studio management Archives - Music Studio Startup

Six Lessons for More Effective Studio Promotion

June 4, 2018

entrepreneurship, marketing, networking, online marketing, perfectionism, promotion, studio management

This post isn’t so much a list of marketing ideas (although there are some of those) as it is a list of studio promotion principals or lessons I’ve learned over the years of promoting my own music studios and other small businesses. If you can’t figure out why your marketing hasn’t gotten any traction or…

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…

Registering Your Music Studio Business

May 14, 2018

startup, studio management, taxes

If you’re taking your music studio seriously as a business, you’ll want to make sure you’re setting it up professionally from a legal and tax position. This means choosing the appropriate legal structure, getting tax id numbers, and registering your studio name. There are a few steps to this process, so stay with me as…

Creating a Music Studio Financial Plan

May 7, 2018

business plan, finance, startup, studio management

My favorite part of business planning is developing the financial plan. This is when we lay all our assumptions out on paper and try to realistically predict how much $$$ it will take to start our business, what it will earn over time, and how long it will take to become a profitable venture. It’s…

Startup Checklist for Music Teachers

April 16, 2018

college, entrepreneurship, goals, increasing income, music majors, organization, starting, studio management

As the school year winds down, it’s a natural time to think about “what’s next?” for our studios. Maybe you’re graduating and preparing to start your career as a full-time, independent music teacher. Or maybe you’ve been teaching for a while, but you’re getting ready to make a big investment in your studio by moving…

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…

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…

Crafting a More Flexible Studio Calendar

July 31, 2017

lifestyle, studio management

I think my calendar is trying to kill me. This is not the first time we’ve had our disagreements. A few years ago I noticed that my studio calendar was becoming rather demanding, so we sat down and renegotiated. For the first time ever, I scheduled time off. Real time off. The kind where I close…

Clear the Paper Clutter with a Tickler File

July 17, 2017

organization, studio management

I love a good digital system (especially when it comes to record-keeping) but sometimes you just can’t escape the paper. My inbox this week was a good example of that. After digitizing the handwritten notes, recycling the brochures I didn’t need, and scanning the tax-related receipts, I still had several documents that weren’t good candidates…