The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #83418 Message #1532721
Posted By: freightdawg
01-Aug-05 - 01:17 PM
Thread Name: real life in new acoustic music store
Subject: RE: real life in new acoustic music store
Congrats, Wilco.
I would very much like to go into business for myself as you have, but since my business acumen is only slightly lower than my musical ability (which is to say, not very much) I doubt I will ever have the courage to do so.
One word of encouragement. You complained about internet sales, how they gut your sales. I am looking at a guitar purchase in the near future, and I found out (via the internet) that a local music shop had the model of guitar I wanted in stock. I went and talked to the salesman. He was so full of spit and vinegar about how he could make me a "great deal" on the guitar in question and how he was going to have to sacrifice blah, blah, blah. I know what the guitar retailed for on the internet, but I was willing to pay a little extra in order to have a local, real live person to talk to should there be a problem with the guitar, etc. But the guy put me off so much that I decided before I left the shop that I would buy the guitar on-line and run the risk of some of those related problems.
Its true that on-line shops sell for less than what you can probably afford to sell the same instrument (you have overhead, taxes, etc). But a lot of people would love to pay the extra for you to make a living so that they can come to you if there is a problem, for additional instruction or advice, or to "move up" to a higher quality instrument when the time comes. I really wanted to help support a local business man. If you come across as a genuine musician wanting to help your customers in an honest way you can overcome the cost difference real quick - its called good ol' home town service. My local dealer failed with a resounding thud - and so he lost a rather large purchase to the internet.
Just a little story and a huge bit of encouragement - may you have so much business that you don't know how to spend the profit!
Freightdawg