I am wondering about having a contract with my students, expecting a certain amount of practice commitment from them. I have one family, in particular, whose children seldom ever practice. This has been going on for approximately four years now. I have mentioned this to their parents and to the students. They always say, “Ok, […]
Business
Monday Mailbag – Discontinuing Lessons
When you charge by the month and someone wants to quit at some point, how do you reconcile with previous months, or do they just finish out the month? This is the way my policy is worded: Dismissal If any of the following situations persists after I have notified you and provided time to correct […]
Guest Post – 6 Networking Tips for Independent Music Teachers
Besides your latest efforts to recruit new students, when was the last time you really went all out in terms of marketing and networking? Indie music teachers are responsible for every part of their business, including managing the creative side, client relations and marketing. That’s why it’s important to build up your network of other […]
Monday Mailbag – Charging for Lessons
How do you charge for lessons? I have been charging new students by the month, old students pay when they have their lesson. I haven’t found a happy medium and can’t figure out a good way to go about doing semesters (with make up days) which would really help my business. The way the economy […]
Monday Mailbag – Makeup Lessons
Do you have a contract that the parents must sign about piano lessons, etc.? I have tried doing a contract and it falls through every year. I now have a 24-hour policy, but it is so hard to keep that policy with certain parents (those being the parents who give me the most business and […]
Monday Mailbag – Advertising for New Students
How do you advertise for more students? What works for you? Here are the things that I have personally found to be most effective: 1. Become a member of one or more local music teachers associations. We have two excellent associations in our area that provide a referral service for members. We’ve had new members […]
