How people start a business in 3d visualization?

[shangriladida]

Guys,

 

how do business-minded ppl do their business in 3d visualization area? How do they start the business?

 

What are the advantages of having the firm/studio/company comparing to freelance?

 

Are there any law that protects the company? let say, nowdays, almost anywhere clients asking for freelancers rather than an established company... Probably because companies quote high prices for their services. Do they have any other options?

 

Im still young.. just wanna know how these services could fit in the industry. We all dreamt to have our own studio right? Hope u peeps out there, especially with experience in the business could give some tips...

 

thanks

-sham-

[ShaunDon]

Hey Sham --

 

To be sure it's a difficult industry to break out into with a new firm. Ours is now going into its fourth year in business, and it's been a struggle every step of the way despite of being in a part of the U.S. where operating costs are comparitively low.

 

Yes, lots of companies are looking for freelancers, and in our first year things looked like we were going to be clobbered by viz sweatshops and cheap overseas competition. You have to build your business based on personal relationships with clients who understand that while there are always cheaper options out there, they can always depend on you. Even if it means working 15-hour days and bending over backwards to get those last-minute changes integrated.

 

There are plenty of architects and developers out there whose design proposal or investment returns depend on the success of your images. For these kinds of jobs, meeting face to face and having a personal relationship with their renderer is huge. And there is a great deal of security in knowing that your five-figure rendering contract is just as important to the success and growth to your studio as their multi-million dollar project is to them.

 

Starting a studio requires a significant up-front investment, an existing body of work that will convince clients to sign on with you, and not much sleep for the first 12-18 months -- whether you're overloaded with work or wondering how to pay next month's expenses, you'll be up most nights. Also, unless you're going to hire a business manager (and pay him/her more than you), plan on leaving the production work to your employees. If you try to run the business AND do the work for very long, everyone will suffer. Once you have your own studio, your #1 job will be marketing, sales, and managing the books.

 

I don't mean to discourage anyone, it's by no means impossible. But it is an extraordinary amount of work, and finding and maintaining a skilled staff to do the work is a constant challenge. But the pay-off is incredible -- we're about to go live with our new website, and looking at it now fills me with enormous pride for what we've accomplished. I'll never get rich doing this work, but I do enjoy it very much.

 

Good luck,

Shaun

[shangriladida]

Hey Shaun,

 

Thank you so much for ur inspiring words. I am an architectural lover. It was a dream to be an architect...but I couldnt be one due to the fact that I started my U-years in Multimedia. I have a degree in Virtual Reality(Architectural). The word Architectural, eventhough its nothing to some ppl..but it means a lot to me.

 

I love 3D as well, and I love art too...I know there would be too many boundaries to face. I am working as a 3D visualizer in an architect firm in KL. My monthly income is too little as I cant even get new clothes or even pay my bills. I think to myself, I cant carry on with this anymore. I feel so down, I think I shud deserve better. Works are gushing in, but the pay isnt that good.

 

I feel bad about our industry. I dont know about other countries, but I think in Malaysia...we make designs just for the sake of earning money. Why dont both? MONEY and PASSION? People dont appreciate much about 3D designing as we do. Architects get their fame, Real Estates get good reputation, but WE are the one contributing...

 

I know that someday, things will change... and I know, I will own my kingdom (that sounds too royalish isnt it?) I rant a lot! =P

[shangriladida]

and BTW, Its fun to be rich. But Id prefer an easy life. Free from debts and big problems.

[rotten42]

I have one word of advice for you that I cannot stress enough:

 

NETWORK!!!!!

 

 

I've developed 95% of my work through networking. When I started out I targeted a couple of people in my related industry that I was going to establish a working relationship with because I could see that they were very well connected. It's worked great. Last year I had a 38% increase in sales.

 

Advertising budget: $0.

Trips to Chicago and New York: $6000

Keeping in contact with the right people: priceless.

 

 

Like the saying goes. It doesn;t always matter what you know but who you know.

[shangriladida]

ooo...ic

 

soo how do i build my own network once I started the business? Is it by just meeting potential ppl and simply tell them I wanna do business? Or just by being humble, show them that ur trying to be a friend....after a long relationship, u tell them ur intentions...

 

In Malaysia, there are only a few visualization companies, mostly competitors are freelancers. There are multimedia companies, doing visualizations too, but their products arent just 3D visualizations. They also do websites, TVCs, MTVs...meaning they dont only cater architectural industry.

 

There should be something right...? Theres always a solution to anything...

[shangriladida]

Or just by being humble, show them that ur trying to be a friend....after a long relationship, u tell them ur intentions...

 

 

Its like being James Bond...u spy, u act when the time comes! But that doesnt sound too good...

[Devin Johnston]

I tried starting up a rendering business about 4 years ago, I sent out mailers, made hundreds of phone calls, and personally delivered printed materials to lots of local architectural firms. In the end I got one job out of all of my effort and it was from someone who had heard about me from someone I knew personally. I wound up getting a full time job doing arch viz so the business kind of disappeared but I will occasionally get a job from those mailers that I sent out. Most of the work I do on the side come from word of mouth, you can't put a price on good networking because people believe their friends and co-workers, it's much harder to get their attention through advertising. There is a statistic I heard that says the average person has to see a piece of advertising at least 3 times before they notice it, that's a lot of money. My suggestion is if you want to start a business and you have no clients you must get out and talk to people one on one. Set up meetings and bring your nicest materials, make sure you know exactly what you want to talk about and have something you can leave behind with them so they will remember you when there looking for someone. It’s a lot of work especially if you’re doing it by your self but if you want it bad enough anything is possible.