A reader asked if I could share a sample of a studio newsletter, so here’s a few screenshots! Click the thumbnails below to view each page larger:
For most newsletters, I also include a list of music events going on in the community. I think it’s great for students and their families to hear and be inspired by good performances! Here’s a post with other ideas for what to include in studio newsletters.
I created this newsletter using a template in Microsoft Word.
I’ve been doing a bit of cleaning and reorganizing in my studio, like putting all those music books that always seem to migrate to the piano top back in their proper place on their shelves. 🙂
I also visited the music store today to pick up new books for some of my students. I’m so happy to have a music store in my area again. In the town where we were living back in Michigan, there was no music store within an hour’s drive. I won’t take it for granted again, and will do my best to purchase music books from them instead of ordering online! Maybe I can help keep them in business. 😉
With the arrival of the new year, it’s also time to plan ahead for the student events that springtime inevitably brings! I’ve been using my Studio Planning Calendar (pdf is available for download on the Printables > Studio Business page) to plan for upcoming festival and event dates held by the music associations in my area. I’m excited about all the different opportunities there are for my students to participate in, and I’d like to send at least a couple of students to each event. I also have a few students that I might enter in The Achievement Program for assessment in May, provided they are interested.
How is the New Year going for you? 🙂
Wow, last week’s Forum Q&A received some great responses about advertising! Thank you, and be sure to read what everyone had to say by clicking here! As always, it’s never to late to add your thoughts to the discussion.
A few days ago, I received an email from a Color In My Piano reader with this question:
When traveling to a new students’ homes, how can you screen students before agreeing to teach them? What kind of safety precautions can be taken before going to a stranger’s house (especially an adult student)? If they sound questionable on the phone, is there a way to politely decline giving them lessons?
Please leave your advice in the comments below!
I’ve been intending to write this post in the “Studio Marketing” series (perhaps the last one) for awhile now, but I was stalling in hopes of being able to include more information about the new Google+ social networking site……I’ll get to that in a moment. Read on. 🙂
What can Social Networking do for YOU?
I’ve discussed before about how important it is today to have a website for your business. It’s important to have an online presence, period. Utilizing social networking helps built rapport between you and your current & potential customers. Marketing is promoting your business. It’s about reaching people where they are. And it’s about creating an image for your business that people want to identify themselves with.
The good news is that social networking is free. Yes, you will have to invest a little time to set things up and update things now and then, but I think you will find it a very rewarding activity if you aren’t doing it already! Continue reading “Studio Marketing: Social Networking & More”
Last time, we shared our favorite pieces of technology! It’s never too late to add your thoughts, so feel free to jump in the conversation if you haven’t already!
This time, let’s talk about advertising. Yesterday, I mentioned that I will be giving a presentation about marketing & technology for piano teachers in March. I would love to learn more about what techniques piano teachers are currently using to advertise!
What kinds of advertising have you tried in the past? What works, and what doesn’t? How often do you advertise? What kind of budget do you give yourself each year for advertising?
Leave your comments below!
Photo Credit: Dominique Godbout | CC 2.0
I thought today I’d share a photo of the sign I have on my house for my studio! My brother-in-law made it for me as a birthday gift (my husband gave him the idea). The lettering is just the right size for the window and can be seen well from the road, since our home sits pretty close to the road. It looks very professional, and we’ve already had a few of the neighbors notice it. 🙂
Before putting a business sign outside my home, I had to get a “Home Occupation Permit” from the city. I’m sure it varies from city to city, but my permit cost $25 (I think it’s per year – or maybe longer) and it allows me to put up one sign, no larger than 12 inches by 12 inches. I suppose that if you live in a rural area, there might not be any stipulations regarding running a business in your home or putting up a business sign — but it doesn’t hurt to check. Most cities probably do. Having this Home Occupation Permit gives me peace of mind! Should a neighbor ever complain about my business for some reason (unlikely to happen, but always possible), the city would not be able to easily shut me down since I am running my business legally. Continue reading “My Studio Sign and More”
Just added to the Printables > Studio Business page:
Studio Planning Calendar
I needed some kind of calendar to keep track of both short-term and long-term studio-related projects…and came up with this! Each month has space for 8 dates or “to-do” items. The check boxes are so you can “check off” those to-do items with the utmost satisfaction. 🙂
Here are some of the things I’m keeping track of using this calendar:
To prepare for the new teaching year, I’ve been updating a plethera of my studio documents! I finally have them all updated here online too on the Printables > Studio Business page. If you are interested in using any of them, feel free.
The ones that are Microsoft Word documents can easily be edited to your personal needs. On the pdf documents, I’ve left room on the top for you to print your own student name or logo if desired (just print it twice – once as is, and then run the sheet through the printer again this time adding your own personal touch). Enjoy!
The pre-conference seminar track “Students & Young Professionals” finished with this session:
The Entrepreneurial Musician: YOU, Inc., by Angela Beeching. W @ 8:00pm.
Angela Beeching is the author of a book called Beyond Talent. She provides counseling to musicians to help them succeed in their careers. She gave us a wonderful session about being an entrepreneurial musician.
Angela proferred that we as musicians often tend to keep the art and business aspects of what we do separate. She suggested, however, that it really should all be together.
Then she asked, what’s the purpose of any business? It is not just to make money. It is to make a profit. Continue reading “NCKP 2011 | (6) The Entrepreneurial Musician: YOU, Inc., by Angela Beeching”
Next up during the pre-conference seminar called “Students and Young Professionals,” we heard a dynamic session about writing a business plan for your studio business!
Got Money? How to Write a Business Plan that Gets You Thousands! by Kathleen Theisen & Kristin K. Yost. W @ 5:15pm.
Kathleen and Kristin stressed the importance of running your studio like a business — because it is a business! You are the CEO of your business and need to act like one.
To think like a business, start by writing down what is important to you. People who are successful have passion, focus, and goals — these are all traits which musicians usually have, so we are fortunate!
Then think about finding a niche. What are you known for? What do you want to be remembered for?
To determine your salary, you need to think long-term by the year. Know what to charge, and never charge by the month or lesson.
Then Kathleen and Kristin talked at length about writing a business plan. Even if you never have to use the business plan to get a loan from the bank, it’s important and beneficial to have written down your plan and have thought things through in such terms and in such detail.
Running a successful business is very much about having an entrepreneurial spirit: be fabulous in what you do, give, and be a great colleague.
Every once in a while, I receive emails from readers wondering if their tuition rates are appropriate. Setting rates is a difficult topic to talk about, because for one thing, rate depend largely on the area where you live. For that reason, I can’t advise exact numbers — but with this article I hope to offer some guidelines and suggestions regarding this topic nevertheless.
The Problem
I’m sure we’ve all experienced parents/students who are shopping for piano lessons by price. Let’s face it: many parents today (especially in America) shop for piano teachers based on price, even though they really should be “shopping” based on the teacher’s experience, education, professionalism, dedication, etc.. Parents shop by price because in their logic, little 6-year-old Suzie doesn’t need an expensive teacher unless they discover that she has a talent for piano and long-term interest. And they don’t know any better. Continue reading “Determining Tuition Rates for Piano Teaching”
It’s time to get another Forum Q&A going!! Let’s talk about business structure options for teaching studios. Despite having a music degree, I still know very, very little about setting up a business. I doesn’t seem right…I wish one of my college courses had covered this topic at some point. :/
Do you have a solo proprietorship, partnership, an LLC, or a corporation? What are the benefits of each option? Do you have a separate bank account set up to manage studio income and expenses? Do you hire an accountant or bookkeeping services to help with the accounts and taxes? What other business advice can you offer?
I hope you can help me out — and hopefully other readers will benefit too! Update: Here is my follow-up post.
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