing shit venues for years, and having to blow alot more money on professional sounding demos to send out in a few circulations. No way I get gigs in out of town without at least 1 demo CD circulating. I am a decent home-recorder but I think even a small demo CD is over my head right now. My recordings are way too hissy at the moment
I bet there are even more ideas. I had to eliminate other ideas because of investment or technical training. Also Music is general and we are talking playing guitar and songwriting.
I'd like to know your investment ideas and technical training ideas. Investment money can be dealt with if the idea is good enough and technical training is something I am looking towards anyway
If you have computer skills there are even more opportunities.
There are so many ways to make money and there is a fortune for anyone who is willing to pay the price.
Thanks for the help so far
Who here owns their own business?
lagstronaut:
These were just ideas. Ultimately you have to decide for yourself what you want. Find your love in life and follow that.
All business is freelancing. There is never any guaranteed income. In a business you determine if you fail or succeed.
Right now the future of music is online. You need to learn digital recording. With my PC right now I can record anything digitally with no hiss and burn it to a CD with crystal clear sound.
In music it is all about exposure. The more people who hear your music the more chance they will buy it. It is that simple.
Sounds like you need to figure out what you want to do and just go do it. If you need the training, get it.
Regardless of what you do you will have to pay your dues. If you love your music and want to share it with others you will do what it takes.
I understand my businesses and can show people how to sell ideas, services, and products. But it is up to you to decide what you want to do with your life.
I am not a musician. But if I were I would study the industry and the trade publications and then decide what the market wanted. Then I would provide it.
Or I would go to school, learn the trade and then whore myself out to the industry.
Either you decide or someone else does. It is simple really, kind of like life.
