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<\/a>Along with three other partner\/investors, I founded this video production facility to serve the needs of advertising and corporate clients in the Toledo area. \u00a0After a month or two working out of an office at a neighboring ad agency’s space, I moved into the “expansive” 750 square feet of newly finished space at One Sunforest Court in Toledo. \u00a0I had a few years of video and audio production experience under my belt by then. Did I have any business experience? No, not really. \u00a0But with the help of my attorney and accountant, as well as my older, more experienced partners, I learned the business end of things as I went along. \u00a0That’s not to say there weren’t a few occasions when I held my head in my hands and wondered what I had gotten myself into. \u00a0But with dedication, hard work, and an easy-going style with clients, I was able to slowly grow the business and learn a great deal in the process.<\/p>\n Keep in mind, that in 1985, there were no laptops and no cell phones (unless you count the gigantic beasts that were bolted into the trunk of some doctors’ and executives’ cars.) \u00a0There really wasn’t even an internet, as we know it today. \u00a0So, many companies relied on “capabilities videos” to inform their prospective customers about their goods and services. \u00a0This type of project was the bread and butter of many production facilities in the eighties. \u00a0Fax machines were just starting to become common in the workplace, and Federal Express (not yet renamed to FedEx) was the only way to get data or materials from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. \u00a0Clients actually scheduled projects days and weeks in advance, and would personally come into the suite to supervise the majority of edit sessions.<\/p>\n Millions of edits, 3 addresses, and 25 years later, Video Post Productions, Inc. is still here. \u00a0Little by little, the partners were bought out, equipment was upgraded, and new technology was embraced. \u00a0So you would think that on July 1, 2010, we would throw a huge bash celebrating a quarter century of business. Ironically, that won’t be the case.<\/p>\n You see, in recent years, the growth of the internet would allow many companies to market themselves through their websites, instead of producing long-form capabilities videos. \u00a0No corporate videos equals less business for us. \u00a0Advancing technology, and lower cost computers and software would open up the industry to scores of newcomers throwing their hats into the production ring. \u00a0More competition equals less business for us. \u00a0A major client providing 60-70% of our business suddenly loses all of the projects that used to come our way. Significantly less business for us. \u00a0Then the U.S. stock market and general economy goes in the toilet in late 2008. Everyone gets nervous about spending money. Even less business for us.<\/p>\n<\/a>