Going into business...

[Jethro]

If you wanted to go into business in the A/V field, how would you go about doing so? What would be important to you? What would you need to do to be successful?

I always thought that if the public "knew" what kind of sound they could get for a reasonable price and also "knew" how much more enjoyable their movies and music are with great audio, it would sell itself. So often however, it seems that the people I know go into to best buy and get a 60" pioneer plasma for $6,000 and get the sony surround sound HTIB for $500. They feel that **** is top of the line. They don't know what they are missing.

So, I think marketing would play a huge roll in selling audio. Educating through demonstrations would also play a big role in what I'd want to do. Alot of people say they don't really care what it sounds like? I say BS, you just don't know any better :kissass: Watch a movie on a system that sounds good vs the same movie on a lame sounding system and the experience vastly differs. Listen to a CD in your car, on an IPOD, or in your living room on a decent stereo setup... the difference in enjoyment level for me anyway is much greater on a nice setup.

Anyhow, I was talking with a friend of mine about and he asked me what I wanted to do with my life... and I said it would be cool to be involved in my "hobby" for a living. He asked what would you sell? I couldn't really answer. I basically want to sell an idea... I want to sell the importance of audio in this video/visually oriented society.

If even my wife has bought into the idea that my speakers are worth the price of admission as they bring enjoyment to our everyday lives, I think others may feel the same way if they only knew.

[dvenardos]

If you could get people coming in the door it would be pretty easy, just set up a nice demo room and a/b Best Buy's stuff with good stuff like av123/TCA/GR research.

[django1]

If even my wife has bought into the idea that my speakers are worth the price of admission as they bring enjoyment to our everyday lives, I think others may feel the same way if they only knew.

I was just thinking today about how I had drifted away from music for a number of years. I thought I had outgrown it when in fact there were two reasons I didn't listen much anymore: I didn't have anything decent to listen to music with and I didn't know how to find good music anymore, the crap they serve up on commercial radio left me fairly cold. Now, with using the internet to find good stuff to play and with a decent system I am back enjoying music almost as much as when I still took drugs :eek:...

[droht]

Making a living selling music systems would be exceedingly tough I would think. HT presents an option though, as it is more universal and somewhat easier to show off. Jethro is right. First you sell the idea, then the gear, then the install and training. That last part is the key.

I'd look at a model in tandem with a home improvement contractor kind of guy. Someone wants their basement finished - he does the standard work, you do the HT install. You don't always work together, but you promote each other.

I think you'd have to offer a relatively small range of products, fitting 3 or 4 price points. Maybe hook up with an ID vendor like Axiom or Aperion, or maybe just buy to fit each job.

Still not an easy gig, but I think more folks would be into HT if they saw the options beyond a whole bunch of confusing electronics and wires running everywhere.

When I started getting in to this I met with a guy who had a business selling and installing HT systems. I chatted with him and realized he was out of my budgetary league. He asked to meet anyway, so we did. He said that he believed when I saw and heard his system that I'd reconsider my spend. His base system sales pitch was double my budget. It included a lot of stuff that while optimal is not necessary. This guy could have easily sold me something, but he was only selling what to him was the only way to do it. I sort of respected his conviction, but if you are in business to make money you need to sell what customers want and can/will buy. I think that is the key thing to remember. We are a small subset of the consumer class. We are very odd at times in regard to audio and HT stuff. What makes sense here might not in the real world. See **** success for proof.

[Lefty]

There is a saying for those considering the audio retail business:
"The best way to make a million dollars in audio is to start with two million."

[Jethro]

There is a saying for those considering the audio retail business:
"The best way to make a million dollars in audio is to start with two million."

LOL :applause:

[Jethro]

If you could get people coming in the door it would be pretty easy, just set up a nice demo room and a/b Best Buy's stuff with good stuff like av123/TCA/GR research.

Agreed. People need to know what they've been missing and your in.

[Jethro]

Making a living selling music systems would be exceedingly tough I would think. HT presents an option though, as it is more universal and somewhat easier to show off. Jethro is right. First you sell the idea, then the gear, then the install and training. That last part is the key.

I'd look at a model in tandem with a home improvement contractor kind of guy. Someone wants their basement finished - he does the standard work, you do the HT install. You don't always work together, but you promote each other.

I think you'd have to offer a relatively small range of products, fitting 3 or 4 price points. Maybe hook up with an ID vendor like Axiom or Aperion, or maybe just buy to fit each job.

Still not an easy gig, but I think more folks would be into HT if they saw the options beyond a whole bunch of confusing electronics and wires running everywhere.

When I started getting in to this I met with a guy who had a business selling and installing HT systems. I chatted with him and realized he was out of my budgetary league. He asked to meet anyway, so we did. He said that he believed when I saw and heard his system that I'd reconsider my spend. His base system sales pitch was double my budget. It included a lot of stuff that while optimal is not necessary. This guy could have easily sold me something, but he was only selling what to him was the only way to do it. I sort of respected his conviction, but if you are in business to make money you need to sell what customers want and can/will buy. I think that is the key thing to remember. We are a small subset of the consumer class. We are very odd at times in regard to audio and HT stuff. What makes sense here might not in the real world. See **** success for proof.

Honesty in audio is key here. We as consumers definitely see a lack of this. We buy what we trust.
/small Rant
I live my life how I see fit. I think of things like this... I'm at work 50+ hours per week. I sleep 50+ hours per week. I work at a place I enjoy working and that fits my needs. I sleep alot of hours per week so I bought a really nice and comfortable bed. Why the hell would I chince out on a bed when I'm going to sleep on it every day of my life?...? wouldn't make sense to a guy like me. I drive a 2005 corolla that I bought a couple years ago because it's good on gas mileage and I'm not in my car very often... only point A to B which is 30 minutes/ day on average. The money I save on not having a hefty car payment and gas to put in it go to things I enjoy... like sleep and audio. My wife has a 2004 grand am 4 cylinder... same thing. Now, alot of people enjoy watching movies and television... so they go buy a nice, big TV. Why not? They get the $150 per month cable package so they can have all the HD channels and lots of cool programming as that is how they spend a "large" portion of their lives. Moreso than driving in their cars. Audio is a large part of and can add to the enjoyment of watching movies/ TV. Thats a FACT I hope we all can agree on in here. Why not spend a bit of money to enjoy this portion of our lives a bit more?

My sisters come over to my house to watch movies in my HT once a week. It's family night. It blows away the movie theater. It's an incredible bonding experience. When the wife is cooking for the family, she has the music nice and loud and the kids dance around and have a great time.

Has audio or a portion of it been lost upon society? Has the enjoyment that music has given to us over the years been completely diluted by ipods and HTIB's? Is the movie theater the best option we have by choice?

/end small rant

I bought my parents a logitech remote to replace the 4 remotes they used in their living room. It cost me 60 bucks. I'm their hero because of this. My mother hits the watch TV button and the TV comes on with cable etc...
She doesn't know any better.

My sister watches TV and movies all the time. Thats what she does. She was going to spend 4k on a display. I talked her into spending 2.5k on a display of equal size, and spending the other 1.5k on audio. I'm her hero for this. She can't get enough.

Education in audio. This isn't and shouldn't be a secret.