I've heard the "you can't afford not to" attend conventions line many times. I certainly agree with that in concept, but in reality it's still very difficult. I fully intended to get to KC this year, but when the time came to sign up, there were no funds available for it. <br>
<br>I think the solution is an idea like Wim's... set aside funds each week in a special account. That account could also be used towards membership dues, which has been a challenge for me in the past. I am going to give that a shot because I'm tired of missing out on conventions! Plus, I love Seattle!<br>
<br>Paul Bruesch<br>Stillwater, MN<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 10:27 AM, Ryan Sowers <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:tunerryan@gmail.com">tunerryan@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
I'm surprised too, that more technicians don't attend the Annual convention. If you want to stay abreast of what is happening in the field, gain inspiration to do your best, gain new skills, techniques, and insights, attending the Annual is the best way to do it. <br>
<br>I think the biggest barrier is that technicians feel that they can't afford it, especially during a recession. But I say, you can't afford NOT to. What better way to recession proof your business than by keeping your educational level as high as possible. The best way to afford the convention is to build it into your yearly budget. Even if you only tune 300 pianos a year, if you charge an extra $5 on every tuning, it will pay most of your expenses. Get a room mate and you're totally covered. ( When I when I first started attending in my 20's I remember sleeping on a floor of a friends room to save $$)<br>
<br>Others claim they don't have the time, or it costs too much to take the time off. I say that if you are busy but can't afford to attend, you are not charging enough. Many high paid professions require continuing education credits to maintain professional standing. As a non-regulated industry, we must enforce these standards upon ourselves if we want to be prosperous. <br>
<br>Ryan<div><div></div><div class="h5"><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br>