Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Babayans.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My second year of college was coming to an end and I needed a job. My Dad went to Costco to get our collection of home videos (50+) converted to digital but came back home saying the price was too high and offered to give me $10 per tape.
Once I figured out how to convert my own tapes, I asked my elementary school friend if he had any home videos to convert. To my benefit he did. We decided to go into business together. I signed up for a phone number through Google Voice, and used previously learned web design skills to make a website. My Dad printed out 100s of flyers in color at his work, and we spent a week putting them on doorsteps in Woodland Hills.
The first phone call came 2 days after I began passing out flyers, and it was an order for $450! This was more money then I’d ever earned at this point. We arranged for me to pick up the tapes from their house in 2 days. We started off with one laptop each.
We started to put ads on Craigslist and made a Yelp page. It took us 5 weeks to finish 40 tapes (something which takes one week now) and before we were done, we were receiving more phone calls from Craigslist then we thought we would.
We needed a store front, but were on a very limited budget. We found out about Regus, and we got a virtual office from them in a prime location for $100 a month. People were able to go to that location, fill out an order form, and leave their tapes at the front desk Monday through Friday, 8:30AM – 5PM.
The business continued to grow, so we bought two more computers. We each had two computers in our bedrooms converting tapes around the clock. We lived a few miles away, so we’d meet each other every night in our home offices and recap.
Six months in, the business was coming in a steady stream and my friend needed to focus on school so I bought his half of the company. This was a great decision looking back on it as it meant more money for me, I already knew how to run the business, and was able to make the decisions myself.
I’ve opened and closed various virtual offices in the four years, finding neighborhoods that bring in a consistent and worthwhile stream of business. I have hired an SEO firm to increase the Google Ranking of the website. I don’t spend a dollar on advertising; Most customers come through Yelp or word of mouth. The business has been and currently is in a yearly upward trend.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
For four years, I operated the business while attending California State University Northridge as a full-time student for three of those years. There were times when I would rush out of class to meet my next client. My phone was always ringing during lectures, but I didn’t answer those calls and accepted the potential loss of business.
Working from home was a huge advantage because I could study while I monitored the tape conversions, but balancing the never ending work schedule of business ownership with full time school felt nearly impossible. I remember one night I got home after being on campus from 8AM – 10PM, and my website was down. I spent 2 hours fixing it for the next business day. With a full school schedule, and owning a business which is a 24/7 job, I was always stressed out. I had gone months without having a real day off. Working on the weekends was and still is the norm. I truly only get about 21 days off per year.
I can’t go about my life as most people do. My cell phone consistently rings at inappropriate times, and I provide customer service after a full day’s work at 8PM. My phone is literally my financial life line. Before starting my business, there wasn’t a financial urgency to have my phone on me at all times. That changed after starting the business, so 95% of the time, I am within arm’s reach of my phone. If I am not within arm’s reach, I have my Apple Watch on me so I can see the calls and text messages and provide the high level of customer service that my customers expect from VHS Rescue.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our specialty is transferring tapes to DVD and USB drive.
We transfer VHS, Hi8, Video8, Digital8, MiniDV, PAL MiniDV, DVCam, Betamax, Betacam and audio cassette tapes to disc and digital file.
Less frequently, we create photo/video slide shows, perform minor video editing, photo scanning, 8MM film transfer, and remove mold from tapes.
I am most proud of my flawless 5 star Yelp rating. A lot of it stems from being the only person doing the work and providing customer service.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was passionate about computers, technology, fitness, nature, spirituality, writing (I have self-published two novels), web design and loved skateboarding.
Pricing:
- It is $10 per tape for 5 or more tapes to DVD or USB.
- Custom made informational websites are $100 per page.
Contact Info:
- Address: 21900 Burbank Blvd #300, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
- Website: vhsrescue.com
- Phone: 1-888-720-1120
- Email: vhsrescuebiz@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/vhsrescue
- Facebook: facebook.com/vhsrescue
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vhs-rescue-woodland-hills
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
