Need advice on moving and piano business...(long)

[Diane Hofstetter]

Hi Brian,

  In 1981 I went to a small town which already had three piano techs, more 
than it could possibly support.  I was teaching the piano rebuilding class 
at the junior college there and thought I would be able to commute the 125 
miles because I had a motorhome in which I could live and work while I 
stayed in Napa half the week and back in Santa Cruz the other half.  Trouble 
was I started falling asleep at the wheel too often.  So, knowing that I 
didn't want to cut into the other techs' workload, but wanting to get some 
work there so I didn't have to drive so often, I went to each of them and 
told them the situation.  Within a few days I had WORK!  Shopwork! Just what 
I loved doing.  One of the techs even had me do the restringing in her 
garage, a convenience to both of us.

  I believe that there are good, established techs everywhere who cannot 
handle the amount of work that they are able to sell.  When we start out, it 
seems so hard to find the work, the tools and the shop space.  As we mature 
in our profession and regional area, all of the former come to us in excess.

  The fact that you are experienced will make you a desireable ally to techs 
that have work lying around that they can't catch up with, and help them to 
expand their businesses by accepting work that they might otherwise turn 
down for lack of time.

  Good luck!
  Diane

>From: "Brian Trout" <btrout@desupernet.net>
>Reply-To: pianotech@ptg.org
>To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
>Subject: Need advice on moving and piano business...(long)
>Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2001 09:16:12 -0500
>
>Hi List,
>
>I'd appreciate some input if you have a minute.
>
>It appears that I may be moving to another part of the country, far enough
>away that it will basically be starting over.  And I'm ok with that.
>
>Most of you know that I tune and also get into rebuilding work as well,
>mainly belly work.  I tune because I have had to do that, not because I 
>like
>to do that.  I am most content when working in the shop, building 
>something.
>
>I have a few thoughts about how the business I am in now has gone that I'll
>share.  You can comment if you want to.
>
>1)  After starting my own business a little over a year ago, I continued to
>work as a subcontractor for a local store.  It was a blessing in that it 
>was
>steady income.  It was a curse in that it kept me from other things which
>could have perhaps made more money.  Honestly, a job doing the "Here's your
>McFries & McShake, come back McSoon" might have paid as well as a lot of 
>the
>subcontract tunings.
>
>2)  I have not been all that successful in marketing the rebuilding type
>work, and that bothers me, because that's where I'd like to be.
>
>3)  I took on a sideline of rebuilding old reed organs (pump organs) that
>has worked out pretty well.  I had been surprised at how much of that type
>of work there seems to be.  The biggest negative on that is that it doesn't
>usually pay as well as piano work.
>
>So.....  Here I am, with perhaps the opportunity to start over, fresh, with
>a fairly clean slate.  And I'm puzzling about how to attack the situation.
>I will be spending some time in the new location before I would go, likely
>several occasions, so I do hope to become more familiar with the
>surroundings and the local people as time goes by.
>
>The way I see it, I have several options.
>
>1)  Find a large store (?) and go to work for someone like that while I try
>to build business on my own.  (The big negative about that...  more tuning
>customers, going in the wrong direction...  I don't want a tuning business.
>The positive, it would likely be fairly steady work.  Another negative...
>low pay.)
>
>2)  Find a regular job somewhere and do piano work on the side until 
>there's
>enough of it to support quitting the regular job.   (I don't like this one,
>but I could do it.)
>
>3)  Go for broke and start fresh with the new piano business in the new
>area.  Sink or swim.  I have been thinking about ways I might be able to
>offer my services to other tuners in the area who may not get into major
>shop type work.  (I'm thinking of you, Jon Page, if you're tuned in...)
>
>I believe I have a few advantages over someone starting fresh for the first
>time.  I do have the experience of knowing a bit more realistically how 
>some
>things may work, such as subcontract tunings.  (They don't pay as much as 
>it
>sounds like!)  I have had to keep a set of books, and am familiar with that
>aspect of things.  I am no stranger to the actual piano work.  I've been
>doing it for quite a few years.  I pretty much have a basic collection of
>tools that I normally use.  (We can ALWAYS use more tools... but that's
>another story...)  And I've also been able to develop some relationships
>within the Guild, and I think that really makes a difference.  So, really,
>I've got some things going for me.
>
>Ron Nossaman, (if you're reading), you gave me some advice in mid '99 about
>getting myself as 'unencumbered' as possible and starting over.  It took me
>a long time to get around to that line of thinking, but I'm getting there.
>And I do thank you for that advice.
>
>So...  Now that I'm starting the planning stages of actually doing
>something, I would truly appreciate any input you might care to send along,
>things that have been helpful to you, things that haven't worked out as 
>well
>as you'd thought, things that worked better than you expected...
>
>Feel free to respond on the list if you think it would be beneficial to the
>people reading.  Or write to me privately if you want as well.  I didn't
>want to clutter up the list any more than need be, but there may be others
>who might be thinking of asking the same type of question.
>
>Thank you again, one and all for your help and input.  I look forward to
>hearing from you.
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Brian Trout
>Quarryville, PA
>btrout@desupernet.net
>
>

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