[Donovan Digital]

I'm tired of taking my clients to the local McRetailer. I want to
become an authorized dealer for some brands, but I have no idea where
to start. Do I need to be incorporated, have a certain amount of
orders ready to go, etc.?

Brands I'm looking into are

Mackie
Yamaha
Blue
AKG
JBL family (soundcraft etc.)
Allen & Heath
Beyerdynamics
EMU (creative professional)
Presonus
MOTU
insert a good brand of snakes/cables, or if it makes more financial
sense I can make them myself.

In general I'd like to make this the Thread For Equipment Dealers.
Which companies are good/bad to work with? Share your horror/success
stories. Help me get started as a useful side effect .

I will post this to alt.audio.pro.live-sound and prosoundweb forums if
anybody who posts there regularly thinks it's a good idea.

I'm in North Jersey in case that matters.

Many thanks in advance

Joseph Stavitsky
Teachers Assistant
Bergen Community College

201-951-6148

[Mike Rivers]

Donovan Digital wrote:
I'm tired of taking my clients to the local McRetailer. I want to
become an authorized dealer for some brands, but I have no idea where
to start.

Start with a business plan. Take it to your banker. Hope he'll give you
a good loan. With the brands you're looking at, you can't just order one
when you get a client who needs one, you need to stock a certain minimum
level.

Most of those companies work through regional distributors, so you'll
need to research them, contact the distributor, and see what their
policy is about selling to small volume dealers. Remember, companies
like Mackie, Blue, JBL, AKG, Yamaha, Presonus, M-Audio, etc. sell a
truckload at a time to Guitar Center, who then distributes the gear
among their stores. You might find that you can buy the quantities you
need cheaper at the McRetailer and re-sell them to your client with the
value of your support added.


--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Donovan Digital]

Swee****er started as a studio, so they had a stream of walkins and
connections they could peddle to.

This is pretty much my current situation - I am basically specing out
systems for people and noit making any (or nearly any) money from it
cause I don't sell the gear. If I could get somebody to cut me some
slack I could resell at a profit.

[Donovan Digital]

On the other hand, if you go for a higher "tier", you are obligated to
quotas. Typically, you get commercial credit, you buy a large quantity of
Products X, Y, and Z, and you choke on it.

This doesn't sound so bad - I can do the sales work before I make the
order - but how do I find out what kinds of prices/quantites are on
the table?

Also, does this involve a credit check? due to my being an idiot early
on in life my credit history smells really bad.

[Donovan Digital]

You might find that you can buy the quantities you
need cheaper at the McRetailer and re-sell them to your client with the
value of your support added.

Sounds like another excellent option

[Scott Dorsey]

Donovan Digital wrote:
Swee****er started as a studio, so they had a stream of walkins and
connections they could peddle to.

This is pretty much my current situation - I am basically specing out
systems for people and noit making any (or nearly any) money from it
cause I don't sell the gear. If I could get somebody to cut me some
slack I could resell at a profit.

This is actually a GOOD position to be in, and you can tell people that
_because_ you aren't making any profit on the gear you can afford to be
impartial and unbiased about what you are recommending. Often that is
worth money.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[[email protected]]

On 2008-12-16 (ScottDorsey) said:
Donovan Digital wrote:
This is pretty much my current situation - I am basically specing
out systems for people and noit making any (or nearly any) money
from it cause I don't sell the gear. If I could get somebody to
cut me some slack I could resell at a profit.
This is actually a GOOD position to be in, and you can tell people
that _because_ you aren't making any profit on the gear you can
afford to be impartial and unbiased about what you are recommending.
Often that is worth money.
ESpecially when it comes to specing systems. IF they're
installs then make your $$$ on the installation, and support
after the sale.

iF they're touring systems, make your $$$ on teaching them
how to use what they bought effectively, making custom
interconnection cables, etc.

YOu're actually in a better position. Dealers have to buy
in quantities that mean you've got lots of overhead, with
display space, etc. OTherwise they're not going to give you
the dealer discounts that really make the difference.

Beyond this, if you're really talking to somebody wants to
guy high end you want to talk other than Mackie Behringer
and the like anyway with those folks. IF I go to you to
spec out a system and you start making noise about all this
mi kit I"m going elsewhere I can tell you. I can do better
than you can do for me at GC or some box house. WHat do I
need to pay a guy to mark up some Mackie Behringer kit for?





Richard webb,
replace anything before at with elspider

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--- Benjamin Franklin, NOvember 1755 from the
Historical review of Pennsylvania

[Donovan Digital]

Beyond this, if you're really talking to somebody wants to
guy high end you want to talk other than Mackie Behringer

With all due respect, Mr. Webb, the word Behringer did not appear in
my post.

Placing Mackie in the same weight class as Behringer, IMHO, is a bit
hasty - Larry Josephson's studio uses Mackie mixers, granted he's a
radio subcontractor but his list of credits speaks for itself.

[Mike Rivers]

Donovan Digital wrote:

This is pretty much my current situation - I am basically specing out
systems for people and noit making any (or nearly any) money from it
cause I don't sell the gear. If I could get somebody to cut me some
slack I could resell at a profit.

That's going to be hard. People today want to do it themselves and learn
about these things themselves (or ask questions on forums and
newsgroups). They don't want to pay for consulting and integrating
services because the gear and the technology has been presented to them
as "anyone can do it."

Rather than selling gear, you should try to find a way to sell your
services. You won't make much selilng a few boxes even if you can mark
them up by a few bucks. Remember that the big box music stores don't
make a lot on each sale.

Sit with them and design a system on paper. Give them a shopping list.
When they get all the boxes, go over there, open them, set up the gear,
install the software, hook up the cables and lable them. Draw a wiring
diagram and leave it behind so they'll know where the cables go. Give
them some operator training. Come back and help them mix. Charge by the
hour.

The real problem is that people from all over the world will want your
help, but the only ones you can really help enough to justify getting
paid for it are the ones that you can help in person. I make offers all
the time to come to a user if he'll pay travel expenses, but that's when
they ask if I can just e-mail them.


Good luck.

--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Mike Rivers]

Donovan Digital wrote:

This doesn't sound so bad - I can do the sales work before I make the
order - but how do I find out what kinds of prices/quantites are on
the table?

Pick a company that you want to represent, contact their distributor,
and ask what kind of arrangements they can make with you. You'll need to
give them an estimate of the volume of sales you'll have. If it's "maybe
one or two" then they'll refer you to a dealer that they service in your
area. If you tell them "hundreds" they'll have to give it a lot of
thought because you'll be competition for dealers with whom they already
are doing business. If you're filling a void, offering to sell equipment
in a place where that product line isn't yet represented, they might
talk to you.

Also, does this involve a credit check?

Not if you pay them in cash in advance.

--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Arny Krueger]

"Donovan Digital" wrote in
message


Swee****er started as a studio, so they had a stream of
walkins and connections they could peddle to.

This is pretty much my current situation - I am basically
specing out systems for people and noit making any (or
nearly any) money from it cause I don't sell the gear.

You either buck up and become a consultant who charges for service, or
you're on the slippery slope to becoming yet another retailer.

If I could get somebody to cut me some slack I could resell at a profit.

Squeezing money out of people who have been getting free service is tough.

[Kevin T]

On Dec 17, 8:11*am, "Arny Krueger" wrote:
"Donovan Digital" wrote in


Swee****er started as a studio, so they had a stream of
walkins and connections they could peddle to.
This is pretty much my current situation - I am basically
specing out systems for people and noit making any (or
nearly any) money from it cause I don't sell the gear.

You either buck up and become a consultant who charges for service, or
you're on the slippery slope to becoming yet another retailer.

If I could get somebody to cut me some slack I could resell at a profit..

Squeezing money out of people who have been getting free service is tough..

Hey I'm in NW NJ. I can service this area. Lets partner and we can
lose $ twice as fast
Just kidding If you have a viable business model I'm interested and I
have excellent credit & (some) Venture Capital backing.

Kevin Tracy

[[email protected]]

On 2008-12-16 said:
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro
Beyond this, if you're really talking to somebody wants to
guy high end you want to talk other than Mackie Behringer
With all due respect, Mr. Webb, the word Behringer did not appear in
my post.
Placing Mackie in the same weight class as Behringer, IMHO, is a bit
hasty - Larry Josephson's studio uses Mackie mixers, granted he's a
radio subcontractor but his list of credits speaks for itself.

Might be a shade above in the quality department, but it's
still everywhere. Unless you're going to spec me high end
gear, what's the advantage of using you? WHat makes you
worth the extra $$$. That's what I"m saying to you, if your
knee will quit jerking for a minute.
I can get Mackie anywhere. IF I"m walking into a place to
talk to somebody about specing out a system and he starts
rattling off Mackie et al at me, I"m out the door, and my
$$$ is staying in my wallet.
Unless you're offering something rather special, I'm not
gaining anything.
Regards,


Richard webb,
replace anything before at with elspider

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--- Benjamin Franklin, NOvember 1755 from the
Historical review of Pennsylvania

[[email protected]]

Mike Rivers wrote:

Rather than selling gear, you should try to find a way to sell your
services. You won't make much selilng a few boxes even if you can
mark them up by a few bucks. Remember that the big box music stores
don't make a lot on each sale.
Once again, you, Mr. DOrsey and I are saying the same thing
to him in different ways. THe only way he's going to really
be able to play in the dealership game rolled into a
consulting and system design business is if he's got access
to the high end of the market. Otherwise, I can get Mackie
et al anywhere, and his prices aren't going to be any better
than I can lowball from the local dealer, or get from the
box houses.

Sit with them and design a system on paper. Give them a shopping
list. When they get all the boxes, go over there, open them, set up
the gear, install the software, hook up the cables and lable them.
Draw a wiring diagram and leave it behind so they'll know where the
cables go. Give them some operator training. Come back and help
them mix. Charge by the hour.
tHis is the way I'd go in his situation. IT's the service,
the education and assistance getting that system he helped
them design up and running that's worth the money.

The real problem is that people from all over the world will want
your help, but the only ones you can really help enough to justify
getting paid for it are the ones that you can help in person. I
make offers all the time to come to a user if he'll pay travel
expenses, but that's when they ask if I can just e-mail them.
true, but there are those who just want it to do its thing,
and they don't have the time and inclination to do all that
research, wade through the flame wars and the noise on
internet forums. They want to pay somebody to help them
design and spec it, then hook it up and show 'em how to use
it if necessary.


tHis also means your bench tech skills better be ready to
rock 'n roll as well, because part of your successful
business model in this arena means making up custom cables,
wiring harnesses, etc.
IF your business model is selling MI gear to weekend
warriors and hobbyists better have your hand on your wallet,
because you're not going to even get in the door otherwise.

SOrry to make DOnovan feel bad earlier, but Mackie is *not*
top of the line, don't care how many radio producers use it.
AT least, not top of the line enough for me to go to a
consultant over.
EVen if I"m talking about a system for a church sanctuary,
I"m looking for a consultant that *doesn't* sell gear.
IMpartiality in this regard is the first sign I might
actually get a system for my church that does what it's
specified to do.
THat may mean we put a Mackie board in there, it also might
mean an automixer, or something else.

Good luck.
WIll echo that sentiment as well. I can see where the
consulting, system design etc. business could be a lot of
fun if one was so inclined.





Richard webb,
replace anything before at with elspider

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--- Benjamin Franklin, NOvember 1755 from the
Historical review of Pennsylvania

[Mike Rivers]

wrote:

THe only way he's going to really
be able to play in the dealership game rolled into a
consulting and system design business is if he's got access
to the high end of the market. Otherwise, I can get Mackie
et al anywhere, and his prices aren't going to be any better
than I can lowball from the local dealer, or get from the
box houses.

There's a certain convenience and confidence factor. The client might be
willing to pay a little more than the lowball price (which he's spent a
few evenings on line researching) knowing that he won't have to send his
credit card number in half a dozen different directions, be home to
receive half a dozen shipments, and be sure that he has all the cables
he needs to hook it all up. It's much nicer when a guy shows up at your
house in his van, unloads all the gear (which he's checked out at his
house before bringing it to you and exchanged the mixer with the bad
switch and the interface with the dead channel), sets it up, and you're
running.

Still, if the difference in price between what the consultant charges
him and what he can buy the boxes for is more than about $100 for, say
$2500 worth of gear, a lot of the poor starving musicians who just want
to record their music will balk at that premium.

Nobody ever said that musicians, in general, were a smart lot. g

I have no problem recommending Mackie (and have done so plenty of times)
if it's appropriate for the job. But then, that's the kind of jobs that
I get to consult on. Someone who wanted a million dollar church sound
system isn't likely to come to me for it, or to the original poster
who's concerned about his credit resources, either.





--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
me he
double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers
)

[Arny Krueger]

"Kevin T" wrote in message

On Dec 17, 8:11 am, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:
"Donovan Digital" wrote in


Swee****er started as a studio, so they had a stream of
walkins and connections they could peddle to.
This is pretty much my current situation - I am
basically
specing out systems for people and noit making any (or
nearly any) money from it cause I don't sell the gear.

You either buck up and become a consultant who charges
for service, or you're on the slippery slope to becoming
yet another retailer.

If I could get somebody to cut me some slack I could
resell at a profit.

Squeezing money out of people who have been getting free
service is tough.

Hey I'm in NW NJ. I can service this area. Lets partner
and we can lose $ twice as fast

I think you're serious about that losing money part.

Just kidding If you have a viable business model I'm
interested and I have excellent credit & (some) Venture
Capital backing.

Every product category has a life cycle. I think that at this point in its
life cycle most of the easy, strike that and make it feasible money is gone
from pro audio equipment sales.

[[email protected]]

Mike wrote:

THe only way he's going to really
be able to play in the dealership game rolled into a
consulting and system design business is if he's got access
to the high end of the market. Otherwise, I can get Mackie
et al anywhere, and his prices aren't going to be any better
than I can lowball from the local dealer, or get from the
box houses.
There's a certain convenience and confidence factor. The client
might be willing to pay a little more than the lowball price (which
he's spent a few evenings on line researching) knowing that he
won't have to send his credit card number in half a dozen different
directions, be home to receive half a dozen shipments, and be sure
that he has all the cables he needs to hook it all up. It's much
nicer when a guy shows up at your house in his van, unloads all the
gear (which he's checked out at his house before bringing it to you
and exchanged the mixer with the bad switch and the interface with
the dead channel), sets it up, and you're running.
AGreed, and there are those out there. sTill, it's not that
effective to have the dealership with all the headaches for
those jobs that will support that. THe markup on the gear
isn't where you make your money on this situations.

Still, if the difference in price between what the consultant
charges him and what he can buy the boxes for is more than about
$100 for, say $2500 worth of gear, a lot of the poor starving
musicians who just want to record their music will balk at that
premium.
Nobody ever said that musicians, in general, were a smart lot. g
Agreed, and those who are smart enough to understand that
his value added service aren't gonna quibble on a couple
dollars he *might* save 'em if he's got a dealership.

I have no problem recommending Mackie (and have done so plenty of
times) if it's appropriate for the job. But then, that's the kind
of jobs that I get to consult on. Someone who wanted a million
dollar church sound system isn't likely to come to me for it, or to
the original poster who's concerned about his credit resources,
either.
AGreed, and have myself recommended Mackie, PEavey, etc. I
never recommend Carvin, et al. But, in the event that
church would happen to land in front of me with that million
buck consult deal or I"ve been steered to somebody, I"m
looking elsewhere as soon as he starts talking mi gear. IF
he's wanting to build a consulting business, those higher
end choices are what he needs to research, so that when
they're the appropriate choice he knows where to go and whom
to speak with. THe Mackie behringer world isn't going to
pay him for his services enough to make it worthwhile, with
or without a franchise arrangement as a dealer.



Richard webb,
replace anything before at with elspider

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
--- Benjamin Franklin, NOvember 1755 from the
Historical review of Pennsylvania

[hank alrich]

Scott Dorsey wrote:

_because_ you aren't making any profit on the gear you can afford to be
impartial and unbiased about what you are recommending. Often that is
worth money.

Sell that as a service. No inventory tax on smarts.

--
ha
shut up and play your guitar