What qualities would someone have to have for you to consider them a professional, or pro, in the consumer electronics industry?

Several years ago, as I began a more formal process of networking, I sat down to a coffee with a person who would quickly prove to be insufferable. In very short order it was clear to me that, for a variety of reasons, I would not be referring any business to this individual.

I sat in a group discussion of integrators; it was interesting to be a fly on that wall. As various owner/operators shared about their business it struck me how often the priorities that were stated were conflicting and what it said about their company culture.

We would all like to run profitable businesses. The largest expense for a business are its people. Fortunately there are a few easy things to take a look at to determine if we are overstaffed (or underselling).

In my previous role as the CEO of an integration firm I tried my best to keep an eye on the fundamentals of the business. I tried to use “the numbers” to paint a picture and help guide decision making.

Making hiring mistakes are costly to both your business and employees. It’s a time suck, money suck, the onboarding is painful, unemployment payout, the morale of your team, shaken confidence in leadership, retention of your existing staff, and all of the opportunity cost.

I have watched as integrators overcomplicate the process of creating a service plan. Answering a few key questions will help to define the framework of your offering and be better able to price it accurately.

What to charge clients for integration labor? It’s a two-way street that impacts what the integrator can afford to pay an employee and thereby retain that employee.