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Integrator Finds Commercial Niche
Cory Plummer of Home A/V Solutions says that “when you are a small company, you tend to feel a little more at risk with each job. I’m not selling equipment, systems or visions; I’m selling me.”
During downtime in 2009 Plummer focused on reconnecting with some builders and interior designers, and it has paid dividends. Home AV Solutions has benefited by picking up clients after some Portland-area integration companies went out of business over the past year - including Plummer's former company.
"I had a good relationship with them and I never went after their clients [before they went under]," Plummer says. "But then I made a few phone calls and picked up some opportunities. With everybody being down it was a chance for me to grow."
A modest guy, Plummer is clearly uncomfortable uttering that sentence. He's far more comfortable being self-deprecating. Asked what other CE pros can learn from him, he is incredulous. "I'm still trying to figure out if I'm doing things right. And I'm pretty sure I'm not."
To Expand or Not to Expand
Plummer constantly wrestles with the question of whether he should hire employees.
"I always tell myself I need to either get 10 percent busier so I can higher somebody or 10 percent slower so I can handle it myself. I'm struggling immensely with it at the moment," Plummer says, while sitting under a 120-inch screen he somehow installed himself.
Plummer, who only uses subcontractors for satellite installations, realizes that it's somewhat illogical for him to be pulling all the wires, making the terminations and installing all the equipment. He realizes that - almost to a fault - he feels the need to take complete ownership of every project until the customer is completely satisfied.
As a one-man shop, though, his reputation is his brand and it's hard for him to entrust it to anybody else. "I would like to grow, but not to the point where I'm not involved in everything. [But] I definitely need another pair of hands."
Then there's the business side of it, which Plummer doesn't love. "I'm sure a lot of integrators struggle with that. I didn't get into this because I enjoy the business side. But I struggle with what I'm willing to give up and trust somebody else to do."
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8 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
I feel your pain on hiring employees because it becomes more difficult to control the brand. I havent found a way about it yet either. I have techs but I tend to manage the brand via personal discussions or marketing materials. I am trying to learn to expand the idea of the brand from Coreys vision and relationship skills to a broader vision that doesnt sacrifice quality but allows for growth. Good people may not be just like me or you but they would be good people in their own right.
I have to agree with you Bulldog. It is a nice change of pace, and it is definitely a change! Plummer is totally right when it comes to most businesses…they do not typically act on emotion but rather bottom line and how it will affect worker productivity. And unless you’re dealing with a C-level executive or owner the process can drive you crazy. It may take weeks or months from the proposal being what they are looking for, to actually getting the appropriate signature and down payment. Nonetheless, I love to hear of the success of small business owners in our industry. Keep it up Plummer!
Cory,
Killer market to dominate. I am proud of ya for carving out a new niche. Great way to find a new way of growing your business. Keep pounding, just not the pints!
Good Job,
Jeremy
Just pay attention to your guys bulldog. When you get one who cares about what hes doing try and keep him. My test is simple. If they hang a TV and then clean up the drywall dust right away it means they “get it”. The guys who walk away leaving finger prints on the bezel and dirt on the floor are not lazy. They just don’t see it as a problem. This is much more dangerous than a lazy guy when talking about things that damage your brand. “the customers house should look like the gear magically appeared”. That was the first thing i was taught when i began installing. It came up within 5 minutes of my first installation.
The ZeeVee solution looks nice, but my concern would be the analog outputs on the cable/sat boxes getting capped at 480p in say 3-4yrs. The content owners are pushing for this. Of course 40+ displays on HDMI could be quite scary too.
I’m really happy to see an article profiling a smaller integrator. I am own my company and am the only employee, and usally have a hard time relating to the articles on the companies with 30 people on staff and revenues of 3 Million. Keep the smaller stuff coming, it’ll help the smaller guys out a whole lot more then the 20 Mill install articles. (Not that we all don’t want to aspire to that level, haha)
Matt
Cory,
how did you get your start in the bar scene?
We are looking to make that leap but have had a hard time getting our foot in the door, your knowledge and experience would be muc appreciated.
Commercial work is a nice change of pace and can be rewarding. Its nice to be able to show friends what you do and have a place for clients to see your finished projects without disrupting other homeowners.
Just a side note: Knox 64x64 component video with digital/mono audio matrix switcher with front panel screen retails well under $20,000.