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

[baimun]

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.

I pretty well avoided Guitar Center whenver I could... but after what they did with Woodwind and Brasswind, I've made it a point to stop buying from Musician's Feind, Music 123, and any of their brick and mortar stores.

 

[Kelly]

There's a guitar center AND a best buy within 2 miles of my favorite mom and pop music store. They have not only survived, they have thrived. Just keep offering the best product and service out there and they will come, people know the difference.

 

[Modern Saint]

On the other side it maybe a positive for you Mark. With all those beginners learning guitar there will be a need for more rock band classes. Those students are going want to form their own rock bands and want learn how to be in one. They will start to surf Craigslist alot more and will stumble across your rock band classes.

As for GC's teachers graduating from MI, most of them are rock players. Rarely will it be of other genre or styles. This is where you will have the upper track as you do offer other styles as well as a theoretical approach. Like the sales associates there, I believe a students life will be short lived and will seek better instruction.

 

[Chad]

I didn't know guitar center did lessons. If their lessons are as good as their customer service, you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Mark Wein]

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.

Yeah....i can read that stuff all day long but ultimately what I have to concern myself with is my own bottom line.

 

[Mark Wein]

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

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...

As our kids have gotten into school and other activities its been something I've been more aware of this year...we've supported all of the school music stuff that we can but I guess its time to move further out into the community.

 

[Mark Wein]

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.

I pretty well avoided Guitar Center whenver I could... but after what they did with Woodwind and Brasswind, I've made it a point to stop buying from Musician's Feind, Music 123, and any of their brick and mortar stores.

Actually I am pretty suprised that they are opening this Guitar Center. There are 12 GCs alone within an hours drive of here: http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-...7&sa=X&ei=Hl3WTrTyMcGjiAKo7LjLDA&ved=0CBMQyBM

If you factor in the Sam Ash stores and the few remaining independents like Jims Music it's really glutted with music stores trying to survive and thats not even including Best Buy and the online retailer options.

 

[Mark Wein]

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.

There's a guitar center AND a best buy within 2 miles of my favorite mom and pop music store. They have not only survived, they have thrived. Just keep offering the best product and service out there and they will come, people know the difference.

On the other side it maybe a positive for you Mark. With all those beginners learning guitar there will be a need for more rock band classes. Those students are going want to form their own rock bands and want learn how to be in one. They will start to surf Craigslist alot more and will stumble across your rock band classes.

As for GC's teachers graduating from MI, most of them are rock players. Rarely will it be of other genre or styles. This is where you will have the upper track as you do offer other styles as well as a theoretical approach. Like the sales associates there, I believe a students life will be short lived and will seek better instruction.

I didn't know guitar center did lessons. If their lessons are as good as their customer service, you have nothing to worry about.

The problem with waiting for the public to figure it out is that it will take people months and years to do so....and there is a continuous crop of people who are new to music lessons that don't or won't know any difference and figure that the big box store is doing the best job because they are a national chain and are a recognizable brand and blah blah blah. This could potentially impact our local industry hard for years just due to that factor.

So I need to really get out into the community more, raise our local profile and throw everything else into the online stuff.

 

[Mark Wein]

And hope that our customers remember that the best way to support us is to help spread the good news via "word of mouth".

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

And hope that our customers remember that the best way to support us is to help spread the good news via "word of mouth".

referral program to current students.

if they refer a new student, and that student stays on for 3 months, the referrer gets a free month of lessons. or something like that.

 

[Mark Wein]

referral program to current students.

if they refer a new student, and that student stays on for 3 months, the referrer gets a free month of lessons. or something like that.

I've done that before with little response but perhaps it might resonate a little more in the current economy.

 

[gibby mcfender]

Don't forget, you've got cooler t-shirts too

 

[Mark Wein]

Don't forget, you've got cooler t-shirts too

absolutely. We need Premier Music shirts though.

 

[baimun]

I still think you need a pic of Jack sitting next to a guitar and amp.... kinda like the RCA dog next to the old turntable.



Blow that shit up and make a great big banner out of it!!!!

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

I still think you need a pic of Jack sitting next to a guitar and amp.... kinda like the RCA dog next to the old turntable.



Blow that shit up and make a great big banner out of it!!!!

just what he needs. trademark infringement lawsuits from RCA and Premier Guitar. :rolleyes:

 

[Mark Wein]

Premier Guitar. :rolleyes:

already had one cease and desist from them if you remember

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

already had one cease and desist from them if you remember

i do. which is why i mentioned it.

 

[baimun]

Premier guitar got upset about Premier Music? Weren't you in business first?

 

[Mark Wein]

i do. which is why i mentioned it.

although that ended up forcing me to establish my own brand so it wasn't a total nightmare

 

[Chad]

I still think you need a pic of Jack sitting next to a guitar and amp.... kinda like the RCA dog next to the old turntable.



Blow that shit up and make a great big banner out of it!!!!

In the town where I grew up, a guy had a gigantic statue of the RCA dog and phonograph. apparently it is now in baltimore.