re: Video editing for beginners

We recently did the same thing for the same reason. In all we probably came out spending a little over $6k for all our equipment.

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biggest keys are probably going to be good lighting, equipment like tripods to steady the camera, and planning your video out in advance.

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This. This. THIS. THHHIIISSS!!!!

Most people don't realize how much pre-production goes into a good quality video. The more you pre-plan, the less work you have to do once you start shooting and editing.

As for equipment, a good cell phone will "work" at the outset but probably won't be a good long-term solution for you. If this is something you will be doing a lot of, consider a good mirrorless camera and a decent lens. We ended up going with a Sony a6400 and it has been great for the price. Also, look at getting a pair of lights and a background with stands unless you have a good looking wall to use. B&H Photo is probably going to be your best bet in getting all the stuff together. You can find it on Amazon for a little cheaper but B&H's service is worth the extra money you'll spend.

You'll eventually need a good PC or Mac. You'll be able to get by with a pretty powerful off-the-shelf model as you are learning but you'll need something more specialized before long. You'll be looking at at least $1500 but be prepared to spend easily over $2k. Google "best computer for video editing" or check out CG Director for a good overview of the components you will need to consider and they have a PC Builder that will guide you through it.

Any software that you can be self taught will likely not give you the professional results you really want. Adobe Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve are going to be the 2 you really want to look into. Getting an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription will give you access to all their other apps which you will be able to use in your business. Resolve is free yet professional grade. Both have their positives and negatives so it will be a personal preference thing.

Whichever one you choose, there are a ton of YouTube channels with great tutorials. For Premiere Pro, search for Cinecom.net. The guys are really quirky but they have good stuff. For Resolve, look for Casey Faris. They both also offer paid courses you can take to learn even more.

Good luck!