Crafting the Perfect Welcome Packet for New Students: Setting the Stage for Success and Connection

First impressions matter, especially when welcoming new students into your studio. A thoughtfully designed welcome packet is your opportunity to make a lasting impression, set clear expectations, and create a foundation for a strong relationship with your students and their families. Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or just starting your music studio, a welcome packet is an essential tool to communicate professionalism and build trust. Let’s dive into why you need one and what to include.

Why Create a Welcome Packet?

1. Establish Professionalism A well-prepared welcome packet shows that you take your role as an instructor seriously. It sets the tone for a professional and organized learning environment.

2. Set Clear Expectations By outlining policies, schedules, and expectations, you provide clarity and prevent misunderstandings. A welcome packet ensures everyone is on the same page from day one.

3. Build a Connection Personal touches in your welcome packet help new students and their families feel valued. It’s a great way to introduce yourself, your studio’s philosophy, and your teaching approach.

4. Streamline Communication A welcome packet serves as a one-stop resource for important information, reducing the need for back-and-forth emails or phone calls.

What to Include in Your Welcome Packet

1. Personal Welcome Letter Start your packet with a warm and enthusiastic letter. Introduce yourself, share your passion for teaching, and express excitement about working with the student. This personal touch creates an immediate connection. Include in the letter, date of first lesson, and time and where lessons are held—I like to include a hyper link to where you teach to make it easy for the parents to find your location.

2. Studio Policies Outline your policies in a clear and friendly manner. Include details on:

   • Attendance and cancellation policies.

   • Payment terms and methods.

   • Practice expectations.

   • Online lesson protocols (if applicable). Clear policies help set boundaries and create a smooth experience for both you and your students.

3. First Payment Due Include a copy of their first Summary of Tuition and fees due and when it is due by. You can choose to have an application fee for them to pay before the lesson to “secure and reserve” their spot in your studio.

4. Studio Calendar Provide a calendar with important dates, including holidays, recital dates, and any studio closures. This helps families plan ahead and stay informed.

Creating Your Welcome Packet

• Digital vs. Physical Format: Decide whether to provide your welcome packet digitally (as a PDF) or as a printed handout. Digital packets are convenient and eco-friendly, while physical packets add a personal touch. I tend to make all my paperwork PDF and send them over email instead of mailing them out.

• Design Matters: Use tools like Canva or Microsoft Word to design an organized and visually appealing packet. Incorporate your studio’s logo, colors, and branding to create a professional look. Part 1: Getting Your Studio Started online course has an entire lesson dedicated to making your welcome packet with all the templets and wording included!

• Keep It Updated: Review and revise your welcome packet regularly to ensure it reflects any changes in policies, fees, or contact information.

The Power of a Great Welcome Packet

A welcome packet isn’t just a bundle of papers—it’s an extension of your studio’s identity. It showcases your professionalism, reinforces your commitment to your students’ success, and fosters trust from the very beginning. By investing a little time and effort into crafting a well-rounded packet, you’ll set the stage for a rewarding and lasting relationship with your students and their families.

Your teaching journey is as much about connection as it is about education. Let your welcome packet be the first step toward making every student feel at home in your studio.

Happy teaching!

Unlock Your True Worth As a New Teacher: A guide to pricing your lessons for success

Starting your new music studio is an exciting adventure filled with creativity, passion, and a vision for the future. But alongside the joy of pursuing your craft, one crucial question looms: How much should I charge for my services? Setting your prices is more than just picking a number—it’s about valuing your expertise, ensuring sustainability, and building a thriving business. Let’s break down the two key things to think about as you establish your pricing.

1. How Much Do I Charge?

The first step in pricing your services is understanding the area and the prices of the local teachers that you are teaching in:

Research Your Market

• Look at the going rates in your area for music lessons. What are other music teachers charging? ?

• Don’t just copy what others are doing. While local rates provide a baseline, your pricing should also reflect the value and experience you bring.

Align with Your Financial Goals

• Think about your business goals: you can then start to think about how much income you want or need to make.

• Calculate how many lessons you can realistically offer each week while maintaining quality and balance in your life.

2. How Do I Figure That Out?

Based on the prices of the teachers in your area, that’s the Goldilocks range you want to be in. No more than a couple dollars higher or lower than that rate. And, don’t undercut your prices to get more students. It will take you twice as long to earn what you should be earning per lesson.

Decide on a Pricing Model

Here are some common models to consider:

• Per Lesson: A straightforward option where clients pay for each lesson individually.

• Monthly Packages: Offer a consistent monthly fee that includes a set number of lessons, encouraging commitment from students.

• Tiered Pricing: Provide options for different lesson lengths (e.g., 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 60 minutes) or levels of involvement (e.g., beginners vs. advanced students).

Factor in Flexibility and Policies

• Create policies around cancellations, rescheduling, and missed lessons. Will you charge full price for last-minute cancellations, or do you offer make-up lessons? Clear policies help protect your time and income.

• Adjust your rates over time. As you gain more experience or invest in new skills, don’t hesitate to increase your prices to match your enhanced value. You can send out a notice to existing students or just increase your rates for new, incoming students.

Communicate Your Value

• Confidence is key when discussing your rates with potential clients. Explain the benefits of working with you—your qualifications, personalized instruction, and the results students can achieve through your lessons. Include that in your studio policy as well.

• Remember, clients aren’t just paying for your time; they’re paying for your expertise, preparation, and the overall value you provide.

Pricing your services is about striking a balance: you want to reflect your value while staying competitive and fair. Remember, your time, knowledge, and passion for teaching music are worth investing in. When you confidently price your services, you not only unlock your true worth but also set the foundation for a successful and sustainable music studio.

Go ahead and take that first step. You’ve got this! 🎶

Happy Teaching!

Mastering Time Management: A How-To Guide for Balancing Teaching, Staying on Schedule, and Implementing a Duplicable Teaching Style

As a mom of 3, I have had to work really hard to keep that work life balance especially since I teach in my own home. —Between you and me and there really isn’t a balance it’s just being honest with yourself about what you can really do in the time allotted to reach your personal goals.

Decide How Many Students You Need To Teach

Before you start advertising you’re ready to open your music studio, sit down and do the following:

1) How much money are you wanting to earn from teaching? For me, teaching is my job that contributes to our household living.

2) How many days are you truly able to teach? (I teach 4 days a week)

3) What are those times that you can teach? 🎶 It’s best to put all your lessons back to back, you’re able to fit more students into your schedule.

4) With the number of days you can teach, and the lesson slot times based on 30 minutes (or whatever the shortest time slot you offer) How many students can you fit? ( 4:00-6:00 4 days a week is 16 - 30 minute lessons a week) - likely you’ll have a combination of lesson lengths, but this is just getting your baseline tuition amount.

5) Next step is to take your desired income and divide it by 4 (4 weeks a month) between the number of minimum lessons. ex: $2000/4/16=32 (I rounded up). So your weekly 30 minute lesson price would be $32. Tuition Per month, based on 4 week months is $128. To configure your 45 minute and 60 minute tuition rate you just multiply it based on the $24 per individual lessons. (45 minute lessons $48 weekly /$192 month; 60 minute lessons $64 weekly/ $256 month.)

The key is to know what the average rate in your area is and don’t go too low and don’t go too high. Be in that competitive sweet spot. And by using some of the other recommendations that I’ve suggested in other posts like this found here on this blog.

Stick To Your Schedule

Now that you have your schedule you’ve got to stick with it. You have now defined for yourself that “time is money”. It’s your job to stay on time with each lesson, don’t be a doctor’s office that’s always late, because that affects everyone else following.

Also accept, you can’t teach everyone. There are going to be people that really want to work with you but they can’t commit to the opening you have. Add them to your wait list. It’s a really hard thing to do. And I’ve had to tell someone I don’t have any available time even on my speciality instrument, but, if they really want to work with you, they will wait. And if they don’t, then that’s not on you. You have to honor your time. For me, I get 1 day a week with my kids after school. And honestly, if I say that, the 1 day a week after school with my kids, to a prospective parent, they understand (yes, I have even told that to a parent, 2 months later I had an opening and they took it.)

Use The Same Method Books

Most of your teaching will likely be beginning through elementary. When you decide on the method books you are going to use, use them for every student as much as you can. After the first year of teaching, I knew the series of books I use (especially the Primer books) inside and out. I didn’t have to prep for the lesson. I knew what it was about, and how to effectively execute the teaching of it. So I had zero prep time going into those lessons. That left more time for me, or to do other research on pieces, find other music for recitals, or work through teaching prep on more advanced pieces of music for my advanced students.

The key is to keep things duplicatable from student to student as much as you can. I get not every student is the same, but the principals that you are outlining through the help of the method books is. Music in general is a series of rules. So it’s a concept that can be duplicated. Also, keeping the pricing the same from student to student and just using a base figure for all of your tuition makes it easier and predictable.

How many days a week would you plan on teaching?

Happy Teaching!

Becky

The Top Challenges You'll Face When Starting a Music Teaching Business (And How to Overcome Them)

Starting any new business is not without any risks. It takes time, effort, and determination to get any business started and ultimately hit that goal of a thriving business. Thankfully, music studios are one of the businesses that can thrive sooner rather than later, you decide how many students, you decide when and where to teach. You are offering a SERVICE. And most likely a service that is needed in your area. But let’s talk about some challenges you can face and how to better prepare for them just in case. I’m Becky, and I’ve built my music studio twice in 2 very different cities and I share all my tips and tricks on how to start, run and build a successful and thriving music studio!

1) Lack of students. Getting your name out there is going to be the #1 challenge in starting your studio. It’s all up to you on advertising that YOU are a teacher. That means, telling all your neighbors, friends, asking all of them to pass along your info if they know of anyone. Getting on Facebook, Instagram and putting yourself out there tagging your city or County location so that when people look in your area your name and studio pop up. Order business cards to hand out when needed and always carry some in your wallet. Leave the business card or flyer at a coffee shop, or local establishment (I like leaving my info at mom and pops locations). This is to get you started! You can check out more at this post here: 5 Marketing Strategies to Help Your Music Teaching Business Stand Out.

2) Pricing. Determining your tuition rate CAN be a challenge. It’s all about finding that Goldilocks pricing that works for you, and works for the family so that you aren’t over and above the local average for teaching. Check out this post to confidently price yourself and set you apart from the other studios!

3) Student Retention. Once you start a student, it’s easy to see working with them for years to come, especially if you teach beginning through advanced. But, students will come and go in your studio. The #1 goal is to keep students LOVING lessons so much that they beg their parents to keep taking lessons (yes it can actually happen!) Create a fun and exciting atmosphere in your studio. Decorate for ALL the holidays. Have candy (always a winner with kids) Pick songs that they will like along with your standard rep. I like to have a fun Halloween song for each student to work on in October. Plus let them pick the Christmas song for the holiday recital. I also like to have a “challenge” or reward-based incentive in the studio. Keeps them working towards something plus it helps them practice more regularly.

4) Avoid teaching Burnout. Set your schedule, and be firm with it. I get wanting to teach everyone that sends is interested, but also, be realistic with what you can handle with your already busy life and schedule. Be really honest with yourself in how long each day you can teach. How you can still spend time with your family. Remember, most lessons are an A-typical work schedule. For me, my husband gets home from work around 3:30 and takes care of the kids while I teach until 6:30. So I don’t get a lot of after school time with my kids. But I also, don’t teach every single day of the week. So I make time, and I keep it that way. Not everyone’s schedule will align with yours so…Start a waitlist if you have to so that if you do lose a student you already have someone or a list of someones waiting to work with you. And schedule in BREAKS, spring break, Thanksgiving and Christmas are guaranteed break for the whole studio and for me personally, I take June through Mid August off from teaching.

What are some challenges you have faced or fear facing when you start teaching?

Happy Teaching!

Becky

Stop underpricing yourself: How to confidently set prices that reflect your true worth

You’ve decided you want to start teaching, how do you choose your tuition rates to ensure that you book new students and keep them coming back year after year? Keep reading to learn how to confidently set prices that reflect your true worth.

Know YOUR WORTH!

You are setting up your business to be a money-making, profitable and SERVICE BASED BUSINESS. Just like a plumber or hair stylists, this is your job. Doesn’t matter if you’re teaching 1 or 20 students. It’s still a business that commands respect. For me, it took me years to accept and finally charge what I originally “wanted” to charge for my tuition rate. I undervalued myself and what I had to offer, which meant I had to teach more than double the number of students just to make what I needed to earn to help our family with bills. Plus it wasn’t helpful to the other teachers in the area. But having a teacher that is priced way lower than the other teachers around it creates a sort of “bidding war” and can put you or the other teachers in an awkward situation. You should create competitive yet reasonable rates.

Know WHY you believe in your worth!

You have to learn why it is okay to price yourself at your worth and not what others think you are worth. 3 items can help you justify your tuition rate:

• years of experience in your own development of talent

• education, college-level if any

• prior teaching experience.

When I opened my doors for teaching I had already been playing piano for 18 years, and horn for 15 years. I went to college and got a music degree AND had already been teaching for 10 years. Yet, I still under priced myself by $10 a lesson. And it took me YEARS of increasing my rates and finally moving to a new location where I could set my rate starting what I wanted and go up from there. I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. So here are a few tips I recommend.

🎶 Tip 1: Try to scout out your local area on what other teachers are charging for tuition. Base your rate around that and the 3 qualifiers above.

🎶 Tip 2: List in your studio policy what your monthly tuition includes! Include that your tuition is for private lessons, and also your time outside of lessons, overall music experience, and how many recitals you’re hosting a year.

🎶 Tip 3: Be confident when talking about your tuition. If you aren’t confident, whomever you are talking to will pick up on that and you could run into issues down the road with that family.

🎶 Tip 4: You can always increase your rates at a later date either for existing students or just for new incoming students or both.

Remember, you’re not going to be able to teach everyone. But also, it’s your business you can run it how you want, from creating “scholarship” opportunities to help offset the cost for a student, to reduced lesson costs for those in financial difficulties. I’ve even offered gift cards/pre-paid lesson opportunities which come in handy for holiday gifts or birthdays.

LAST THING: the minute someone starts to take advantage of you, from missing lessons, and expecting you to reduce their tuition due to missed lessons to paying past the due date. They aren’t respecting you or your business. Talk to them and let them know that this business is just as important to you as their job is to them. Give them one more chance and if they are late again, or continue the same pattern of behavior, then it’s time to terminate. In the end, you might lose a student, but there are always more waiting to join your studio, and to be respected is more than any money earned.

Happy Teaching!