systems 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…

Episode 009 – Sean Murphy on Managing an In-School Studio of 100+ Students

July 25, 2018

in-school lessons, increasing income, marketing, organization, saxophone teacher, studio management, summer, systems, time management

Summary Sean Murphy is a saxophone teacher who managed to teach 112 students on a weekly basis by teaching in schools, during the school hours. In our interview, Sean shares his scheduling strategies, communication tips, and how he keeps his income up in leaner summer months. Takeaways Starting out Sean’s personal network led him to…

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…

Episode 006 – Wendy Racer

July 4, 2018

branding, studio decor, studio management, systems

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Summary Wendy Racer is an interior designer and the owner of Way Interiors. In this episode, she shares her five profit-boosting interior design tips for music teachers and studio owners! Takeaways 1. Keep the look of your website, business card, and studio…

Music Studio Branding Lessons from Magnolia Market

June 25, 2018

branding, customer service, marketing, student experience, student retention, systems

Full disclosure: I have never seen an episode of Fixer Upper and couldn’t tell you much about Chip and Joanna Gaines beyond their names. My sister, however, is a huge fan. When she heard I would be in Waco, TX last week to speak at the Texas Music Teachers Association Convention she insisted I go…

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…

3 Ways to Track Your Mileage for Tax Purposes

March 12, 2018

personal finance, systems, taxes

I’ve mentioned before that being a self-employed music teacher allows you to take advantage of some pretty valuable tax perks that our employed counterparts don’t get. One of these is the mileage deduction. Here’s how it works: For every mile you drive for business (driving to lessons if you’re a travel teacher, teacher meetups, conferences,…

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…

Using a Style Guide to Speed Up the Graphic Design Process

December 18, 2017

branding, graphic design, marketing, online marketing, systems

In the last blog post, I shared five SIMPLE ideas for marketing your studio to take advantage of the spike in students searching for lessons around the new year. Maybe you’ve already implemented some of the ideas (way to go, you!), or maybe you’re a perfectionist, like me, and you’re still trying to get that…