<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <TITLE>Message</TITLE> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I did an eye opening experiment last year. A dear friend and colleague, as well as one of my mentors, who lives close to 60 miles away from me, was, and continues to drive to areas way past where I live in order to service his die-hard customers. In a generous offer to help me gain some new customers to my fledgling business, and to see if he could cut down a little on his driving, he GAVE me all his contact information for his customers in my neck-o-the-woods. He and I worked on a letter of introduction for me and I sent out close to 200 letters over the next six months or so. Like I said, this was last year. To date I have had exactly TWO of those customers actually contact me. Both of them said that they really appreciated my letter, and that because of my colleagues recommendation there was no doubt in their minds that I was a competent tuner/technician. But both of them also said that until my colleague actually retires or refuses to continue to make the drive to their home they will continue to use him. What I learned from this is that loyal customers will remain loyal whether you sell them or not. And once you actually quit servicing your loyal customers, and they are potentially left to their own devices to find a replacement, if you want someone specific to replace you, you will probably need to make that introduction yourself. You can't buy that kind of loyalty. How on earth would you sell it?</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>-- Geoff Sykes</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>-- Assoc. Los Angeles</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>-- <A href="http://www.ivories52.com">www.ivories52.com</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN class=078361804-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV></DIV> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Leslie Bartlett<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 01, 2007 8:17 PM<BR><B>To:</B> 'Pianotech List'<BR><B>Subject:</B> RE: What's a tuning business worth?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=885051403-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>I've had two technicians virtually turn their clientelle's names over to me, and I will turn my names over to someone when I retire.  It is my belief one doesn't sell a "business"......  One sells him or herself and when that is no longer occurring there is no "business", only a data base, and each of those people, loyal to their tuner, will be freed of that loyalty.     I have had a local person offer to "sell me names"..........   I can find names in a phone book.   he can't sell me "business".</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=885051403-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=885051403-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>Just my skewed perspective.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=885051403-02062007><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2>les bartlett</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR> <DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left> <HR tabIndex=-1> <FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Jim Johnson<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 01, 2007 6:29 PM<BR><B>To:</B> pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> What's a tuning business worth?<BR></FONT><BR></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I will be looking to retire sometime in the next few years and I'm wondering what my business may be worth if I sell it.  Do any of you have experience either buying or selling a tuning/repair business (no physical retail location, just a well established clientele)?  What is the relationship between annual income and selling price?  Any ideas will be appreciated.</FONT></DIV><BR> <P><FONT size=2>No virus found in this incoming message.<BR>Checked by AVG Free Edition.<BR>Version: 7.5.472 / Virus Database: 269.8.5/826 - Release Date: 05/31/2007 4:51 PM<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>