Money is the number one concern in every business, but in the voiceover profession I’ve noticed a trend. More and more people seem to be entering the voiceover industry with far less money than they need to effectively start their business.
It’s become common for an aspiring voice talent to join a Facebook group, introduce themselves, and state that they want to be a voice talent but have no idea how to start and no money. Why does this happen in the voiceover industry but not in plumbing, mechanics, or medicine? I think it’s a combination of both perception and a lack of understanding of education. It’s perception in that they don’t see a voice talent needing any skills beyond just having a nice voice (which ticks me off no end). It’s education in that you can’t major in voiceovers at college nor is it offered in a vocational school.
Regardless, in terms of money it’s critical you understand four things:
How much you must make
How much you must spend
How much you must save
How much you must charge
If you want my thoughts on how to be profitable as a voice talent, read this blog entry.
If you want some Cash Flow tips, read this one.
If you want some accounting tips, check out this one.
My point is that is you want to start a business, any business, you need capital and an understanding of how to use that capital effectively to become a voice talent.
TIP OF THE WEEK
In the spirit of shameless self-promotion, if you want to learn more about how money works in the voiceover world, how to mange your insurance, retirement, pay your taxes, etc. I recommend you attend one of my upcoming workshops regarding the subject of money. Oh, and don’t forget that the signup fees are tax deductible. 🙂
If you don’t live in the New York Metropolitan Area:
Thursday, March 21st @8PM EST: My next Business & Money 201 webinar will be “Tax Time!” Take a wild guess what we’re gonna talk about.
Only $60 for a one-hour session!
If you do live in the New York Metropolitan Area:
Sunday, March 24th @2:00 PM EST: I will be leading a “Manage Your Money Like a VO Pro” workshop at Arts On Site hosted by the Voice Actors of NYC Facebook Group. We’ll talk about all things financial as a voiceover business and tips about filing your taxes in 2019. This is a donation-based event ($35 suggested donation). There are still a few seats left so sign up right here, right now!
NEWS AND NOTES
SESSION TOPIC CHANGE!!! March 29-31, 2019: VO Atlanta 2019! My Breakout Session will be “The Sales Funnel” and my X-Session will now be “Managing Your TIME and your Money”. Here is the new session description:
Making the transition from hourly employee to a self-employed entrepreneur is a challenge! As a voice talent, you utilize your time and your money much differently than your typical 9-to-5’er. Everything from how you pay your taxes & save for retirement to prioritizing tasks so your day doesn’t spin out of control. In this X-Session, ‘Managing Your Time and Money’, you will discover what it means to be a voiceover business on a financial, logistical, and ergonomic level. We’ll discuss and review:
Tips & tricks about building & managing your voiceover business
Incorporation, acquiring insurance
and focusing on the rights tasks at the right time.It may be the most important voiceover session you’ll ever have! There are still a few X-Session seats left so sign up today.
LOCATION ANNOUNCED! Thursday, May 30th 9am-3pm EST: “The VO Tech Deep Dive and eLearning Extravaganza!” 575 8th Ave, 8th Floor NYC. This all-day workshop will consist of two classes: in the morning Amanda Rose Smith will dive deep into audio engineering (from studio creation to mastering files) and in the afternoon I will run an intensive “Learning to do eLearning” seminar covering everything you need to know about the world of eLearning and Corporate narration (which includes live coaching). The Early Bird rate of $99 per class or $179 for both classes ends April 1st and are limited to a precious few seats. Tickets are on sale now!
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Ravioli Day and Introverts Week!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business & marketing consultant known as the VO Strategist and produces the comic book “Agent 1.22”.
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