Address: 608 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Website: www.novamusik.com
Year founded: 1999
Product or service offered: Synthesizers, recording equipment, effects processors, guitars, amps, electronic drums, DJ equipment, and studio speakers.
Projected 2011 revenue: Undisclosed
CEO, PRESIDENT/Owner(s): Tony Gral
Target clientele: Everyone from beginning musicians to professional engineers, professional musicians, touring acts and back-line companies
Business organization memberships: North American Music Merchants, Better Business Bureau
What has fueled your company’s growth?
We pride ourselves on our customer service and expertise. All of our sales people are musicians or dj’s or engineers. We have a very good idea on what our customers are trying to accomplish and what equipment will fit their needs.
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth?
Our competitors who undercut our industry’s MAP policies. We want to make a certain amount off of each sale and some competitors are happy making much less. We are also going through the growing pains of transforming from a very small business to a much larger one.
Do you plan any changes in your company in the upcoming months?
We plan on launching our newly designed website. We are also looking into more integration for inventory control, order processing and accounting.
Who are the business people, locally or nationally, whom you admire? And what traits do those people exhibit that make you admire them?
Apple. They are a company that is not afraid to push the limits of what they do. They have such a brand name and image that every time they come up with something tens of thousands of people want to buy it.
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months?
The Musical Instruments industry is starting to rebound slowly as a whole from the recession. The outlook and attitudes of the people at trade shows are looking up.
What is your company’s key strategy for rising out of the recession?
We are able to use our own website, ebay and Amazon to broaden our presence to the buying public. We have also diversified our product lines to have a wider selection.