SO I feel like a "mom and pop" store that just had Walmart open up next door.

[Kerouac]

Organize some students (the younger and more WOW factor possessing available) and provide entertainment for a local community charity. Kids get performance experience, charity can increase their awareness, and Premier can snag some new clients.


---
- Sent from my iPhone at a Tijuana donkey show.

 

[baimun]

Honestly, I think your classes that teach people how to work in a band environment is very unique (I only know of one studio in a few hour radius of me that does such a thing)


If you could get clearance to use your parking lot (maybe work out a co-advertising deal with food vendor in the same lot) and put on a free concert, cycling in different acts of different ages and abilities.... the participants and their friends/family would create a decent sized crowd before anyone new shows up (always a killer when the crowd is thin) and could really distinguish your school because of the wide range of instruction (you still have vocal teachers, right? )

I know that when I worked for a Gym, we would do holiday demos and would rack up huge numbers of lessons, particularly from families looking for something fun to do during the cold holiday vacation. I know you guys don't have the weather issue, but Parents might buy lessons for their kids to get them away from the Wii for the Holiday break.

 

[Mark Wein]

I would hope that the quality of instruction you offer will see you through this. It's highly unlikely that GC will be able to match you in that regard. I think dodgechargerfans post is pretty much the way forward. Hell, put me down as an "International Student"(which is true, I've learned so much from you)...I doubt if GC will have any of those.

It looks like we've started offering the Skype stuff not a moment too soon

Actually I'll probably be hitting folks up for testimonials and whatnot in the coming days both here on places like Facebook.

 

[baimun]

Oh... and Fuck Guitar Center in it's giant Corporate Meat Head Face.

 

[GergS]

I think if you can get the web lessons working for you, it will be a major plus. There are many people, like me, who have to drive 50 or 60 miles in any direction just to hit a music store and the instructions they give are pretty lame. I have learned more in the year or so I've been taking lessons with you than I did the couple of years I took lessons from a local shop (who went out of business long ago). You also have classes and instruction that Guitar Center won't offer. You'll have to try to outsmart them when it comes to the post-Christmas crowd.

 

[Mark Wein]

Organize some students (the younger and more WOW factor possessing available) and provide entertainment for a local community charity. Kids get performance experience, charity can increase their awareness, and Premier can snag some new clients.


---
- Sent from my iPhone at a Tijuana donkey show.

Thats actually a pretty good idea. We do shows but I haven't done a charity one yet and we have classes that are in need of performance time.

Honestly, I think your classes that teach people how to work in a band environment is very unique (I only know of one studio in a few hour radius of me that does such a thing)


If you could get clearance to use your parking lot (maybe work out a co-advertising deal with food vendor in the same lot) and put on a free concert, cycling in different acts of different ages and abilities.... the participants and their friends/family would create a decent sized crowd before anyone new shows up (always a killer when the crowd is thin) and could really distinguish your school because of the wide range of instruction (you still have vocal teachers, right? )

I know that when I worked for a Gym, we would do holiday demos and would rack up huge numbers of lessons, particularly from families looking for something fun to do during the cold holiday vacation. I know you guys don't have the weather issue, but Parents might buy lessons for their kids to get them away from the Wii for the Holiday break.

I'm a little concerned about our parking lot because it can be pretty dangerous, even it it were blocked off. We discussed doing something this past summer but were in the midst of a property manager changeover and it got put off.

 

[telecaster911]

I hate guitar center with a passion. Also, Walmart and all of those types of stores.

 

[Mark Wein]

I think if you can get the web lessons working for you, it will be a major plus. There are many people, like me, who have to drive 50 or 60 miles in any direction just to hit a music store and the instructions they give are pretty lame. I have learned more in the year or so I've been taking lessons with you than I did the couple of years I took lessons from a local shop (who went out of business long ago). You also have classes and instruction that Guitar Center won't offer. You'll have to try to outsmart them when it comes to the post-Christmas crowd.

the hardest part of the online stuff is convincing new people to make the jump...there are so many better marketed (and funded) options out there and many people still aren't comfortable with the technology yet...thats why we started doing the SKype classes and an inexpensive "gateway drug".

 

[Mark Wein]

I hate guitar center with a passion. Also, Walmart and all of those types of stores.

I hate 'em too but I don't want to be one of those "can't compete with the big guys" business owners. I think I can I just need to be smarter and work harder. It might even be what I needed to kick things up a level.

 

[baimun]

I'm a little concerned about our parking lot because it can be pretty dangerous, even it it were blocked off. We discussed doing something this past summer but were in the midst of a property manager changeover and it got put off.

What about the Bank Parking lot next door? If it were a Saturday Afternoon the Bank would be closed. I don't know if it's a local bank or a huge national conglomerate, but trading for Free Advertising goes a long way around here.

 

[Mark Wein]

What about the Bank Parking lot next door? If it were a Saturday Afternoon the Bank would be closed. I don't know if it's a local bank or a huge national conglomerate, but trading for Free Advertising goes a long way around here.

It's a bigger bank....I'd have to think about that one.

 

[baimun]

Hell... maybe Home Depot's parking lot would be good. Then you guys could be on an open stage at the corner of the intersection.... with signs facing each direction and a visible crowd to people driving by.

 

[Mark Wein]

Hell... maybe Home Depot's parking lot would be good. Then you guys could be on an open stage at the corner of the intersection.... with signs facing each direction and a visible crowd to people driving by.

That DEFINITELY won't be happening.

 

[baimun]

Are they on your MeatHeadFaceFucker list?


I see a big open Circle drive on the other side of your building. West Carlton Ave?

 

[jaxn slim]

I've been following a thread on TGP about how Guitar Center is leveraged out the ass and hemorrhaging money like crazy from all this recent expansion. Just stick in there for another year or two until they go belly up. Then you can find a way to poach all their students.

 

[Elias Graves]

I market against the big guys all the time.
Use personal service, ties to the community and quality as your selling points.

I don't know how involved you are with community organizations like Elks Lodge, Chamber of Commerce, etc. But those places have made some great contacts for me.

Your business may not be the same, but I've found that getting the higher ups friendly with you is a huge help.

Good luck.

EG

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

I've been following a thread on TGP about how Guitar Center is leveraged out the ass and hemorrhaging money like crazy from all this recent expansion. Just stick in there for another year or two until they go belly up. Then you can find a way to poach all their students.

i've been hearing this for years. yet they keep enduring. it has to end at some point, but i wouldn't bet my business on it either.

 

[baimun]

I don't know how involved you are with community organizations like Elks Lodge, Chamber of Commerce, etc. But those places have made some great contacts for me.

Your business may not be the same, but I've found that getting the higher ups friendly with you is a huge help.

Good luck.

EG

I have to agree here. I didn't follow any of that kind of stuff for the longest time.... but then I joined the American Legion as a legacy tribute to my Father (lifetime member) as well as the Eagles (friends who run the local groups also own local clubs). Started meeting people who then remembered and followed me to places I was gigging at... and then I saw the amount of business that my Boss picked up from local Chamber and Downtown affiliations. Pretty soon we'll have an almost unshakable footprint with our business downtown.

I know lessons are a little different... but if it's Mom and Dad paying for lessons, they might want to support local business etc...

 

[baimun]

I've been following a thread on TGP about how Guitar Center is leveraged out the ass and hemorrhaging money like crazy from all this recent expansion.

I smile when I read things like this because of the way they fucked up Woodwind and Brasswind and then have the nerve to broadcast holiday commercials in our area about how they "support our community" and want us to visit them online.

By "support" if you mean "fire hundreds of local workers, gut and finally close what was once the largest music showroom in the world" then... FTITMHF.

 

[OGG]

Damn, sorry Mark.

Hopefully, the fact that you are not a big box corporate monster will help distinguish your business enough to avoid them having any significant impact on you. Once the honeymoon is over for the new GC, a lot of people (just like on these forums) will go out of their way to avoid the place.