[Jroettger]

Thanks Tom and Jim. I run a little one man skyway store and it can be a zoo at times in terms of interruptions. However it's usually busy around lunch and then quiet most of the day. I charge well for jewelry repairs to discourage them. Can't delegate because if something serious is gonna get wrecked I want to do it myself which has never yet happened in over twenty five years (a rarity in the jewelry world where expensive stuff is commonly destroyed.) My wife is student with an aversion to family businesses so I think my only hope is to wait till my daughter who's 9 gets old enough to help me. There are too many times though when I have a file over stuffed with notes taken from people wanting estimates and designs. I do the metal work and engraving exclusively at the store and the wax work, engraving layouts and designs and estimates at home in the evening. "Squeaky wheel gets the grease" theory on customer service. I never do any job related work on Sundays. Some customers have adapted others just get miffed and take their stones back and go. I spent about 15 years being a subcontractor for other jewelers and then 9 years years ago I was able to open my own store with an eminent domain settlement received from the city when they destroyed the building I had my former studio in. I'll probably stay retail the rest of my career as it affords me the greatest opportunity to advance my own designs as an independent artist to the community. I got tired of always making other peoples designs and being anonymous.