"I've always tried to do right by people, and hopefully that has come across," says the boss of well-known Burton music store Guitar Superstore.
On October 4, 1992, Pete Oakley equipped with just four guitars and opened up his first music store in two spare rooms on the high street in Burton.
The 55-year-old is now celebrating his 25th anniversary since setting up Guitar Superstore. He says that might be a deterrent for some new businesses, one of the key factors Guitar Superstore's longevity is the businesses has embraced the internet - and embraced it early in the web's development.
Pete said: "The business has had to grow exponentially over the years. We have reacted to people's expectations of what our business can do and, of course, we’ve seen the advent of the internet in that time as well and that’s become a really important part of the business now.
"We started our website in 1999, that's how we got the domain name that we have got, I don't think you'd be able to get anything like it now. Guitarsuperstore.com, is our online base and it just makes the platform so different to what it was back 25 years ago.
"Location wise, we have always thought about expanding the shop itself elsewhere, but to be honest with the internet, we really try to concentrate a lot more on that, because that really puts the store in front of everybody, wherever they are, but we have thought of other towns, but logistically it's made more sense to run the physical shop from Burton."
Guitar Superstore is currently situated in Station Street, but has moved around the town throughout the its 25-year history.
Mr Oakley said: "We started in a small way, actually it was a couple of rooms over what is now The Dial. But we really have been around a bit, we had a little place in Horninglow for a while. And then we moved to the other end of Station Street, which is now The Last Heretic, the micro-pub, so that was our shop for a little while."
"We then moved next door to here, and eventually managed to get the next door, on the other side to put the two together. Then last year, in July we moved into these premises. Which obviously is only next door, but into a much bigger premises which we definitely needed because we were so short of space; we still are really."
Before moving into selling guitars, amplifiers and pretty much anything else an aspiring musician might need, Pete was a keen musician and still remains one today.
He has written, recorded and produced four albums, which all capture his unique style of folk-meets-blues music. His four written albums are Back Porch Blues, Old Guitars Never Lie, Long Shadows and Ghost in the City. But, in 1992 Pete made a decision.
"I was a professional musician and gigging most nights. I wanted to do something during the day time with music as well.
"Obviously opening and running a business is always a challenge, but I've always tried to do right by people, and hopefully that has come across and the business has always succeeded on that basis," he said.
"That is why I have put my name over the door, so people knew who was responsible for, I couldn't think of a name for the business so if I put mine above the doors, there's no hiding.
"I started the business completely by myself. Since then, we’ve had various members of staff over the years. Not a huge amount because people tend to stay. Nick, who works here at the moment is retiring at the end of the year. He has been with us for 23, 24 years. They really tend to stick around!"
Looking back of his 25 years, Pete says he is always eager and willing to offer help and advice to anyone who is thinking about starting their own business, and buoyed with the knowledge of how to last on a high street, he said: "Whatever route you decide to go into, make sure you understand the market.
"Be persistent, be determined and roll with the punches, react to circumstances as they change and most importantly understand what you are getting yourself into.
"Only go into a market that you understand. I was in this business for a long time before I started the shop, so knew what I was letting myself in for.
"If you approach the internet in the right way, it will help you. It is certainly a very good advert and puts your stock in front of pretty much anybody who wants to look.
"But, the internet has seen off a lot of music businesses, because of the prices. But we actually price ourselves to the internet prices anyway and just take it on the chin and live with it."
Throughout the businesses years, the firm has held many clinics to introduce young and aspiring guitarists to seasoned professionals allowing them to learn from the best.
From Bernie Marsden, guitarist for British rock band Whitesnake, to Michael Angelo Batio who came all the way from America to meet Burton musicians, Guitar Superstore has run many workshops, and is already planning more for the future.
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To celebrate the anniversary milestone, Pete is inviting anyone who wants to, to join in the celebrations at the Tower Brewery, on Glensyl Way, Burton, on the evening of Wednesday, October 4, starting at 7.30pm.
There will be plenty of live music and reminiscing about the store from the last 25 years, topped with a specially brewed beer, bearing the store’s logo and recognition for the anniversary.
