Selling your route

[A440A at aol.com]

<< So one would do just as well to move into the

>     area, advertise agressively, and pick up those pianos without any

>     payment to the retiring technician. This is not my style but it

>     does raise some issues. >>

Greetings, 
   I don't know if I would transfer my trust to a serviceman if I knew that 
he had paid the older man he was replacing to recommend him.  And the word does 
get around! 
   I suggest that you move into an area that is going to have a lack of piano 
technicians and advertise yourself. Charge no less than the average.   Your 
success will depend on your skills and ethics, multiplied(or divided) by your 
ability to present yourself.  If you are skilled and ethical, you will quickly 
find yourself swamped with work, at which time you can begin raising your 
prices until such time you have a workload you can live with.  It is really cool 
to build your own business this way.  
    I personally think it a fallacy that one can buy another's reputation, 
which is what is happening if you are  paying an established tuner for his 
customer list. 
Regards, 

Ed Foote RPT 
http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html
www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html