Request input for convention classes

[Andy Rudoff]

Hello pianotech folks,

Some of you may remember I taught various computer/Internet classes at a
bunch of PTG conventions.  Well this year the Central West Regional
is right here in Colorado, see:

	http://www.ptg.org/cwr/

and I've been asked to teach classes on Computer Applications and
Web Site publishing.

In order to make these classes especially interesting to the piano
technicians attending the convention, I wanted to ask list members
for some input.  This will help me understand current practices and
tailor the class to the needs of our community.

So anyone interested in helping, please reply to andy@rudoff.com
with answers to the questions below and I will summarize my findings
back to the list.  (Of course, if you decide to send your reply back
to pianotech for further discussion I will see it there and add it to
my summary.)

1. If you keep a customer database on your computer,
    what software do you use?

2. If you use bookkeeping software to run your business,
    what software do you use?

3. If you do the above tasks without a computer and would like
    to start using a computer, what is holding you back (besides money)?
    Would you rather have advice on which computer to buy, which software
    to use, how to configure the most popular software packages, how
    to perform common tasks, or something else?  Keep in mind the classes
    cannot cover all these things, so I will be prioritizing.

4. If you published a web site for your business, and consider it a
    success, please send me your success story (and URL) so I can use
    it as an example.

5. If you want to publish a website for your business, what is holding
    you back (besides money)?  Would you rather have advice on creating
    web content, registering your own domain name, doing on-line commerce,
    getting your site into search engines like google, or something else?

Other comments & suggestions welcome.


Thanks, and like I said, I will share all the information I gather
for the "greater good" of piano technicians everywhere :-)  I hope
to see lots of you at the Central West Regional and at Rochester
this year.  It has been a while since I have put faces to the email
I see flying by on this list every day.

-andy (PTG server administrator and part-time piano technician)