Apprentice possible??

[Lance Lafargue]

Thanks Jim,
I guess mostly I'm looking at all of this because I was slow this summer
(and should have stated that at the beginning), and now I'm busy and can't
seem to find time/energy to do those other things I wanted to do avoid
another summer like the last one(advertise,gain new customers). I also
would like to move away from taking on some of the more undesirable jobs
like Winter spinets, etc., and thought that if I made myself better known
(I haven't advertised), I could turn away from "some" of the work if I
wanted to.  I am currently the most expensive in my area (I think).  I'm
just trying to make my income a little more consistent.  I've recently
tried to move as many repairs, rebuilds, and maintenance work back to the
summer, but I hope I don't lose it.  I will also be needing to generate
work for two of us.  
  As to the apprentice, I'd like to help him out, I know what it was like
when I started.  Thanks again for the positive reinforcement.  
Lance Lafargue, RPT
New Orleans Chapter
Covington, LA.
lafargue@iamerica.net

----------
> From: JIMRPT@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Subject: Re:  Re: Apprentice possible??
> Date: Sunday, October 12, 1997 9:47 PM
> 
> 
> In a message dated 10/12/97 5:18:25 PM, you wrote:
> 
> << "I am just so busy now I'm exhausted and don't have time or energy to
> 
> plan and talk to local magazines, newspapers, schools, (folks that can
help
> 
> me expand)etc., etc., follow up on estimates, go do estimates, work on
> 
> enlarging my shop, make jigs, build more storage,etc..">>
>  <<"I don't have money to"try" things.">>
> 
>   Lance if you are dead set on expanding your shop and your busines and
> gaining an employee or two please be aware that the things you are
> complaining about now will mulitiply by some factor other than 1 by doing
so.
>  I am in  no manner discouraging you from doing so but if that is the
> direction you really want to go, bite the bullet, stop bitching about the
> problems involved and solve them "ONE AT THE TIME".  It can be done, and
as
> that famous old Chinese filosyfer  'Confusion' said "even a journey of a
> thousand miles begins with a single step".  It won't be easy but the
rewards
> are there if reached for. 
>    
>   An alternative to hiring help, expanding your shop and creating new
> customers is to raise your prices !  This will lose some of your
customers
> and you won't get as many rebuilds, but you will have more time to use in
> other pursuits;i.e. advertising, the kids, teaching your apprentice, your
> family, mental health time, and also pursuits that will enable you to
> marshall your health for the long haul. The already mentioned benefits
will
> come with 'the same or greater' income than when you were priced lower,
and
> you will be doing yourself and your customers a great service by being
able
> to apply full attention to each job as needed.  The alternative to
raising
> your prices is to cut down on the service area you do work in.  For
example
> if you work in a roughly 25 mile circle from your home cut it down to a
> twenty mile circle. This would enable you to satisfy all your service
> requests and stay as busy as you would like to, if as you say, you have
more
> than you can handle right now.
>   Paradoxical as it may seem, quite soon you will be back in the same
> situation as you are in now but...........the difference is that you
'will'
> <<......."have money to"try" things." ">> and more importantly the time
and
> energy to do so.
> 
>   Go for it Lance, if the situation is as you describe you need to do
> something, Eh?.  As long as you take the risks, pay the bills, and
agonize
> over the failures I, and I am sure others on the list, will be more than
> willing to take credit for the majority of the successes.
> Pulling for you.
>  Jim Bryant (FL)
>