"The Company The Industry Always Feared Would Arrive" Is Here

We're creating the alternative to trunk slammers. The trunk slammers and cable pullers already exist. We're doing the opposite. We're leaning in to the professionals to secure the business. Cable pullers and trunk slammers will never meet the criteria. We want to be the answer to the industry plague of trunk slammers.

I tend to agree.

In the early 2000's I was at another startup that was at the forefront (a little too early...) for the networked DVR concept. We had a media server device that could hold MP3's, record TV shows (like a Tivo), and act as a home gateway/router. Plus a few other things (caller ID overlay on TV, IM on TV so you could "watch" a show with friends).

We did a few beta programs with Sears, Rogers cable, and Speakeasy (the ISP), and installed probably 250 boxes in the US and Canada, from Seattle to Dallas to Toronto and places in between.

Some jobs we could be in and out in 2 hours (running RG6 to a couple of rooms and reconfiguring DSL router or cable modem settings), and other houses took 2 days to complete. Even in the same neighborhood it was a crapshoot house to house how long it would take.

I think the flat-rate install concept is compelling. People like knowing how much stuff will cost up front, and many homeowners are likely to be afraid of wiring up even a simple plug-n-play system. But given where component pricing is today, you could probably sell these systems for $2899 installed and everyone would make enough money to stay interested in doing more business.

Agreed.

I totally agree with you..Even if job gets done within a day and after providing training to the end users, they are not going to pay attention to the training at first go. There will be another call and until they are not satisfied with the knowing of system (May that be in 2 to 3 visits), no guarantee on your payment!

Country like USA still have laws to protect vendors for such defaulters, but from where we work, as the saying goes "Customer is King" is embedded in the DNA here....They will find any excuse to not pay. i.e., Camera not clear, This not what I expected, Recording clarity is hopeless, etc....

We're here to work FOR the professionals. We're here to facilitate hopefully new business, new revenues, and new jobs. That is the only way this really works.

If you run into a fortress, no one can force you to follow through. Then the question becomes, does Vigilant hold it against you if you don't complete the job unless you are able to document why the job cannot be reasonably done for the money? Ie. Half the cameras more than 300ft away, multiple firewalls to break through, 3 cameras require a lift, etc.

Would Vigilant's position be, "Well, you will make out good on some installs, not as good on others, so it should wash in the end, so if you don't complete this job, we'll put you on probation or drop you from our roster".... ?

Some of that may come our way, and we'd need people like you to make it happen. Even when stuff is WAY over our head, it still would be nice to be able to send it to you.

Circuit's FireDog could never fix what plagued Circuit. We were actually an installer for Circuit on a regional basis, filling in where they had gaps in coverage.

Wal-Mart is still doing installations, now with NEW who owns the company that I started. The installation offering you are referring to was the company I started and then sold, and it's still exists in Wal-Mart today (although not profitable). It was commoditized by Wal-Mart and NEW, specifically NEW offered it to them to insulate their real business (selling warranties).

We'll serve up the scope of work. I understand you passing if I send you something unprofitable, but I am surprised you would pass before you even know what we have, even job by job... unless you don't have the extra bandwidth (understandable). Also totally get it if your business model and expansion doesn't want this type of commoditized/homogenized work.

I do think in some markets there will be some aberrations. It was easier in consumer electronics to serve up a flat rate job than it is in video surveillance, for sure. However, if we keep things towards the higher end on the sliding scale, we know there will be some cost averaging. If I send you eight great jobs, one mediocre job, and one shitty job, hopefully they all end up making sense for you. We have in the past dealt with the exceptions separately. If the exceptions end up being every job, we have trouble. :-)

Experience says that there are some great ones, some decent ones, and some shitty ones. Our job is to flush as much of the shitty ones out on the front side, identify the aberrations, and treat them as such.

But you are totally right.

I was talking with a Sam's Club executive about the old days of "wireless" CCTV systems. While it is better now than it was then, we're still a long way from flawless. Most of our commercial/business installations will still be wired, but PoE making that an easier proposition even now than it was.

But I agree.

Yes. You're right.

The bridge for us is using the installation model to get the product placed at retail, and coming up with competitive product offers to unseat some of the opening price point systems and configurations currently at retail.

The products we have now were just some easy placeholders.

Ultimately, we don't simply want to be a service provider for retail, but a service aggregator for YOU and a way to channel new fuel into you as installers. That can come from several sources, retail being one of them.

We work for you.

Thanks for your opinion. As you know, I am new to the IPVM arena, but I have appreciated the insights from everyone that took the time to post here.

We'll do everything we do with integrity and transparency. We're after a different sector of the industry growth than most of you specialize in, but I have learned a ton from you none the less.

We're not taking any sales away from integrators (unless you assume you're talking with everyone we're talking with) and we're not sticking any integrator with any job they don't want.

One in five households in the United States intends to get a camera or more put into their residence next year. We'd like to figure out how to help as many of them as we can.

The conversation here has steered primarily towards residential. Many (most?) of the retailers we are working towards are more small business inclined than residential. Our business will probably be slanted more towards small business than residential, but the residential business is forecasted to be pretty strong and we want it where we can get it, and get it profitably for all involved.

There's a market VOID that needs to be filled. We're going to fill it. You're assuming it is covered by the existing way the market has provided products in this arena. It's not. The work we have isn't taking work from you, but you passing on work before you even know what it is... IS taking you out of the discussion before you even know what you are turning down.

I don't think we will win you ALL, and I don't mean to devalue you or your work. I am sure it is worth every dollar.

The perfect installers for us are the small to small/mid with a few extra holes in their schedule on a regular basis. I need you to send your best guy out there for me, not necessarily YOU. I probably can't afford you.

No one is holding a gun to anyone's head forcing them to take the rates he is paying. You accept it or you don't. This may have already been mentioned or said, this has generated so many comments it's hard keeping up, but to me it seems somewhat similar to OnForce for IT work. It's very little pay for flat rate work and nobody but the owners of OnForce gets rich on it. But lots people take jobs from OnForce because it's a source of "filler" work- making some money during the times you don't have paying work going on so at least your making something in between the times you make better money. Better to make something during those in between times than zero.

I've become pretty good at cherry picking jobs already. This just saves me the time of closing.

As far as quality of gear goes, that is a concern of mine. I won't waste my time banging my head against the wall. If I take a flyer on an install and things go south, no big loss. I won't take another. I don't have much to lose. They will either make it worth our time or they won't retain anything other than slammers. David seems to be aware of this fact. I trust he wants to make this a profitable endeavor, not a pump and dump.

These days crews doing resi work for CATV and DSL installs are typically told to NOT try and fish cable through walls. This is partly for time savings, but also for liability reasons. Less holes cut in drywall for outlet boxes or low-voltage rings, and less poking around in walls with fish tape and rods minimizes chances of snagging other wiring, plumbing, etc.

And, I also saw the same thing you did in terms of customers not caring about visible wiring. Many times they don't even know that it's possible to hide wiring for new runs, so they just assume wire stapled to the house is the only solution.

Here's an updated link for you, including including a link to the FTC article the quote is discussing.

www.linkedin.com/hp/update/6131094221593075713

There will be tons of installations without licensed or insured contractors. End users will accept the cost because it is cheap, and when something goes wrong, there will be one big mess. I see lawsuits abound.

That's the hope at least ;)

The sign up form requires your insurance carrier and policy number.

New LinkedIn update from Happe:

Not sure who it is aimed at but quite a statement.