starting a buisness?

[Nick_Black]

I'm sure I've read threads on this before, but I can't find any right now.. So I'll start a new thread.

I'm a novice recording engineer (In my opinion). I've been recording my band for several years, but I would like to record other bands as well, but recently I was thinking.. There are a lot of people who track, but who know little-to-nothing about mixing, or so it would seem. What does it take to becoume one of those online trackers/masterers? And further, become somewhat successful at it. What prices should I ask for? Should I have a "Don't Pay Until Your Satisfied" policy? What are the typical steps of starting/running such a business?

I know it's a mouthful, but any help would be appreciated.


Nick_Black

 

[stevieb]

Becoming a master: LIke getting to Carnagie Hall: practice, practice, practice.

Getting business: marketing, marketing, marketing. Hustle up business. Use your band's recording as demos for your skills. Offer to do one to three-song demo packages for a "sale" (NOT "reduced"- wordage is important) price. Print up business cards and ALWAYS have some with you. Give 'em out to anyone who expresses interest, but be more conservative with them in general- almost NO ONE passes business cards on to someone else unless the first holder has someone specific in mind to pass the card on to.

Don't offer it for free. EVER. You do that, you run one of two risk: People get what they pay for, or PERCEIVE that they are getting what they are paying for. Either way, you lose. A "satisfaction guaranteed" policy (partial or full refund) is better than "Don't pay till satisified" one. If you go to a shrink, he/she requires you to pay something for the sessions- they understand that you must be invested in the process for results to follow. Take the same approach.