In the early days, she took her video camera into churches and social halls to record 50 or 60 weddings a year. These days, she leaves the videography to others and she concentrates on post-production work, including editing. She's produced videos and video montages created from still photos for events as diverse as birthdays, anniversaries and memorial services.

To mark her 20th anniversary in business this year, Kelley changed her company's name from Almaden Video to Almaden Multimedia Services. The name change pretty well sums up the changing technology—not to mention equipment—Kelley has had to absorb during the 20 years she has run her business in Almaden Valley. In the early days, part of her job was converting home movies to video. These days, she's more likely to be converting videos to DVDs.

Kelley has been successful marketing her business even though she says at first she tried everything. "I might as well have just taken my money and shoved it down the toilet," she recalls with a laugh.

Becoming a notary turned out to be one of the smartest marketing strategies of all. In order to videotape depositions, she was required to become a notary. "People come in to have something notarized and then notice the equipment and start asking about my other business," she says.

Her reputation has served her well with word of mouth, as well. When Barb MacNeil approached Kelley, it was with great trepidation. She had a film taken some 40 years ago of a 50th wedding anniversary. "I can't tell you how much I hesitated," MacNeil recalls. "I realized the film could just disintegrate."

She turned the valuable keepsake over to Kelley ultimately because Kelley does her own work. "I wouldn't have parted with it if it had meant having it sent out to a lab." When she took the finished tape home, she replayed it three times. "Everything was perfect," she says. "Even the music. I just sat and cried." And then she wrote Kelley a glowing testimonial.

Kelley also markets her business by keeping up with trends. With competition for athletic scholarships growing dramatically, Kelley created The Ultimate Scholarship.

"You have one chance to make a good impression," Kelley says. "Parents can tell you exactly what games and what plays they think demonstrates their child's abilities." Kelley pieces the tape together sitting at an editing table with proud parents and their home videotapes. Students submit the final product with their scholarship application material.

Shortly after Kelley started her business in her Shadowbrook area home, her marriage fell apart and she found herself raising three children on her own. A couple of years later—up to her elbows in equipment—she moved to the office space she has occupied for the past 18 years at 6455 Almaden Expressway.

With three young children, Kelley says, "Having my own business close to home was the only thing that made sense." Being able to set her own hours allowed her to participate in her children's activities. "Being in Almaden was what made it possible," she says. "The people here have been very supportive of me."

Although Kelley's work isn't limited to Almaden Valley—she produces videotapes of San Jose City Council meetings and does a lot of corporate post-production work—she maintains strong ties to the community not just through her work, but through involvement with the Almaden Kiwanis Club. She joined the service club in 1988, the first year women were admitted, and in 1991­92, she and another woman from the Los Gatos Kiwanis served as the western region's first women presidents.

The real key to Kelley's successful 20 years, she says, is simply that she loves what she does. "Every Christmas morning I'm really happy, because I know that people are opening gifts I helped create, and they are really going to enjoy them—and they'll continue to enjoy them."

Almaden Multimedia Services is at 6455 Almaden Expressway, 408.997.6520.