i guess that the new strut add on trimming would catch your eye then

the day of the really strong independant is coming back. those that have managed to stay in business over the last 5-6 years are going to be happy that they managed to, many didnt. as you know very well, the big box retailers are losing very key guys, both installing and selling, future shop here in the okanagon is so desparate to get guys that if you have a heartbeat they will hire you and this can only benefit a well organized and responsible independant. i think that alot of installers have been knocked down a few notches into reality when it comes to their value. ive heard of installers making ridiculous guarantees and so on and not getting paid for what they actually put in the till and its ludicrous. if the independant shops out there want to live they have to tighten the belts and run a very tight ship and keep very focused on their big profit centers. in the shop i run, the installers make 50% of the labour that they do, they have no other responsibilities than to put gear in cars, they order nothing, answer no phone calls, just install. if they want to make 6000$ a month. they had better do 12000 in labour or they are of no use in many shops unless they sell as well, but that combo ive never seen work very well it keeps the installer from doing exactly that, installing, and if the salespeople are the reason istallers are selling get better salespeople. four to five very capable guys can be very profitable in a indepandant if everyone is on the same page and trying to attain a common goal. im very lucky that i have 5 guys that work very good together, it didnt come easy, trial and error with staff can be frustrating but if youn are patient, it will happen, sorry for the rant

Independant shops are great. They are the heart of the car audio industry.

That being said, it is not the industry that has been deciding what direction the industry is going, it is the big box stores and chains. A&B Sound, Future Shop, Best Buy and to a lessen extent, the buying groups like AVU and one in Quebec who's name I forget right now.

These companies used their size and total purchasing volume to muscle their way in to the market. Is there anything wrong with that? Not really - so long as they do it right.

It took some of these entities a while to learn what was right and what was wrong, but now, they have it all figured out and are prominent players in the industry - they also aren't going away.

Defro is absolutely correct about running a tight ship. I was talking with Chase Mair on Wednesday from Chase Audio Video. He took two years off from the SPL scene to build his business and become successful. He realized that he couldn't spend thousands of dollars on SPL cars and have the business grow the way he wanted. He did the right thing.

Now, he has expanded his shop to include home audio, hired one of the most talented installers in Southern Ontario (in my opinion) and is ready to move forward with a good solid foundation beneath him.

Having been in this industry for more than half my life now, and having held almost every position possible, other than a store owner, I've experienced and learned a lot of things.

I absolutely LOVE the occasional late night thrash on a project car - that is what keeps me going. But, competition and show cars aren't where the money is - it's in day to day business. One of the large stores I worked at didn't even attempt to go after custom work, much like many of you seem to shun audio work at this time of year - in favour of remote start installations - because that is where the money is.

Zee rambling. she is done.. I go to be now...

I think it's important in a Canadian market to be flexible and have the business sense to get into other things beyond car audio. Our "season" for selling car audio is one of the shortest in the world. In the off season, you need something to tide you over. I'm not just talking about surviving by doing starters, but about being successful all year round.

I could almost run a straight remote start business in the winter and take the summer off here. In Alberta starter season is easily worth double the profit from Nov-Dec than June-Sept in car audio.

in my market the car audio season runs from january to december, there is no season, it never stops

Oh and audio stays strong here as most people who would normally DIY that don't have heated garages start to come in.

so cold is good for something other than just beer and nipples

:eek: you said nipples

[img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I needed that laugh [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img]

[img]graemlins/dawg.gif[/img]