Really? That's odd.

Sometimes I agree with Impaqt... other times I don't but this time he may as well have been me writing that... only difference is substitute the word "Seattle" for "Chicago".

What I've seen happen MANY times is that an employee doesn't like everything about his bosses way of designing, managing of projects, etc. etc. etc. The thing said employee forgets is that he has a van to drive, a cell phone to use, medical benefits, free CEDIA education, vacations and makes more an hour than a supervisor with a college degree who has been at AT&T wireless for five years (my wife works there). Said employee finds a client on his own thats willing to spend 50K on a job... he figures on the 20 grand he's about to net and starts "Catchy Name Audio/Video". No manufacturer will talk to him but AVAD will so his system looks like every other trunkslamma-whamma one out there. He either A). starts out in his "spare" time or B) drops the bombshell to the boss and goes into it full on.

Soon into the project he runs into snags (see Impaqt's post) but probably does an OK and conscientious job. NOW the job is complete and what do you have? ANOTHER new install & integration company looking for the next job... banging down the door of every builder in town and once again lowering the overall bar of customer price expectation. Pretty soon the bills come for sales tax, 941, B&O, car etc. etc. etc. and of course our guy has spent that all. He's all of the sudden working 80+ hours a week instead of the "cushy" 40-45. His wife/girlfriend is ready to bolt. If he has kids they forget what he looks like. Welcome to the unseen world of ownership that looks like the greenest lawn in the world from the lawn you are standing on. All I can say is that while you are sitting awake at 3:00 in the morning after crawling into bed at 11:30 looking at all of the paperwork you had no idea would exist... which lawn looks greener now?

It's not that I'm saying you won't succeed... go-getters will. Just that in complete reiteration of Impaqt... plan the work... work the plan. You need to know everything about how you plan to run your business BEFORE jumping in. Consider this business the Arizona sun and a plan the Coppertone SPF50. Good Luck.

Oex... your profile doesn't give your location away but something tells me you are in the place Seattle was in 1998-1999. To anyone who is having that kind of easy success I say this (#1 I'm jealous) but mainly... keep up the good work... pick your clients for maximum profit and return referral potential... watch these threads so you can see the signs that your market is getting "Denverized"... and PUT MONEY AWAY... because eventually it will. Too many people jump in without any plan or forethought to what is next and they gradually pull things into a quagmire.

No but figure this. They send 2 morons at 95 per man hour PLUS travel. they milk it til its dry - basic plasma, dvd, 7.1, cable box with programable remote. 3 days minimum for 2 guys and have seen many take 5 or 6 days. i do it in a day and a half with a 2 hour hand from one of my guys to hang the plasma. im sure many of you guys dont milk it either. compare your time to do a job to a couple of monkeys. its easy to see their labor bill skyrocket.

boy you take 2 days to hang a plasma,dvd, 7.1 and a remote... I would lose money if it took us 2days...lol..

You want to get leads heres how you do it...

find a small retailer who sells plasmas or Av equipment that does not install tell him that you are

willing to take on all his customers that want to have their plasmas installed when they buy them.

You will have more work than you know what to do with...
Then when you go to give a proposal you up sell everything to them..

plasma needs a sound system..remote..woofer...phone system...security cameras...etc...

You dont need to worry about the liability of the plasma and you make great referals from the customer..

providing you do a good job...

you need to find a retailer that does not install just sells...

he'll be happy you take care of his customers and you can kick him back some change..

anyhow...we've got tons of referals that way,...and have gotten some big name installs as well...

you can also send out your card and brochure of jobs you've done to REAL ESTATE agents let them know if they refer a new homeowner to you and you sell them plasma, sound, etc...you kick back some change...

you can do this with your local interior designers as well...

GARUNTEED you wont be able to take in all the work...

it'll just grow from there....

just my 2 cents

primo

10 or 11 man hours on a $12,000 install isnt alot

Here is to all, Thank you for all your kind advice. I have been installed huge high end systems all over the US for 7 years now and now it is time to give it a go on my own. I have a lot to learn about business still but why not try. To all of you who seem to have lost faith, cheer up we all need to build our industry to be strong and professional. The hacks out there will soon be gone only to be replaced with fresh hacks as time goes on. Thank you

Is that you Gianni