Valuing ourselves

[David Andersen]

Thanks, bud, for your reasoned reply...I'm just thinkin'....are you  
tuning pianos for less than $100? Hope not. Anyway, let's say you do  
four appointments a day, and each appointment averages $125, with  
pitch raises, little tweaks and whatnot. That's $500. Times four days  
a week equals $2000. Or---3 pianos a day @ $125=$375. Times a five- 
day workweek is $1875. Plus one tuning on Saturday
makes a cool two grand. Is that way, way far off? Or---look at it  
another way. What's your hourly rate? I hope it's at least $65 an  
hour, and I hope you work 30 billable hours a week if you're working  
full time; that's $1950. Are those numbers too high for your area?  
What does  the highest priced guy in your area get for a tuning and  
for an hourly rate?
> Hey man, I still love ya and all.
Right back at ya, bubba.
>  Don't think I'm mad atcha just 'cause I disagree.  You gotta  
> remember ... we're on the right coast and all.  It's different.   
> Cost of living is way different too.
Completely understood; I'd love a correction if my figures are way off.
>
Real life example and I'll quit.  I just got back from my dentist to  
have a cavity filled.  Cost was $58.00.  Now, my dentist is on the  
low end, but a high end price might be a bit less than $100.00.   
What's it cost out your way?
For amalgam (mercury)---the cheapest---it's around $125.00 at a good  
dentist; for composite, which is not deadly poison---what a concept--- 
and is actually chemically and electromagnetically neutral, which  
biological dentists think is crucial, is $175-200.
Jus' tran ta heyup, y'all.....
DA


On Feb 13, 2008, at 10:03 AM, John Formsma wrote:

> On Feb 13, 2008 10:14 AM, David Andersen  
> <david at davidandersenpianos.com> wrote:
> I've been an acolyte of Ed Foote in the business realm for about 10  
> years because he KNOWS what he's worth, and raises his rates EVERY  
> SINGLE TIME he needs to, usually every 18 months. He's been in the  
> top 1/2 of 1% of earners in this craft for 30 years.
>
> Agreed.  He gives out top-notch advice about business pricing and  
> business growth.
>
>
> GO TO THE HIGH END AND STAY THERE. Really. Quit bitching and  
> complaining about competition and taxes and driving and cheap  
> clients, and not enough money to go to conventions. If you're a  
> highly trained, honest, professional craftsperson and you're not  
> making $2,000 a week, it's you---you have a diminished perception  
> of yourself and your worth, and other people are picking up on and  
> responding to that.
>
> Disagree somewhat, David.  I know it might be hard for you to  
> imagine ... living in beautiful Cali and all ...  but there are  
> other places that are way different than California.  <grin>   And  
> it's different when you live in a big city.
>
> Here in rural Mississippi, I think it would be quite difficult for  
> a local piano tech to make that kind of money.  Yes, it's  
> possible.  But who would want to work that much to earn that kind  
> of money?  A person would need to work 6+ days a week, and long  
> hours every day to consistently earn that amount.  There is so much  
> more to life than money anyway.  To me, it's just not worth that  
> much input to get that much output.
>
>
> End of mad soliloquy. Out of breath. Must.....rest........
>
>
>
> -- 
> JF
>
> www.formsma.blogspot.com

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