The 10 do’s and don’ts of building and running a small business:
1. Never trust a building contractor who punctuates his discussion of how fast he is going to complete his work with the words "boom-boom." As in: "We can throw up the HVAC for you in a weekend, boom-boom."
2. Remember to tip your bartenders, waitresses, garbage collectors, anyone named Vinnie, building inspectors, your super—and even some guy you never meet, who is called an expeditor! (See item no. 3.)
3. An expeditor is a fellow who for a small fee can get you a building permit. He costs anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 for his brief, but vital service. Our contractor joked that his expeditor probably had compromising photos of various highly placed city officials—but I was too busy writing checks to see the humor in this.
4. Choose good partners. This is my father’s advice, I guess, and I promised I’d include him in this somehow. (Thanks, Dad.)
5. We’re not selling equipment; we’ re selling creativity. All right, I know, everyone says this. But you have to admit that at least with creativity, you can eliminate those hefty lease payments. And with all the outstretched palms out there, we need every edge we can get.
6. Try not to volunteer to write an article for publication in the industry press. It is the rough equivalent of raising your hand in class when you don’t have a clue what the question was. And you’ll probably wind up embarrassing everyone except your parents. (See above photo.)
7. Everyone in this business has clients, and they’re always right. As producers, directors, editors, casting agents, etc., we provide a vital service to our clients. Just like lawyers and doctors—except we don’t have to learn any Latin, or wear fancy ties. That’s a great thing when you consider it. Like being paid to play baseball or try on cool clothing. We should think twice before we complain. I once told my father how much money people get paid in this business, and he loosened his tie and wept.
8. It’s only 900 frames, so why not enjoy the ride? Sure, it’s fast art, but unlike a movie or a CD, our work can be out there in the public eye overnight. A good screenplay could take decades to finally see the light—so why not make something cool, even if it has a short life?
9. There’ s no "I" in team. Any copywriter worth his salt can tell you that. There are, however, two of them in martini, which right there tells you a little something about our business.
10. Lastly, a little recession ain’t so bad. Cheer up: Unlike my hair, the economy will come back one day. In the meantime, you can take up golf, yoga, clog dancing or even spend more time with the kids. Good luck.
