Integration market projects double digit growth for 2021
Have you seen the recent CEPro "State of the Industry Report" for 2021? If not, you may be encouraged to know that in spite of all the external factors affecting the economy, the AV / Smart Home integration industry is a bright spot in the storm...not only surviving, but thriving.
In fact, double digit growth for the industry is projected AGAIN for 2021 and I know many of you are already feeling it! In a parallel report, CEPro highlights it's "Top 5 Home Tech Trends for 2021" which will be drivers of this growth.
Today I'm going to share some resources that support two of these trends that you might not be fully aware of, which may improve your ability to capitalize on them. Where there are opportunities, there are also threats and where you have strengths, you may also have weaknesses that need attention. Awareness can help reduce the potential blind spots and/or bottlenecks!
Savvy professionals now know that to be competitive it's imperative to focus on WHAT YOU DO BEST, and delegate everything else possible. Being nimble, lean, resourceful and professional is key.
As CEPro notes, the first trend I'll touch on doesn't necessarily feel very "new"...that is, how "Wi-Fi 6 Aims to Boost Network Upgrade Market". You can get their details from the article. The opportunity that I want to highlight relates to my point above...focus on WHAT YOU DO BEST, and delegate everything else possible. In this case, your networks.
We all know that network technology and demands are growing exponentially...and with ALL that you as an AV / Smart Home integrator have to attend to in running your business, it shouldn't be a surprise (or an embarrassment) if you struggle to keep up.
So what do you do about it? Don't try!
Rather, in keeping w/the nimble, lean, resourceful and professional mantra, why don't you partner with a network professional and relieve yourself of that stress? We're privileged to work closely with not one, but two from our industry that I'll introduce here (in alphabetical order, so as not to show preference!).
Access Networks was started in 2003 and I'm sure many (or most) of you have at least heard the name. As noted on their website:
"Working closely with custom integration companies, Access Networks developed residential networking solutions that balanced the robust feature-sets that business owners expect, with the ease-of-use homeowners demand. Integrators across the nation turned to Access Networks to provide the technical expertise and support for a fraction of the cost of a full-time IT professional. By 2010, the company had grown its national dealer base to hundreds of accounts."
Likewise, Whyreboot offers turn-key network design and infrastructure support, as summarized on their website:
"Our company specializes in creating commercial-grade networks that address the demands of advanced control and automation technologies in connected residential, commercial, and luxury marine environments.
We design custom plug-and-play network systems tailored specifically for each and every project we encounter. We provide support on our systems like no other, literally giving you end-to-end, white-glove service and configuration changes from the moment your system is delivered to a full year after."
I can personally vouch for the folks behind both of these companies and I encourage you to reach out to them for more information!
Put simply, whether residential or commercial, the network must be rock-solid and secure. Time is limited, for all of us. My point? When you can delegate (out-source) in a way that makes your company BETTER and MORE PROFITABLE and gives your client a BETTER EXPERIENCE...why wouldn't you try it?
Taking it back "in-house", the second trend I want to touch on is the good 'ole Home Theater. Yep, w/movie theaters dying a rapid death in the face of Covid, the home theater is once again a hot commodity. There are some exceptional home theater design companies in our industry who can take on the design of your most elaborate jobs, but we see a substantial number of projects that simply don't require that level of detail (or expense).
We see these being the most prevalent in the year ahead, and yes...the BlueDog team can support you here! Even a basic home theater will benefit from having a professional drawing set created to support it...getting throw distance, site lines and speaker placement addressed at minimum. Moreover, having this documentation can also be a tool to fend off lesser competition that hopes to poach these projects from you.
Here's an example of what we can create for you, found on page 14 of our Sample Drawing:
If you're interested in this, or any of the other professional system design and documentation services we can support you with, please don't hesitate to contact us for more information!
Didja know...??? Is a series of "information bits" by Curt Hayes, BlueDog Group co-founder and managing partner, and architect of the BlueDog Database.