there's NO business like NO business

[Piannaman@aol.com]

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In a message dated 4/11/04 4:15:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Tvak@aol.com 
writes:


> Several of you have responded that if it weren't for rebuilding, store 
> work, or other sources of income you don't know what you'd do...
> 
> Of course, I have other sources of income.  But I entered into this 
> pianotech thing with the assumption that one day I'd be able to make a living at 
> tuning pianos.  Your responses lead me to believe that this may be more difficult 
> than I first thought/hoped.
> 
> I recall my first PTG meeting.  I attended the informal dinner before the 
> meeting, and I asked everyone at the table, "Is there enough work out there for 
> me, and for everyone?"  A resounding YES from ALL at the table was the 
> response, and yet when the meeting began, the VP stood up (an outgoing jovial kind 
> of guy) and called out to the membership, "How many here tuned a piano 
> today?"  Half the room raised their hands.  
> 
> Half the room.
> 
> "How many tuned two pianos today?"  Less than a dozen.  
> 
> "More than two?"  Maybe 4 or 5 guys raised their hands.  Out of maybe 35 
> guys.
> 
> It's times like this, when I have three tunings in three weeks, that makes 
> me wonder if I've invested alot of time and money in a part-time job.

Tom,

The informal quiz taken by show of hands by your chapter VEEP may be 
misleading.

First off, not all piano technicians have a desire to tune much.  Second, 
some PTG members, at least in my chapter, are hobbyists and have no aspirations 
to be more.  

Hooking up with a store is the best thing you could do right now.  I don't 
know if you have such a connection or not, but it's worth a try.  You will get 
floor tunings/repairs/regulations (for which you won't make squat but you might 
be able to buy a few groceries with it), but most importantly, you should get 
free tunings of pianos that the store has sold or rented(charge double your 
floor tuning rate or more) and private jobs referred to you from the store.  If 
the management is cool about it, you will not have to pay referral fees or 
give the store a cut on the private jobs, because you've given them good service 
for a cheap price.

While I often whine about lack of prep of pianos by dealers, without the 
stores that I do work for, I'd be up an odiferous creek without means of 
propulsion.

Just an idea,

Dave Stahl


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