<HTML><BODY> <div><SPAN contentEditable=false style="DISPLAY: inline-block"></SPAN>Here is a list I came up with of costs associated with your profession: Transportation, Misc. Parts, Raw Materials, Tools (including electronic tuners), Books/Training materials, PTG Dues, Conferences, Website Development/Maintenance, Phone Service, Reminder Cards, and Advertising. </div> <div> </div> <div><br> HI Zane,</div> <div> </div> <div>Here are some responses for you.<br>  <br> 1) Is that list of costs accurate? What am I overlooking? <STRONG>Don't forget insurances.  I have business insurance.  My wife works for the state university system, which takes care of health insurance.<br> </div> </STRONG> <div>Can you help me estimate any of those areas? I'm guessing that transportation and parts cost the most?  </div> <div> </div> <div><STRONG>I think the Potter course, which I took and recommend, is about 1500$.  </STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>PTG dues is around 200$ a year.  </STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>Conference costs would include registration, transportation, hotel, meals, a tool/toy budget, and the would have to include loss of work time.</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I have a tiny yellow page box for advertising.  It's around $100.00 a year</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I designed my own website (probably cost me at least $1,000 worth of my own time...:().  It costs me $19.95 a year to maintain with no advertisers.</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I don't use a phone service.  I do my own calls, and my business line is my cell phone.</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>Reminder cards cost around 15$ a month or so (I do them myself, with my wife's help to maintain legibility...)</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>Parts cost what they cost, and I don't really buy them until I need them.  I did buy alot of piano wire of different gauges when I fist started out, and that has paid off handsomely.</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>Tools ...get a good hammer, 2-300 bucks.  IF you take the Potter course, many tools are included.  Basic repair and regulation stuff will cost 500 to 1000$ depending on where you get it.</STRONG></div> <div><br>  <br> 2) How many pianos do you service in a week? How many can you do a day? How do seasonal changes affect your business and where are you located? Do you service pianos on weekends? </div> <div> </div> <div><STRONG>15-20 pianos a week.  My normal service call is 1 1/2 hours, though I generally give a little more time if necessary.  And, like Les Bartlett, I try to give a complete service call and deal with other issues as necessary.</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I can do 5 in a day, but on those days I won't be listening to any music on my way home...</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I live in a piano-friendly climate, though during hot or very dry air spells, I do get many calls.</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I service pianos on weekends as necessary, but try to keep work to weekdays.  I do work late 2-3 nights a week.</STRONG></div> <div><br>  <br> 3) Do you take credit cards or are you strictly cash based? Do you generate invoices? Do you establish a written contract with your customers for the services you intend to provide? </div> <div> </div> <div><STRONG>No credit cards</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>I have numbered invoices printed at a local prinshop</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>No written contract, though I've made proposals to institutions that have been accepted</STRONG><br>  <br> 4) How much do you spend on advertising? Do people visit your website? </div> <div> </div> <div><STRONG>See above for advertising costs.  People do visit my website, though I don't keep track of the number of hits.  One of these days I should figure out how to do that....</STRONG></div> <div><STRONG>Like my yellow page ad, I just want to have a presence.  It is more educational than commercial.</STRONG><br>  <br> 5) How do you determine how much to charge? Is it a flat fee for tuning and an hourly fee for regulation/repair? Are you willing to share any of these numbers? </div> <div> </div> <div><STRONG>You can check out my website for costs.  I don't like to haggle on the job, so I have charges printed on my invoices.  My prices may seem high, but they are actually low to mid-range for my area.  A fixer-upper 3 bedroom home in my town goes for around $700,000 dollars.  That's alot of pianos!</STRONG><br>  <br> </div> <div> </div> <div style="CLEAR: both"><STRONG>Hope this helps,</STRONG></div> <div style="CLEAR: both"><STRONG></STRONG> </div> <div style="CLEAR: both"><STRONG>Dave Stahl, RPT<br> <br> Dave Stahl Piano Service<br> 650-224-3560<br> dstahlpiano@sbcglobal.net<br> http://dstahlpiano.net/<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> </div> </STRONG> <div class="AOLPromoFooter"> <hr style="margin-top:10px;" /> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at <a href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000437" target="_blank"><b>AOL.com</b></a>.<br /> </div> </BODY></HTML>