In a message dated 95-10-20 19:53:42 EDT, you write: >what is >the typical "track" that people take toward being independent in this >profession, toward becoming an RPT and so on? For me it was a one semester course in college, then a correspondence course, then I worked with a guy who was a "tooner" (but thought he was a master), then I joined PTG, passed the test a year later. then I just tried to read everything I could get my hands on. It seems to me that the best way to go would be to attend a school like North Bennet St., but for me that looks unlikely now. I feel like my knowlege is kind of like swiss cheese: I think I know a lot, but every so often I'll find a hole where some basic knowlege that everyone else seems to know somehow missed me on my eclectic journey. I'd consider you very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study with a good RPT for a year. As far as establishing an independent technicians business, a rule of thumb (just where does "rule of thumb" come from, anyway?) I learned was to plan on taking 5 years for a new business to become successful. This was true in my case. The first few years, while building a customer file, any profit wound up going right back into the business. My wife's job was paying the bills during this time. After about 5 years, I was earning enough so that she didn't have to work....at least not full time. At about 7 years into the business we moved to Maine, and I started all over, but the second time around I didn't need to reinvest any income in tools and the like, so I was able to establish a comfortable living in about three years. Jeez, if it weren't for health insurance, I'd be getting rich! Gordon Large, slowly filling in the cheese holes Mt. Vernon, ME
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC