This week is our planning week for the year, so we'll be looking at things pretty closely the next few days, but so far it looks like we are up around 10% over last year. in 2009 we raised our rates 13% and another 6% in 2009, so that helped a little. We didn't sell as many pianos this year (I think we are at 8) which may have actually helped! I enjoy selling the pianos, but it's hard to match in-home service for maximizing income. We also did a little more subcontracting this year. We are at an interesting point. I can only stand to service a finite amount of pianos - not more than around 600 per year. We've been developing our piano sales business hoping that would provide more growth opportunities, but it takes up a lot of time. We are reaching the point where about the only way to grow our income is to raise our rates. Of course it is necessary to raise rates at least 3% a year to keep up with inflation and avoid a "pay cut". Growing a business is an interesting and challenging game! I'm wondering what the next step is... Ryan Sowers, RPT Puget Sound Chapter Olympia, WA www.pianova.net On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 4:34 AM, James Grebe <jamesgrebe at charter.net> wrote: > Yesterday, I equaled my gross income from 2009. That means the work I have > today and tomorrow is over the top.. Not bragging but last year was my best > year ever. this in spite of all the gloom and doom. How have the rest of > you fared this year? It seems to me that the people who can afford pianos > still want to take care of them. > James > James Grebe Est. 1962 > Piano Tuner-Technician > Creator of Custom Caster Cups > Creator of fine Writing Instruments > Pump Organ & Plyr Piano benches > Table Timepieces > Theatre and Theatre Organ Historian > www.grebepiano.com > 1526 Raspberry Lane > Arnold, MO 63010 > (314) 608-4137 > Become what you believe > -- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://ptg.org/pipermail/pianotech.php/attachments/20110102/3a079381/attachment.htm>
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