Wim, retirement is overrated. I retired for about 6 months. I hated it and got right back to working. Semi-retirement is very easy in this business. I work about 3 days a week and love it. The other good thing is that after a certain age you don't loose any of your Social Security benefits. I'm 68 and plan to work for as long as I enjoy it. I hate that your business is slow. I always like to have 1 or 2 pianos in the shop. Great income source for slow weeks and bad weather. Al Guecia From: wimblees at aol.com Sent: Friday, October 10, 2008 1:59 PM To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: the economy The bad news is, I HAVE to tune 15 - 20 piano a week, in order to make a living. The bad news is, I am only tuning 10 - 15 piano a week. I'm getting by selling string covers, Rust Blocker, and doing minor regulations and repairs. Hopefully, when the econnomy recovers, I will be able to do more work. My wife and I had hoped to retire in another couple of years. (We're both in our early 60's) But with the drop in the stock market, I just told her last night that it looks like we'll be doing this for another 10 years. Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician Mililani, Oahu, HI 808-349-2943 Author of: The Business of Piano Tuning available from Potter Press www.pianotuning.com -----Original Message----- From: Gregor _ <karlkaputt at hotmail.com> To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org> Sent: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:07 pm Subject: RE: the economy Hi all, Richard asked an interesting question: how many pianos do you tune per day or week? Terry, was it a joke or do you really tune up to 30-40 tunings a week? Looking to the smilie I assume it was a joke. Usualy I try to limit it to 3 tunings per day, but in the high season (christmas time) I have to do 4 appointments. Next monday I will have a hard day: I will drive in an area where 5 pianos are waiting for me. But these days are very very rare. Furthermore, I do field service only for 3 days a week because I have my store opened for the other 3 days a week. Of course I have to tune in my store, too. But I try not to do too many tunings a week. Its making me tired and sometimes its stressfull. And I feel its getting more stressfull with the years, particularly in the high treble. Now I am 43 years old and 20 years ago it seemed to be easier. But I am very very happy that I have my Verituner for 2 years now. How could I work without an ETD all the years? It makes wor! k much more comfortable. Gregor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: pianolover88 at hotmail.com To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: RE: the economy Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 18:37:30 -0700 No more than 30-40 tunings per week for me. I'm semi-reitred! Terry Peterson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: AlliedPianoCraft at hotmail.com To: pianotech at ptg.org Subject: Re: the economy Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 20:43:35 -0400 I could handle that in my younger days, but now I max out at 3. At the end of the third, I'm thinking serious lubrication also. Shop work can wait for another day. What a great business we're in. Al Guecia From: David Love Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 7:28 PM To: 'Pianotech List' Subject: RE: the economy I try to keep it to 3 appointments in the AM and work in the shop in the afternoon. Il do 5 if I have to drive somewhere and can group them but that requires serious lubrication afterwards. David Love davidlovepianos at comcast.net www.davidlovepianos.com -----Original Message----- From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of richard.ucci at att.net Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2008 3:24 PM To: Pianotech List Subject: RE: the economy Dave, How many appointments per day on average? RU/UP -------------- Original message from "David Love" <davidlovepianos at comcast.net>: -------------- > These problems find their source in Reaganomics, trickle down philosophy and > deficit spending on projects that have no return. In the interim there is > plenty of blame to go around on both sides. Of course Bush and his cronies > should be given the Mussolini, if you catch my drift, but that's another > story. > > That being said, my business is fine. I'm booked into next year with > rebuilding projects (of course they could change their minds), my service > work is booked out several weeks and I'm opting out of jobs that take me too > far a field or involve pianos I don't want to work on. Who knows if it will > last but while it does I'm making hay. If things are slow, get some > exercise and play with your kids. > > David Love > davidlovepianos at comcast.net > www.davidlovepianos.com > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay up to date on your PC, the Web, and your mobile phone with Windows Live. See Now -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Invite your mail contacts to join your friends list with Windows Live Spaces. It's easy! Try it! = McCain or Obama? Stay updated on coverage of the Presidential race while you browse - Download Now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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