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Making a 2023 Voice-Over Business Plan

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If you’re reading this article, it might be because you’re just like me: your 2023 New Year’s resolution is to grow your voice-over business! I’m wishing us all much success this year, whether you’re just starting out in the industry or you’ve been here for ages. But in order for my well-wishing to be truly effective, it’s time we put our nose to the grindstone and hammer out our 2023 business plan. I know what you’re thinking – Hannah, we’re actors! We’re creatives! I can’t just create a whole business plan from scratch, I should be behind the mic making scripts come to life! I know how it is; but at the end of the day, for us to be truly successful in voice-over, we need to treat ourselves like the business that we are – and the best way to get serious about achieving your goals this year is to start with a business plan. Simply put, a business plan is a written statement of a business’s goals, and strategies to achieve them. There are lots of different ways to do this, and there are tons of templates online you can use to stay organized. In general, your typical business plan consists of seven steps. Let’s go through these together using parts of my 2023 business plan as an example! Step 1: Write an Executive Summary 

Make a plan and connect the dots!

This is our introduction to our voice-over business – you can think of it as an elevator pitch. We’re trying to summarize what we do and sell, and we might add an overview of our strategy for the year here too. Mine might look like this: My voice-over business is called Hannah Trusty VO. I am the sole employee, I’m going to be based out of my home studio in Boston this year, and will be working full-time. I’ve been professionally trained in commercial, narration, and character acting. This year I am going to devote more time to auditions in animation and video games, work on expanding my vocal range to offer new voices to clients, and aim to add five new clients this year. Start with the basics, and then you can bring it home with answering this question: Why does my business matter? Step 2: Write a Business Description This is where you can start to really dive into your marketing goals. Who are we selling ourselves to? What parts of this industry do you want to focus on? What makes you different from the next guy? If you need help with this part, think about what your coaches or clients may have said about your voice. Positive feedback you’ve received might help you think about how to position yourself in voice-over. Also, consider what you actually want to do with your voice. As I stated in step one, I want to do more animation this year. My target market is going to be places where I can audition for character roles, new casting directors I’m trying to connect with, or maybe even an agency I want to apply for. Step 3: Market Analysis This may be a little less straightforward for us actors, but spend some time researching other actors you admire. What roles are they getting? What do their demos sound like? What do their websites look like? You can use your peers as both inspiration and as competitive analysis. Are you up to par with their branding? What is going to make you stand out here? Step 4: Operational Structure How are we going to operate on a daily basis as a voice-over business? This part of your plan should be straightforward, actionable, and realistic goals for your daily performance. I work as a voice actress full time, so my operational commitment will look like this: I will commit to working 4-8 hours daily, five days per week. I will prioritize ongoing projects every morning, allocate one to two hours per day to auditioning, and spend my final hour of my workday reviewing my branding across different platforms as well as marketing myself to potential clients. I will spend 30 minutes per week making social media posts. I will allow myself time to relax and rest on weekends 🙂 Step 5: Product Design What is it that we’re actually selling here? Our voices! Our personality! Our work ethic! Write down what types of voice-over work you are strongest in. Think about your demos as an example of this – I’d recommend listening back to them and jotting down adjectives to describe your voice and talent along the way. Again, think about what makes you a strong actor and different from the next guy. My top “product” would be: Smooth, warm, & enthusiastic audiobook narration; cheerful young female characters; raspy teen boy characters; serious, stoic heroines; loud, angry teenager voices; and high-speed, friendly commercial reads! This will help us know where to focus our auditioning and marketing efforts as well. Step 6: Raise Capital While this is more straightforward for a business selling tangible products or running a brick-and-mortar, we still need to consider what sort of investments we’re going to be making in order to make our business successful. Are you going to take on specialized coaching this year? Revamp your home studio? Join a new pay-to-play auditioning website? Think about all the things that will come out of pocket this year and write down what they are and how much they cost. This will be an important page to return to throughout the year. Keep this info accurate so you have an easier tax season in 2024! Step 7: Future Performance With all of this in mind, how much do we expect to profit this year? What is our monetary goal for 2023? If you’ve already been working as a voice actor in years past, you’ll have a good understanding of what’s to come. If you haven’t, focus on setting realistic goals for yourself and detailing how you plan to achieve them (X amount of auditions weekly, setting aside time to email potential clients, etc.). While all of this may seem tedious, I promise it’s worth your time. Reflect on your voice-over career, set goals that are within your reach for the year, and get specific about how you’re going to achieve them! Coming into the new year with a plan is going to put you leagues ahead of the next guy. Once you’re finished, celebrate with cheers to your future successes! 

Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here !

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How to start a voice over business.

How To Start Voice Over Business. This post is part of our series on how to become a voice actor . You might have a remarkable voice, but if you don’t get clients then you don’t have a business, you have a hobby. Starting of with good focus on developing a voice over business is critical to success.

What you will learn in this post.

• #1 – Getting Off To The Right Start.

#2 – Developing A Winning Mindset.

#3 – what you need to get in place..

• #4 – The Business Plan – One Pager.

#5 – The Marketing Plan.

• #6 – Create Your Own Unique Brand.

How To Start A Voice Over Business.

What is a voice over business? and why you need to care.

Setting out to be independent, to enjoy the freedom of controlling your own destiny is exhilarating. But, the thrill and thoughts of freedom have to be tempered by the reality of getting your voice over business setup. There are a lot of things to consider and do. This can all seem a bit overwhelming as you set out on a new career path.

Learning how to start a voice over business the right way can save you a lot of time and money. There are lots of rookie mistakes people make that can hold them back from winning clients and thriving in the voice over industry.

We’ll cover the main points in this post, but if you want to get your business off to a good start, it is worth becoming a Gravy For The Brain member.

#1- Getting Off To The Right Start.

Before you start to jump in and start doing lots of things it is worth developing a plan. We don’t advocate creating a massive plan. Just a simple one pager will do. Businesses, if single person ones, that plan are over 60% more likely to succeed. That means taking time to think about your goals, not just as a business but your life goals. If you align your life goals to your business you will be more motivated to succeed.

Life goals not only involve planning your finances, your pension and disposable income. Your life plan involves what you want to do with your life. Quite a big question, but if you can think of it as what would I look back on in my life and be remembered for.

A good place to start is to sketch ideas out first. Then when you have these the next question to answer is how can my voice over career help me reach my life goals. By marrying up your life goals and your business goals you are well on your way to succeeding.

When you’re in the middle of trying to get your voice over business of the ground it can be overwhelming. Everybody at this point can suffer from self doubt and question if they are doing the right thing. This is in fact one of the defining points for many people as to whether they quit or go on to succeed.

Instead, trust in the power of your own pursuit. Trust that by showing up on your behalf, and taking bold, consistent action toward what you want, that energy is going to come back to you in clear and surprising ways.

Because here’s the reality:

You can either stand up for yourself and passionately pursue what you want, or you can throw up your arms and say “why bother?” and nothing will change.

Developing a successful voice over business starts with your mind-set. Your point of view serves as a filter and guide for how you engage with your business as well as your personal life. A positive mind-set, combined with talent, skills and business knowledge, is a powerful way to develop an interesting and dynamic voice over career.

Choosing to live in that mind-set and implement strategies that that grow from it lead to a successful and fulfilling voice over career. As a voice over actor you live on projects. Now you can let fear rule the fact that as each projects comes to an end you have to have another job. Or you can embrace the methods that strengthen how you build bridges and effectively see each project as a stage to the next. Building a voice over business also means finding and winning clients that use you on a regular a basis.

There will be times when you fail, when you fall over. As a child we know we have to do these things to learn and develop. We do not fail we merely learn. Each setback is not a setback it is a point of reflection for you to learn how to improve. Seize this mind-set and you will make more connections, build more relationships and get more work. Do this and your voice over business will quickly thrive

Everybody approaches starting a voice over business differently. But the building blocks for any successful voice over business, in fact any business are the same. The most important part about starting out in any new career is to learn about the market, the opportunities and the challenges. If you do this then you are already prepared for some of the challenges ahead and to seize the opportunities when they present themselves.

Here is a list of some of the things you need to get in place for your voice over business.

#1 – Branding, branding, branding

Before you start getting a logo designed or business cards printed just stop and take to develop your brand. You need to stand out in a crowded market and that means putting over you personality, skills and identity clearly. If you just look like another voice over, or worse look unprofessional, you are unlikely to get work or repeat work. It is vital to create a good first impression and look like you offer a high quality service.

• #1 – Business plan.
• #2 – Logo and brand identity.
• #2 – Website.
• #4 – Business email.
• #5 – Business cards.
• #6 – Financial plan.
• #7 – Bank account.
• #8 – Social media presence – register on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin.
• #9 – Home recording studio.
• #10 – Home recording equipment.
• #11 – High quality demo reels.
• #12 – Home recording software.
• #13 – Marketing plan.
• #14 – Marketing system.

That might look like a small list, but in fact there is a lot to do in getting all of that in place for your voice over business.

#4 – The Voice Over Business Plan – One Pager.

How to define the future for your voice over business

One of the most important aspects of developing your life and your career is to develop a plan. When developing a plan, you need to follow a simple formula, abbreviated “GOST,” which stands for “Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Tactics.” Each element is essential to the success of the plan. Let me take you through each of the four steps.

How To Setup Your Voice Over Business – Goals

A goal is a broad primary outcome. if you don’t have a goal in life, you are spending your life running around and not achieving anything for yourself. Goals tend to be long term so think about them in terms of between one to three years. Some goals you can set around for your voiceover business might be.

• How much money you want to earn (in a year)
• The type or brand of client you want to work with
• An agent you want to be listed with
• A rate of pay you want to achieve
• A new sector of the market you want to gain experience in
• To get onto national TV

How To Setup Your Voice Over Business – Objectives.

An objective is a specific and measurable milestone that must be achieved in order to reach a goal. Each objective will start with a verb. Here are some good ones: increase, deliver, sell, work, find, decrease, speed up, earn, learn. Start an objective with one of these words, and then use numbers to make it measurable. This way you will start to things of the things that you need to do to achieve your goals.

Objectives then are more detailed, measurable and use a smaller time frame. If you haven’t already hear it then use SMART to set your objectives

• S – specific (include what is to achieved).
• M – measurable (how you are going to measure it).
• A – achievable (can you do this given the time frame and resources you have).
• R – relevant (will it help you achieve a goal – is it relevant).
• T – timed (how long will it take, when will you achieve it).

So if you want to earn $100k in a year and each job pays $500 you need to achieve 200 jobs in a year. Before you set this as an objective you would check if it is realistic e.g. if you are earning $200 per job at the moment it might take you more than a year to achieve this because you need to increase your rate of pay a lot.

How To Setup Your Voice Over Business – Strategy.

A strategy is a plan of action designed to achieve an objective. Strategies tell you how you’re going to get there, the overall direction you are going to take.

You need to realise that the most essential and valuable thing that you have to bring to your life and to your work is your ability to think, to act and to get results. We all have a limited amount of time – it is called being time constrained. So given the time we do have what is the best way to achieve an objective – in other words what is the best strategy. As an example if your objective is to earn $100k per year you might have a number of different strategies open to you:

• Get more business from existing big customers do bigger jobs ($1000 instead of $500).
• Win bigger clients (increase rate of pay so average goes up to $600 or more).
• Work more – do more auditions (do more auditions and more work overall).
• Convert more opportunities (improve how you convert more auditions to work).

How To Setup Your Voice Over Business – Tactics.

A tactic is a task you do in pursuing an objective associated with a strategy.

Tactics are the small steps you have to perform to achieve your strategies. Tactics are your daily “to-do” list, that give you the momentum towards achieving your objectives.

Tactics are also about the tools you use to help you get things done. Tactics are about: what concrete action needs to be taken and how effectively can you achieve them. So if you wanted to work with bigger clients a set of tasks might be:

• Draft list of potential clients.
• Research agencies and companies they use.
• Research contacts.
• Research who I know who knows them.
• Get contact details of the person who buys voiceover.
• Find out what they share on social.
• Share some of their stuff on social.
• Get introduced at networking event.

How to make sure you regular review your plan.

A common mistake by people is that they do not review their progress regularly. They might be doing well but don’t recognize how well or what needs to change in their plans.

The key point is that plans are not static, they often need to change and be adapted as your working life changes. If for instance you suddenly land a big long term contract, you might want to revise your goals based on what the client offers you in terms of future employment.

The best way to review plans is to put a regular set of dates and times in your diary. Time when you know you will not be busy with work. This may mean you take time out on a Monday morning to review your goals and objectives.

What is critical though is to do a review. Don’t be tempted to let that time be taken over by work or other appointments. It is your time to check that you are on track and heading in the right direction.

Useful Tool To Help You Plan Your Voice Over Business

LIVEPLAN LivePlan is a cloud-based solution that helps you generate a solid business plan, even without any knowledge of how to put one together. LivePlan guides you through the entire process with video and text instructions.

The voiceover industry has many different niche types of work. Voiceovers are used across a wide range of industries and for many different reasons. As a result the demand for voiceover work is driven by different media and media channels.

NICHE SECTORS FOR VOICEOVERS The main types of voiceover niche sectors are:

• Commercials.
• Movie Trailer.
• Audiobooks.
• Animation films and series.
• Phone Message.
• Training videos.
• Explainer videos.
• Documentaries.

Each of these types of voiceover work involve different types of clients, each of which may have different reasons for buying voiceover services. Some examples of buyers include: creative directors, voiceover casting directors, voiceover talent agents, ad agency executives, TV network producers and video game developers. As a voiceover artist you need to learn what drives these professionals, what their day-to-day work life involves, what they look for in vocal performances, and how they like to be contacted.

Now you have done the hard work and got the foundations in place you are on your way to taking your voiceover career to the next elevel. The next step is to market yourself. Marketing though is not a one off activity, it is a consistent set of actions that over time build your brand.

Imagine if a business launched a new product and only advertised it once. The chances are the company and the product would fail.

There are some rules to marketing that you need to follow:

• Consistent – make a mantra to consistently develop your brand, your business each day of the week.
• Connected – make your marketing connected. Join up your website, PR and social media to create a bigger impact.
• Relevant – be relevant and focus on having a service rather than a sales mindset.
• Authentic – Be you. You are your own unique brand so be true to who you are and demonstrate you personality.
• Creative – think like an entrepreneur and develop unique ways to be interesting and relevant to potential customers.
• Experiences – your brand is about telling your story and creating vibrant and memorable experiences each time you interact with people/

So the key is to create a simple and manageable schedule – a blueprint for how to market and develop your personal brand.

FOCUS ON OUTCOMES

Too many voiceover actors focus on the wrong things and as a result feel as through they aren’t getting anywhere. They keep doing auditions but not building success.

The most important thing is to focus on the right outcomes and that starts with people not jobs. If you treat your career as a series of transactions with people, and not relationships, you will fail.

Relationships Build strong lasting relationships with people that value you and your talent.

Reputation Build a credible reputation that people share and endorse. Your reputation is the cornerstone of your brand.

Resume Your relationships and reputation will deliver the results that help build your resume.

If you focus on being you, on using your creativity and having an entrepreneurial mindset you will:

So what are the methods to connect with the right people, the communication methods that work? The next sections will help you understand each of the main methods to connect and build leads with clients.

There are lots of ways to get work as a voiceover actor. The key is to plan your marketing so that you know exactly what you are aiming to achieve.

Once you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve you can start to think about the best marketing methods that are suited to your  goal.

There are six main ways you can promote yourself and each has pros and cons that you should consider. Some, like social media, take more time to develop. In contrast cold calling can be a very quick way to get work.

Marketing is part art and part science. So be prepared to be creative and come up with ideas that make you unique and help you stand out.

TIPS FOR BEING CREATIVE:

• #SET ASIDE TIME TO BE CREATIVE
• #IF OFTEN HELPS TO WORK WITH OTHERS
• #INITIAL IDEAS SHOULD NOT BE JUDGED
• #USE STICKY NOTES TO CREATE A BOARD OF IDEAS
• #ONCE YOU HAVE FINISHED THE IDEA STAGE
• #FILTER IDEAS BASED ON TIME, POTENTIAL (High/Low) AND EASE TO IMPLEMENT
• #SHORTLIST AND SCHEDULE

#6 Voice Over Business – Create Your Own Unique Brand.

What is personal branding.

Your personal brand is important …but what are you really doing to develop yours? If you’re serious about getting ahead, you’re probably taking action in a haphazard, no-method-to-your-madness sort of way. But the truth is, that’s not good enough.​

Companies all over the world create a brand identity to communicate who they are and what they represent. In a similar way personal brands like Oprah, Beckham, Jay Lo, JK Rowling and many others brand themselves.

To stand out in a market, a business must develop its own brand identity, based on identifying how it fits to the market and to customers. A brand must be packaged and communicate so is different from other products.

Developing a brand is equally important for a person as it is a business. A personal brand needs to be as carefully crafted if it is to provide a strong connection to potential clients.

Personal branding gives you a unique position in an often crowded marketplace. It also provides a distinct visual identity that is easily recognisable.

Branding on a business level is common, but today branding is becoming just as important on a personal level. After all, you will have to compete with many other to win the attention of clients. Clients though do not make decisions rationally, they are influenced by perceived value and this is based on how people package and brand themselves. Improve your personal branding to stand out and deliver a high quality professional image.

AN EASY WAY TO CREATE A POWERFUL VOICE OVER BUSINESS BRAND

Strong brands maintain their reputation and loyalty by fulfilling their brand promise. It’s not just about being different, it’s about the difference the brands make, the qualities they have, the feelings people get from buying and using them.

The unique mix of qualities you have combined with your values form the foundations for your marketing. Strong personal brands succeed because they recognise, and add value, to their customers. The brand you create needs to consistently fulfil it’s brand promise and add value to your clients.

This workbook is a guide to help you focus on your strengths and identify your own unique value. By using this guide you create a powerful personal brand and that will accelerate your voiceover career. The guide follows an eight step process as follows:

• Set Your Goals
• Identify Your Values
• Find Your Strengths and Weaknesses
• Identify Your Personality
• Define Your Value
• Create Your Brand Promise
• Create Your Brand Identity
• Write Your Brand Story

Your Voice Over Business

At Gravy For The Brain we are helping lots of people develop their talent and establish themselves in the voice over market. Creating your voice over business is only one of the many ways we can help you. Join as a member and we will hold your hand and help you on this exciting part of your life.

For more information on voice acting visit our series of posts on how to become a voice actor

[social_warfare]

How to Start a Voice-Over Service

A voice-over business provides custom recordings for clients based on a diverse set of needs. The business works well as an offline as well as online service.  Your clients may need voice-over work for many different things. These include movies of varying lengths, presentations, video games, and various other services. The ability to operate the business fully online if you so choose makes this an attractive business with potentially very low investment and overhead.

Learn how to start your own Voice-Over Service and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a voice-over service by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Voice-Over Service
• Form your Voice-Over Service into a Legal Entity
• Register your Voice-Over Service for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Voice-Over Service
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Voice-Over Service
• Get Voice-Over Service Insurance
• Define your Voice-Over Service Brand
• Create your Voice-Over Service Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your voice-over service. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Voice-Over Service Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your voice-over service?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a voice-over service.

One of the best ways to keep your costs down when starting this business is to create a home studio. If you have space in your own home, you can create such a studio for $5,000 or less. This cost assumes you already have a computer and merely have to purchase things like professional recording and editing software, a pop filter, a microphone, and an audio interface. If you purchase a separate computer for the office, you should budget $2,000 for this purchase. You may want to professionally soundproof your studio, but this is not necessary to record voice-overs. Beyond the costs of the studio, you may want to budget $2,000 or less for advertising. This includes creating a professional webpage and social media presence as well as some modest local advertising via radio and newspaper. If you wish to lease a separate building to create your office, these opening and ongoing costs can go up dramatically: even a small studio can easily cost $30,000 a year to rent, and for the money, will likely not provide a significant improvement in quality over a home studio.

What are the ongoing expenses for a voice-over service?

One of the best features of a voice-over business is that there are almost no ongoing expenses. Once you have your equipment in place and are working in a home studio, you should not have to upgrade for years, nor will you be paying a monthly lease and utilities. You may choose to spend $500-$1000 a month on traditional advertisements, but once you have demos in place on your website, most of your pitching to potential clients will occur online, and will cost nothing except $250 a year or less on website hosting charges.

Who is the target market?

Despite the possible diversity of your work, your best clients will likely be mid- to large-size businesses. This is because such organizations will typically be in need of training videos for their many employees, and such businesses are likely to become a steady source of revenue for you.

How does a voice-over service make money?

On the most basic level, a voice-over business makes money by charging clients to record voice-over material. It is up to you and your business whether you wish to charge by words read, hours recording, or simply charge for entire projects based on their size.

How much you can charge is typically based on the exact services offered. For instance, you may charge between $250-500 to record an hour of a lecture or other educational presentation in which you are doing simple narration. That price may jump to between $1000 and $2000 per hour of recorded presentations, training videos, and so on. You will typically bill clients by the hour, but different projects will be divvied up differently: one hour may cover a single lengthy lecture, but it could cover dozens of short instructional videos. In some cases, you may be re-recording what someone else has already recorded, meaning you will be doing some transcribing as well. Remember to anticipate the non-recording time (such as reading, transcribing, editing, and so on) that goes into each recording session and price your services accordingly.

How much profit can a voice-over service make?

The exact profit you can make with this business is up to how much you charge and how much work you get. For instance, there are instances of extreme profit such as a woman who makes a minimum of $9,000 month doing voice-over gigs she finds on the website Fiverr. While you will ideally have steadier clientele and higher-paying gigs, the overall idea is the same: to do as much work as possible for as many clients as you can find. The ability to do this work from home means that you can easily record day and night if you need to, which may just be the key to you turning this into a six-figure job.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Don't be afraid to actively inquire about voice-over needs at companies that you already do business with, allowing you to leverage a pre-existing relationship. You may also seek businesses putting videos on Youtube that do not have an announcer or narrator—if they have many subscribers and videos, then they have a built-in audience and a built-in need for your services. Finally, don't underestimate the power of social media—aggressively advertising yourself and networking with others via services like Facebook and Twitter can easily lead to your next big break.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your voice-over service is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a voice-over service. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits .

For information about local licenses and permits:

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in  US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources .

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Service Agreement

Voice over businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a service agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example service agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your voice over business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

Certificate of Occupancy

A voice-over service is run out of either a commercial or home recording studio. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

• If you plan to lease a space :
• It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
• Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a voice-over service.
• After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
• If you plan to purchase or build a space :
• You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
• Review all building codes and zoning requirements for you business’ location to ensure your voice-over service will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Voice-Over Service needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Voice-Over Service.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a voice-over service

As mentioned before, you should advertise via traditional venues such as radio and newspaper as well as your own website and social media accounts. Another great way to market yourself is to record a variety of demos that you can feature on your website. This allows potential clients to know what they are getting and helps showcase your diverse skills.

How to keep customers coming back

One way to attract customers is competitive pricing. Find out what the going rate is in your region and price yourself in such a way that companies may be enticed into trying the new person. You may also consider advertising yourself via Youtube—this is a newer way of attracting clients and building your brand via videos that may go “viral” and help establish you. As for retention, just make sure you are giving 110% percent to each job—the industry has a lot of repeat business, so getting it right the first time with a client can often lead to many more opportunities.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

It's no surprise that a voice-over business is ideal for those who are naturally good speakers. This may include people who have experience giving prepared lectures (such as teachers) as well as people who often have leadership roles in their work environment. This is because confidence is one of the most important parts of your voice-over delivery, no matter what the assignment.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a voice-over service?

Part of any given day for a voice-over business is for you and/or your employees to be providing the voices required based on scripts you have received. Other daily activities include receiving the scripts and interpreting the client's needs based on that script. Communication with the client before, during, and after the assignment is also crucial to making sure you get it right the first time. Skilled voice-over artists may also spend part of their days practicing different deliveries, intonations, and even accents to ensure that they can provide the whatever voice a client needs.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful voice-over service?

Any previous voice-acting experience can be helpful when it comes to this job. This may include producing advertisements for TV or radio, or even making your own recordings for Youtube. On top of the voice-acting itself, any experience you may have had in a recording studio can help you know which equipment you need and what kind of setup you will need for your own equipment.

What is the growth potential for a voice-over service?

The growth potential for a voice-over business is good. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics groups voice actors in with the field of acting, which itself should experience a ten percent boost between 2014 and 2024. And, things like the aforementioned training videos will only become more important as more jobs are either outsourced to oversea workers or part-timers as part of the “gig economy,” necessitating clear training videos for new workers who may be unfamiliar with a company.

Not sure if a voice-over service is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a voice-over service?

Start networking with local and regional businesses right away in order to start a working relationship with them. Take the time to develop a catchy logo to help you build your brand as you get started. Finally, go for as many kinds of work as you can—you may develop a specialty later, but when starting out, it's important to explore all of your options.

How and when to build a team

Many voice-over businesses are one-person teams. This is because it helps keep the overhead low and ensures that the business does not have to split any profits that come in. Plus, the ability to work from home means that you can get a lot of work done for many clients on any given day. If, however, you are regularly having to turn down work because of too many existing commitments, you should consider building a team. However, unless they will use your studio or they have their own, keep in mind that building a team will necessitate the extra investment and overhead of leasing a separate business space.

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• World Voices Organization
• American Voice Talent Association

Real World Examples

• Online service
• Michigan service
• Atlanta service

Further Reading

• What You Need to Know to Start a Voice-Over Business
• Tips for Starting Your Business

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

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• Voice Over Marketing

Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Voice Over Business

by tvr_admin ·

The industry of voice over has grown more competitive over the years but more diverse due to revolutionary marketing demands for new technologies and advances and trends in the voice over industry. Whether you are a freelance voice talent, sound engineer, voice over casting director or producer you have to realize that you run a business of providing service. As a voice talent, think yourself as the business. Then how do you package and sell your services? Like any other business industry, you need to draw up a marketing plan or strategy to structure your business and understand the rates of financial returns for every investment (equipment, technology and acting/voice training) you spend on.

First, let’s define what marketing is —- these are all plans, strategies and activities to sell a product or service to a target audience.  The following is a basic framework or template of a marketing plan:

The next step will be to provide the details to your marketing framework. The following points and questions specific to the voice over market should help you develop the details for each item of your marketing plan.

After you have outlined the details of your marketing framework further sort this out to two levels – Strategic and Tactical. Often these two words are intertwined in any business plan but, are distinct in terms of implementation. It is not enough or substantial to think of strategy and tactics as long and short-term plans as both defines on how you will achieve your goals and objectives.

Strategy is your bridge to getting from where your business is right now to where you envision it will be. Strategy is your general resource and allocation plan. Tactics show how you specifically and tangibly will achieve your business goals. These are your specific set of activities to achieve your business goals. Most industries frame their tactics as activities aligned with each strategy. What are some of the elements of these two marketing levels?

Remember that once you realize that your voice talent/skill is your business then you understand that focusing on the quality of your business – you are your brand, is your best marketing strategy.

Tags: marketing voice over for beginners voice over professional

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Voice Over Business Cards: How to Make a Lasting Impression

As a voice actor, you know the importance of standing out in a competitive industry. While much of today's communication has gone digital, there's still something to be said for the power of a well-designed, tangible business card. Voiceover business cards offer an opportunity to showcase your unique brand and leave a lasting impression on potential clients. Learn best practices for creating voiceover business cards, including what to include, how to maintain consistent branding, and tips for making your card stand out.

Voiceover Business Cards Best Practices

Although the excitement of ordering a large batch of business cards can be tempting, it's essential to consider the quality and purpose of your card. The primary goal of a business card is to make it easy for potential clients to contact you. However, it's also crucial to remember that receiving a business card from a potential client is more valuable than simply giving yours away. Ideally, you want to create a genuine connection that encourages the client to offer their contact information, allowing you to follow up and keep the conversation going.

So, what should your voiceover business card contain? Let's break down the essential components:

• Website Link: Including a link to your website allows potential clients to learn more about you, listen to your demos, and get a sense of your voiceover style. If you don't have a website yet, consider investing in one to showcase your work professionally.
• Email Address: Make it easy for clients to get in touch with you by including a professional email address on your card.
• Phone Number: While not mandatory, providing a phone number offers an additional contact option and shows your availability for direct communication.
• Company Name: If you operate under a company name or brand, include it on your card to establish consistency and professionalism.
• Unique Design Elements: Consider incorporating eye-catching design elements that represent your brand and make your card memorable. Just be careful not to overcrowd the card with too much information or visual clutter.

Voiceover Branding Consistency

Consistency is key when it comes to branding. Your business card, website, e-signature, and other marketing materials should all have a cohesive look and feel that accurately represents your voiceover niche and personality. If you need help with design elements or identifying your brand style, consider working with a professional designer or branding expert who can guide you through the process.

Think about your target market and the type of voiceover work you specialize in. A medical narration voice actor, for example, might opt for a more professional and clean design, while an actor who focuses on animation could choose a more playful and colorful style.

Making Your Voiceover Business Card Stand Out

When creating your voiceover business card, think about ways to make it unique and memorable. Consider using high-quality paper, interesting textures, or special printing techniques to elevate your card's look and feel. You might also explore creative shapes, sizes, or folding options to add an element of surprise and intrigue.

Voiceover business cards are a valuable marketing tool that can help you make a lasting impression on potential clients. By focusing on best practices, maintaining consistent branding, and incorporating unique design elements, you can create a memorable card that showcases your voiceover talents and encourages clients to get in touch. Don't forget to proofread your card before printing and ensure that your website, e-signature, and other marketing materials align with your overall branding strategy.

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