It’s not only important to have passion, it’s vital to be able to adapt to changing circumstances.
He was able to do that by competing successfully against bigger mail order shops and internet competitors.
Here’s what happened.
From the USPS Small business letter…
Dennis Ricci has worked hard to make The Long Island Drum Center a success. The company, which he founded in 1977, is based in Plainview, N.Y., but serves drum enthusiasts all around the globe, thanks to a thriving retail and mail order business.
But that wasn’t the case 10 years ago. “Back then, we were getting eaten alive by the Internet and mail order houses,â€? says Ricci, who noted the company did not have a mail order service before 1995. “We had to do something or we would have gone out of business.â€?
The company needed to add mail order service — and do it at a great rate. The solution came from the United States Postal Service® actually from Ricci’s own postal carrier, Richard Ronchetti, who suggested the company consider using Global Express Mail for international shipping because it was more cost-effective.
“Global Express Mail is great because you can track everything; it’s been a very good, reliable service,â€? Ricci says.
The businessman notes that mail order sales are about 40 percent of his company’s operation, and 30 percent of these sales are shipped internationally through Global Express Mail.
Today, the drum center is thriving. Ricci has eight employees and a 7,000-square-foot retail showroom/warehouse facility. More than 50 drum sets are on display and ready to play at the center, which also features a custom repair shop and five fully equipped teaching rooms. The instruction areas include equipment for lessons on drums, tuned percussion and Latin percussion.
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