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How is your piano studio business going? Forget the pedagogy, the improvisation, the theory and the fun stuff...do you see yourself as a business owner?

It might sound contradictory, but I believe running an effective piano teaching business is one of the most important things you can do to improve the quality of your teaching. When you treat your piano teaching studio like the business that it is – with effective policies, organisation and procedures – your business runs like clockwork and you get to focus on being the best teacher you can be.

I know this isn't every teacher's favourite topic, that's why I put together this page. Think of it as your central hub for no-nonsense, practical and simple piano teaching business advice that you can put into action in your studio to get real results.

BUSINESS BASICS

There are many different ways to run a music teaching business, but there are some absolute essentials that almost all professional piano teachers agree on. Get these business basics in place before you go any further.

How to Start a Piano Teaching Business from Scratch

ESTABLISHING A NEW PIANO STUDIO

Just getting started? Learn about the important considerations and logistics when starting a piano teaching business.

Get smarter with your piano studio business

GETTING SMARTER WITH YOUR BUSINESS

Find out how to make your life a little easier by working smarter, not harder, on the business aspects of your studio.

Tactics for making changes in your piano studio.

MAKING CHANGES TO YOUR BUSINESS

When making a change, follow these steps to minimise pushback from parents and make sure things go smoothly.

MARKETING YOUR STUDIO

Most piano teachers will cite word of mouth as their top marketing channel. But what if you're just starting out? Or when you need to grow more quickly? Find out what advertising methods really work.

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HOW TO FIND YOUR STUDIO'S SUPERPOWER

Finding your music studio's superpower is the key to successful marketing. This is how to find and leverage yours.

IDEAS FOR GROWING YOUR PIANO STUDIO

If it’s time to try something new, you’re certain to find some new inspiration in these 11 ideas to market your piano studio.

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IS A LEAKY BUCKET KILLING YOUR STUDIO?

The key to success isn't about finding a lot of students – it's about keeping your current students from leaving.

6 Golden Rules of a Great Piano Studio Website

CREATING A GREAT STUDIO WEBSITE

Make your studio website really pop by following these key rules that are simple to follow – no "techies" required!

Target Your Piano Studio Website Message to Fill Your Fall Studio facebook 1

3 WAYS TO TARGET YOUR WEBSITE MESSAGING

To really connect with today's parents, it’s essential that your piano studio website message is clear and concise.

What to do with an overflowing music studio waiting list2

AUTOMATING YOUR STUDIO WAITLIST

Is your marketing working overtime? In this article, let me walk you through how to automate your piano studio waiting list.

POLICIES & PAYMENTS

Now into the nitty gritty of your piano teaching business. How will you take payments? What policies are best? What should you do in the summer? I'm here to answer all your business headaches, once and for all.

Essential piano studio policies for all teachers

THE MOST ESSENTIAL STUDIO POLICIES

These key elements will help you decide which studio policies are right for you and your business.

How to create a music teaching studio budget

BUILDING YOUR STUDIO BUDGET

If you want to make more money, you need a plan. Try this step-by-step process to make your music teaching studio budget.

Best Payment Policies for Piano Teachers

THE RIGHT PAYMENT POLICY FOR YOU

In this article, I walk you through the pros and cons of the three basic types of payment policies.

Leave Make-Up Lessons in the Dust with these Two Important Pivots!

LEAVING MAKE-UP LESSONS IN THE DUST

These 2 pivots will help you stop letting make-up lessons take over your weekends and limit your earning potential.

How to Plan and Introduce Buddy Lessons in Your Studio2

ADD BUDDY LESSONS IN YOUR STUDIO

Learn about what to consider when bringing buddy lessons into your studio (and grab a free logistics cheatsheet!)

How to handle summer in your music studio business

HANDLING PIANO STUDIO SUMMERS

Struggling to find the best way to run your music teaching studio during the summer months? Here are a few options.

PARENT COMMUNICATION

Piano teaching is, essentially, a client-based business. It's an interesting one, though, because the parents are our clients – but they're not the ones we see every week. Improve your parent communication with these tips and your business will run much more smoothly.

New piano student interview

PROSPECTIVE STUDENT INTERVIEWS

Do you feel awkward interviewing prospective students? Use this structure to get the most out of each meeting.

5 Stages of Piano Parent Onboarding 2

PIANO PARENT ONBOARDING

Learn how to keep your piano studio families involved, enthusiastic and eager to stay in your studio.

Piano Parent Reports What, When, Why and How

REGULAR PIANO PARENT UPDATES

Learn the what, when, why, and how of Piano Parent Updates (and get a free template!) in this article.

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HOLD A PRACTICE WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS

Holding a practice workshop is a great way to get piano parents more involved in their kids' lessons. Here's how.

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HOW TO HELP NON-MUSICAL PIANO PARENTS

Parents without a musical background don't start on an even playing field, but you can turn that around.

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THE 'RIGHT' SUPPORT FROM PIANO PARENTS

How do we balance the "parent support scales" so that our students feel supported, not pressured?

ORGANISATION & PRODUCTIVITY

OK, great. You've got your finances in order, you're running a tight ship....but why is there still sheet music all over the floor? And how come you can never find the right game when you need it? Get yourself organised with these articles.

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KEEPING EVERYONE HEALTHY

Here are 5 suggestions to consider when making your studio safe and socially-distant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MANAGING DIGITAL RESOURCES

How do you keep track of all the amazing teaching ideas you find? Try my survival guide to preventing an avalanche of files.

A simple system for organising all your music teaching games

CLEANING UP THEORY GAME CHAOS

This simple organising system is flexible yet structured – perfect for keeping piano teaching games from becoming unruly.

RECITALS

One of our big annual (or biannual, or monthly!) events in our piano teaching business is the studio recital. If you're feeling overwhelmed with the planning, or you need some fresh new ideas, I've got you covered.

Step-by-Step to a Fantastic Piano Recital (Part 1)

MUSIC STUDIO RECITAL PLANNING

Let me take you step-by-step through the entire process so that you know you have all your bases covered.

Creative Piano Studio Celebrations - From Halloween to Hanukkah

CREATIVE PIANO STUDIO CELEBRATIONS

Need ideas to celebrate the holidays in a socially-distant studio without a live piano recital? Look no further!

Creative recital ideas for piano teachers

NON-TRADITIONAL RECITAL IDEAS

You teach improv and composition, so why not show off your students' creative skills? Wow the audience with this recital idea.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

As we often say, the greatest teachers are the lifelong learners. We should always be striving for better and looking for more – without going overboard. Find your personal and professional development balance with these posts.

Piano teacher training – where can we find the time?

YOUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Continuing education is vital to our success and fulfillment as piano teachers. Here are a few ways you can find the time.

How to avoid feeling overwhelmed as a piano teacher

AVOID PIANO TEACHER BURNOUT

Find out what I do to prevent burnout, and how you can look after yourself so you're able to run your studio for the long term.

My favourite podcasts for music teachers

PODCASTS FOR MUSIC TEACHERS

I’m pretty picky with what I listen to. I’ve done a lot of hunting and these are the best of the best.

Embracing Your Identity as a Piano Studio Business Owner

Many piano teachers struggle with this idea of seeing themselves as "business owner". Since many of us get started with just a few students, often in our teenage years, it can be hard to take ourselves seriously.

But whether you teach just a couple of students or run a studio of 200 with multiple teachers, you are a business owner. Plain and simple.

Embracing that identity and taking the business of your studio seriously is one of the best things you can do for your teaching and, well, for your life. You shouldn't be wasting time chasing payments, dealing with disrespect or feeling so scattered that you can't keep your thoughts straight.

Setting up your policies and payment structures and organising your piano teaching business properly will give you the brain space you need to focus on your teaching, and to be present for the time you spend with your family and friends. I hope that this page will help you achieve that.

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