A Harvard study concluded people remember merely 20 percent of what they hear, and only 30 percent of what they see - but it's the combination of the two that's the most impressive: an incredible 70 percent of what they hear and see.

Video is undeniably a powerful communications tool.

Think of it rather like the case of going to an interview in shorts and flip flops - you only get once to make a first impression, and maybe a little more, if an interviewer gives you a second chance. Whether you're a company of one or a company of 1,000, the stickiness of your business is what keeps people coming back to you and remembering you. You want to give the impression that you know what you're doing - that you're the expert, the most creative, the most professional, the most ... something.

For many people, the growth of the Internet and online shopping has built a new lifestyle for them. Hanging out a virtual shingle that identifies the value of their products and services has allowed them to look like bigger companies than they are.

Video personalizes a business and takes the relationship a step further. Video allows company owners to communicate how well-established their company is, what knowledge about the industry and business they hold, what their approach to the future is and can be, and lay out the plans they have from getting from point A to point B.

Owning a video camera and publishing a recording does not a corporate image make. Hiring professionals who have the talent for the creative - appropriate lighting, scripting and editing (to eliminate, "you know"), design and location shooting - is the difference between a professional photographer and an amateur. These are the elements to look for when preparing and producing video - what seem unimportant items are easily overlooked by others.