It’s indicative of the times we live in, and of the level of entitlement and lack of loyalty many are OK with. Not me!

Folks who’ve sought my advice and then taken their business elsewhere often come to realise that I’m probably the only one who can help them at some point later. When they discover that this option is no longer available, it can be a tough, though useful, lesson.

Take this real example:

Mike, I bought a vintage Pioneer turntable you recommended, and bought the cartridge and headshell you recommended from a store that couldn’t help me set it up. Can you tell me how to do all that..?

Nope!

Trust

A lot of hard work has gone into building our trusted reputation and this 650,000-word resource. We’ve had well over two million views here, and people worldwide seek out and trust our assistance. Many other businesses copy my work, content and style. When you support independent, creative specialist small businesses like Liquid Audio, you’re supporting people doing the hard work to create unique resources like this one.

Online discounters and copy-cat businesses ride on that wave of knowledge and interest that we create, yet offer nothing else of value, other than products they buy in bulk and know nothing about. Corner-cutter copycat repairers steal ideas and then pretend they came up with them. Why would anyone want to support businesses like this?

Another real example:

Mike, I read your article about repairing a JVC turntable. I don’t want to bring my equipment to you but can you tell me what parts you used and where to get them?

Nope!

If you enjoy this website, if you’ve found inspiration here or if you’ve learned something, you can support me and my small business. Better still, grab an advice consult and engage us to work on some equipment for you. You’ll be building a relationship with someone who rolls up their sleeves, contributes, educates, and actually helps people, rather than cashes in on other people’s hard work. That’s honourable, for those who care about such things 🙂