radrguy,

I see from your profile that you're very close to me. My office is in Hayward. Why don't you send me an email at [email protected] so we can talk about your career asperations..

Jeff

Good Trade mags include:
* residential systems
* CEpro
* Audio Video Interiors
* Home Automation

Now, why did I think "Home Theater Installation" businness was putting together some cool equipment, tell the customer to read the instruction manuals, get the money and run !! I guessed it wrong. Not an easy businnes to be in, only the guys with a solid knoledge and experience make good money, and the only way to start is to get any job you can grab, read anything you can get your hands on, ask lots questions,don't be afraid to get involved in any kind of installations, keep your mouth shut, untill you get to know your businness, move on to better paying jobs, or even better, start your own company alone no partners.Remenber only people with a strong knoledge make it big in this businness.
JJ Bugsy

Mr. Bugs--

"Only people with strong knowledge...etc..?" Come on!!..this business is rife with folks who Lack knowledge..but are strong closers. I am continually having to correct audio problems in particular, because some 'expert' installed something the 'right' way...or specified inadequate equipment..

If someone is knowledgeable, willing to continually learn, willing to say "I don't know that answer, but I'll find out", willing to listen to customers' needs, does excellent installation work, cleans up after themselves, perhaps takes some industry standard training...Those folks stand a better chance.

you are so correct,even in the commercial industry you have this problem,, you have salesman trying to make as much money with the least amount of equipment,,such as cables , mounts for speakers and any other thing they can leave off the parts list.

i can't believe how many incompetent people there are in these industries, and the installer has to suffer

Been doing this since 1981 - Certainly beats getting a REAL job!

Professional and aspiring participants of home theater,

Consider yourselves fortunate to be alive this day! This sector of the custom electronics industry is gaining popularity faster than the internet, but we are at a crossroads due to a great dilemma!

It seems that our industry is racked with a stigma that we are a group of trunk-slammers that are fly-by-night charlatans and quacks, here only to provide overpriced switches and remote controls. True professionals know the true difference in a well-designed system and one drawn on a bubble-gum wrapper.

Our greatest enemy is the true knowledge and expectations of our clients! Our industry is very young (CEDIA only founded in 1988) and we are just becoming to the point of needing strong standards of design, installation, and programming. With the absence of standards, trunk-slammers are allowed within our sacred profession as a wolf on sheep's clothing. If we can keep our clients on track with what we realistically can and cannot do within their budget, we would have less "correcting" work to do and be able to explore the limits of the equipment we specify! Currently, most dealers hog their templates, territories, and process information from other dealers with no intention of sharing. If we can have some kind of confidence in each other, maybe this industry can grow faster!

As for the "small" jobs, there is a military saying: "we've done so much for so long with so little, that we can now do almost anything with almost nothing!". This is to say that if you can find a way to get your mission accomplished within a small budget, imagine what you can do with one that is six- or more figures! Chances are that your personal home project will be a far cry from an estate-sized installation, anyway, right?

So, for those who aspire to work with us in this great industry, welcome! The advice given previously are the exact same steps that I have taken in this industry. The fact that you have registered with this site shows your passion for this industry! This is the only industry that has nearly the same amount of trade skills necessary as architects: electronics, interior design, construction techniques, plumbing, electricity (high power), landscaping, lighting design, ergonomics, psychology, and psychiatry are areas tat we must master to be proficient in this industry. Fortunately, most of these topics can be gathered without a degree. You local community college, Home Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement, even HGTV can get you sufficient information to operate on a basic level in this industry. But don't ever become complacent! Help push this industry into the statosphere where it belongs!

Wesley Mullings
Digital Lifestyles

Just because you can doesn't mean you should." Words I’ve heard from many wise men.

"can?"

What are we talking about?