Starting a Group Piano Studio from Scratch

WebinarOutline

2007TheMayronColeMusicConservatory,Inc

StepOne:CreatinganIdentityforYourPianoStudio

• Giveyourpianostudioanameo Youarearealbusiness.Ifyoutreatyourselfasarealbusiness,others

willtooo Trytohavetheword“piano”inyourbusinessname

Ø Youwanteveryonetoknowwhatyourbusinessdoes• Youcancreatealogoevenifitisjustaspecificfont

o Usethatlogoonallofyourads,signs,businesscards,registrationforms,everything

o Peoplewillstarttorecognizethelogoandidentifyitwithyourbusinesso Makesureyourlogoiseasilylegible

• Checkwithyourlocalauthoritiesregardinganyrequirementstheyhaveforbusinessesinyourarea• Talktoyourinsuranceagentaboutbusinessinsurancepolicyforyourpiano

studioStepTwo:WheretoTeach

• Areyougoingtoteachathomeorinacommercialspace?o Prosandconsofteachingathome

Ø PRO:Nooverheadcosts!BIGPRO–especiallyforanewteacher

Ø PRO:Youcantaxdeductaportionofyourmortgagepaymentandutilities(consultanaccountantregardingthespecificsofthesedeductions)

Ø CON:NosignagetotellthepublicyouarethereØ CON:PropertyOwner’sAssociationmightnotallowitØ CON:Mayhavetolimitadvertisingbynotpublishingyour

addressØ PROorCON(dependingonhowyoufeelaboutit):Many

peopleinyourhomeo Prosofteachinginacommercialspace

Ø PRO:HighvisibilitywithabilitytohavesignageØ PRO:Havingacommercialspacepresentsamore

professionalimagetothepublicØ CON:Highoverhead(especiallyasanewstudiowhenyou

don’tknowhowmanystudentsyouwillhave)

Ø CON:Asanewgrouppianoteacher,youusuallyhavetofindaplaceandsignaleasebeforeyouhaveanyideahowmanystudentsyouwillhave

Ø CON:Mightonlybeusingthespaceforafewhoursaweek30orsoweeks/year,buthavetopayrent24/7/365

• OtherLocationOptionso Church–ifyouarethechurchpianist,yourchurchmayallowyoutoteachpianoinoneoftheirroomso RecCenter–mayhaveanafterschoolprogramthatyourpianoclassescouldbeapartofo MusicStore-manymusicstoreshaveroomssetasideforteachingo PrivateSchool–makesureyouarehiredasContractLaborandnotasanemployeeoftheschool

• Howmuchspacedoyouneed?o Minimum200’sq–tightbutitwillworko 400’-500’sqisacomfortablesizeo Afewstudiosareaslargeas2000’sq

Ø ifyouaregoingtohaveotherteachersworkingforyouStepThree:Pianos

• Howmanypianoso Thenumberofpianosyouneedwilldependonhowmanystudentsyou

plantoteachatatimeØ Youneedtohave1pianoforeachstudentintheclassØ Mostgrouppianostudioshave4–8pianos

o Youcanwaittoseehowmanystudentshavesignedupbeforeyoupurchasekeyboards

Ø IfyouaregoingtostartbyteachingBlastOffwithPianoand/orBlastOffwithPianoJunior,youcanhave2studentsateachpiano,thenoncetheyhavesignedupfortheschoolyearpurchasemorekeyboards

Ø FormoreabouttheBlastOffcourses,pleaseattendour“HowtoMarketandTeachBlastOffwithPianoandBlastOffwithPianoJunior”Webinar

• WhattypeofpianosØ Needtobedigitalpianossoyoucancontrolthevolumeandallthekeyboardswillalwaysbein

tunewitheachother(acousticpianosdonotworkwellinagroupsetting)Ø Notallofyourkeyboardsneedto“match”–youcanmixandmatchbrands,models,colors,and

sizesØ Keepinmindthatastudentwillonlybeusingyourkeyboard

forabout20minutesperweek,sothekeyboarddoesnothavetobetop-of-the-line

Ø Youdonotneedheadphonesorateacher’sconsole• Thisisaclass,notmultiplesimultaneousprivate

lessons• Headphonescanspreadlice

• Whattolookforwhenbuyingapiano(inorderofimportance)1. Allkeyboardsneedtohavefullsizekeys–thewidthofeachkeyis

astandardpianokeywidth2. Allkeyboardsneedtohavearacktoholdupthemusic3. Allkeyboardsshouldhaveatleast61keys4. Verybeneficialtohaveajackinthebackinwhichtoplug-inasustainpedal(pedalisusuallysold

separately)5. Verybeneficialtohavetouchsensitivekeys6. Lessimportanttohave88keys7. Leastimportantandveryexpensive–Weightedkeysareverynice,butnotnecessaryifyoudon’t

wanttospendthemoney

• Howmuchdokeyboardscosto Comesdowntohowmuchyouwanttospendo Pricesvarygreatly,butmanyofthebells-and-whistlesarenotitemsthatyouneedfor

teaching(ie:hundredsofinstrumentsounds)o Youcanspendaslittleas$125foranewkeyboardthathas61full-sizekeys,touchsensitive,pedaljack,

musicrack,andusuallycomeswithastandØ Thesekeyboardscanrangeuptoabout$250

o Inthepricerangebetween$400-$600,keyboardjusthasmorebells-and-whistlesthatyoudon’tnecessarilyneedforteachinggrouppiano

o Inthe$900anduprange,thereareverynicedigitalkeyboardsthathave88weightedkeysandnicestands

• Whereisagoodplacetobuykeyboardso Checkyourlocalstores

Ø LargediscountelectronicsstoresØ Largemusicstores

• ThesestoresalsousuallyhavesomeusedkeyboardsforsaleØ Large“bigbox”storessometimescarrykeyboards

• Someonlycarrykeyboardsduringthewinterholidayso Internet

Ø Ebay.com,Amazon,andlotsofothersites• Lookattheshippingcharges

o AdvertisethatyouarelookingtobuyusedkeyboardsingoodconditionØ PlaceaclassifiedadØ Placeasigninyourstudiowindow

• Whensettingupthepianosinyourstudio,havethepianosfaceeachothero Thisisaclasssoyoudon’twantthepianosfacingthewallso Allowsthestudentstointeractwithyouandwitheachother

Ø Willmakepianolessonsmorefun

StepFour:Whatelsedoyouneedtogetstarted?• Ifyouareinacommercialspace,youneedtohaveasignforyourbusiness• Adjustable-heightfoldingtablestoholdpianos

o Availableatlargeofficesupplystoreso CanuseXstandsthatcomewithmostpianos,buttheyarenotverysturdyandhavebeenknownto

collapseonstudents• Gametableorareaonthefloor• Pianobenchesand/orstools

o Most“BigBox”storescarryavarietyofstoolsØ Foldingstoolsareaslowas$10-$15each

• Aselectionofpens,pencils,and/orcrayonsfortheoryfunsheets• MayronColePianoMethodboardgames

o Youcanstartoutwithasfewas1game,butthekidsliketohaveavarietyofgamessoeventuallyyoumightwanttopurchasemore

• StudioStart-UpKito 20ItemsspecificallyforteacherswhoarestartingaGroupPianoStudio

soldat$100offregularpriceso plusafreegifttoyouisourStudentAuditionBook

• AMayronColePianoMethodtextbookforeachstudento Thisisapass-throughexpenseo Youneedtochargethestudentforthebookandshippingontopoftheirtuitiono Teachershouldorderallofthestudentbookstogethertosaveonshipping

StepFive:BriefOverviewofAdvertising&Marketing• Advertisingisextremelyimportant

o Thepublichastoknowyouarethereo Don’trelysolelyonwordofmoutho Budgetapercentageofyourincomeeachyeartoadvertisingo Advertisingistrialanderror

Ø Placeadsinmultiplepapersandseewhichonesgetthemostresponse

Ø Perhapsinyourareapostcardsaremoreeffectivethanads,perhapsvice-versa

Ø Don’tjustplaceoneadthengiveupifyoudon’tgetaresponse• Placeadsinsmallnewspapers

o Moreaffordablethatlargepaperso Targetsaneighborhoodratherthananentirecityo Schoolnewspapersalsotargetyourcustomers

• Postcardmail-outo Purchaseamailinglist

Ø Mailinglistcompaniescanbefoundon-lineØ Givethemyourcriteria

• Certainzipcodes• Certainincomebrackets• Householdswithchildren

o Useyourchild’sschooldirectory,orborrowschooldirectoriesfromfriendso Mailoutpostcardsadvertisinganopenhouse

Ø Peoplerespondtodeadlinesratherthanopen-endedinformationØ Perhapsofferadiscountiftheybringthepostcardtotheopen

houseØ Attheopenhousehaveadvertisingbrochureand/orcoloringbook

forpotentialstudents/parentstotakehome• Marketingcanbeaseffectiveasadvertising

o Brainstormabouthowtogetthewordoutaboutyourstudiowithoutspendingverymuchmoney

Ø Thesetacticsusuallytakemorework,butsaveyoumoneyØ Alwaysbrainstormfornewanduniquewaystoreachyour

customerso OffertoteachMr.ChristoforiInventstheSoft-Loudinmusicclassesatarea

elementaryschoolso Perhapshiretheboy-scoutsinyourareatoputflyersondoorsoroncar

windshieldsinthegrocerystoreparkingloto Perhapsputupsignsinthemedianofabusyintersectiono Perhapsputamagneticsignonyourcaro Contactyourlocalreccenterorschooldistrictoutreachprogramabout

offeringaclassthoughtheirprogram

The Only Piano Method That Takes Students from Kindergarten to College