This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Peter Robinson, owner of P&C Music on Skipton Road in Harrogate.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.

In my record shop I try to cover as many musical genres as possible, in two formats: vinyl and CD. I have rock, reggae, blues, punk, new wave, soul, hip hop – everything really. I also do classical and jazz, as that was the foundation of the shop that I took over.

I sell both pre-owned and new items. At the moment, the online shop has about 2,050 new items. More come in every day, so it's a challenge to keep on top of things.

I only put the new stuff on the website, as I like people to inspect the pre-owned before they buy. There's a backlog, though – I've got about 1,000 items to add to the site, so if you look online and you can't find what you're looking for, it doesn't mean we don't have it.

What does it require to be successful in business?

Determination. You've got to believe in yourself and not be discouraged. And you've got to work hard.

I sometimes get people coming in and saying 'It must be great to have a hobby like this' – but this is how I make a living!

What drives you to do what you do every day?

I absolutely love what I do. I'm extremely customer-focused and always have been. I like people, and I get a huge thrill when I've got something in that someone's been looking for for years.

I'm past retirement age – I was when I opened the shop here – and I have an enormous fund of knowledge about all kinds of music. 

I went to loads of gigs in the '60s, including a Rolling Stones tour in August 1964. The Kinks, the Yardbirds and The Ronettes were all on the same bill. Inez and Charlie Foxx were there too, and I swear Charlie incorporated a moonwalk in his routine that night.

The next day, I got detention because I hadn't done my chemistry homework!

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months?

The price of new vinyl. It's gone up by 30 to 40% this past year. I used to get things in on the off-chance they might be good, but I can't risk it now.

Vinyl is a luxury product now. It never used to be, even after its revival around 2008, when Record Store Day was first held as a solution to so many record shops closing.

That said, I'm still about £10 to £20 cheaper than anything HMV does. Way cheaper.

Another thing I have to contend with is people moving records about. Everything has its place in the shop for the convenience of the customer and so that I can find it if someone asks for it – not because I'm fussy! 

If something's been moved to where I can't find it, I've lost a sale. It happens with dull regularity, and I lose about £50 a week because of it, which is a significant amount of money for a sole trader.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

I admire any shop that against all the odds does the sort of thing I do, but in their own sector – people who plough their own furrow and supply a service no-one else is supplying. These kinds of shops give the town its character.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

I don't have the luxury of time to think about local leaders and admire them – I'm too busy!

What could be done locally to boost business?

It would be good if something could be done about people riding their bikes on the pavement. I get nearly knocked over every other day on the pavement outside. It's usually either kids on their phones, riding two abreast, or big guys on mountain bikes.

If I'm hit, that's probably the end of my career. My whole life would change completely.

That may make me sound like an old guy, but I am an old guy!

Best and worst things about running a business from Harrogate?

I'm very lucky – I don't get charged business rates because my shop's so small, and I've got a really good landlord. I had a shop on Commercial Street, and I was basically just paying the rent and rates and going home with nothing. I had no life at all.

So I moved here. The rent was less, but a lot of my customers didn't move with me, and I thought I was going to go under. But my landlord was really good and lowered the rent.

The worst thing is that the summer's awful for trade. I do the opposite of a squirrel saving its nuts for winter: I use my sales over the winter to tide me over the summer.

I've had some narrow escapes where I thought, 'If this week isn't a good one, I'm finished', but somehow I've always had that good week. You can't be complacent. It's the same for every independent shop.

What do you like to do in your time off?

I'm not really an outdoorsy person. I'm bookish and like old films. I live alone, but I never get bored – there's always something to do.

Best place to eat and drink locally?

To eat, I like Jinnah. The food's really good, the service is exceptional and it's just a really relaxing environment.

I also like the two pubs just along from the shop: the Devonshire Tap House and The Mucky Duck. The Devonshire is an old Georgian pub – quirky, with a good range of beers, and The Mucky Duck is good for sitting outside in the summer.

It's always been an ambition of mine to be known by my first name when I walk into my local pub, and now I am!

If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.