The Audio/Visual Guy Inc.: Honoring Vows of Success

They say behind every successful man stands a very good woman. Dean Lopes, founder of The Audio/Visual Guy Inc., based in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., is a testament to that.

Together with his wife Candace, Lopes has forged a formidable business based on all things A/V and a whole lot of impeccable customer service. Partners in both marriage and business, the pair seems to have scripted a story steeped in happily-ever-afters.

It didn't happen by accident. The foundation was strong from the start.

Dean, who attended the Berkelee College of Music in Boston, Mass., toured as a musician and was amazed that his fellow musician friend Rick Brennan was making some serious money installing A/V systems.

Taking note, drummer Lopes went on to cut his technical teeth at Chapman AV Services in North Hollywood -- a small company that serviced big clients, including Steven Spielberg, Frank Sinatra and a long list of Who's Who of Hollywood. "Chip Corbin of Chapman was my mentor," Lopes credits. "He ran a small business big on personalized service."

Although California is where it all began -- and also where Candace and Dean met in 1993 -- it is in Port Saint Lucie that Dean and Candace have carved out a company and a life together. When they relocated, Candace remained an entrepreneur in her own right, having run a highly successful exercise enterprise in L.A.

Dean worked for several large and small A/V companies in Florida before deciding to start up his own. He launched The Audio/Visual Guy in October of 2003 doing sales, installation and maintenance of televisions and sound systems in home and business theaters for both residential and commercial markets.

Delegating Business Operations

The Audio/Visual Guy incorporated in April of 2004 and Candace came aboard in October of '05. "We knew it was taking off," she says. "Originally, it was just Dean running the business. I was working a full-time job and coming home and doing the scheduling and the books. Things got very busy, too busy for one person. The need was there."

The two combined their technical and business savvy and haven't looked in the rearview mirror since.



Dean is the audio/visual guy. Candace is the business brains of the operation. But make no mistake -- the blue-eyed blonde is out there in the trenches pulling wire and lifting 40-inch and 50-inch TVs for hanging alongside her husband. Deciding on the division of labor at the work site, just as in a marital household, is important. "It's the funniest thing to watch us in action," Candace concedes.

"Dean does almost all the customer communication as far as the technical aspects go and I communicate on the scheduling. Dean programs everything, does the testing, makes any needed adjustments and teaches customers how to use the equipment after the install. And, no matter how big or small a job, I do all the wiring of the equipment and the dressing of the wires on the racks. But I refuse to do anything in an attic!"

Other than her aversion to attics, Candace is out in the field, in work attire, hair in ponytail, no make-up on, doing what it takes to get the jobs done. She also sets aside time each week to handle the billing, write up contracts, schedule jobs and order equipment.

Communications and Cash Flow Are Vital

Aside from retaining an accountant and an insurance agent, Candace and Dean have opted not to sub-contract work out. "We've found that for our reputation's sake (and to sleep at night), we don't sub out any of our work. In cases where our customers ask [for recommendations], we will refer them on, but I never incorporate anyone else's company into our contracts -- ever," Candace points out.

"We don't want to be responsible for anyone else's jobs but our own. People appreciate it. The pros outweigh the cons and it's in our best interest."

To survive as a two-person operation, Dean and Candace have had to look out for their own best interests. It's the only way to successfully nurture and grow a business. They've done away with cash flow concerns by requiring that the costs for equipment, taxes and shipping are paid 100 percent up front. "It's mandatory," Candace explains.

"It's one of the main reasons why we're afloat. We don't buy anybody's equipment on our money and that will never change. Labor is due at the completion of the job, at the time of the final teaching. If it's a big job, we work it out to be paid in phases as we go."

Although looking out for their own best interests is a pivotal part of the Lopes' success, growing their company has also been predicated on looking out for the customer's best interests, as well. It's a priority taken very much to heart -- and as a two-person team, that isn't always easy. They don't seem to mind the long days, because it has resulted in many satisfied customers.

"We have cell phones and customers have a direct line to us 24 hours a day," Dean says. "When customers call the office line, their calls are returned within 24 hours, generally that evening. Our cell phone numbers are also provided on the message so they know that if they need service immediately they can call my cell, and for scheduling, billing and ordering, to call Candace's cell."

"Scheduling is a challenge," Candace adds candidly. "We always keep some time available during the week for service calls or new customers. You can't ignore Mrs. Smith down the street who wants her TV hung. You have to make time for her because she's going to call you back the next time she needs help. We don't discriminate for size of jobs. We try to take the smallest to the biggest we can handle."

And sometimes those jobs are to clean up someone else's. "I do a lot of fix ups," Dean says. "Customers will call and say that so and so big company put in my system and they either didn't finish it, it's not working right or they don't know how to use it.We clean up a lot of messes."

Flat Panels and Outdoor Installations Are Hot

The staple of work that The Audio/Visual Guy does is, not surprisingly, A/V work. It comes in waves, and they are riding a current one of flat TVs, LCDs and plasmas. "A lot of people are changing over," Dean notes, "and there is a lot of work to hang them. Most customers want them hung on their walls, or fireplace or patio or bedroom with no wires showing. There's also a lot of call for built-in speakers as people are getting away from the big-box speakers and instead want sleek ones mounted in their ceilings."

Given the great many screened-in patios in Florida, they are also seeing a big demand for outdoor installs. "Most of the houses have screened patios with roofs," Candace adds. "So the equipment in that kind of an area is semi-protected. The humidity is still going to get at them but with the price of LCDs and plasmas, they're disposable. So if it lasts for three years, customers are happy."

Typical installs run the gamut. "We don't discriminate according to budget and we work diligently to find out what the budget is and make everything possible for that customer," Candace says.

"We try to make their wish list happen. We interview the customer in the beginning to see what they want and sometimes they don't really know because of bad information they've been given. We try to educate them a bit and steer them in a direction that will maximize their budget. I'm conservative; I don't try to sell the most expensive stuff. Some clients like the exotic and others just want the bare bones. Some are more visually oriented and could care less about the sound, and some are just the opposite."

Regardless of the size or scope of a job, Dean and Candace offer ongoing technical support after a job is completed. "We educate them on how to use their systems and leave our cell phone numbers. Most of the time, Dean can solve user problems right over the phone and we don't charge for that," Candace says. "We have one customer who won't let anybody -- be it cable or satellite repair people -- do anything to their equipment except us. We are named on their DirecTV or cable accounts. They contact us and we're the interface."

In terms of the products, The Audio/Visual Guy looks to quality, consumer friendliness and pricing to fit its budget. The Lopeses deem consumer friendliness the most important element because clients need to know how to work their systems. They also rely on distributors for the latest info.

"We get their e-mails on new certified products. It's their business to know what's coming out and how these new products work. Dean is very smart and part of that is gleaning information from people who are in the know," Candace says.

Avoiding Big Developments To Maintain Control

As a two-person operation, The Audio/Visual Guy is controlling growth for a reason. "The challenge is that the high-end customers want us to expand and are willing to invest in us and we have to say no," Candace says candidly.

"We have to pick and choose the jobs. There are a lot of big developments coming into Florida and we can't bid on those jobs They're simply too big for us, so we have to scale the jobs in terms of what we can do. One of our advantages is that customers can rely on us for better service; we take on small jobs.

"There's been a problem down here in Florida in that a lot of companies align with these huge building projects and some of the medium-sized builders are slowing down. You either have to be pretty big or pretty small -- the medium-sized people are feeling it. We didn't align with builders so we continue to have our customers that we've built up."

The Lopeses have also built up homes for non-paying customers in the form of volunteer work they do each year for Habitat for Humanity and projects for the Treasure Coast Builders Association to make life better for the elderly and terminally ill. It's a means of giving back to the community and they spare no expense in wire or installs.

Achieving business success did not come by chance. "You've got to be out there and knock on doors," Candace says. "Dean got involved with the Chamber of Commerce and went to every satellite installation showroom and Mom & Pop shop and introduced himself, saying 'If your customers want this, I'm your man.' It opened up a lot of avenues in the first few months." That determination, coupled with several Yellow Pages ads, got things rolling.

Keeping It Together as a Married Couple

A 24/7 relationship is tough to maintain for spouses who opt to go into business together. "We're best friends and that's first and foremost," Candace says.

"We don't have many arguments -- maybe when there's a full moon, and when my boss is a jerk he knows it. A lot of our customers say they couldn't work with their spouse, but we do it very well. I know my job and he knows his. You need to be good friends and respect each other a lot."

Mutual respect is at the heart of this husband and wife business. "I'm so proud of my husband because he's made a great business for us and a great life," Candace credits. "He stands there with customers and goes over everything with them and they're so appreciative."

To show their appreciation in return, Candace and Dean host a customer appreciation dinner each year, welcoming over 200 people to their home. It's a great event, and one that reveals that it all really does come down to relationships.

The Lopeses know all about the importance of such relationships. They've taken their vows -- both as man and wife and as business partners -- to heart, and it shows in more ways than one.