It's All About Finding the Correct SPEC

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'E' is for efficiency. Be prepared. Know what you are talking about. Do research and keep up with industry trends such as new racquets, new string patterns and new strings and grips. Make sure that you have all the necessary tools and supplies needed to run a successful business. In addition, make routine equipment checks. Is everything functioning the way it should? If not, get it fixed or replace it! Lastly, organize your thoughts, time and data. Try to focus on the task at hand. Once you begin a project it is necessary to finish in a timely manner. The adage that time is money is especially true in this business. The more that you are able to accomplish, the more money you should be able to make. Furthermore, if your customers perceive that you are very organized and efficient, they will be happier with your overall service. When a customer is happy, it is a win - win situation. They feel good about you and your service and you have that customer for life!

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It is even more possible that you will gain new customers. A satisfied customer will always share his/her good experiences with others. And there is no better advertising than word of mouth. It is credible, far reaching and free!

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The final letter in SPEC is 'C'. In rank and order, this is probably the most important letter of your business. It stands for consistency. And above all, consistency should be your number one priority. It defines who you are as racquet stringer and as a business person.

There are many ways to be consistent. The first is simple! Make sure all of your racquets are strung with the same high quality craftsmanship whether it be the first of the day or the last. Secondly, if you are stringing more than one frame for the same person (and the frames are identical), string them consecutively and make sure they come out the same with regard to tension and feel. Good players feel the difference! Thirdly, when a client comes to you for restringing and they say 'string it the same as last time', do just that! Use the same stringing machine with the same string and the same tension. This person comes to you for your quality yet consistent work. Do not disappoint them! If you have other stringers working for you, make sure that they service the same clients on the same machine. Tennis players are picky. They notice and feel style differences between stringers. Lastly, if you want to be consistent over time, you must keep records or stringing logs. After every racquet is strung, record the clients name, the make and model of racquet, the string and gauge, the tension and the date. This is the minimum amount of information you must record. You would also be wise to utilize racquet string labels that adhere to the inside of the throat of the racquet. This label has the above pertinent information but also includes a restring date. Record keeping puts you in control of your business, and better yet, keeps you there.