As a music teacher and entrepreneur, you know that running a successful teaching business can be challenging, but also incredibly rewarding. Whether you are just starting or have been in the industry for years, there are always new strategies and techniques to learn and implement to grow your business and keep it running successfully. In this article, we will explore 10 proven strategies that will help you keep your music teaching business running smoothly and successfully. From creating a solid business plan to leveraging social media and building strong relationships with your students and their families, you will discover practical tips and insights that will help you take your teaching business to the next level. So, whether you are looking to attract more students, increase your revenue, or simply improve the quality of your teaching, read on to discover how you can achieve your goals and build a thriving music-teaching business.
Develop those long-term friendships with your student. Make lessons fun, and have a candy bowl. When your student is super excited to come to lessons or practice at home, the parents will see that and will love that they don’t have to work as hard to get their kid into lessons. They will thank you for it and will tell their friends all about you and your business and referrals are GOLD as a small business.
Offer a referral incentive. This goes right along with #1. The more your students bring, the more in demand you become. Make sure you have a stipulation, that only 1 benefit is awarded monthly. For my studio, the students will receive 1 free month of lessons once a referral student starts. You can stipulate, max 2 referrals a semester, or good for any month of their choosing. But this is something to have added to your Studio Policy!
Create a Lesson Agreement that new students have to continue lessons for 4-6 months (you decide the length) to allow enough time for the student to fully get the basics learned and if music is right for them. This shows the parent you are worth investing in for at least a determined amount of time.
Create a solid business plan of a set teaching schedule and even make up lesson frequency, and stick with it. When you treat your business like a business, you will be regarded as a business, not just the neighborhood piano teacher that is doing this in their spare time.
Word of Mouth! Referrals are GOLD, but you still have to tell people that you are a teacher/offer music lessons. ADVERTISING is necessary for any business. People won’t know unless you tell them about it. Get business cards made and carry some with you everywhere you go. Hang one up on community boards when you see one. Leave it on a counter at a business where other cards are being left.
Think outside of the box in what you can offer. Offer to record music and splice recordings together, be an accompanist, offer songwriting workshops, theory workshops…The list can go on and on! You can check out more ideas in this post about innovative teaching opportunities!
Don’t feel like you have to cater to the masses. Limit your studio to what you can realistically handle. And price your tuition at what you are truly worth, not what others think you are worth. Teaching can take a lot out of you, especially if you are teaching in small pockets during the week or weekend after working another job during the day.
Build a waitlist. While it’s hard to say, “I have no room right now” when you "might “ be able to add an extra lesson day in to accommodate every student that comes calling, you will be making sacrifices somewhere else. For me, I teach 3 days a week almost right as soon as school gets out and often finish teaching when it’s my kid’s bedtime. I dedicate 2 days that I don’t teach so I can help my own kids with after-school studies and have time with them. If I gave that time up for more lessons, I miss more time with my kids.
Value your time. Don’t be the teacher that always goes over lessons and makes another student wait. Just like going to a doctor’s office, no one likes having to wait beyond their specified time. If a student is late, there is no make-up time at the end of lessons. When you respect your time, the families will too. And things happen, but when it becomes a constant problem, address it with the parent as “Is there another time in the week that works better for your family.”
Incentives work wonders for kids and families. When you have a challenge for your kids to work towards with BIG REWARDS. Believe it or not, candy does the trick, especially when they get to pick what candy they are getting. Be very clear about how the student earns the reward. I usually send an email out to families with the challenge rules. And check in weekly with either a practice chart/sticker chart or have some way to track progress over time so they can see their progress.
When you use these proven strategies, your studio will not only be in demand but will prosper the test of time with loyal families that come back year after year and you will be able to continue to grow your business on your terms and make it a fun place for your students!
Happy Teaching!
