Enterprise Nation

It has taken us two long years to get to this point. The point where our very favourite cameraman steps from behind the lens to tell us a little about his own home business. We cannot recommend Tim Sargent highly enough. He’s travelled thousands of miles with the Enterprise Nation team, unstintingly delivering a top service (and never once complained about having to be on the road with Emma for 5 straight days!)

When did you start Mint Video?

In summer 2007 I handed in my notice to my employer and spent a while thinking what to do next. I had been stuck in the 9 to 5 for a few years and things had gone a bit stale. I needed a challenge, something new and exciting. Something I was fired up and passionate about.

I applied for several jobs in the film/video/tv industry with no success. I remember vividly driving to a job interview near Oxford and saying to myself “If I don’t get this job, I’m starting my own business”. Whether this thought had anything to do with a terrible job interview, and a total lack of enthusiasm when I came out, I don’t know. Needless to say, I found out pretty quick I hadn’t got the job. Damn! So that was it. Time to start my own business.

What does the company do?

We create film/video for companies and individuals. Anything from company profiles to talking head interviews/testimonials.

How can you help home based businesses?

The beauty of video is that it completely personalizes a business. A 3 minute video on your website explaining who you are, what you offer and how people can contact you is more likely to win you a sale than someone having to trawl through pages of text. It’s like talking to a potential customer. If they like what they see, they’ll want to buy your product or service.

We can create a video for your website that can also be placed on youtube and other video sharing sites to drive more traffic to your site, which in turn will generate more leads and sales.

Cost can be a big issue for small businesses, especially if you’re starting out. I would look at  video as more of an investment. As I mentioned, there are plenty of free video websites out there such as youtube where you can put your produced video to promote your business. Whilst having flyers and printed material may be good on a local scale, video and anything visual that can be uploaded to your website is there for anyone to see nationally/internationally.

Do you think we will see more small businesses adopt video in 2010?

Definitely. I think it’s worth remembering that you are in business (ultimately) to make money. You must believe you have a product or service that is worth selling and that people will buy it. Therefore, you’ve got to make some noise about it. You want everyone to know about what you’re doing. Whether it’s making donuts or dolls! Video is such a powerful way of capturing your audience and drawing them into your product or service.

Do you offer a home business package?

We offer several ‘set’ packages. Typically for a home based business, our ‘SHOOT BASIC’ package would probably suffice. This would be a short film, up to 3 minutes, and ideal as an introduction to your company, or a profile video. It includes a 1 day shoot at your home office, talking heads/interviews and titles/logos/graphics; produced within 2 weeks and delivered on a DVD and a version for the web. This is priced at £1200. Enterprise Nation readers can get a £200 discount though terms apply.

What are your plans for the business in 2010?

The main priority is to increase our client base. The way to do that is marketing, and lots of it. Word of mouth recommendation has enabled us to very quickly build a strong network of clients in and around the West Midlands, but in order to grow, we need to market. This may involve creating videos of the company in action, giving potential customers an insight into what to expect from us. We plan to produce some testimonial videos from clients too. Video testimonials are so powerful you know!

What’s the one thing you couldn’t do without in your home office?

You know, I’ve been trying to think of something really ‘cool’ to write for this one, but I really have no idea. Everything on the desk is practical stuff that I use every day. Recently I bought a Peace Lily plant, purely because of its looks.It sits behind my monitors and is a really nice feature of my desk. It’s worth noting I haven’t started talking to it yet. That’s got to be a good sign though, right?

Tim Sargent, Mint Video

Note from EN Editor: In reading Tim’s answers you’ll grasp why I enjoy working with him so much. He’s astute, funny and always thinking about the next best shot. If you are considering an investment in video, you’d do well to consider investing in Mint Video (and I promise I’m not on a single penny of commission!) – Emma Jones