Ron Ferlito Music

  Thursday, March 26, 2020 by Ron Ferlito | Uncategorized

PLANET EARTH IS CLOSED (but we’re still open)

Hello students and parents - I hope you are all doing well during the strangest crisis in all of our lifetimes, I’m sending this message direct by multiple text this time so you will all find it more quickly and hopefully read it as soon as possible. I will also send this to the email addresses I have and post to my website as I did last week’s update. So here is my time sensitive message: 

In addition to the health scare we are constantly reminded of by the media, there is also the day to day life and economic interruption that more and more people are starting to realize. What is becoming increasingly understood is that the magnitude of the economic impact from shutting down the entire country is likely to be far greater and affect far more people immediately than the original health issues we are sacrificing our booming economy and many of our freedoms for in the first place. 

SAME CRISIS, DIFFERENT CONSEQUENCES:

For some the struggle is to remain active during what amounts to an unexpected long paid or unpaid vacation. With finances intact at least for a while or employment with a large company to cushion the blow, this is comparatively a minor inconvenience for those in this group and a chance to catch up on projects around the house. (I would LOVE to be in that situation!) For others you may be adjusting to a sudden and unexpected switch to having kids at home or going through a steep learning curve by switching your work or school to an online modality. Perhaps there has been little or no change for those of you already used to conducting business from home. 

However, many of you may be busy scrambling to protect your small business or personal lives from collapsing and losing everything you’ve worked a lifetime for in a matter of a few short weeks due to instantly vanishing or severely diminished income. For those in this category their challenge may be further heightened by the puzzlement of well meaning but mis-informed onlookers in real life and in the media who are secure financially or employed by large companies that may have a hard time understanding why anyone may be so concerned about money at a time like this. Some people may not only lack empathy or understanding for those in crisis financial condition, but they also may look down on their less fortunate friends and family for being unprepared, financially foolish, or even heartless for thinking about money during a time when others could get sick or even die. 

MY DILEMMA:

As much as I wish I could be like the electric company or many other large organizations who are giving people a break by pushing back due dates or suspending payments at least for a few weeks, I am sorry to say I am in that final category of a small business person with my back against the wall. After just barely recovering to financial health in the past few months since my switch back to music as a vocation seven years ago, the loss of ALL my performance income and several students due to this crisis we are once again teetering on the brink of  survival. That’s almost one half of my total anticipated March income gone in the past few days! 

Despite all this and in keeping with my goal to continue as much as possible with a “business as usual” attitude for RFM (Ron Ferlito Music) during this crisis, and in keeping with the mutual respect and understanding “family” underpinning philosophy of this business, I have made a difficult decision I’ve been wrestling with for weeks. 

MY DECISION:

I have decided to go ahead and send out all March invoices whether monthly or quarterly renewals at their regularly scheduled time to everyone still enrolled. Some who are less affected by the crisis financially have graciously offered to pay even though they will temporarily not be attending and do not want to switch to online lessons, while others seem to be possibly avoiding lessons or contact in hopes I would not be billing them. As a result I have been really struggling with what to do because as I said - my preference would be to not bill anyone at this time while continuing business as usual and working for free. But I’m just not in a position to do that and since so many on quarterly plans are not billed this month anyway, that would not be fair to those people. 

MY ANSWER:

So the solution is that I am sending everyone who is due for a bill this month their regular bill at the regular time of a couple weeks before the end of the month (right now) along with the regular option of an incentive discount for early payment before the due date. But I am also offering the additional option of allowing you to continue lessons if you wish and voluntarily decide whether or not you are able to pay this month’s bill early, on time, later after the crises, or not at all. I am also enabling the “tip” option within my Square credit card processing system for those of you who may be in a good position now and wish to add a little extra. Yes. I am indeed saying YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY YOUR MAY/APRIL BILL IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO. So many have expressed so much kindness grace and sacrificial giving from the RFM family in our difficult times of the past few years, i can only be free in conscience if I reciprocate during others’ time of need. This is a bit scary since as I’ve said we are among the “at risk“ financially as much as anyone so I’m trusting that our needs will be met as we seek to mitigate the struggle for others.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS:

I want you to know that whatever your choice may be, it is up to you. I do not know how most have you may have been affected by the crisis, and will not judge anyone if they choose to not pay, nor will I grant special favor to those who do. I do not know which of the economic situations described above you are in or if you may even be in a particularly blessed situation with extra hours or booming sales as a result of being in a medical related field or due to others being unable to work, etc. (it must be a boom time for food delivery services!). But I do know I can trust the innate nature of most people to want to do good to others and the desire of my wonderful clients to embrace this “family” culture of RFM that I have seen expressed towards me and many others over the years. 

HELP ALL HELP ALL:

By paying your bill on time or early or even going above and beyond with extra payment, it not only helps me and my family, but benefits the entire group by enabling me to focus on providing quality music education and a bright spot for all of us - including those who may not be able to pay for now- during this dark time. Now more than ever is a great time for all of us to share in the blessings of caring for one another and be encouraged by seeing true community sacrifice for one another operate in real life. 

As a result, if you are coming due for a March quarterly payment or you are in a monthly plan you will receive your bill as usual later today or tomorrow. 

Please contact me if: 

• you are not due until a later month but would like to pay something now anyway
• If you can make only a partial payment before the due date so I can adjust your invoice
• If you will not be able to pay at all by the due date at the end of the month as soon as you know for sure that it will be impossible. 

Please stay in communication so I have the most accurate information I can to plan for my finances so I can pay my rent and other end of the month bills. Like you, some of my bills are being deferred but others, such as our rent have informed us there will be no special grace offered this month on payment, due dates, or the newly instituted exorbitant late fees they charge now (over $300 extra for being one day late! - that’s part of why we are anxious to move out of here after 13 years!) 

So thank you so much for reading all this and continuing to be a blessing to me and one another as we move through this crisis together. If you are due in March you will see your invoices in your emails and texts shortly. 

Ron Ferlito, M.A.Ed.
623-466-3197 
ronferlito@yahoo.com 
www.ronferlitomusic.com  
www.facebook.com/ronferlitomusic/  
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