Re: How Many Years Have You Been in the Industry?

["Jim" <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

Robert Campbell wrote:
> I can relate to that ! VoIP is coming and coming on strong. Even the phone
> companies recognize that and are introducing their own versions of VoIP.
> I've been encouraging my son to move into other areas of the low voltage
> industry such as home automation and video. He takes any and all course he
> can get in to, so once the company is his, I expect he will take it big,
> moving out of the "mom and pop" category. For me, it's been just another of
> a number of businesses I've had; for him, it may be his future.

Here's something he may want to investigate. In the last few years I've
been advertising in my newsletter that I do Home Theater hookups and
I've been talking it up with each of my clients when I see them. My
offer to them is that I will accompany them to assist in the choice and
purchase of their home entertainment electronics.
Mostly it's the men who make these choices governed by the wife's
esthetic guidelines. I don't know if any of you have looked at the back
of some of the latest big screen TV's and amplifier/receivers, but it's
really a daunting task for any layman to determine if there are going
to be sufficent and appropriate inputs and outputs to accommodate all
the different kinds of devices they are going to use. I help them
choose matching equipment. Takes maybe an hour or two. Once explaining
what's involved in the hookup, programing and cable choices,  and the
usual requirement to hide the surrround and rear speaker wires .....
they'll more often than not, ask you to do it for them. Depending upon
the complication of the job, I've been asking and getting $65.00 to
$75.00 per hour. The smallest job so far was $750.00. The biggest was
$5000.00, so far and it's all labor and very little comparatively in
parts. You can purchase cables at ADI and mark them up to make a profit
and still be below what they go for at Rat Shack or wherever.

I suspect that this part of the market will only be as profitable as it
is right now for a limited period of time. Maybe for 5 years at the
most.  As Home Theater and big screen TV's gets more and more popular,
the Mfg's will have to make it easier for the end users to do hookups,
if they want the masses to buy into the equipment. But home
entertainment is going to keep right on growing. Audio and video
servers, IP addressable equipment and entertainment from the Internet
is just around the corner as a household item. As it gets more
complicated people are just not going to be willing to spend the time
to set up their systems.  I just heard that some producer just made a
movie and released it on the Internet ...... only! Hollywood studios
are incensed. But ..... here comes the future. Anyone getting into home
entertainment today has got to do well in the future.


> I've been working with a small company here in Ottawa, giving them advice
> from the perspective of the alarm industry, as they develop an alternative
> to a landline for alarm services. They are in final stages of production,
> and it looks like both a good and very cost efficient solution allowing use
> of the internet for those who choose to do so. I have no stake in the
> company other than wanting to assist them, and giving them my 2 cents worth
> of advice from time to time. They are a nice bunch of folks, and I sincerely
> hope they are successful.
> It's been a pleasure working with them....
>
> Their website is www.lobenninc.com if anyone is interested in seeing what
> they are up to.....
>
> RHC
>