# Home Theater Consultation Services



## Toby Jack (Feb 5, 2010)

Aside from my passion/obsession for home theater, another very important thing to me is sharing that passion with others. I love nothing more than lending my help to those looking for & setting up home theater equipment. Last week I guided my brother-in-law through the process of locating & purchasing a system that suited his individual needs. I made him spreadsheets, PDFs & even collected customer reviews of the various pieces of equipment I recommended. I was able to condense the overwhelming amount of information out there into a package that he could analyze and understand. I offered him concrete features that would be useful to his unique situation. Most importantly, I enjoyed every second of it!

Therefore, I have been considering turning this into somewhat of a side profession. There has got to be a market of people who are seeking basic advice on the purchase/set-up of HT equipment that don't want to hail in the Geek Squad & pay a ridiculous amount just for a 1-time visit. I was thinking maybe I would charge $20-$30 per person for a full assessment of their home, recommendation of products, & set-up. I couldn't imagine doing anything more fun.

How would I go about starting a service like this? Is it even feasible?


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## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

Helping friends and family is VERY different then working on this for strangers and just remember the best way to kill a hobby you love is to make a business out of it.
I think many of us have done what you did and even thought about taking it further, after 20yrs of doing this surround, every disc format, Projection, being and Audiophile, reading all the magazines, flying to the shows, owning some test gear,having a $30,000 system, building up to $80,000 systems for friends and family I like the idea of this aswell but it aint gonna happen for me.
I am flying to Orlando next week to set u[ a theater but again its for a friend, once you deal with strangers it s entire no ball game (husband wants this, wife hates that).......then factor in how cheap folks are, how they just want to go to Best Buy and even more challenges its a hard thing to make work.
What your thinking of charging is too little aswell, its gonna be alot of work, then if you charge what its worth nobody will agree with what you bill them. It is either you lose or they dont like you. If you can make it work God Bless but I think its best to hook some friends and family up, network with those who know them and just keep it fun.
I was going to go to THX video school for calibration, I had the cash and time aswell as passion, I did my research and found 3 stores around my area sold a total of 5 Projectors last year and a few more flat panels, just no way to market this idea so I didnt go to class, I wanted to but it didnt make sense. I figured I already knoew the audio side pretty much up and down, own a Projector, own Plasma, LCD, do surround, hell I even had a great Master carpenter and certified electrician on board.................I had EVERYTHING but a market to do it in, so I killed the dream. Good luck with yours, I hope if you try it you enjoy and have luck with it!


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## Toby Jack (Feb 5, 2010)

chadnliz said:


> Helping friends and family is VERY different then working on this for strangers and just remember the best way to kill a hobby you love is to make a business out of it.
> I think many of us have done what you did and even thought about taking it further, after 20yrs of doing this surround, every disc format, Projection, being and Audiophile, reading all the magazines, flying to the shows, owning some test gear,having a $30,000 system, building up to $80,000 systems for friends and family I like the idea of this aswell but it aint gonna happen for me.
> I am flying to Orlando next week to set u[ a theater but again its for a friend, once you deal with strangers it s entire no ball game (husband wants this, wife hates that).......then factor in how cheap folks are, how they just want to go to Best Buy and even more challenges its a hard thing to make work.
> What your thinking of charging is too little aswell, its gonna be alot of work, then if you charge what its worth nobody will agree with what you bill them. It is either you lose or they dont like you. If you can make it work God Bless but I think its best to hook some friends and family up, network with those who know them and just keep it fun.
> I was going to go to THX video school for calibration, I had the cash and time aswell as passion, I did my research and found 3 stores around my area sold a total of 5 Projectors last year and a few more flat panels, just no way to market this idea so I didnt go to class, I wanted to but it didnt make sense. I figured I already knoew the audio side pretty much up and down, own a Projector, own Plasma, LCD, do surround, hell I even had a great Master carpenter and certified electrician on board.................I had EVERYTHING but a market to do it in, so I killed the dream. Good luck with yours, I hope if you try it you enjoy and have luck with it!


Thank you so much for the response. I have often heard of people making a business of their hobby and losing all interest in it. The idea of that is kind of scary. But I'm so pathetic that all I do is sit around all day thinking about who I could help and what I could recommend to them. I'm sure I even come across as cheesy to some people but I just like this stuff SO much! 

As far as a market for HT, I live in Oklahoma City, which isn't the biggest city in the US but certainly a city that appreciates reclining in their favorite chair at the end of the day in front of a great flat-panel television. You are right about Best Buy being an only resort for most folks. The truth is, when I go to Best Buy and I see a scummy salesman trying to pawn a piece of equipment on someone that doesn't need it it makes me crazy. I just want to interrupt them mid-sentence and tell the customer the truth!

I will take your advice about networking through family and friends first and maybe branching out to church acquaintances. Thanks again for your input.


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## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

Your not pathetic, your enthusiastic!
Yes Church, social groups, work connections will be a good start and see what happens, get your feet wet and go thru growing pains on folks that will not be so rough on you, your gonna make mistakes and mis-steps so dont let that discourage you. Just dont let this ruin something you love, its a jungle out there!


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## glaufman (Nov 25, 2007)

I've actually started to do just what you're talking about. For me, it hasn't killed the hobby at all. Yet.
But my model is a little different than it sounds yours is... for the first phase, I'm focusing mainly on the setup/calibration/making-it-work with elementary advice being a necessary but secondary service that comes with the package. The biggest obstacle I've seen so far is the immensely complicated, backwards, nepotistic structure of the licensing in my area... in one local county you need a license just to adjust the front panel controls on someone's receiver or TV...
But let me tell you, that first paying customer, when I knelt behind the rack and started plugging in wires, and having both the husband and the wife say "Thank God you're here.... we'd be lost without you..." certainly was a great feeling...


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

If you plan on doing it for a living then you'll want to get some credentials behind your name. CEDIA ISF and/or others. A dozen or more projects that you can show to prospective customers would also help.

In the mean time while you are working up to that, take lots of pictures and under-cut the competition. First rule of starting a business is to write a business plan. Evaluate your competition, set your pricing, plan your marketing avenues, your target market, etc. If you set your pricing too low they won't have faith in you thinking you're an amateur. Set it too high and they will back away pretty fast. 

You'll want some business cards to hand out to people. You'd be surprised at how many leads can be made by meeting people here and there and they won't remember your number or email address unless it's written down. A business card makes you look more professional too.

You'll also want to set policies and warranty periods for your work. You'll find that weeks, months or even years after you've done your work you'll get calls to fix things (your fault or not) or calls for advice. While not so bad at first it can end up wasting a lot of your time if you are not getting compensated for it.

Another thing to consider is how your customer is going to pay you. Cash is king, but for a big install people will want to pay by check or credit card. Then there can be problems since checks can bounce and customers can sometimes refuse to pay after you've already fronted them for supplies and completed all of the labor. You might want to get familiar with small claims court filing just in case. You'll also want them to sign a legal contract that states what work is to be completed and how much they will be paying you and other terms. Of course none of that is really too important if you are just doing $20 cash on the barrel head jobs, but when you're helping them finish their basement and the price tag is a few thousand it can be an issue.

Unless you have a huge family and a million friends, word of mouth through friends and family will not get you too much business and only goes so far. They will also not want to pay you what you're worth and typically are hoping for a huge discount. They might even pay you in beer, which might not be too horrible but it doesn't feed your kids.


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## Toby Jack (Feb 5, 2010)

Man, thank you guys for your input! You all sound very knowledgeable. I forgot to mention that I am 24 and my expertise only goes so deep. I am still in the dark on full-fledge custom installations and am not sure I even want to offer services that in-depth. Ideally, I would like to be a resource to people with little technical knowledge and aid them mostly with purchase decisions and what equipment is available to them for their particular needs. The people I am going after wouldn't be the ones with a full equipment rack, projector & screen. My ideal customers would be looking for a flat panel/receiver/speaker set/Blu-ray or DVD player to quick enhancements to their movie/tv watching experience. This is why I wouldn't charge as much (because hopefully it wouldn't take too long.)

I'll let you know what comes of this when I get a solid plan down. You guys are great!


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## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

Well your biggest problem based on what you want out of yourself and clients is the folks you are targeting are the least likely to look for someone like you. Most folks think they know a kid, family member, guy at work or somebody just like you who can hook them up......just my opinion.


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## JCD (Apr 20, 2006)

I'm thinking that you may benefit from working at a small boutique a/v store for a while before striking out on your own. I'm sure there is a ton of information you don't even know you don't know yet. I consider myself pretty knowledgible in this stuff, but I pretty confident I'd learn a TON if I were to work at one of these stores myself for a while.

The other thing, if you really want to make a profession out of this, then you need to have a pretty solid foundation for just about everything AV.

For example:

Tubes vs. Solid State
Separates vs. receivers
Advantages of planar speakers vs. di-pole speakers vs. direct firing speakers vs. ..
Acoustics -- how to properly set up a room and how to tame the room's acoustic issues
Cables -- what's the difference between HDMI 1.3 and 1.4? And why do some cables/IC's cost SO MUCH?
That's just scratches the tip of the iceberg. Your brother in law might not mind if you don't know the detailed answers to some of the issues listed above, but I'm pretty sure someone who's paying you will.

And I know this is coming off all doom and gloom -- my point is not to talk you out of it, but just be aware that doing this as a business correctly is going to be more than what you might think up front.


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## Toby Jack (Feb 5, 2010)

JCD said:


> I'm thinking that you may benefit from working at a small boutique a/v store for a while before striking out on your own. I'm sure there is a ton of information you don't even know you don't know yet. I consider myself pretty knowledgible in this stuff, but I pretty confident I'd learn a TON if I were to work at one of these stores myself for a while.
> 
> The other thing, if you really want to make a profession out of this, then you need to have a pretty solid foundation for just about everything AV.
> 
> ...


No, I really appreciate feedback of all kinds. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on most of the basics of the home theater universe. All of the points you listed I feel fairly confident on except for room acoustics. I definitely have room to grow there. Do you have any recommendations (websites or books) that would be a good resource for this particular area?


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## JCD (Apr 20, 2006)

Videos

How to build a bass trap -- 




How to set up a listening room -- 




Modal Ringing and resonance -- 




RealTraps videos -- http://www.realtraps.com/videos.htm


Articles on DIY

DIY Corner Absorber -- http://www.johnlsayers.com/HR/index1.htm

DIY Acoustics -- http://remixmag.com/mag/remix_diy_acoustics/index.html

DIY Panels -- http://geekwithfamily.com/2006/09/22/audiophile/how-to-build-jon-rischs-diy-acoustic-panels/

IG DIY Panels -- http://forums.soundandvisionmag.com/audiovideo/board/message?board.id=57&thread.id=7630


Articles on Acoustics

Acoustic Treatment and Design for 

Recording Studios and Listening Rooms -- http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

Absorbtion Coeffecients -- http://www.bobgolds.com/AbsorptionCoefficients.htm

Absorbtion Coeffecients -- http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/pages/Coefficient Chart.htm

Helmholtz Absorber -- http://www.mhsoft.nl/Helmholtzabsorber.asp

Room Acoustics -- http://www.silcom.com/~aludwig/Room_acoustics.html

Acoustical Room Treatment: A Survey of Methods and Materials -- http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volu...ent-methods-and-materials-12-2004-part-1.html

Sound Waves -- http://www.isvr.soton.ac.uk/spcg/Tutorial/Tutorial/StartCD.htm

DIY Network's Acoustic Treatments -- http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_family_room/article/0,2037,DIY_13912_3471072,00.html

Acoustic Room Articles (list) -- http://www.ecoustics.com/Home/Accessories/Acoustic_Room_Treatments/Acoustic_Room_Treatment_Articles/

COF's (IG) Early Reflection Primer -- http://forums.soundandvisionmag.com/audiovideo/board/message?board.id=40&thread.id=27061

COF's (IG) Early Reflection Primer II -- http://forums.soundandvisionmag.com/audiovideo/board/message?board.id=40&thread.id=43449


Forums

Acoustics Forum -- http://forum.studiotips.com/index.php

Acoustics Forum -- http://basstraps.net/

Acoustics Forum -- http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=rives

Acoustics Forum -- http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/home-audio-acoustics/



Manufacturers

Johns Manville -- http://www.jm.com/insulation/performance_materials/2683.htm

Owens Corning -- http://www.owenscorning.com/commins...00&rle ad=500&sufs=0&order=r&cq=&id=45e3341ea


Retailers

Gik Acoustic Panels -- http://www.gikacoustics.com/

Real Traps -- http://www.realtraps.com/index.htm

ATS Acoustics -- http://www.atsacoustics.com/

Ready Accoustics -- http://www.readyacoustics.com/index.php?go=home.welcome

ASC -- http://www.acousticsciences.com/

Acoustical Surfaces -- http://www.acousticalsurfaces.com/?source=google&gclid=CMnnlf3tmI4CFR3JYAod7xk1TQ

PMI -- http://www.pmiltd.com/cinepanel.html

Acoustics First -- http://www.acousticsfirst.com/ 

Auralex -- http://www.auralex.com/

Soundproof Foam -- http://soundprooffoam.com/acoustic.html?page_type=Sound Absorption

AudioTec USA -- http://www.audiotecusa.com/products_theater.php?PHPSESSID=5a3f436e2c5d68ebae3 ac0097ba31447

ClearSonic -- http://www.clearsonic.com/

MSR -- http://msr-inc.com/EN/audiovideo.html

Online sources of OC703 and Rockwool
Ebay--http://cgi.ebay.com/CASE-OF-6-ACOUS...0594 QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
Ebay--http://cgi.ebay.com/Owens-Corning-7...ry Z3278QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Acoustimac -- http://www.acoustimac.com/products.asp
Sensible Sound Solutions -- http://sensiblesoundsolutions.com/shopping_cart.php?sort=3a
Ready Acoustics -- http://www.readyacoustics.com/index.php?go=products.proddetails&prod=OC703UF


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## Toby Jack (Feb 5, 2010)

You're a saint. Now pardon me, I have a lot of learning to do.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

We might be making a simple idea you had way too complex.

I have seen people place free ads on www.kijiji.com for home theater hook up. They're typically very inexpensive and just offer basic installation services like hooking up their new LCD and/or AVR and speakers. I'm sure if you word things well and offer to them what you know you might get a bit of business. Dropping flyers in people's mail boxes might help too.

One thing people might be worried about is the legitimacy of your business. Not just in how competent you are, but if you are actually looking to steal from them. Ways around that would be to have a simple web site with a gallery of work you've already done, professional business cards, and a good business name. They might want receipts too, so look into obtaining a business permit and all of the tax info that goes along with it. It's fairly simple where I live but differs from state/province and countries.


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## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

While Gorilla marketing is a valuable tool it is I think illegal to place items in a mailbox that wasnt sent via paid postage. If you serious and think you want to try home to home marketing one Gorilla form would be to canvas an area throwing your info in driveway or plaving on door. For the ultimate "keep your name around" idea print a simple notepad up with your info and leave it at folks homes, everyone needs a notepad and you have like 50 business cards for each person. Find a local printer and do a $100 worth, see what happens!
I have done systems up to $80k with dual use applications, tubes, home automation and remote programing.......Projectors, flat screen on wall, in wall speakers, 12 volt multiple triggers, most every sort of speaker tech you can imagine, set up turntables, room correction, treatments, even butt kickers and those bass shaker pistons in seats, loaded music servers and even internet radio set up, I even did some theater room plans and contractor remodel on a simple but costly scale (never did one of those goofy grand richman home theater statement rooms.... but I could if needed) I have flown the country to see the major shows to keep up on trends, made many contacts and have all the major industry rags in mailbox monthly.
You name it and I have pretty much done it or could do it. While I have the gear, passion and certainly experience I just dont have the market, sure anyone could find a job here and there but to totally dive in thats not gonna happen.............not in my area!


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

chadnliz said:


> While Gorilla marketing is a valuable tool it is I think illegal to place items in a mailbox that wasnt sent via paid postage.


The rules must be different where I live. It's only illegal to remove and/or open items not addressed to you.

We have Super Mailboxes (located at a central point in the neighbourhood) for standard CanadaPost mail and small packages. Larger packages have to be picked up or premium shipping delivers to the door like a courier. We also get flyers dropped on our doorstep or put in our house mailbox and sometimes small business people deliver their own business advert/flyer.

We do have a government do-not-call list and no-junk-mail services for Canada Post and other major flyer distributors. If you put a NO JUNK MAIL sticker on your mailbox or front door then they are _not supposed to_ deliver any unsolicited mail. The police aren't really going to go out of their way to enforce that and even if they do the first offense just results in a warning not to do it again unless the advertisements are offensive (pornographic, racist, etc). Typically the receiver has to contact the distributor of the advert to request a stop of further communication (opt out) first.

While a notepad, fridge magnet, or other media can work, it can be expensive if not targeted. Figure a simple photocopied one-sided B&W flyer might cost 5¢ a copy and a full color page might cost up to 40¢. Figuring 1000 copies you're looking at only $50 for B&W or $500 for color. To do notpads or fridge magnets you'd be looking at 40¢ to 80¢ for 1000 count which would be $400 to $800. Individual pricing would go up for a smaller unit count.

Since Toby Jack was originally thinking about charging $20-$30 per call he would need to do a lot of business just to make back his advertising cost. Even if he charged $50 per house call he would need to do 16 of them to break even. If he were to blanket a few neighbourhoods and distribute all 1000 ads he might be lucky to get a 2% ROI or 20 sales. Less than 1% might be more realistic however due to the prevailing economy and the service that he is offering. 

I have a brother-in-law who advertises his painting business that way and he gets about a 3% call back on flyer distribution which turns into 1% quoting which leads to about a 0.5% sale. He is getting more word of mouth referrals now that he has been in business for a few years.

All I am trying to say is that he should be careful about how he advertises to minimize risk. He does need to advertise and notepads are nice but Letter size B&W flyers might be more efficient for his type of operation and the stage he is currently at. He could deliver the flyers and start with a 100 for around $10 or a 1000 for $50. Target either a well-to-do neighbourhood or an area with an age demographic above 40 for best ROI.


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## Toby Jack (Feb 5, 2010)

The funny thing about all this is that I graduated with a marketing degree and yet the most difficult part of this whole plan is how to market myself. The technical stuff seems a little daunting but learnable–the marketing seems the scariest of all!

Sure wish I would have payed more attention in my Strategic Marketing courses...


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## chadnliz (Feb 12, 2010)

MatrixDweller said:


> The rules must be different where I live. It's only illegal to remove and/or open items not addressed to you.
> 
> We have Super Mailboxes (located at a central point in the neighbourhood) for standard CanadaPost mail and small packages. Larger packages have to be picked up or premium shipping delivers to the door like a courier. We also get flyers dropped on our doorstep or put in our house mailbox and sometimes small business people deliver their own business advert/flyer.
> 
> ...


Note pads are not that expensive, I ran a couple printing companies so thats why I suggested them, I also canvased some neighborhoods with this tactic with good results. When you run a note pad aasume its a 5.5 x 4.25 with 50 sheets in each, you run 4 of those on standard letter size and even more on a larger press so the unit cost is far less. Not saying its the best or only way, just an idea I have used with results.


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## owlfan12000 (Jul 2, 2007)

Regarding putting something in a mailbox - 

Sec. 1725. Postage unpaid on deposited mail matter
Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to
avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.

I couldn't say if you could make a living at it but I'd say there is some money to be made. Take a look at the Best Buy Geek Squad charges on this page. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Geek-Sq...es/pcmcat138100050024.c?id=pcmcat138100050024

$349 - Geek Squad Installer will mount a 41" or larger TV and connect 2 or fewer A/V components.
$599 - Front Projector Installation by Geek Squad professionals.
$799 - Premium Home Theater Setup & TV Mounting by Geek Squad installation professionals
$299 - In-home calibration of TV and home theater components for the best possible performance.
$499 - 5-Speaker Installation by Geek Squad installation professionals.

I'd agree with MatrixDweller and say you should put up a web site. I put one together for my sister's EAP business at 1and1.com a couple of years ago. They've got packages as low as $3.99/month and a small business package that is $9.99/month. It comes with some simple tools for setting it up that seem to produce some good looking results. Because I know how cheap and easy it is to set up I'd think twice about working with a A/V guy that didn't have a web site. It goes to the creditability issue. With a web site like this you can hand out business cards that have your web site and an email address that's personalized to your site.

Assuming you are going to do this as a full time business you should also take a look at various business insurance issues. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has put together this site, http://www.insurance.insureuonline.org/smallbusiness/. 

While it may be covered on that site I would also suggest that you check out the Oklahoma Workman's Comp rules here - http://www.ok.gov/oid/Consumers/Workers'_Compensation_Information.html. You would most likely be exempt from any requirement to carry workman's comp but you still have to be able to provide people you work with an affidavit of exemption, *before you start work*. I recently learned this the hard way. My parents own some apartments in Bartlesville, OK. Last year they paid an apartment manager for a while as an independent contractor. They got audited by Compsource Oklahoma, didn't have the appropriate forms from the manager and ended up paying workman's comp as if he had worked for them. Essentially Oklahoma makes the person hiring the contractor responsible for making sure the person they hire has workman's comp or is exempt. I don't know if it applies to individuals in their home but you may want to install a projector in a conference room some day and you should have the appropriate paperwork to protect the people you are contracting with.


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## MatrixDweller (Jul 24, 2007)

owlfan12000 said:


> Regarding putting something in a mailbox -
> 
> Sec. 1725. Postage unpaid on deposited mail matter
> Whoever knowingly and willfully deposits any mailable matter such as statements of accounts, circulars, sale bills, or other like matter, on which no postage has been paid, in any letter box established, approved, or accepted by the Postal Service for the receipt or delivery of mail matter on any mail route with intent to
> avoid payment of lawful postage thereon, shall for each such offense be fined under this title.


That's just for stuff you put into the mailbox for the post office to pick up. In a nut shell what Sec 1725 states is that you'll get fined if you try to get the postal worker to deliver your mail or make it look like they did without paying postage (ie: dropping mail into their bag, putting it in their pickup stations, in post office boxes, in community mailboxes, etc). It doesn't pertain to or limit a person from hand delivering their own circulars (flyers).

As for workman's comp. If you employ someone you would have to pay that and you would need to ensure that all WHIMIS safety precautions are taught to your workers. Contractors most likely would need to be advised of any hazards _that you know of_ (ie: an exposed wires, asbestos, etc). 

Since you would be working in someone else's home, often their home insurance would cover lawsuits pertaining to injury on the "job site" so long as it could be proven that it was their fault (ie: faulty wiring, unsafe stairways, etc). That woudld pertain to you, your employees and contractors. Lawsuits generally name as many parties as they can so a contractor probably would sue you as well if they were injured on the job site if taking legal action. A good legal contract can help to indemnify you in a lot of cases. You would need to put in the contract that the contractor is responsible for assessing the safety of the job site and has the right to refuse to do work if safety is an issue.

That's probably a non issue at this point, but as you grow you'll probably end up contracting out certain work. Where I live, only the home owner or a certified electrician/plumber are allowed to take out a permit to do electrical/plumbing work.


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