Brian: It seems like only yesterday we were ringing in 2007, and here it is 2008 already. And the New Year brings a couple of cold, slow months in the event business. All the holiday shows have come and gone, and yes, they all paid in cash, but I still have to keep the heat on until business picks up when the snow melts. Maybe you’ve got it easy out there in Vegas, but what can I do to keep the money flowing?
Ken: Selling plasma to pay for the new plasma purchase from Christmas? No, we have our share of slow periods out here, too. Those acts and bands that keep me in this dog-paddling-my-ass-off-to-stay-above-water lifestyle to which I have grown accustomed, I get new or revised material from and shop it to my clients who need or use those acts for shows. It’s a new year; this is the time to throw those Hail Mary passes for the dream gig, the consistent gig, the high-paying gig. Many people are planning their strategies for the year, so butt your head in and give them a reminder of who the best sound company is in your state, county, city or zip code! The worst thing they could say is some version of “no.”
Brian: Yeah, my other challenge is that I’ve just moved. The big clients are still close enough to make the drive, and they weren’t really any farther away before, but I need to make some inroads in this new community and get some of the local gigs. Even if they aren’t huge shows, some steady work will help.
Ken: Yeah, bread-and-butter gigs are tough out here as well. The consistent money is a real factor in budgetary planning, especially for purchases. So it’s time to hitch up the pitch. This can never be bad; as I think even getting a “no” means you went through the process. The tough part is iden-tifying what is a bread-and-butter gig for you — how much gear to commit versus how much money is in the deal or potentially in the deal.
Brian: I’m thinking about diversifying my business a bit, but I’m going to have to get creative to find a niche market to fill. I’ve done some instal-lation work in the past, but that has always been as a subcontractor to some of the big boys in town. I really need to get out there and sell some sys-tems myself. Even if I do some small installs, the profit from selling equipment will help support the income from the labor. And as with anything, if I do the work right the first time, other customers won’t be far behind.
Ken: That sounds like a great idea! Make sure your company is licensed and insured to perform these new duties. I have done a few installs myself, but have always had to include some phrase in the contract like “Ken is not licensed or insured to perform install work and can only recommend or
advise, etc.”
Pretty lame, I know. Having done a bunch of high-profile installs in the past, any chance of you getting the maintenance contracts for some of those?
Brian: Yeah, I wish. I’d love to have a maintenance contract on some of the work I’ve done for other companies. What’s interesting is that I’ve found contractor’s insurance to be very affordable, especially if you stay out of people’s homes and stick with commercial work. You just have to do enough of it to warrant the cost of insurance.
I just want to dream up some niche I can fill. It’s time to get creative and come up with something new and different to offer. It’s only a matter of what to offer.
Ken: Hmmm, that’s a toughie since I am still trying to perfect what I already know. Manger Scene audio, New Year’s Eve guru — everything I can think of seems to be seasonal, and a limited market at best. How about hitting up the Muzak purveyors in the area? Maybe you can do some build-outs or improvements and be the mall music master. You know your 70 volt stuff?
Brian: Background music systems? Run, do not walk…far, far away! I couldn’t think of anything more boring to build. Maybe there’s money in it, but I don’t think there is even any equipment to mark up doing those. There will be no Z-meter in my future.
