roussell
Active Member
So, what do small integrators do about selling clients A/V gear? I'm just starting out, got a few clients lined up and have been specking equipment for installs but I'm not sure how the resell-thing works for a small business owner.
Are there wholesale places that anyone can recommend, or do I have to go to each company and try to setup an account directly through them? My concerns are since I'm just starting out the big boys won't give me a second look. I know buying from a standard retail-type store won't work because I'd have to resell as "used" and that can't be popular with clients. So to sum, I suppose my questions are:
1. Where do I go as a small business owner to buy, and then resell new audio and video equipment?
2. What are the product warranty implications of the above answer?
3. Do I need to offer support (repair shop) in order to sell or can that be done by another company?
4. What are the gotchas that I need to watch out for.
I've googleed until my fingers are numb and can't find anything definitive and the local shops around here are not willing to help out a new guy with these type of questions (no surprise there). I'm not interested in setting up a brick and mortar store front just yet and will keep little to no inventory until things really get rolling. I would like to offer Denon, Onkyo, Klipsch, Polk, Sonnace, Velodyne, Russound, BreatheAudio, and maybe a few others to start.
I've got the tax ID and all the other legal stuff out of the way (I think) , just not sure what to with the stuff above.
So, what's the best way to approach this starting out to be able to offer a good price to my clients, make a few bucks and keep my butt covered along the way?
Thanks in Advance!
Terry
Are there wholesale places that anyone can recommend, or do I have to go to each company and try to setup an account directly through them? My concerns are since I'm just starting out the big boys won't give me a second look. I know buying from a standard retail-type store won't work because I'd have to resell as "used" and that can't be popular with clients. So to sum, I suppose my questions are:
1. Where do I go as a small business owner to buy, and then resell new audio and video equipment?
2. What are the product warranty implications of the above answer?
3. Do I need to offer support (repair shop) in order to sell or can that be done by another company?
4. What are the gotchas that I need to watch out for.
I've googleed until my fingers are numb and can't find anything definitive and the local shops around here are not willing to help out a new guy with these type of questions (no surprise there). I'm not interested in setting up a brick and mortar store front just yet and will keep little to no inventory until things really get rolling. I would like to offer Denon, Onkyo, Klipsch, Polk, Sonnace, Velodyne, Russound, BreatheAudio, and maybe a few others to start.
I've got the tax ID and all the other legal stuff out of the way (I think) , just not sure what to with the stuff above.
So, what's the best way to approach this starting out to be able to offer a good price to my clients, make a few bucks and keep my butt covered along the way?
Thanks in Advance!
Terry