productivity Archives - Music Studio Startup

Phone Productivity Hacks

August 13, 2018

automation, organization, productivity, systems, time management

I have a love hate relationship with my phone. It helps me do so much, but it will also suck my life away if I let it! Over the years I’ve test a lot of phone productivity hacks. Some work for me, others don’t. These are a few of the ways I currently set up…

Online Productivity Hacks for Google Chrome

July 23, 2018

automation, Chrome, focus, organization, productivity, studio management, systems, time management

Last week I shared some of my favorite computer productivity hacks. Today I’m sharing web browser productivity hacks. Most apply to Chrome, but I know some (if not all) of the Chrome extensions I mention also have versions for other popular browsers, such as FireFox and Edge. 1. Turn off browser notification requests If you…

Computer Hacks to Make You More Productive

July 16, 2018

automation, organization, productivity, studio management, systems, technology, time management

Computers help us do a lot of things faster (like contact a whole group of students at once by email or automate our billing processes) but I’m convinced most of us could save even more time on these tasks by incorporating some new tools and strategies into our workflow. 1. Learn to text from your…

Summer Reading List for Entrepreneurial Music Teachers

July 9, 2018

books, entrepreneurship, focus, goals, online marketing, productivity, studio management, systems, time management

If you want to up your game as a business owner and your summer schedule affords you some extra reading time, check out five of my favorite entrepreneurial books: 1. The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber I first read this book in high school and it’s been a huge influence on how I’ve thought about…

Systems for Music Studio Owners

May 28, 2018

automation, creativity, organization, productivity, studio management, systems, time management

I feel I need to be upfront here: I probably have an unhealthy relationship with systems. I get really annoyed when I have to expend creative energy on repetitive tasks. REALLY annoyed. (If you want to hear a rant, ask me how I feel about picking out fresh clothes to wear every. single. morning.) It…

Computer Backup the Easy Way

March 26, 2018

automation, insurance, organization, productivity, studio management, systems

A while back, I shared my Tech Disaster Preparedness Checklist. This list covered all the things I do to protect my tech from all the typical disasters: power surges, stolen devices, failed hard drives (all of which I have personally experienced!) and more. Now, it’s time to get real. Did you tell yourself, after reading…

My Business Goal-Setting Process

January 22, 2018

focus, goals, introspection, productivity, studio management, systems, time management

In my last post, I talked about some of the questions I reflect on when evaluating my previous year in business. After I’ve finished looking back, I get to do the fun part…looking forward and planning the future! When I threw out the idea of starting new year’s goals on January 1, I also threw…

Gift Guide for Entrepreneurial Music Teachers

November 27, 2017

goals, holiday, organization, productivity, studio management, systems, website, WordPress

With the new year just around the corner, I’m thinking a lot about the goals I have for my studio and business. Some of these goals require investing in equipment or software. Call me boring, but I’ve always been a big fan of practical gifts. When I put together my wishlist for the family gift…

Tech Disaster Preparedness Checklist

October 30, 2017

automation, organization, productivity, systems

They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes, but I’d like to add “technology failures” to that list. Someday it will happen to all of us: our laptop will crash, our iPad will take a dip in the pool, or a homeless guy will steal our phone while we’re at a church…

Scheduling Emails to Automate Recital Communication

October 2, 2017

automation, organization, productivity, studio management, systems

Last week I described how I communicate recital information to my studio families. This process includes sending a series of four emails to my studio families in the weeks leading up to the big day. I could put reminders in my calendar to send those emails on specific days, but why do that when I…

Recital Communication: A Week-by-Week Guide

September 25, 2017

automation, organization, productivity, studio management, systems, time management

I hear stories of teachers getting inundated by last minute questions from parents about recitals. “Where is the recital?” “What is Emma supposed to wear?” “Is Jack playing this piece or that one?” I confess, I have a hard time relating. It could be that I’m spoiled by exceptional studio parents (I think they’re pretty…

I Quit!

September 18, 2017

focus, introspection, productivity, time management

All my life, people have praised me for being “determined” like it’s a good thing. And it can be. Being determined has helped me achieve a lot. But sometimes, it holds me back. Sometimes it’s good to quit. To give up. To move on. And I’m really bad at that. The Side Project Earlier this…