Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bernie Hipos, Primary Wedding Videographer and Video Editor of Bernie Hipos Wedding Films, located in Niagara Falls, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I have a wedding videography business, and it's been my passion ever since. I have been filming and editing wedding videos since 2006 and have never looked back.

Tell us about yourself

I was born and raised in the Philippines, and my love of videography started when I was in college. I knew back then that I wanted to do video. Resources were limited back in the day, and I did not have money to buy a video camera, but a good thing, though, was that my uncle was kind enough to let me borrow his Hi8 video camera for me to bring to my college retreat. It was an unforgettable moment, and I had a blast! And from there, I fell in love with videography! I also told myself that one day I would be able to afford one. Fast forward to 2006, I got my first professional miniDV video camera that I used to start my wedding videography business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is getting feedback from my valued clients saying they're happy about the edited video and, most importantly, that they loved it. That's the main reason that I love what I do, and no amount of money can match that. The happiness, the satisfaction of our customers fuel us, and that's why we love what we do at Bernie Hipos Wedding Films and as we always say: "We are passionate about our craft, and we do it with creativity in mind."

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Definitely, one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner, most especially running a wedding videography business, is that the work is not consistent. In a year, we strive to get 15 to 20 clients, and that's already a lot but manageable, but sometimes we rarely reach those numbers. There are a lot of factors why it's happening, so I'd say don't lose hope and keep on grinding; keep marketing your business and using social media to your advantage.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My number one tip is not to be afraid to experiment or change things up. If you've tried and it's not working, think of other ways to change your strategy and learn from your mistakes.

Next is not to stop learning. For me, every day is a learning process, and there are a lot of free resources online that you can apply to your business. Take some time during the day to learn about what's new or even what's trending regarding the type of business you're into. Maybe there's a new trick online that you can apply to edit efficiently or any other ways that you can learn just to be productive in running a business; it could either be by learning how to use an app to help you be productive and manage your business better.

And finally, don't lose hope if things don't go your way. Reflect and see what went wrong and improve the next time. Having your own business is not an easy task since it requires a lot of time and hard work. Take it slow but consistently, and most importantly, just have fun.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.berniehipos.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernieHiposWeddingFilms/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berniehiposweddingfilms/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/berniehipos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berniehipos/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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