Taking a different route after high school
While choosing a college or university it is important to consider what you will be doing with the degree achieved.
For many starting their own business sounds like a daunting task and working for someone else is the best option. For those dreaming of being their own manager, here are some important tips for making that happen.
Ryan York, a mobile electronics installer, decided to break the mold at a young age.
“I had worked with other companies that did not have the same customer service values that I have, and did not care as much about the Mobile Electronics field as I do. I also wanted to be able to do installations when it was convenient for the customer and not operate on a Monday to Friday 9:00AM to 5:00PM kind of schedule,” said York. “First step was getting the proper training in the field, which I attended a tech school. Second step is putting in your time and learning every single day. Step three is learn more, real installers put 110% of themselves into their work, which for me meant reading lots of books outside of the install bay to get a more in depth understanding of every aspect of the 12 volt world. And the final step into making my dream a reality was put up a shop, and I suggest you start advertising yourself. Road blocks I had hit when I started would definitely be the advertising thing and getting my name out there, I think it would be like that no matter what kind of business you decide to run.”
Although the Weyburn born business owner didn’t choose a school in Canada, he acknowledges that there are many top notch trade schools around the province.
“I attended a school in Oklahoma City called Acoustic Edge Institute (www. stereoschool.com.) This was a four month school where you attended school from 8:00AM until 6:00 PM, similar to going to work, so it was a lot of classes to cram in. The nice thing about it was that it was not all book work. You spent your mornings in the class room with books, understanding how electronics work and the fundamentals of how to do the job, and then the afternoon you spend applying the things you learned in the class room to actual customer vehicles as well as your own,” he said. “I had taken four classes while I was there: Mobile Electronics Installation, Custom Fabrication, Upholstery, and Multimedia. Taking all of these classes gave me a lot of skills that most installers do not pick up for a while such as welding skills, fiberglass skills, how to properly build and tune speaker enclosures, and much more.”
Many may suggest achieving a business degree or partnering with a business executive to get you started. It is important that someone understands the financial and advertorial side of your dream, or you may never reach it.
York decided to take the project on himself. Coming from a family of business owners, and being a part of a family Jewellery store with a great reputation around southeastern Saskatchewan, he’d had all the training he needed on the business side and began putting things in place.
“Be patient and do not give up. Starting up is a hard thing to do but if you believed in yourself and you want to make it successful you will. Do some research around to other places that run businesses similar to the one you would like to open, see what makes them successful and what things hurt their business,” he urged. “Have a talk with the owners of those stores as well and get a better understanding of how they pushed through the bumps in the road, and what the ups and downs are for them!”
York has never stopped the learning process and is now a successful 24-yearold with a MECP certification, which stands for Mobile electronics Certified Professionals (www.mecp.com).
“There are three different levels to MECP; Basic, Advanced, and Master. I currently have my Advanced level and I am studying for my Masters which there are only two people in Canada that hold that certification,” he said.
York insists that credentials are important.
“It’s a professional credential that says; I have put my time and effort into understanding everything in my field. I will continue to learn and grow, and I will be as professional as I can be while delivering the highest quality possible.”
Anyone looking to contact Ryan York for installation purposes can call 306861-6166 or find the York Installations page on Facebook.