Why retail sales?

     I have been tuning pianos now for many years now and while the current economy has severely effected the business I am still in business. I have very little overhead and cannot be put out of business by losing a building.  My business has expanded beyond the customer base that could be covered by one tuner and when that happened I became a manager of other very good tuners that help serve my customers.  Management is not for everybody but i found that I like it and seem to do it well.  There is a down side to sending other tuners into your customers living rooms but I will not deal with that here.  This job that I like so much does provide a level of security as long as the customers are pleased with your work and most tuners settle for this situation earning a comfortable living serving regular customers often for many years.
     Signing a lease and opening a physical store on the other hand makes one responsible every month to produce a certain level of income or close the door.  Why then take on this burden?
     Broadening customer base:  The products sold in a music store would add customers that play many instruments and would give the piano company greater visibility and attracting still more piano customers.  Customers would be coming to me with still more new customers in tow.  As I get older I think I will enjoy not having to spend so much of my time driving to my customers location.
     Greater income potential:  Adding more customers and more tuners will produce more income but the work occurs out of my direct supervision.  It is therefore harder to maintain quality control and my liability increases directly in proportion to the amount of work taking place remotely.  Diversifying into the sales of hundreds of new products also has the potential to increase income.
     My business currently consists of a customer list that is very hard to sell so my exit strategy has a major problem.  A store if successful is something tangible adding value to the business.  I can only sell the tuning business to another tuner whereas a store with a track record is something tangible for my kids someday.
     The tasks of running a store play to my strengths:  As stated earlier the management aspects of having others working for you is not for everyone but I found that I liked it and seemed to be effective at the tasks involved.  It is not easy to find where your strengths lie.  My sons are considering what career to enter and I try to help them see the need to find ones strengths and move into a field that capitalizes of those strengths.  Choosing a career only because it pays well is in my opinion a mistake.  Doing something you do not enjoy and are not naturally gifted in will soon get very old. 
     I am very happy to have found a job that I enjoy so much and that I can continue to do for many more years.  I suspect that I will enjoy the customer interaction very much when my store opens as I do now when I am tuning.  This economy is causing many to think about their own business.  If the business encompasses  one of your passions it is a wonderful thing but a job where you clock in and clock out is definitely the easier path.  I have never worked so hard as these years operating Renshaw Music but also never enjoyed going to work this much before.