STRINGS Forum

MISSION STATEMENT AND GUIDELINES 

 

Welcome to the Shop Talk, Resources, Insights, and Networking for Group Support (STRINGS) forum. 

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If you are reading this, you have been invited to join or you are interested in applying for membership. This forum is a private group, accessible only by its members. Membership is limited to violin makers, and restorers, bow makers, and restorers, and respected shop owners throughout our North American community. Members must have a business with a public presence. 

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The goal in forming this group is to help each of us connect inventory needs and services needs with potential clients. Most small shops are tucked away in corners of larger market areas, or rural markets. This can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation. However, we all have clients looking for instruments, bows or repairs. We can’t all offer everything to each and every one of the clients who walk into our shops. 

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This is where STRINGS may be able to help. Our goal is to keep inventory acquisition costs low while at the same time opening up market areas for each of us. The focus will be small shops, and especially newly created businesses. Simply put, this forum is meant to develop relationships that have been specifically targeted towards these smaller markets. Each of us have unique needs and environments. With access to a variety of products and services through this platform, we should be able to address these unique differences efficiently. Together we can share our individual needs for products or services and streamline the process. This group is comprised of friends and friends of friends. But, getting to know everyone in the trade is time consuming or intimidating. This forum hopes to bridge that distance between each of us and shorten that time frame.

 

This is not meant to be a chat room or place to post your daily issues. There are plenty of platforms available to the world, this is not that kind of forum. The background of this group should make it easy to monitor. Nonetheless, here are a few basic rules that we intend to operate by: 

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1. Information on this forum shall not be shared with non members. 

2. Transactions developed here are entirely the responsibility of the involved members. However, it is the expectation of the forum that we all conduct ourselves in a very respectful and professional manner. 

3. Discrimination of any kind is strictly forbidden. 

4. STRICTLY NO POLITICAL POSTS OR REFERENCES! 

 

Any activity that runs counter to these rules or this mission will result in expulsion from the group.