Entrepreneur Vish Dutt lives in New Jersey and is the owner of Smiling Snaps Productions, a DVD Slideshows business. After getting a degree in computer science, she worked in New York City as a web developer and graphics designer. Once she had kids, she became a stay-at-home mom. Like all moms, she took countless photos of her children. Soon, she became overwhelmed with her collection of pictures and decided to make musical DVD Slideshows with them. This eventually turned into a business… and that is how Smiling Snaps Productions was born… the rest is history!

Entrepreneur Interview Q & A

1. What is your business/Business Name?  What does your business do?

My business is Smiling Snaps Productions. I transform my clients’ pictures and videos into musical Slideshow DVDs. The pictures are set to music elegantly, and I use sophisticated special effects to make my clients’ big celebrations more special. I create a very personalized video of their lives and tell their story.

2. Why did you get into this field?  What opportunities did you see?

When my friends, family, and acquaintances saw the slideshows I created with my kids’ pictures, they encouraged me to do it professionally. Once I did the market research and created my website, I got an amazing response. The opportunities are endless! With the ease of taking & storing pictures these days, people are always going to have lots of pictures. I think, as humans, we tend to want to relive memories and to sort of rewind and watch parts of our lives again and again. My slideshows are a wonderful way to relive those events in life that connect to form a story that is very personal to my clients. There will always be Weddings, Sweet Sixteens, Mitzvahs, Anniversaries, Graduations, Memorials, Reunions, and other celebrations every day. And Smiling Snaps has an opportunity to be a part of each and every one of them.

3. What have been your biggest challenges? 

My biggest challenge has been to have a balance between my work and family life. I have no fixed studio hours and, depending on the number of projects in production, it’s very normal for me to work late at night and through weekends. So I take special care to spend quality time with my family whenever the work pressure lessens.

4. What has been your greatest reward?

It is a great feeling to be a part of so many people’s family events and celebrations. After seeing their pictures and listening to their stories, I feel like I really know my clients’ families. The greatest reward comes after the event, when they email me or write on my Facebook page to let me know how much they loved the experience and went through a whole box of tissues while watching the show. It’s touching! That is when I give myself a pat on my back. It is a beautiful feeling to be appreciated.

5. If you could change something, what would it be?

I am very satisfied with the way I have grown my business and I do not think I would have done anything differently. Going forward, I always look for ways to improve the quality of my product to make sure my clients get the very best of what is available. I believe in using cutting-edge technology at all times. We introduced HD Blu-Ray Slideshows to our clients at a time when none of our competitors did and we intend to continue innovating to maintain our lead in the industry.

6. If you could give a new entrepreneur advice, what would it be?

It is important to have great passion in the work you are starting off with. There will be phases when you will give a majority of your time to work and unless you love it, you cannot give your 100%. And make sure you have a strong support system. My husband is a huge pillar for my work. On some days when I struggle to meet my targets, he stands by me to give me the confidence and support I need. Make sure you have that kind of support to fall back on when you need it!

7. Social Media.  Yay or Nay?

YAY!

8. How do you market your products?

By word of mouth! My work and my amazing clients speak for me. I believe in giving my absolute best work and taking care of all the details. From the time I get the first communication from a potential client to the time when they receive their DVD, I make sure every request is met and that the experience is perfect. Once I do that, my clients tell everyone how pleasant the experience was, and I get a lot of referrals.

9. Is your business a service or a product?  If you are a product, how do you handle production?

Well, my business involves both. When a client places an order on my website, I discuss the music and design for the slideshow. I also gather information about the event to help me personalize the slideshow. Once I have everything I need, I create the show and send the client an online preview. The client gets to watch the show and request any adjustments or edits. When they are absolutely happy with the online preview, the slideshow goes into production and I master it on different kinds of media like DVD, Blu-Ray, or USB Flash Drives. Each product is finished with personalized covers/labels and shipped to the client.

10. What is unique about your business?

We are unique because all Smiling Snaps slideshows are totally custom-made. The slideshows are interesting and keep you glued to the screen till the end. They have personality and are not “cookie cutter” slideshows.  The show tells a story by perfectly synchronizing the pictures to music and has stunning special effects. No one else in the market gives that much thought to how each and every picture is treated.

11. Sell me your product/service.

Smiling Snaps Productions is America’s favorite Photo Slideshow and Montage company – go to our Facebook page to read for yourself what our clients are saying about us! If you have a special event coming up, Smiling Snaps is the place to get your very own personalized Slideshow DVD made – we promise to deliver you the best possible product at the most reasonable price.

12. How can people get in touch with you?  What’s your website/Contact information?

• Website: www.SmilingSnaps.com
• Phone: (848)248-5403

I look forward to hearing from you!