I would love to have retail premises (which you often need to buy direct) but capital is the stumbling block.
The difference between buying price and overheads makes my choice simple if I just want to carry on as I am now (which I do.)
If I wanted to expand then yeah retail premises, teams of installers etc it would be essential to buy direct but I would need substantial capital and would have to live with the added stress the extra hours the more demands on my family etc.
When you run your own show the consultants and advisors often miss out the part where it effects your life..It’s just a balance sheet of facts but they aren’t all the facts.
I always shop around but just like your end customers the end bottom lowest price isn’t always the best …there are always consequences.
To be honest I am not fully committed to the challenge of being the biggest AV installer in the North West UK (If I came into some money then I would invest and expand and hire good(expensive!) people to delegate the work to). I am happy to make a decent living for myself and my family doing a job I love with customers who appreciate my work (I don’t advertise all my jobs are recommendations)
Once I was very driven and thought if you didn’t buy direct didn’t grow significantly ever year you would go out of business very quickly.
I have found a balance that works for me buying from dealers/distributors/wholesalers.
I run a lean one man show who installs brands i know inside out with suppliers who will bend over backwards to help me ..they are not cheap but i sleep at night.
I except this may not work for all with different goals.

Ps I am writing a lot more nowadays as i have a comminuted fracture of my left distal radius (broke my wrist)


This message was edited by wolf359 on 02/16/04 08:07.