Thanks Jim, I guess mostly I'm looking at all of this because I was slow this summer (and should have stated that at the beginning), and now I'm busy and can't seem to find time/energy to do those other things I wanted to do avoid another summer like the last one(advertise,gain new customers). I also would like to move away from taking on some of the more undesirable jobs like Winter spinets, etc., and thought that if I made myself better known (I haven't advertised), I could turn away from "some" of the work if I wanted to. I am currently the most expensive in my area (I think). I'm just trying to make my income a little more consistent. I've recently tried to move as many repairs, rebuilds, and maintenance work back to the summer, but I hope I don't lose it. I will also be needing to generate work for two of us. As to the apprentice, I'd like to help him out, I know what it was like when I started. Thanks again for the positive reinforcement. Lance Lafargue, RPT New Orleans Chapter Covington, LA. lafargue@iamerica.net ---------- > From: JIMRPT@aol.com > To: pianotech@ptg.org > Subject: Re: Re: Apprentice possible?? > Date: Sunday, October 12, 1997 9:47 PM > > > In a message dated 10/12/97 5:18:25 PM, you wrote: > > << "I am just so busy now I'm exhausted and don't have time or energy to > > plan and talk to local magazines, newspapers, schools, (folks that can help > > me expand)etc., etc., follow up on estimates, go do estimates, work on > > enlarging my shop, make jigs, build more storage,etc..">> > <<"I don't have money to"try" things.">> > > Lance if you are dead set on expanding your shop and your busines and > gaining an employee or two please be aware that the things you are > complaining about now will mulitiply by some factor other than 1 by doing so. > I am in no manner discouraging you from doing so but if that is the > direction you really want to go, bite the bullet, stop bitching about the > problems involved and solve them "ONE AT THE TIME". It can be done, and as > that famous old Chinese filosyfer 'Confusion' said "even a journey of a > thousand miles begins with a single step". It won't be easy but the rewards > are there if reached for. > > An alternative to hiring help, expanding your shop and creating new > customers is to raise your prices ! This will lose some of your customers > and you won't get as many rebuilds, but you will have more time to use in > other pursuits;i.e. advertising, the kids, teaching your apprentice, your > family, mental health time, and also pursuits that will enable you to > marshall your health for the long haul. The already mentioned benefits will > come with 'the same or greater' income than when you were priced lower, and > you will be doing yourself and your customers a great service by being able > to apply full attention to each job as needed. The alternative to raising > your prices is to cut down on the service area you do work in. For example > if you work in a roughly 25 mile circle from your home cut it down to a > twenty mile circle. This would enable you to satisfy all your service > requests and stay as busy as you would like to, if as you say, you have more > than you can handle right now. > Paradoxical as it may seem, quite soon you will be back in the same > situation as you are in now but...........the difference is that you 'will' > <<......."have money to"try" things." ">> and more importantly the time and > energy to do so. > > Go for it Lance, if the situation is as you describe you need to do > something, Eh?. As long as you take the risks, pay the bills, and agonize > over the failures I, and I am sure others on the list, will be more than > willing to take credit for the majority of the successes. > Pulling for you. > Jim Bryant (FL) >
This PTG archive page provided courtesy of Moy Piano Service, LLC