Author: Cheptiony Mutai

Top 10 Requirements to Qualify For Any Invitation To Tender in Kenya

Requirements to qualify for a tender invitation in Kenya is adding up every year. This is based on the qualification of the suppliers applying to be pre-qualified.

Also, the number of applications submitted by suppliers whenever a Tender advertisement is published on a newspaper or via the online Tender platforms in very huge.

Its important to mention that Tendering and Freelancing go hand in hand. 7 years ago when I started responding to Invitation to tender, the number of requirements was not much. These were the registration certificate, KRA Pin, company profile and Tax compliance certificate.

In this blogpost, I will share with you top mandatory requirements you need in order to qualify for a Tender evaluation in Kenya. Note that you can acquire most of these documents for FREE or at a fee on the ecitizen portal.

Copy of certificate of Registration/Incorporation

Copy of Certificate of registration issued by Registrar of companies in Kenya

The certificate of registration can be for a business name or a limited company. Registration certificate for a business name is different from the one of a limited company.

You can tell this by how much it will cost you to get one. A business name registration certificate costs Ksh. 850 on e-citizen portal while for a limited, it will vary depending on how you choose to do it.

The range for registering a limited company is Ksh.10,000-35,000. The time it takes to get registration certificate is 5 days while a limited company takes 7-30 days depending on number of directors in the company and who you engage to register the business for you.

To apply for a business name registration visit https://www.ecitizen.go.ke

Copy of PIN Certificate

Copy of PIN certificate issued by KRA

PIN which stands for Personal Indetification Number is issued by Kenya Revenue Authority. You can learn more about PIN registration by Visiting www.itax.kra.go.ke.

For small registered businesses, you are only required to submit your tender application using your personal PIN. On the other hand, when submitting your application for a limited company, you are required to have Company PIN Number.

This can be obtained again online on Itax portal for free.

Copy of VAT Registration Certificate

ETR Machine for generating VAT Reciept

While PIN number can act as VAT certificate for most companies offering services, its important to note that you are required to issue a VAT receipt to validate the 14% tax you are charging on goods and services you are offering to your clients.

The VAT receipt has your company PIN and VAT number. The VAT reciept can ONLY be generated by the ETR machine. When you purchase an ETR gadget, you are issued with an ETR number.

The number is very useful when verifying your tax returns.

Copy of Valid Tax Compliance Certificate/Exemption Certificate

Tax Complaince Certificate Issued by Kenya Revenue Authority

Any company or person who files his/her returns regularly is eligible for a tax compliance certificate. This is a confirmation that you are faithfully paying your taxes.

The compliance certificate is valid for 1 year. The tendering company can check the validity of the tax compliance on iTax portal using KRA TCC Checker.

Exemption certificate if for people dealing with tax excempt goods.

Registration Certificate With Relevant Regulatory Bodies

These are certificates issued by accredited industry bodies like KEBS, IATA, ministry of health and National Construction Authority . Please check with the company you are pre-qualifying for if they require any certification in the category of supplies you are applying for.

Original Bank Statement/Bank Reference

This requirement vary from one organisation to another. Some require a 3 months statement while others require 1 year statement. The statement must stamped by your bank.

Business/Company Profile

Company profile structure is dependent on what you are selling. It must however contain your company name, contacts, services your offering, names of your employees and qualifications, past tenders completed and the value and referees.

CR12/Partnership Deed

This is mandatory and it contains shareholding positions for limited company, business locations and more. It also contains names and contacts of the directors.

AGPO Certificate For the Youth and People With Disabilities

With the knowledge that the Government of Kenya is allocating 30% of all tenders to youth, women and people with disabilities, its therefore necessary to register and obtain a certificate from AGPO website if you fall on this category of people.

This way, you will have an upper hand in qualifying for tenders set aside for the youth and people with disability.

National IDs/ Passports for all directors, partners and sole proprietors

All directors of the company applying must submit copies of their IDs or passport.

This is for confirmation that indeed they are the owners of the company. It also, shows if they are Kenyan citizens or foreigners.

Firm’s audited accounts or Bank Statements for previous one year

I had earlier mentioned bank statement on this post which is key for new companies, those ones owned by youth, women and people with disabilities.

However, it’s important to note that audited accounts for limited companies which have been in operation more than 1 year will be needed.

Names Of At Least Three Clients That The Firm Has Done Business With In The Last Two Years

This is only mandatory for businesses which have been in operation for 2 years or more. New business are exempted from this.

These are few among many other requirements to qualify for a tender.

In order to know the requirements your company needs in order to to qualify for a tender application, regularly purchase local daily newspaper and check look for tender advertisements.

During the Covid season, most government agencies will refer you to a website link where you can download the tender document and apply.

If you have any questions regarding to this post, feel free to contact me here or e-mail me on connect@cheptiony.com

You can follow me on twitter @cheptiony.

Until next time, take care.

If are are looking for video production services, click here to request a quote.

September 18, 2020
Untold Wedding Videography and Photography Business Struggles

Wedding Video and Photography business is an easy one to start but not that easy one to operate. Running a business in this niche is a struggle. That is why many creatives treat such jobs as ‘side gigs.’

Creativity is all what it takes to get the best wedding photos and videos. PHOTO: Pixabay.com

Before I continue, or rather start this blog. I have a disclaimer.

Wedding Videography and Photography-in my own experience- is reliant on Freelancers with specialty in either Videography or photography.
In this I mean, the Camera work is done by a professional who offer his/her services on a freelance basis.
With this said, is wedding Videography and Photography business profitable? Well, for the weddings I have covered and produced in the past, it’s not.

Watch video

It’s a business run by emotions and conflict of interest.
The bride in most occasions is the one that calls the shots. If she doesn’t like you as the producer, the quality of your output does not matter, you will not get that business.

If you do get the job out of influence by the groom, you will not enjoy doing the job. Something will go wrong somehow. I mean the attitude will be off the peak.

That’s why every Videographer or Photographer you know-who rely on wedding, birthdays and the likes- take very long to make their ends meet in life.

In this blog post I will share with you the unknown challenges Wedding Videography and Photography business owners go through and proposed solutions.

1. Fierce Pricing Competitions

The competitions in the business is fierce and only the passionate in their craft survive. Reality is, in the world we are living in, you cannot eat passion unless you put value on it. And value in this case is Money.

Everyone will want to quote low so as to get the contract

That’s why, as a photographer, you should always promise yourself that for better for worse, you are willing to charge what you are worth despite the ‘couple’ in question threatening that they have an option of someone cheaper for the job. This is a very common card they pull and is meant to scare you as the producer so that you can lower your price.

When looking for a wedding videographer, what most couples look for vary. Some look for Quality first then cost comes last while for others price comes first then quality.

There are those who prioritize both.
Any videographer or Photographer who wants to progress in life should put focus on only those clients who prioritize quality over price.

This way, if the client likes what they see, you can give them the a quote to have that.
In many occasions, such clients have no problem paying and they will never fail you.

2. Church Offering Videography and Photography Services to their Members

With televangelism becoming one way to spread the word of God-as one way of church becoming self reliant, some churches are now providing video services to their members at a cheaper price.

Some churches offer Videography and photography services to their members. PHOTO: Pixabay.com

In this I mean, they can give the same quality as you do at half the price. This has contributed to many wedding Photography businesses closing down.
The difference between the two is, church have resources and can retain a Videographer and photographer for long term as they are employed by the church.

It thus means that, for you to remain relevant, you will have to consider bidding for Government tenders and doing other independent productions i.e producing TV shows e.t.c. Otherwise, your days in the wedding photography business is counted.

Solution to this is, Videography business owners should invest their savings on other avenues or businesses that merge well with videography like marketing and real estate. This way, they can use the team to develop marketing content and so on. This for sure will make the Photography business sustainable.

3. Wedding Frequency Especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic

While Covid pandemic has terrorized most businesses, I think videography and photography is the worst hit. With cancellation of events and gatherings during the pandemic, most videographers have been left with only one option; to create content and post them on YouTube to kill boredom.

A man indoors during the Covid-19 lockdown. Photo: Pixabay.com

Now, how you monetize will depend on YouTube algorithms…and burning out is expected.
This is not only unpredictable, but it’s also unsustainable for any creator who knows the value their their content.

First you have to create regularly on your budget.
If you get no feedback, you will need to ‘tweak ‘ the content until you succeed.
For high budget projects like drama, you will only servive if you have a sponsor.

So, the solution is, before going on this path, see how much you will loose. For me, it’s better to create content and keep it until you find someone who sees the value in it and is ready to sponsor. It pays to have patience. Also, consulting a lawyers who understands copyright is fundamental.

4. Couple Vanishing after the Wedding for more than 3 months sometimes 5 years

Get this; most Videography/photography business owners pay themselves last. They prioritize paying their Freelancers first to build trust. In this context, if the client vanishes after the wedding, he is the only one left languishing in ‘bankruptcy‘ as he waits for the client to come back for their videos and pay balance.
The only solution this , is charging more. I also recommend you request at least 70% as down payment.
This thus means that if the client pays 70% of the agreed amount, you have some profit left to you after you have paid everyone else.

5. One moment missed causing trouble getting balance payment

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, the bride in most occasions is the one calling the shots.
Now, you have got the job and covered the wedding. You have edited the video and now ready to deliver. But when editing it, you realize that you forgot to take a photo to be mounted on frame during photo-shoot.

A couple shows their rings after their wedding. Photo: Pixabay.com

Or the ones you took are good but the bride ‘is not happy with her facial expression on the photos that are meant for the wall frame. The blame is shifted on you. There is nothing you can do.
That’s unless you go for another photo-shoot.

You argue until the couple accept to pay you angrily. They assure you that they will never recommend you to anyone.
This is disheartening if you did everything good except for that one thing. Worse enough, if you made very small profit out of the project.

Now, the solution lies again on charging more. This way, in you team, you can pay a director. The director will be the one reading the facial expressions and ensuring they give legit smiles.

There are many other things that are killing the wedding photography business like the committee managing the wedding making unreasonable request for them to consider you for the job.

As I conclude. I recommend that you start paying well videographers and photographers you know and be kind to them. You will thank me later for this.

Also, what I can say to a person looking for wedding photographers or videographers is to look at the quotes offered to them. The higher the quote, the more the assurance that you will get quality.

If you bargain too much, expect disappointments in either photography or video. Fact is, creativity is like gold, the higher you pay, the more value you get.

And that’s it, if you are in Nairobi-Kenya and is looking for Videography services, you can request a quote here.

Until next time, bye bye and take.

If you are on twitter, follow me @cheptiony

August 29, 2020
Why Sometimes Its Worth Cancelling A Well Paying Contract

I am writing this blog-post for people who love what they do and are getting well paid for it. When starting out to sell a skill that you love, it’s fun. You will take every chance that comes your way to perfect it. You will be less picky when offered an opportunity. The experience will be even sweeter when an opportunity is bundled with a good pay.

While you love what you are doing, you have values that matter to you. What believes do you hold dear to you?

With this said, will you take all the jobs you are offered if they are well paying and you are applying the skills you treasure most? They answer is absolutely yes. Now, this is where the catch lies. It will take you time to figure it out.

Of-course, any person who is morally upright, will never take a job that bridges on values irrespective of how sweet the offer is.i.e Producing Pornography videos.

Most of the jobs in this category are well paying because very few people will want to be associated with them. So, does this mean you are free to take any work so long as its not pornography? Well, the answer varies from one person to the other.

In this blog-post, I will highlight a couple of things that will make one give in to temptations to take a job that is promoting illegal and unscrupulous business.

Talk of good sales people selling snake oil. In this context, the content you are producing are used to sell snake oil- a product that does not exist.

Looking For Professional Screen-cast Video Services? .. I can Help. Request a Quote NOW!

You are only a Designer/Video Editor

The client will by all means, while requesting for your service avoid mentioning the kind of service that he/she is offering. He will clearly outline the skills he/she is looking for as well as share an example of the design or video they want emulated.

Videographer at work. Photo by Kyle Loftus on Pexels.com

In most occasions, there will be nothing in the picture that will say they are planning to use it to sell “Snake oil’ to the unsuspecting people.

Going by how they are organized and convincing, how well they are paying, you cannot help but do the job. While doing the job, you will be tempted to do research on the product online to see if it exist.

In most occasions, it may or may not be existing. On the other hand, evidence of the product working might not be there despite the script claiming that is being used by thousands of people.

And as a designer or editor, you are like, why does that matter to me anyway, after all, I was not assigned to research on it!

You Receive an Offer At Your Lowest Moments

Everyone have their low and high moments in life. During this time of Covid-19, Freelancers pray that some business luck comes their way because they depend on gigs and direct business offers to prosper. If none of these are forthcoming, they are doomed. In this time, offers that does not align with your values come your way.

Customers walking in the mall. Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

For instance, if you value privacy, and a client offers you a job to create a video or graphic for a product that promote hacking peoples private information for a good pay, will you take it?. Of-course you will. And then, you promise yourself not to do it again once you complete the job. In your heart, you are taking it because of the situation you are in.

You Are Just Facilitating

Most freelancers who have been in the business for a long period of time own agencies. When one owns an agency, they can accommodate lots of projects. In most occasions, when you own an agency, you are not directly involved in editing or producing a project, you just facilitate.

Work space in an Agency. Photo by Cadeau Maestro on Pexels.com

So, as long as the financial bit is good, and as long as it is not pornography, most agencies will take the job-unless your agency is involved in producing adult content. And as an agency manager, you will be assigning the work to your assistant editors.

It will take a while before the agency manager/Lead Freelancer realizes that he/she is accommodating a project that is going against his/her values.

Conclusion

While there are more things that will blind an agency manager from seeing that the project they have just accepted is going against their believes and values, it’s always very crucial to maintain your stand as a leader. Have the discipline of counter checking projects first before accepting.

This way, you will be growing knowing that you are taking in contracts that are adding value to the users and are aligned to your values.

That’s where joy lies. When you get paid knowing that you have added value or created promotional item for a valuable product are happy and look forward to more.

And that is it from me. Until next time, take care.

“Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”
Albert Einstein

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.

Need help with video editing or hiring freelancers? Contact me here.

August 3, 2020
I was Almost Scammed On Reddit With a Freelance Job Offer!
As Covid-19 continue to claim lives and wreck havoc on businesses across the world, remote way of working has become the new modus operandi. Fraudulent business groups on social media are emerging everyday targeting new and existing freelancers who are desperate to make money online.

In this blogpost, I will share my personal way of identifying a typical fraudulent Freelancer recruitment funnel on social media. This will in give you a picture of how the scheme looks like and how it is very hard to suspect. They will lure you to doing work for free or once you are in, they pay as they wish with false promises of increasing the pay.

These rackets are all over Reddit. This does not mean Reddit is a bad social media network. It’s the bad motives by some of the users.

If you have never been to Reddit, all I can say based on my personal experience is, it’s a good social media network where people share valuable information for free. Note the word FREE. This is the catch that fraudsters are using to get free service from You -the user- without you suspecting anything.

For the short time have been on Reddit, I have enjoyed every bit of information that I found shared on Reddit groups.

It got even better when I noticed that people were posting work opportunities for Freelancers. Me being a full time Freelancer, I decided to respond to one of them by messaging the person who offered the opportunity.

Here is a snippet of the offer.

Please take note of what the client is offering here. I have highlighted them in yellow so that you can see their hook.

They offer $10-100 to edit 1 Minute Videos

It means they will pay each editor that gets into their funnel based on how the negotiate for a given assignment. If you are confident enough to negotiate, you will be paid better. Sadly, many new and even experienced freelancers are afraid to negotiate because they fear being denied the opportunity. So if the client fixes a budget on a given video, they will accept. This takes me to the second hook.

10-20 Videos Per Week

This is very enticing to anyone looking for sustainable income. Any Freelancer will do a quick math using the average pay which is around $55 per video. If you do 10 videos a week you make $550 and if you do 20 videos a week, you make $1100. This is good money. Moreover, it will be recurrent work. One has a potential of earning $2200-4400 a month working directly with the client. In fact if you are paid $100 per video, you will earn $4000-$8000 a month.

This is enough to blind any freelancer. I mean this is good money. One can do anything to get the job:-). This is where they begin their show now that they have your attention.

The Screening Process

Like any other interview, before you are considered, you are required to submit your portfolio. That’s what Freelancers do everyday right inside their cover letters when bidding for work.

As you can see, they will first review your porfolio and if you are fit, they will ask you to do a ‘test project‘ to confirm your capability. Now, this is where one knows if its going to end well or it is going to turn out as a fraudulent opportunity.

Trusted freelancing sites like Upwork have implemented a policy regarding to test project to protect freelancers from fraudulent clients who their sole purpose is to waste Freelancers time. The condition is; that clients have to pay Freelancers for any test projects.

Having found this policy helpful is protecting myself, I apply it everywhere.

Now, in the post, the client concluded that the test project will be paid-which is still in line with the policy.

Next Steps After Submitting My Portfolio

The client liked my portfolio and not elevated me to the next stage of their Freelance Recruitment funnel, a slack channel for Video editors working for them. The channel had more than 40 members.

All instructions on how to go about the test project was in there. After, going through the files, I was happy. The instructions was very clear. Seeing that I had all that I needed to proceed, I contacted the team lead to clarify 3 things;
1. How they pay editors – Is it via Paypal, or bank transfer e.t.c
2. If they have an Non Disclosure Agreement to sign before starting work
3. How much they pay for the test project which looked like everyone in the channel was supposed to work on.
The VA could not answer that. This was the first sign that was something was not right. In response, she referred me to their accountant who deals with paying freelancers.

She avoided the question on having and signing a contract before work. That’s was alarming. I mean, who works for a company without a contract in place especially when you consider the amount of money one will earn while doing the job?

This is very important. Loosing $4000 a month is not a joke. What if they pay at the end of the month and after you do the job, they remove you from the slack channel or stop responding to your concerns. Anything is possible.

Having a contract is a sign of commitment.

Contradicting Statements

In their video editing post, they said they were going to pay for the test project. But on persistently consulting the accounts clerk on Slack before working on the test project, I was surprised to learn from her that they DON’T PAY for test project.

This is enough. If they don’t pay for test, withdraw from the interview and forget it.

But how many Freelancers do this?

If all of the 40+ Freelancers in the channel had started doing the job without confirming if they were going to be paid for the test or not, what does it tell you about their level of seriousness towards freelancing? Its vague right.

Those are the same freelancers you will hear soon crying that they were not paid.

Conclusion

The only way we can stand out as full time freelancers online is upping our game based on our experiences for us to gain trust and respect from new clients looking to hire online.

What do you think of the jobs being offered in reddit?

Until next time, be vigilant and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony.
July 8, 2020
Updated: Payoneer Cards Reinstated After FCA Completed Its Audit
Freelancers who use Payoneer as their primary method to make and receive payment have a reason to smile again after Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) completed its audit and lifted the freeze on the Payoneer prepaid Mastercards after 5 days in dilemma.

What it mean’t to payoneer Mastercard Holders?

The FCA had communicated that they had taken these measures with the primary objective of protecting the interests and money of consumers who use Wirecard.

Pending further actions from the FCA, Payoneer users were temporarily unable to withdraw their funds on to their cards, nor receive new payments onto the card.

What Happened to the Money in Payoneer Accounts?

If the Payoneer card limit is $5000, then, users were only able to transfer the funds in excess to their bank accounts. $5000 were be frozen pending FCA further action.

Getting Paid during the Period

Any payments that freelancers received from marketplaces that they operate in was not be affected by the freeze. The funds, and any others already on their virtual currency balance, were available for bank withdrawal.

In Summary
- Its good to understand that Wire Card’s Former and not the current CEO was arrested for failing to explain the missing $2 billion for it’s customers in Germany.
- There is a regulatory body in UK called Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) which regulates Wire Card.
- FCA has freezed all the transaction being done by Wire Card to protect the money of their customers.
- Payoneer has not done any fraud. So No need to worry. Its not only Payoneer who is using Wire Card to process payments. Many other companies who use Wirecard as their payment processor was frozen.
- Your money is safe, and once the investigation is complete, all the money from Wirecard will come back to your Payoneer Mastercard and you can start using that money thereafter.
- If you receive any future payment, it will not be affected by the freeze. You can send them to other Payoneer users as payment or can be withdrawn to a bank account.
- Payoneer might tie up with other card processors and provide you with Mastercards or Visacards from those processors soon. This is because the case in question might take a while to resolve. It has affected billions of dollars in transactions done every day.
And that is.

Let me know what you think of this blogpost in the comments below.

Until next time, take care.
June 29, 2020
5 Reasons You Should Hire Freelancers For Long Term

If you are a client, the only way you can make a difference in a Freelancers life is hiring with a view of working with them for long term. It’s obvious, by the time you decide to hire, you have already done your due diligence and made sure that they have all that it takes to complete the job at hand.

Watch video- 5 Reasons You Should Hire Freelancers For Long Term

Unlike traditional way of hiring people where someone signs a contract for a given period of time- Freelance hiring terms are different. For you to succeed in hiring a freelancers to work for you, look at hiring for long term.

But not every newbie client looks at it this way. Why? because, they have the liberty to hire and fire anytime. Also, you can opt to hire one on one-time fixed contract.

I mean, even if you are working on a same project over and over again-you still have the freedom to end the contract after completion of a milestone and hire someone else to do the same job without any problem. In some occasions, the reason behind the decision may be valid.

So how is this problem anyway? Well, initially it isn’t. Its fun doing so. It feels good to work with people from different countries and see what they offer. But as you go on, that excitement to ‘hire‘ someone new starts to fade. This is contributed by a number of reasons.

In this blog-post I will be exploring long term unforeseen issues that will arise as a result of inconsistency in working with an individual freelancer.

Broken Communication

Sometimes, when you post a job, you get only one qualified freelancer. You may not have a problem during the interview process and you end up a hiring him/her.

Mark you, when doing this, you already have 2 or 3 qualified freelancers in your contacts whom you had hired to work for you in the past and they did a perfect job.

Now, when the deadline is due, the freelancer stops communicating and ghosts you for weeks. This is quite disappointing. While you may have the liberty to re-post the job and get new applicants, the project at hand may not be any useful depending on its intended purpose.

Assuming you had consistently worked with one freelancer from day one, you could have been in a position to predict his behavior and find a resolve before the deadline reaches.

Repeatedly Explaining What Your Expectations Are

Unless you were disappointed by the first freelancer you hired, there is no point in hiring a new freelancer to do a similar job for you. Its wise to consult the first freelancer on if they can do the job at hand as well as their availability.

Its more easier to work with a freelancer you had worked with before. You will take very little time explaining to them what to do as well as what you expect from them.

Room to Negotiate on Charges

While there is a probability of finding a new freelancer with a lower bid anytime you post a job on a freelancing platform, the quality and guarantees you get will vary.

In this day and age, prices go along with quality. If your requirements are high and the amount you are willing to pay is low, only entry level freelancers will apply.

This may lead to wasting a lot of time hiring and re-hiring with the hope of saving money only to end up loosing more.

But when you repeatedly hire the same freelancer for the same skills- at some point – after several contracts, you will be able to negotiate for a discount.

Sense of Security

When a freelancer is assured of consistent work , they will give your project their all. Your project will be on top of their priority list. They will worry less.

They will stop taking in new work because what you are offering to them takes care of their bills.

Their life will eventually change because they will have time to think of investing their earnings. At the end, it’s not about the pay, its about what it does to their lifes.

It feels good when you know that the job you are offering is helping someone live a life of their dreams.

Consistency Means Trust

When you are consistent in what you do, everyone around will trust you. It’s effect is symbiotic.

The freelancer will trust you and you will trust them. If you are connecting with the freelancer through a gig platform, the platform will love you more.

These are 5 reason you should hire a freelancer for a long term. I hope you learned something from this post.

If you need help to edit videos or produce professional screen-cast’s tutorials, let me know here. Alternatively, you can send me an e-mail to connect@cheptiony.com

Until next time, take care. Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

May 31, 2020
10 Things A Video Production Agency Will Do To Save Clients Time And Headache

Any client, be it a newbie or experienced at hiring, have one thing in common- they are always looking for ways to save time and money. That’s exactly what a Freelance Video Production Agency does for clients when they hire them. On top of it, save them headache!

I know you are thinking, but what type of headache? I will explain this in a moment.

Lets begin with the foundations of a video. What does one need to produce a professional video? Well it depends on the type and purpose of the video. Here are 10 things that a Video Production Agency will do to save you time and headache.

Writing Powerful Scripts And Sales Copies

This is what communicates the vision of a company or rather the vision one has for his business. It has to be written is a simple and convincing tone.

While engaging a professional copywriter is essential, you as the owner of the business is in a good position to provide direction by providing an outline of your vision for the copywriter to rewrite it in an engaging manner. This is where a Freelance Agency comes in.

Hand Picking Pro Voice Overs

In instances where a video requires a professional voice over narration, an agency will help you hand pick the right voice. For a new person who have never created a video before, choosing the right voice over is quite difficult. When you engage a Video production Agency, they will not only hand pick for a the right talent, they will also enlighten you and the varieties of voice-over talents out there. e.g American, African, Indian e.t.c.

Searching And Purchasing Royalty Free Music and Sound FX

Music and sound effects are necessary in most videos as they set the mood. Not all freelancers will tell you where they got the music used in your video and whether they have the rights to use it. As a result, you video maybe be taken down a few weeks or months later after you have publicly published it due to copyright claims.

Most Freelancer Video Production Agencies will inform you upfront about the music rights, as well as where they are sourcing out the music they propose to use in your video. In-fact, they will give you an option to make the purchase yourself so that you are sure.

Constructing Easy To Follow Storyboard

While it is necessary to have a storyboard before producing any video, most video producers are creative and would rather produce the video using the script only.

This is very common in occasions where client’s budget is very small. Storyboard saves one a lot of time and money. Most Video Production Agencies will advise you to include a small fee for storyboard creation because of the benefits that comes with it.

These are four common ingredients of a professional video.

So, is this what a Video Production Agency able to provide and safe one time and headache?

Yes. But there is more. Click here to hire us today.

Managing Video Reviews And Revisions

Any video produced has to undergo a review. The review process is very necessary because little mistakes are easily sported and quickly corrected. A Video Production Agency usually offer their clients unlimited revisions for a given period of time. This is good for the client as through this, satisfaction is guaranteed.

Advising on Payments And Approvals

Once you agree on how you are going to pay the Agency, you will rest assured that you project is being taken care of. Most Agencies love when they are paid for giving value to their customers. Freelance video production Agencies are flexible and understand the modalities of online payment.

Drafting NDA’s and Contracts

Setting up contracts and NDA’s for Agencies is easy and hassle free. Most agencies have an existing NDA’s document that can be edited to suit both of parties. This will act as protection for both the Freelancer and the client.

Providing Customer Service

It doesn’t matter who responds to your e-mails so long as it’s timely done. Freelance Video Production Agencies are customer oriented. They listen to the customer requirements and addresses them fast and on time.

Easily Managing Multiple Projects

This is what differentiates an Agency and individual service providers. They can handle multiple projects at once. If you assign an agency two different projects, they are able to handle them at a go without fail. This is because of their experience and team work. They are connected to experts in each category of video editing and production.

Negotiation For Discounts

If you are a company that requires video services on a regular basis, Video Production Agencies are the best option. As you engage them on more work, you can negotiate on rates after sometime. Agencies are flexible and are willing to give discounts based on trust.

On the other hand, they negotiate with service providers connected to them for a discount in return for long term engagement.

And these are ten things that a Video Production Agency can do to save their clients time and headache.

Imagine hiring one entity to take care of everything from scripting to production? Is that not awesome?

Have you ever engaged an Agency to handle your video projects? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments below.

And if you need help to create and produce professional videos for either marketing your business or educating your customers through your website help center, let me know here.

Alternatively, you send me an e-mail to connect@cheptiony.com

Until next time, take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony or wordpress @cheptiony

May 18, 2020
4 Video Elements That Should Come Last in Your Priority List When Pitching For a Video Project

In video creation, there are many important elements that when combined, results in a very successful quality production. But all of them are pointless if the story-line is not good.

In this, I mean the script. It has to be very easy to understand. From here, when creating the video, you can incorporate other elements that you see necessary to spice it up and make it appealing.

https://youtu.be/TAcSHXu-HKo

While many newbie video creators think that Video resolution, audio quality, video effects, sound effects, and video format are necessary, it doesn’t beat how the video script is written.

In this blogpost, I will focus on 4 video elements that should come last in your priority list when pitching for a project in video production.

Video Resolution

Don’t get me wrong on this, video resolution do matter especially in this day and age. Most young people own 50+ inches Television sets that are able to stream 4K to even 8K resolution videos. With this said, before any production, one should look at reasons they are producing the video as well as the behavior of their target audiences.

Photo by CoWomen on Pexels.com

In 2020, across the globe, 4K video resolution or higher is still a luxury to many as a lot of people watch videos on their mobile phones in HD. Secondly, It takes time to produce videos of this quality and uses a lot of data when streaming.

Additionally, if 80% of the targeted audiences will watch the video on their mobile phones and PC’s, it will be pointless to produce it in 4K.

So, it makes sense to weigh options and consider HD video as the best option in order to save time and money.

Finally on the same note, if the video is being published on Youtube, it’s worth to note that video resolution is only used as the keyword to filter content when searching. It thus means that, even if the video quality is say, 4k, and the storyline is poor, the viewer will opt out early.

Sound and Visual Fx

Hollywood movies are good at this. They know how to blend it with the story. But if the story-line is not good, sound and visual Fx would not do much.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Ever watched a movie and after 15 mins you still wondering what the movie is all about? That’s what I am talking about. Sound and Visual effects might be good, but if the story is poor, it won’t bring the value desired.

Variety of Shots

Variety of shots are good. I can compare it with the spices added on food to taste. Sadly, some spices don’t work on some food. For the spices to blend well, the right procedure has to be followed when preparing the meal.

This is same with video. A variety of shots with a poorly written script will result in a very poor video output. While this is important, again, it is never a first priority when planning a production.

Casts/Actors

Casts are people appearing on a video. Now, beauty and sex sells. That is a fact. Incorporating this on any video will create a lot of traction. But you need to ask yourself; how can I create scenes that makes it possible for every character in my imagination to appear on the video?

Young audiences enjoy watching clips with beautiful girls until they realize they are being duped into watching it because of the amount of skin the girls are exposing. It’s here that they are awakened to identify the value they are getting from watching the video.

Again, this means that the story-line or script is the King.

In conclusion, every good video starts with a script and storyboard and then the rest follows based on your budget.

If you find this article helpful, let me know in the comments below. And if you need help to produce high quality video tutorials, let me know here.

You can send me an e-mail to connect@cheptiony.com

Until next time, bye bye and take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

May 6, 2020
Signs You Are Being Lured to Work For Free During This Pandemic and Why Its Good to Say No

Many prospective clients new to the ‘Freelance economy’ will use this season of pandemic to get the most from unsuspecting freelancers for less or even free.

Watch video

But does economy slowdown mean you should compromise with your regular rates and serve clients based on ‘their’ low budget that is below what you normally charge? Does this mean you should offer your freelance services for free?

Since Freelancing is a ‘open’ economy dependent of the best bidder, its crucial that one is keen as a freelancer so as not to compromise with value by offering services at a lower price.

It’s obvious, the level of spending by most clients as we speak has reduced due to fears that the pandemic may go for long.

While your priority now is a sustainable source of income, you should also look at the long term effect of offering your services at a low fee. This is a question of being ‘productive‘ as opposed to being ‘busy.’

Here are three things to to consider when before dismissing request for free work.

Your Work History with the client

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Have you been working with a client for some time? What kind of services are they selling? Which market are they serving? Have their markets or customers been heavily affected by the pandemic?

Keenly answering these questions will help you understand how to respond to your clients need for a discount. If the services you are offering still takes the same time to complete, then declining to give a discount might be the best option. This way, if the client withdraws their existing contract, you will be in a position to accommodate a new client who is willing to pay you in the rates you are asking for.

Nothing Changed. You Still work From home as Before.

While Covid-19 pandemic is here with us, Freelancers who used to work from home still do so. Its just that now, they can’t have their regular meetings over coffee with their friends or local clientele.

So, the point is; nothing changed. You still pay bills as you used to pay.

This answers the question on whether to offer services at half the price or for free. It’s up to you to decide if it is worth. Don’t be ‘Mr. nice‘ expecting the client will love you. This is business. So, learn always to say no to something that you don’t agree with.

Trust Your Guts. Be a Freelancer of Value.

Photo by Alexander Mils on Pexels.com

The only way you can gain financial freedom is setting your value high and being firm on it. People perceive that freelancers who charge high rates deliver quality with little or no supervision. In a time when economy is not doing well, few people can afford to hire you. So does it mean you lower your rates to match the demand? Absolutely NO.

Doing so is dangerous. In most occasions, when you lower your rates below your normal, you will have to do more work to meet your targets. At the end, quality will be compromised.

Again, this is the other reason to say No, without explaining yourself. Any client who values quality work will respect your decision.

And that is it from here. Do you get irritated when clients sends you an e-mail requesting you to do for them some work for free? How do you dismiss them in a professional way?

Share your feedback in the comments section below.

And if you need help to edit your videos or produce professional screen-cast video tutorials, let me know here.

Until next time, take care. Follow me on twitter @cheptiony

April 22, 2020
Cases of Unforeseen Misfortunes in Freelancing And Getting Around Them
We all want to live a good life, that is why we always strife to make ends meet. With this said, we should always be ready for misfortunes because ‘shit happens‘ and if you are not prepared, you will be truly frustrated.

The recent worldwide spread of Covid-19 Corona virus hit everyone with shock. No one anticipated the disease outbreak. In countries acutely affected, they have closed down their businesses. This means, as time goes, they will be loosing money hence the economic downturn.

And that is why in today’s blog-post, I ask; How prepared are you for unexpected tragedies as a freelancer in your business? Have you organized your work in a way that you will still remain in business in times of trouble?

Before I delve into today’s topic, I want to point out various tragedies that are common in the freelancing business. This applies to all freelancers and freelancing agencies out there.

Unexpected Death of a Family Member

None of us is prepared for such tragedy. But it strikes in times when you least expect. I recently lost my beloved mum and it was such a shock. I never expected it would happen based on her health state. She was 79 years. Like my siblings, I was hopeful that she would live till she was is 90 years like my father.

When this happened, it meant that I had to leave all that I was doing to participate in organizing for her burial. The biggest challenge I was having was, who will I trust to step in for me on video edits I was working on? That was the hard question I had to find an answer.

While I regularly contract other freelancers through my agency to help me with edits, it was really hard to give out one particularly project which I was working on for a client. It followed a particular style.

A style that I understood well. I ended up pausing the project to mourn for the loss. I am glad that the client understood.

Work ‘Dry Spell ‘- Long Term Client Suddenly Pulling Out

If you have a long time client who pays you well, you will always work hard to keep him or her. That’s good. But be careful not to be so comfortable with it. Keep bidding on new jobs and grow your client base.

This way, you will be at peace in-case a client pulls out. You will be having other sources of income coming your way.

Suspension From Freelancing Site

Most freelancers will tell you that at one time, they were suspended from a site they freelance on. Their experience when this happened was not good at all.

When one is suspended for 30 days for violating freelancing sites terms of service, it means that they will not be allowed to work. In turn you will not have income. These terms are meant to protect both the freelancer and the client from any fraud.

Global Disasters – Covid-19 Corona Virus

Let’s admit, while it is possible to work online as a freelancer full time, some freelancing jobs require you to go out and collect information.

These applies mostly to Freelance Videographers, Photographers, Events organizers and more. With the current quarantine measures being recommended all over, it’s clear that some freelancers will be out of business for a while now.

The question is, were you prepared for this? Most definitely no. Now it’s good time to identify financial loop holes so that in future, you can sail through such difficulties successfully.

Direct Client Going Under After You Deliver Final work

While a case like this is now less common, most new freelancers find themselves in this situation. A client contacts them via their site or blog then they agree to work on a project they offer without any structured terms.
At the end, the client disappears without paying them. Here is a blog-post I wrote on how to avoid getting into such troubles.

Getting Around the Misfortunes
- Build a network of trusted freelancers who work in the same niche as yours. Regularly sublet contracts to them. This way, you will be building good relationship with them. In times when you are away, they will help you with your project and you will rest assured that the project assigned to you is being taken care of.
- Bid on projects regularly. Send out proposals to companies. When you do so, you will be growing your client base. If you get one client per week, it will be great. Be careful not to take in several clients to a point where you cannot handle. This will give you a sense of security. You will not panic in cases where a long term client pulls out.
- Regularly review ‘change of terms‘ in the freelancing site you are working for to avoid violation. If you don’t like working for a freelancing site, just disable your account and explore new ways of finding clients. Otherwise, you will wake up to shock that your account has been suspended.
- Spend wisely and save some money for a rainy day. Don’t wait for a disaster to hit for you to start saving. Start small. Don’t be greedy to save a lot and live in misery. Be reasonable in your spending. At the end, you will realize that you have have enough to sail you through hard times.
- Set terms on how you deal with offline clients. Offline clients are unpredictable and can disappoint you when you least expect especially when time of payment comes. That’s why you should have clear terms for collaboration. This way, you will ensure that you get paid for your services.
And that’s all from me here.

Do you have any other thoughts about preparing for difficult times as a freelancer? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if you need help in producing videos for your product on service, let me know here. Alternatively, you can send me an e-mail to connect@cheptiony.com

Until next time, take care.

Follow me on twitter @cheptiony
March 25, 2020