<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content=text/html;charset=iso-8859-1> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16705" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=MailContainerBody style="PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; PADDING-TOP: 15px" bgColor=#ffffff leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 CanvasTabStop="true" name="Compose message area"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Wim, I live in the Southeast and like yourself, my customers are having their pianos tuned at the scheduled time. I don't know how long that will continue. Calls from new customers are down for me also. I think this gas crunch is going to have a big effect on us in the near future.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>If we can hang on, and have a little cash, this could be an opportunity for us. My Grandfather made his money during the depression buying homes for 20% to 40% of their previous market value. The thing he drilled into my head was that cash is king. He said to buy when everyone is selling and sell when everyone is buying. Right now I'm buying quality pianos at great prices. I'll put them in A1 condition when my tunings get slow and have them ready for the market when the economy turns around. If history is any indicator it always does. If Wall Street is any indicator of things to come, tighten your seat belt and hang on for the ride. It could get bumpy</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial>Al Guecia</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt Tahoma"> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5"> <DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title="mailto:wimblees@aol.com
CTRL + Click to follow link" href="mailto:wimblees@aol.com">Willem Blees</A> </DIV> <DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, September 15, 2008 8:39 PM</DIV> <DIV><B>To:</B> <A title="mailto:Pianotech@ptg.org
CTRL + Click to follow link" href="mailto:Pianotech@ptg.org">Pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV><B>Subject:</B> How's business?</DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><WBR>If it weren't for my prescheduled appointments, my business would be next to nothing. I've only had one prescheduled appointment cancel on me, but other than that, the phone just isn't ringing. Considering today's Wall Street collapse, except for, of course, the Gulf states, how's business on the rest of the mainland? <BR> <DIV style="CLEAR: both"><BR>Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT<BR>Piano Tuner/Technician<BR>Honolulu, HI<BR>808-349-2943<BR>www.bleespiano.com<BR>Author of <BR>The Business of Piano Tuning<BR>available from Potter Press<BR>www.pianotuning.com</DIV> <DIV class=aol_ad_footer id=u8CAE5ABD2E8DFCA-890-39E1><FONT style="FONT: 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF; COLOR: black"> <HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"> Looking for spoilers and reviews on the new TV season? <A title=http://television.aol.com/feature/fall_tv?ncid=aoletv00050000000037 href="http://television.aol.com/feature/fall_tv?ncid=aoletv00050000000037" target=_blank>Get AOL's ultimate guide to fall TV</A>.</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>