In real estate, the best way to sell a home is by presenting it in the best possible light. So why not make it through video? Video can offer one of the best views of a home that someone might be interested in purchasing before physically driving there.

It is Video Sales Agent that has been one of the best options for realtors and independent sellers in need of a way to promote their properties. When your competition is using the old-fashioned photograph to sell a home, your video is bound to stand out in the crowd.

Of course VSA isn’t limited to their services, they also offer a distributorship opportunity for individuals with the drive to go into business for themselves.

What does Video Sales Agent do and what inspired you to start this business?

Video Sales Agent creates videos that sell! We specialize in videos for real estate, video business cards, website virtual spokespeople, and video to web. In the real estate segment we specialize in video property tours, agent video profiles, and real estate photography.

Did you launch the opportunity at the same time as you did the business? How long did it take for you to perfect your opportunity for the market?

No, I actually started working with video to web technologies with my former technology company. It has taken us more than a year to perfect our services, our video hosting platforms. We are continuously developing new video products and services that will help business increase their revenues.

What does it take to start up a VSA business?

First and foremost it takes a strong desire to build your business. If you like working for someone else, don’t like meeting new people, and introducing your products and services then this opportunity is not a great fit.

You don’t have to have video expertise but having a certain amount of creativity is a strong benefit. We teach all of our licensees how to develop and deliver our products.

There is minimal equipment and software that needs to be purchased and in many cases a potential licensee may already own some of the required equipment. ($5,000 or less)

Why is your business different from other services like yours?

I don’t believer there are businesses exactly like ours. We have worked hard at diversifying the products and services we offer, opening up our target markets to virtually any size and type of business. In addition, we are continuously research and developing new products and services for our licensees to offer their clients, helping ensure their business is never behind the trends.

We guide and train our licensees on how we deliver our products and services but we do not control how they run their business. Our mission is to do the hard work up front allowing our licensees to focus on sales and delivery.

Was there any experience you were able to apply when you were getting started? What was that experience?

Is there anything you wish you could go back and do differently? What have you learned from those mistakes?

I would never want to go back and do anything differently. The mistakes we make have been great learning lessons on what works and what doesn’t work. If you make no mistakes that means there are a lot of mistakes waiting to happen. As with any business, our current offerings have evolved over time meeting our clients business needs.

If you were to retire right now, is there anything in business that you feel has really had an impact on your day-to-day life? What have you learned from it all?

Owning my own business has been the most influential aspect of my business life. While I tend to work more than the average person I enjoy creating and building. All of the effort I put in rewards me. All of the mistakes I make impact me. There is no one else to blame.

But when all is said and done it has been the freedom to enjoy my family life. I am able to coach my kid's soccer teams. I am able to spend quality time with my family. I am based out of my house so I get to see them in the morning and when they get home. I get to take breaks with them in the day. When I worked for someone else at the office I would come home and my son was going to bed. I may see him 30 minutes a day. Life is too short for that.

I hope we are able to give others the chance to build dreams and to enjoy some of the benefits of owning your own business. Its work, but the rewards are worth it.

Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?

I have never liked working by the hour or getting paid a straight salary. I like to be paid for performance. When you own your own business there is no middle manager or large corporate entity that enjoys in my efforts.

What kind of impact do you feel that VSA has had on the real estate world?

Video is starting to have a significant impact in online marketing. In the next five years the standard virtual tour will be a narrated video virtual tour, our specialty. Video Sales Agent is positioned very well to capitalize on this evolving trend.

If you look at the history of online property marketing it started off with pictures. Then it evolved into the panoramic scenes. That progressed to slide show tours with music and static pictures. Video Tours are the next wave. Video Tours are a mini commercial for a property. If still pictures with no sound or narration was the best way to sell something then we would not have commercials, we would just see still pictures on TV.

Video Sales Agent is the first company that standardizes the product and process, allowing our licensees to offer these cutting edge products to real estate agents nationwide.

Where do you see your business and the opportunity you offer going in the next few years? Do you have any special plans (non-secret ones, as I understand there are some things businesses can’t disclose) for growth or change?

I fully anticipate that we will add 50 licensees a year over the next few years. My personal goal is to be in every major city within the next 3 to 5 years. Then we may look at moving internationally. We will encourage licensees to help us grow into other areas by opening new markets, building their own business’ footprint.

What advice do you have for someone interested in starting their own business through your opportunity?

I would recommend starting part-time. What is great about this opportunity you can start slow, do virtually all of the work after hours, building your business until revenues are high enough to make the move full-time.

PRNewswire:

WHAM-O, Inc., announced that John Bisbal III of East Northport, New York is the winner of the company’s 60th Anniversary Kid Inventor Contest.

In saluting WHAM-O’s storied, and sometimes “zany,” history of redefining fun with off-the-wall toys and imaginative inventions, WHAM-O’s Kid Inventor Contest encouraged kids between the ages of 6-17 to tinker, test, create and submit their ideas for the next great WHAM-O toy by visiting the contest website.

After reviewing hundreds of submissions from the U.S. and Canada, John’s submission scored highest, as determined by a panel of WHAM-O judges, in terms of originality, uniqueness of approach, marketability and mass appeal.

“Of all the great toy concepts we reviewed, John’s was closest to WHAM-O’s spirit of innovative outdoor fun, and its history of providing children and adults with imaginative toys that spark creativity and encourage social interaction,” said Chris Guirlinger, WHAM-O’s Vice President of Marketing and Licensing. “We are very excited to work with John on the possibility of turning his winning concept into the next great WHAM-O toy.”

The winning invention is designed for both outdoor and indoor use and tests the user’s skill and aim by catapulting balls from a specially designed launcher. In addition to winning the $2,000 Grand Prize, John’s invention will be reviewed for inclusion in WHAM-O’s 2010 toy line-up, and if made, John will receive a portion of the profits from the manufacturing and distribution of his toy.

When asked what inspired him to create his invention, John answered, “I don’t know. It just came to my head. I was reading Nick Magazine and there were only two days left until the end of the contest, so I said to my dad, ‘let’s try to come up with something,’ and it just came to me.”

Photo by WHAM-O, Inc..

MarcandAngel.com:

What most people don't realize is that you never really work for anyone but yourself.

The only question is: What are you selling, and to whom?

Even when you have a full time, salaried, ''Corporate America'' position, you are still running your own business. You are selling one unit of your existence (an hour of your life) at a set price (the associated fraction of your salary) to a customer (your employer).

Even when working in an ''hours for dollars'' environment, you can avoid the ''hours for dollars'' mentality. Find something you're passionate about and take it to the next level. Become a guru. This should help you to strategically position yourself as a ''go to guy/gal'', someone your superiors (and industry insiders) see as a vital asset.

Doing so will ultimately free you from the bounds of an arbitrary hourly rate, because you (your business) will become entwined with the future objectives of your employer (and maybe even the industry as a whole). This typically translates into big raises, bonuses, etc. You'll start getting paid based on the tangible value you provide. Eventually, this position of power can be leveraged to start a company of your own.

Photo by defret.