When Daniel Craig started his own audio-visual design company after many years working at Best Buy, he knew that potential customers in the downtown high-rise community would be scouring firms recommended by their respective homeowners’ associations. He also knew the list was in alphabetical order, and that was a major consideration in naming his company – Absolute AV Design – which is, almost always, the first one listed.
That sense of how to connect with potential clients is a hallmark of Daniel’s success in reaching out to clients, building a rapport and providing the design, installation and operating advice tailored to their needs.
Daniel started his company in 2017 with himself, two technicians and an operations manager. The company generated about $2 million in revenue in the first year and has grown to nine employees with a goal of becoming a $5 million company within the next three years.
He prides himself on making sure his customers get what they want in a personalized AV system, and also being careful that they do not end up with more than they need. “I treat them the way I do my family, teaching them what exists and letting them decide what they want,” he said.
He pointed out that AV systems involve sophisticated technology that “most people know nothing about,” which creates an “opportunity for a lot of AV firms to take advantage of people. I find that a lot of people/businesses have been sold stuff both doesn’t work or that they have never used.”
His path into the field of sound and visual technology started when he was at San Diego State University – not because of his major, which was in teaching with a specialty in social studies – but because of a part-time job at Best Buy. He moved up the ladder from selling TVs on the floor, to making home calls for the Geek Squad to designing systems at Best Buy’s high-end Magnolia home theater department. He put in another three years with a local AV company before starting his own business.
He got a jump start with referrals from Bosa Development, developer of the 41-story Pacific Gate condominiums in downtown San Diego. While he does almost all of his work in San Diego, he said one of his most interesting projects was building a system for a large retreat home in Oregon that included a $200,000 theater. His short-term goal is to expand his client base to builders of luxury homes.
His own extended family is a big part of his life, and his brother, Nathan Craig, who runs an insurance company, is a Sage member and recommended that Daniel join. Along the way, he has relied on advice and support from fellow members of his Sage Millennium Forum.
Daniel, 31, and his wife, Sammi, have an almost two-year-old daughter, Brookelyn, and are awaiting the birth of a second daughter in September.