[pianotech] Probelm with Business License. Please help!

[James Grebe]

Never volunteer info to city fathers about what you do.  It only brings 
problems like this.  Our business is so low key and unobtrusive that it is a 
threat to no one..  Same thing about putting signs outside your home for 
your business.
James
James Grebe Est. 1962
Piano Tuner-Technician
Creator of Custom Caster Cups
Creator of fine Writing Instruments
Theatre and Theatre Organ Historian
www.grebepiano.com
1526 Raspberry Lane
Arnold, MO 63010
(314) 608-4137
Become what you believe
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Hy Cohen" <frowninverter at gmail.com>
To: <pianotech at ptg.org>
Sent: Thursday, July 15, 2010 4:47 AM
Subject: [pianotech] Probelm with Business License. Please help!


> Hi everyone,
>
>
>
> I just moved here to California a couple of weeks ago, and am working on
> getting my business plan assembled so I can soon start my piano tech
> business.
>
>
>
> As part of that process, I gave a call over to my county to find out how
> much a business license would be (I live outside the city limits). They 
> told
> me $415. But then they asked where I would be operating my business, so I
> explained to them that it would be a home-based business where I will
> perform a majority of my services at my clients' location and that once in 
> a
> while I would take a part home to work on using manual hand tools which 
> are
> pretty quiet, and that my business would not generate any additional
> traffic, etc. She then asked me for my address, so I gave it to her.
>
>
>
> Just as soon as I gave her my address she announced that I could not run 
> my
> business where I live! She said the property is zoned as agriculture, and
> because I would occasionally bring something home with me to work on that 
> it
> would be considered a commercial operation which would not be allowed 
> under
> the property's zoning. Any thoughts.besides moving or pretending I didn't
> hear what the lady said? <grin> I've left messages for the city to find 
> out
> if I lived there if I would run into the same problem, but they haven't
> called back. In your experience, am I likely to run into this problem 
> living
> in a city? We are planning to move into a city in the near future. But 
> with
> this goofy problem, we might be moving sooner rather than later. <grin>
> Thanks for your advice!
>
>
>
> Warmly,
>
> Hy
>
> frowninverter at gmail.com
>
>
>
>
>
>