Your Universal Remote Control Center
RemoteCentral.com
Custom Installers' Lounge Forum - View Post
Previous section Next section Previous page Next page Up level
Up level
The following page was printed from RemoteCentral.com:

Login:
Pass:
 
 

Page 3 of 4
Topic:
big career change... questions... ???
This thread has 55 replies. Displaying posts 31 through 45.
Post 31 made on Saturday October 14, 2017 at 12:14
SWFLMike
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2007
354
On October 14, 2017 at 11:29, kgossen said...
Going after higher end customers when you have absolutely zero experience in the industry is not going to work at all. After 10 years in the industry maybe, but just starting out and trying to learn from scratch?

This is true. And even if you DO have the technical experience, most high end builders don't want to roll the dice with who the perceive as a new guy. I'm going through that now...you have to work back up to where you were.
Post 32 made on Saturday October 14, 2017 at 12:56
Richie Rich
Senior Member
Joined:
Posts:
July 2002
1,150
On October 14, 2017 at 00:44, Ranger Home said...
No money, no experience in the industry, no experience in running and business and you want to start a company in an industry you have no experience in? Sound like a recipe for disaster.

But hey, we all started somewhere. Best of luck to you. Maybe get a job in the industry first. Learn the ropes. You certainly wont land the $50k job for a long time, if thats what you want.

Agree.

When I struck out on my own in this industry I did it after a 15 year climb. From satellite monkey to PM for a large CI firm. I know builders, interior designers, other AV companies and have a pretty favorable reputation in the industry. I have a decent size client base that followed me from company to company. I can move around very comfortably in this world, know my stuff, know how the game is played.

Even with all of that on my side, it is still a struggle.
Not saying you can't do it, just saying that it is not going to be easy.
I am a trained professional..... Do not attempt this stunt at home.
Post 33 made on Saturday October 14, 2017 at 17:55
vwpower44
Super Member
Joined:
Posts:
August 2004
3,662
I had the most fun from 2001-2008. Once TV's got cheaper, everything else did, and for me it seemed like the big jobs dried up.
Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish...
Post 34 made on Sunday October 15, 2017 at 12:55
Trunk-Slammer -Supreme
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
November 2003
7,454
It sure seemed like it was easier when selling $20k PDP's than it was when selling $3k PDP/LCD/LED anything....

Prices fell so rapidly, it was hard to keep up. Also near impossible to make a dime on TV's.
Post 35 made on Sunday October 15, 2017 at 14:29
tweeterguy
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
June 2005
7,713
I remember working at Tweeter 10+ years ago...the sales guys would sell $10-20k pioneer elite plasmas, a couple of overpriced AudioQuest HDMI cables PLUS some crazy extended warranties like it was nothing. By the time it was all said and done, a single room with TV mounted on the wall and cable box/dvd below was $15-25 grand !
Post 36 made on Sunday October 15, 2017 at 21:19
sceneselect
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
March 2012
425
Look at all of these responses- It would encourage me to jump in and flick everyone off.

That being said- Start with the easy stuff; Sonos, hang and bangs, pre-wires, find a good electrician and offer your services. Help family and friends with small stuff until you feel like you should be charging and then never help them again.

Take as many industry related trainings and look for an old pro who needs help finishing up jobs.

Develop an esthetic and work towards what you want to do.

As others have said learn how to install a network, standards for running wires, how to hang a TV in different situations, voltage signaling.

Keep pestering the guys on this board and don't give up.
Post 37 made on Sunday October 15, 2017 at 23:35
Oz AVI
Senior Member
Joined:
Posts:
November 2004
1,151
Lots of great advice here, I like this one the best!

On October 15, 2017 at 21:19, sceneselect said...
Help family and friends with small stuff until you feel like you should be charging and then never help them again.
Post 38 made on Monday October 16, 2017 at 07:00
Mario
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
November 2006
5,681
60 hours per week?
On an average day, get up at 6, start loading the truck by 6:30, be on the road by 7 for a job that you can bill for by 8.
Work your butt off for solid 10 hours (no lunch break of cause). Be home by 8 and start on paperwork.
14-18 hour days are the norm.

BTW, get ready to have roughy 25-33% od your hours actually be billable.
Post 39 made on Monday October 16, 2017 at 10:06
Mr. Brad
Advanced Member
Joined:
Posts:
April 2008
934
I left a corporate job with a good salary and benefits to start my business. I use to tell people that I worked twice the hours for half the money, so I was effectively making 1/4th what I use to make for my efforts. With the only benefit being the additional stress!

Then people would say, "Yeah, but you are your on boss." You need to be a special kind of person to start your own business and be successful. You can't "need" a paycheck. (You get paychecks from an employer.) Have lots of money in the bank! You need to thrive on stress and conflict. Getting vendors, employees and customers to all do what they say they will, the first time, is almost impossible.

10 plus years later, I make about what I did 13 plus years ago. If the economy stays stable for the next 15 years, I hope to retire. What are the chances of that?

Good luck if you join the ranks.
Post 40 made on Monday October 16, 2017 at 10:57
FunHouse Texas
Active Member
Joined:
Posts:
June 2013
595
Then people would say, "Yeah, but you are your on boss."

WRONG - I have a new boss every Day/Week/Month....the one who writes the checks
I AM responsible for typographical errors!
I have all the money I will ever need - unless i buy something..
Post 41 made on Monday October 16, 2017 at 11:53
drewski300
Super Member
Joined:
Posts:
January 2007
3,849
Here are a couple of important points:
-Starting out with zero experience with home building is very difficult. Just because you know the tech side doesn't mean squat when you have to fish wires around the home.
-Going into commercial without experience is even more difficult.
-Consider working for another AV company even for that year. LA is a great market for high end work.
-Consider moving to a smaller market. LOL LA is great if you work for someone but I'm guessing it's not great for someone with no experience or contacts.
-You won't be making 180k or even 100k until you have AT LEAST 10-15 employees. Without experience, this can be very challenging to manage!
-Things are evolving so quickly right now. With voice control, the industry is going to be turned upside down within the next couple of years. Between eero making a decent mesh networking system for nothing, Amazon making Alexa enabled speakers, and all of the consumer IoT things coming out we are no longer the reseller of products. We are the installers of other peoples crap. So our experience will be everything.

I'm not saying this in a bad way. Just know what you are getting into. I'm surprised you can't just get into a parallel engineering field (diesel or something)? Hell, I have a realtor friend who is a "decent" realtor in Mpls and he makes more than his wife who own a successful chiropractic clinic. There is so much disparity in the marketplace, I would hate for you to move into the AV world and be capped out. That's not to say that there aren't integrator's who make GREAT six figure salaries and only have to work 40 hours a week. But that's not the 1-2 man shops...
"Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!"
Post 42 made on Monday October 16, 2017 at 16:34
Mission Systems
Long Time Member
Joined:
Posts:
March 2011
76
ALL of the advice you have gotten here is great, cheap college. If you are interested in the AV industry and want to make anything kinda sorta but not really close to what you were making you need to be in commercial IMO. If you have kids and/or friends you want to be a PM, not a technician. The techs work insane hours (which they get paid well for being a union shop) and make lots of life concessions to make that money. We have one tech on staff that has over 550 hours of overtime YTD. To do that you really have to love it.

If you want to own a company you have to put in time like the tech, but then come home to do paperwork, generate proposals, and occasionally enjoy a meal while sitting for a change. Good luck and hope it works out for you!
"Hope is for suckers and fools"
Post 43 made on Tuesday October 17, 2017 at 05:47
crosen
Senior Member
Joined:
Posts:
April 2009
1,262
On October 16, 2017 at 07:00, Mario said...
60 hours per week?
On an average day, get up at 6, start loading the truck by 6:30, be on the road by 7 for a job that you can bill for by 8.
Work your butt off for solid 10 hours (no lunch break of cause). Be home by 8 and start on paperwork.
14-18 hour days are the norm.

BTW, get ready to have roughy 25-33% od your hours actually be billable.

Seems you are busy. Why not hire, grow and leverage other people? Make more money with fewer hours.
If it's not simple, it's not sufficiently advanced.
Post 44 made on Tuesday October 17, 2017 at 07:11
Mario
Loyal Member
Joined:
Posts:
November 2006
5,681
On October 17, 2017 at 05:47, crosen said...
Seems you are busy. Why not hire, grow and leverage other people? Make more money with fewer hours.

Because it's not stable and I won't hire someone again and be responsible for feeding their family when days/weeks get slow.

The full days are not consistent.
Post 45 made on Wednesday October 18, 2017 at 01:12
crosen
Senior Member
Joined:
Posts:
April 2009
1,262
On October 17, 2017 at 07:11, Mario said...
Because it's not stable and I won't hire someone again and be responsible for feeding their family when days/weeks get slow.

The full days are not consistent.

Well, that's the rub, isn't it. Capacity planning has proven to be a very difficult thing for me in this business. I try to maintain a stable of subcontractor/freelance installers, but using subs instead of captive employees seems to make quality assurance rather difficult.
If it's not simple, it's not sufficiently advanced.
Find in this thread:
Page 3 of 4


Jump to


Protected Feature Before you can reply to a message...
You must first register for a Remote Central user account - it's fast and free! Or, if you already have an account, please login now.

Please read the following: Unsolicited commercial advertisements are absolutely not permitted on this forum. Other private buy & sell messages should be posted to our Marketplace. For information on how to advertise your service or product click here. Remote Central reserves the right to remove or modify any post that is deemed inappropriate.

Hosting Services by ipHouse