Low Voltage Small Business Owners: What do you do to supplement work?

[Hive]

Hey guys!

So I’m sure this is a pretty regular topic of conversation and I have searched and read several forum topics on starting a low voltage company. There is definitely some great info on here about how to grow a small business in our field.

My question is for those of you who are currently growing your customer base in your local area, what do you do to get leads and fill work while getting your own jobs?

Here are some of the programs I have looked in to for generating income.
(1) Become a Nest Pro and install their devices (applied and got denied, likely to being too new)
(2) Ecobee Smart Devices (Same as Nest we applied and never for a response)
(3) HomeAdvisor (Haven’t tried yet, but have heard great things)
(4) Amazon Services (Also haven’t tried yet because we want to be more established before applying)
(5) TaskRabbit (Haven’t tried yet)

Now you may be wondering why the heck I have these options but don’t try them, long story short my business partner and I are both still employed full time with a commercial integrator and don’t have the customer based to quit and chase our business full time yet. Which is the reason I am looking for more options for generating work. I want to be able to fill our schedule as much as possible when the time comes.

That being said are there any other companies or programs you guys contract through or do work for that you would suggest for a local small business security/automation/av company?

Thanks much in advance

 

[kwired]

Hey guys!

So I’m sure this is a pretty regular topic of conversation and I have searched and read several forum topics on starting a low voltage company. There is definitely some great info on here about how to grow a small business in our field.

My question is for those of you who are currently growing your customer base in your local area, what do you do to get leads and fill work while getting your own jobs?

Here are some of the programs I have looked in to for generating income.
(1) Become a Nest Pro and install their devices (applied and got denied, likely to being too new)
(2) Ecobee Smart Devices (Same as Nest we applied and never for a response)
(3) HomeAdvisor (Haven’t tried yet, but have heard great things)
(4) Amazon Services (Also haven’t tried yet because we want to be more established before applying)
(5) TaskRabbit (Haven’t tried yet)

Now you may be wondering why the heck I have these options but don’t try them, long story short my business partner and I are both still employed full time with a commercial integrator and don’t have the customer based to quit and chase our business full time yet. Which is the reason I am looking for more options for generating work. I want to be able to fill our schedule as much as possible when the time comes.

That being said are there any other companies or programs you guys contract through or do work for that you would suggest for a local small business security/automation/av company?

Thanks much in advance

I'd say you are better off to stay with your current job then to rely on most of those organizations you mentioned.

If you want to be a professional go out there and win those jobs, don't pimp them out to someone that will use you like a prostitute. They don't care about you, they want your money.

You will never win many of those jobs when you are spending most of your time with your current employer either. The ones you will get are more likely to be bottom feeders thinking you will give them a good deal because you are desperate to do any work you can get and will do so for low pricing. So it is mostly a matter of when to take that first big step.

Doing nothing is still more net profit then doing something at a net loss.

 

[Fire Pro]

I agree with kwired. Especially now being the slow season, I would get your name out there as much as possible for the new year.