Video editing for local businesses

Restaurants, real estate agents, gyms, contractors, dental offices and other local businesses that need regular video content.

Monthly packages with a set number of edited videos, plus one-off project fees. Taking on freelance editors later lets you handle more clients.

• Editing, motion graphics and captioning
• Sales and explaining value to non-technical owners
• Project management and handling several clients at once

• Form an LLC if you want to separate personal and business liability, and check your state's rules
• General liability insurance and possibly professional liability, so check what clients may require
• Get a signed agreement covering revisions, deadlines, music licensing and usage rights
• Check whether you need a local business license or sales tax registration, since rules on digital services vary by state
• If you hire editors, check how your state treats contractors versus employees

Startup costs are typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your computer and software, whether you partner with a filmmaker, and how much you spend on marketing. Treat this as an estimate and budget from your own setup.

Monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many clients you take on and the size of their monthly packages. That is an estimate of revenue, not profit, and it assumes at least about 20 hours a week.

Check whether an LLC suits you and what your state requires, and what insurance clients may expect. Use a signed agreement covering revisions, deadlines, music licensing and usage rights. Also check local business license, sales tax and contractor-versus-employee rules.