Top Strategies that Electrical Contractors can Use to Get into the Home Networking Industry
Posted on: 1 July 2019
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If recent statistics are anything to go by, then the smart home penetration in Australia is expected to hit 41.9% in 2023. Therefore, more homeowners are looking for home networking services in a bid to stay connected. Despite the trend, most electrical contractors are reluctant to include full-service home networking infrastructure as part of their offerings. The most common answer you get from electrical contractors is that they do not know how to get around home networking. Although smaller, specialised firms have indeed dominated home networking, nothing is stopping electrical contractors from offering the service. This article highlights strategies that electricians can use to get a piece of the home networking cake.
Upselling your Electrical Service -- Most electricians have a typical approach to their service provision; they want to get in, do their bit with brutal efficiency and get out without disturbing other subcontractors such as networking firms. However, since you are already in the house, why not upsell your service? Why should you let a construction contractor hire another company to do arguably the same type of kind of work you have done? The only way you can convince the construction contractor to hire your services is by proving that you are a one-stop shop. It means that your services must be customer-centred, especially with the growing trend in home connectivity. Furthermore, an electrical contractor that doubles up as a networking contractor provides the builder with one choking point rather than dealing with multiple subcontractors.
Utilising your Versatile Skillset -- As mentioned earlier, most electrical contractors have not considered making network infrastructure installation part of their service because they do not know much about the area. However, distributors and manufacturers of home networking products agree that home network installation is not beyond the technical skills of a qualified electrical contractor. By leveraging on their versatile skillset, an electrical contractor only needs a few training sessions on networking product to become fully proficient. The market for home networking is, therefore, available for the taking.
Subcontracting Home Networking Installations -- It is arguably one of the easiest ways to get in on the action in the home networking industry. If you have never undertaken any networking project, then you can bid for both electrical installation works as well as telecommunications cabling. You can then subcontract the latter part of the project to a low-voltage installer who understands the nitty-gritty involved. You can then learn both the hard and soft skills related to networking installations and slowly transition into the service. Over time, you will no longer need to subcontract the service because you'll have acquired the necessary skills.