MakeAFortuneTeachingPrivateMusicLessons

HowToQuitYourJobAndBecomeAProfessional

MusicianIn30DaysOrLess

LloydSteiner

DISCLAIMER:Theauthor,publisher,andcopyrightholderexpresslydisclaimanyresponsibilityforanyliability,loss,injury,risk,personalorotherwise,whichisincurredasaconsequence,directlyorindirectly,oftheuseandapplicationofanycontentsofthisbookandacceptsnoliabilitiesformisuse,misappropriations,orabuseofthetoolsandexercisesinthisbook.Therearenoexpressedorimpliedwarrantiesattachedtothiswork.Theinformationcontainedinthisbookis intended to be for entertainment purposes only and is not for diagnosis, prescription, or treatment of any healthdisorderwhatsoever.Thisinformationshouldnotreplaceconsultationwithalicensedandcompetenthealthcareorlegalprofessional. If the reader requires personal assistance or advice in any shape or form, a competent and licensedprofessionalshouldbeconsulted.AnyandallclaimsarelimitedtoarefundofthepricepaidofthebookminusShippingandHandling.Bypurchasingandreadingthisbook,youagreetotheabove.

*Each individuals success and outcome depends on his or her background, desire, dedication, implementation, andmotivation.Ifyouwishtoapplytheideascontainedinthisbook,youarefullyresponsibleforyouractions.

Althoughbasedonatruestory,certaineventsinthebookhavebeenfictionalizedforeducationalcontentandimpact.

If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this bookmay have been stolen property andreportedasunsoldanddestroyedtothepublisher.Insuchcaseneithertheauthornorthepublisherhasreceivedanypaymentforthisstrippedbook.

Copyright2009byLloydSteiner.Allrightsreserved.

ISBN-10:1-4499-1502-7

ISBN-13:978-1-449-91502-5

PublishedbyCreateSpace.

PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

FirstPrinting:November2009.

10987654321

Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,scanningorotherwise,exceptaspermittedunderSections107or108ofthe1976UnitedStatesCopyrightAct,withouteitherthepriorwrittenpermissionofthePublisher,orauthorizationthroughpaymentoftheappropriateper-copyfeetotheCopyrightClearanceCenter,222RosewoodDrive,Danvers,MA01923,(978)750-8400,fax(978)750-4744.

Fortheoverworkedandunderpaidmusicianthatdeservesbetter

TABLEOFCONTENTS

Introduction.9

Chapter1Preparing.13

Chapter2Advertising..19

Chapter3Promoting.27

Chapter4HoursofOperation31

Chapter5Invoicing39

Chapter6ContractsandCompanyPolicies..47

Chapter7WhatToTeach57

Chapter8GoForIt59

AboutTheAuthor.63

OtherWorks65

INTRODUCTION

So,youwanttoquiteyourawfuldayjobandembarkonamusiccareer?Youvecometotherightplace!Almosteveryprofessionalmusicianouttherewasonceworkingadayjobthatwaslessthandesirable.Iwasoncetheretoo.Iworkedlonghoursforlittlepayandnosatisfaction.Ihadbeenplayingpianoforover10years,butmytalentwasbeingputtowastewhile I slavedawayatvariousday jobs. I startedoff at agrocery storewhen Iwas16yearsoldandbouncedaroundtovariousjobswhiletryingtogetmymusiccareerofftheground.Inmyearlytwenties,Iwasofferedajobofferatthelocalmusicstoretoteachpianolessons.IwasthrilledattheopportunitytoplaymusicforalivingandstartgettingpaidclosertowhatIwasworth!OnceIdiscoveredthemanybenefitsofteachingprivatemusiclessons,IknewthatIwould never have to work another job again. By becoming a private instructor, I was able to earn more moneyworkingjustafewhoursperweekthanmyfriendsdidworkingfulltime.Needlesstosay,Iwassecretlyenviedinmygroupofpeers;butIfeltgreat!Ihadsomuchfreetimeonmyhandsandafewbuckstospare!Plus,Ididnthaveanaggingbossorstressfuldeadlines tomeet like the restofmybuddies. Ididnthave toweara3-piecesuit, Iwasntsittingintrafficeverymorning,andIdidnthavetotryandworkmywayupthecorporateladder.SincethedayItookmyfirstteachingjob,mylifewasneverthesame.

Nomatterwhatyourgoalsareinthemusicindustry,buildingyourownprivatelessonbusinesswillputyourcareeronthefasttrack.Itwillalsoputagreatdealofcashinyourpocketifyourunitwell!Teachingmusiclessonscanbeveryfulfillingandveryprofitable,butlikeanyotherbusiness,thereisalearningcurve.Thisbookwillshowyouhowtobuildyour teachingbusiness fromthegroundup.Youdontneedanyprevious teachingexperience,andyoudontneedanMBAtorunyourbusiness.Istartedteachingprivatemusiclessonsinmyearlytwenties;Ihadnopreviousexperienceand hardly any business sense.But, in just a few short years Iwas able to buy a house and havemy bank accountbreathingcomfortably.Bestofall,Ididnthaveaboss,Imademyownvacationschedule,Ididnthatemyjobormylife,andIheldthetitleofProfessionalMusician.Whenyougetpaidtoplaymusicallday,everyday;lifegetsreallygood.Lifeisfarmoreenjoyablewhenyouarefollowingyourdestinyanddoingsomethingyoutrulyenjoy.Notverymanypeoplecansaythattheyareprofessionalmusicians,butyoucaneasilybecomeoneofthemjustlikeIdid.

Ifyouarealreadyaprivatemusic instructor, thisbook is still foryou! Ivebeendoing this fora long timeandbeenthroughjustabouteverysituationimaginablewithstudentsandtheirparents.Ivetaughtkidsasyoungas3andadultsup to65. Ivebeen screwedoutofboth timeandmoney, and Ivedealtwith someof themostunreasonablepeoplesocietyhastooffer.Youmightfindagoldenideainthisbookthatwillhelpyourestructureyourteachingbusinessandmakeitmoreenjoyable.Ifyouareanewbietotheprivateinstructionworld, thisbookisessentialforyou!Ivegonethroughtheheadachesandheartachessothatyoudonthaveto.Learnfrommymistakesinsteadoftheonesthatyouwillinevitablymake.Beingaprofessionalmusicianisawesome,andIwouldnttradethiscareerforanythingelseintheworld.Thisbookwillhelpyougetstartedandhelpyourunyourbusinesslikeachamp.

Ihopethisbookservesyouwellandimprovesthequalityofyour life inallareas.Youareonyourwaytomakingadrasticchangeinyourlife:Nomoregrumpybosses,nomoredayjob,nomoreoffice,nomorestockingshelves,andnomorestress!Bestofluckwithyournewteachingbusiness!

Chapter1

PREPARING

Sonowthatyouarefireduptoquityourjob,theresalittlebitofpreparationtodobeforeyoubreakthenewstoyourboss.Thefoundationofbuildingyourteachingbusinesswillbebuiltonwhichtypeofinstructoryouwillbe.Youhavemanyoptionswhenitcomestobuildingyourbusinessasaprivatemusicinstructor;butthereare3generalcategoriesyoullfallinto

1.Teachprivatelyfromyourownresidence.

2.Traveltoyourclientsresidence

3.Teachfromamusicstore,institution,orschool

Asyoucansee,thesecategoriesaredescriptionsofhowandwhereyouwillmeetyourclientsforinstruction.Youcanhavethemtraveltoyou,youcantraveltothem,oryoucanbothmeetatanotherplaceofbusinesssuchasamusicstore,school,orinstitution.Nomatterwhatcategoryyoufallinto,youshouldmeetthefollowingcriteriainordertoachievealowturnoverrateandultimatesuccessinmakingacareeroutofteachingmusic

Youdonthave tobe thebestmusician in theworld to teachprivatemusic lessons,butyou shouldbeaboveaverage. I startedwhen Iwas inmyearly twenties as an aboveaveragemusician,but evenaftermuchsuccessinthemusicbusinessIambynomeansthegreatestplayerintheworld.Butthatsfine;Idonthavetobethebestplayerintheworldtobeagreatteacher.Youlllearnalotbyteachingandbeingsurroundedbymusiconadailybasis,andyourstudentswillendupteachingyoumorethanyouthink!Generallyspeaking,youshouldbeabletoreadsheetmusic,improvise,andhaveafewyearsexperiencebehindyou.Practicingeverydayandhavingagoodrepertoiregoeswithoutsaying.

Youshouldhaveafunandoutgoingpersonality.Thisisalmostasimportantasbeingagreatmusician.Ifyouareanaturalintrovert,veryshy,orhavesocialissues,teachingmusicmightnotbethecareerforyou.Teachersshouldbefun,outgoing,andaboveall,patient!Whichbringsmetomynextpoint

Youmustbepatient!Someofyourstudentswillbenaturalswhileotherswillhaveachallengepickinguptheskill.Ivespent6weeksonthesamesongwithastudentbefore,andtheystillcouldntgetit.Itturnsoutthestudenthada learningdisability,but she really enjoyedcoming toplay thepiano.Herparentswere extremelygrateful that I was so patient and understanding of their childs condition. They had cycled through varioustraditionalpianoteachersthathadverylittlepatiencebeforetheyhiredmeonapermanentbasis.

WhenIfirststartedout,I taughtatoneofthelocalmusicstoresinmyhometown.Teachingat themusicstorewasagreatstartforme,butithadbothpositiveandnegativeaspects.

TeachingAtAMusicStore/Institution/School

+POSITIVE

+Alladvertisingwaspaidforbythestore

+Schedulingwasdonebythestore

+Moneywascollectedbythestore

+Instrumentsandfacilitywereprovidedbythestore

+AllIhadtodowasshowupandteach

-NEGATIVES

-Thestoretook50%ofthelessonfees

-Directcompetitionwithotherinhousemusicinstructors

OUCH!50%ofthelessonmoneywenttothestore!WasIbeingrippedoff?No,Isimplydidlessofthelegworktobuildthebusiness.Thestoreprovidedallof theadvertising, facility, instruments,anddidallof thescheduling.Despite thestore taking50%,Istillmadeover$20anhour teachingpiano.Notbadforaguy inhisearly twentieswhohad thepleasureofplayingmusicallday.Isthistherightoptionforyou?Maybe,maybenot.ItwasagreatstartformeandIlearnedalotaboutthebusinessjustbyobservingandaskingquestions.

Ifteachingoutofastoreorschoolisntforyou,thereisanotheroption:Beatravelingpianoteacher.Travelingmusicinstructors oftenmake great money. They are able to charge a premium because of their travel time and expenses.Makingevenmoremoneywasveryenticingtome,soIdecidedtoweighmyoptionsandpossiblybecomeatravelingpianoteacher

TravelingToTheClientsResidence

+POSITIVE

+Abilitytochargeapremium(sometimes$60/hourormore)

+Didnothavetosupplymyownequipment

+Mademyownschedule

-NEGATIVES

-Fewerclientscouldaffordsuchasteepprice

-Hectictravelschedule

-Highfuelexpense

-Responsibleforalladvertising,moneycollection,andscheduling

Aftermuchconsideration,Idecidedthatbeingatravelingpianoteacherwasdefinitelynotforme.IfIweretomakeachange,Iwouldteachpianooutofmyownresidence.Ididntownahomeatthatpointinmylife,butIwasmakinggreatfinancialheadway.Yearslater,IdecidedtomoveoutofthetownIgrewupinandrelocatetoabiggermetroarea.Ineeded a change of pace andmoremusical opportunities. Frommy years of working hard and savingmy teachingmoney,Iwasabletoputadownpaymentonamodesthouseandbuildmynewteachingbusinessfromhome.

Tome,teachingathomecomeswiththemostbenefits.Shouldeveryteacherstrivetoteachoutofhisorherpersonalresidence?Notnecessarily,thereisnoonesizefitsallsolutiontoteachingprivatemusiclessons.Teachingfromhomehasitsadvantagesanddisadvantages

TeachingFromHome

+POSITIVE

+Keep100%ofthemoney

+Abletostaycompetitivelypriced

+Notravelrequired

+Workfromhome

+Mademyownschedule

-NEGATIVES

-Responsibleforalladvertising,moneycollection,andscheduling

-Hadtosupplymyownequipment

I decided that teaching fromhomewasultimately the best decision forme.Thepositives drastically outweighed thenegatives,andIdidntminddoingallofmyowninvoicing,moneycollections,andadvertisingsinceIhadbecomefairlyexperienced in all of those fields.Over theyears Ive learnedhow to effectively advertise, keepmymarketing costsdown,andmoldmycompanypoliciessothatImaximizedmyincomeandminimizedmyheadaches.

If youdont have the ability to teach fromwhereyou live, dont sweat it!Theworldneedsdifferent typesofmusicinstructorsand thisbookwillhelpyounomatterwhich typeof instructionyoudecide tooffer.Soget ready tomakesomeseriousmoneyandhaveamuchmoreenjoyablelife!

Chapter2

ADVERTISING

Advertising is arguably the most important component for the survival of any business. Your ability to advertiseeffectivelywilldetermineyourfateasaprivateinstructor.Themoreeffectiveyouradvertisingis,themoreyourphonewill ring.Megacorporationsspendbillions inadvertisingeachyear,butmostmusic teachersdonthave thatkindofmoney!Sohowdoesonegoaboutdoingitonashoestringbudget?TwopiecesofprintmaterialsthatIhavefoundtobeessentialareflyersandbusinesscards.Theyareportable,easytocarry,inexpensive,andveryeffective.But,Imnottalkingjustanyoldflyerthatcomesoutofyourinkjetprinter,orthosecheapripntearbusinesscardseither!Inthe21stcentury, there isnoreasonwhyyoushouldnthaveprofessional looking, fullcolor,offsetprinted,doublesidedflyersandbusinesscardswithaniceglossyormattefinish.Tosumitup,youneedtomakeyourpromotionalmaterialssharp,eye-catching, andprofessional.Thanks to todays technology,havingaFortune500 lookwont costyoua fortune.Hereswhatyoullneedtomakeyourselfgreatlookingbusinesscardsandflyers

1. Solid knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Quark, Corel Draw, or other professional graphicsprograms.

2.Agraphicdesigner,orsomeonewhopossesstheaboveknowledge.

Ifyoualreadyhaveasolidunderstandingofgraphicdesignandthesoftwareneededtocreateprofessionallookingprintmaterials, you already knowwhat to do. Get busy! For the rest of you out there, read on to learn how to get youradvertisingmaterialslookinggreat.AlthoughIamaprofessionalmusician,Ihavebeendoingfreelancegraphicdesignworkforover7years.ThereforeIfeelprettysafedishingoutgraphicdesignadvice.

Ifyouhavenevercreatedgoodlookingbusinesscardsforyourself,justfollowthesesimplestepstomakeyourbusinesslooktotallyprofessional.Bytheway,whenIsaygoodlookingbusinesscards,Idontmeanthoseflimsy,cheap-o,runofthemill,blackandwhitebusinesscardswithacutelittlepieceofclip-artthatyoucangetatanyoverpricedofficesupply store.Those cards are cheap and trashy, and theymakeyour business look the sameway.Donot get cheap,trashypromotionalmaterialsbecause theyareeasy tocreate,go theextramileandmakeyourself look reputableandprofessional.Doyouthinkmajorrecordlabelsandmajorequipmentmanufacturersgototheirlocalofficesupplystoreandgetcheap-obusinesscardsmade?Iftheydontdoit,youshouldntbedoingiteither.Inmyopinion,nobodyshouldbedoingit!Treatyourbusinesslikegold,andalwaysmakesurethatthebusinesscardsyouhandoutproperlyrepresentyou. Your flyer should be of similar professional quality and elaborate a little more on your services and yourqualifications.Somesuggetionstoputonyourflyers

Your services (What instruments do youoffer?Howaboutmusic theory lessons or ear training?Howaboutvoiceormusictheater?)

Yourqualifications(Wheredidyougotocollege?Whatmusicexperiencedoyouhave?Didyoueverperform?Writeoriginalmusic?Playinaband?)

An introductory letter (Howareyoudifferent fromother teachers?Whatdoyoudo thatmakesyou special?Whywillyourstudentslikeyou?

Yourcontactinformation(Phone,fax,efax,website,e-mail,etc.)

Apictureofyou(Smilingpreferably!Perfomrancepicturesarealsogood.)

Afullresumeifappropriate.

Toprovemypointabouttheimportanceofhighqualitymarketingmaterials,lookatthefollowingpairofbusinesscardsandaskyourselfthisquestion:Wherewouldyoutakeyourchildforpianolessons?

Regardlessofmusicianship,skilllevel,salesability,orteachingexperience,JohnSmithwillalwaysgetthefirstphonecall.Why? John Smith portrays a professional image and takes great pride in how his business is represented. JohnSmithportrayselegance,professionalism,stature,andclass.Helooks like thekindof teacheraparentwouldwant tobringtheirchildrento.SinceJohntakesgreatprideinhowhepresentshimselfandhisbusiness;justimaginehowgoodhemustbeasateacher.JohnSmithcouldnaturallycommandahigherpricethanmostotherprivatepianoteachers;itsthe difference between name brand foods and store brand foods. Food is food, but peoplewill paymoremoney forsomethingthatappearstobeofhigherquality.

TimJoneslookscheap,dirty,andunprofessional.Heisequivalenttoyourstorebrandoffshootofanationalbrandedproduct.Hesthegenericguythatdoesntcommandalotofrespectoralotofmoney.Hedoesntreallycareabouthisimageanditlookslikehedoesnthavealotofmoney.Ifhedoesnthavealotofmoney,hemustnotbeverysuccessful.Noparentisgoingtosendtheirchildtobetaughtbysomeonewhotheydontthinkissuccessful.Justbycomparingthetwobusinesscards,mostpeoplewouldthinkthatJohnSmithisabetterteacherthanTimJones,andtheywillcallhimfirst.Somepeople(includingmyself)probablywouldntplaceaphonecalltoTim;hejustdoesntlooklikearealmusicprofessional.Hecutscornerswithhisadvertising,hisimage,andhowheshowcaseshisbusiness.Iwouldsafelyassumethathewouldcutcornersinhisteachingaswell.

DontbeTimJones.Dontcutcornersonyourimageoryouradvertising.Spendtheextratime,spendtheextramoney,andwatchyourstudentlistfillup!Ifgraphicdesignisntyourstrongpoint,doyourselfafavorandletsomeoneelsemakeyourpromotionalmaterials.Howdoyougoaboutfindingagraphicdesignerwithoutbreakingyourbankaccount?Thereareafewdifferentwaystodoso,someofthembeingmoreobviousthanothers

1.Circleof friendsand family Its almost guaranteed that someone in your circle of friends and/or family

knows a thing or two about graphic design; and dont underestimate the teenagers!A lot of todays youth areraisedinthedigitalworldandarequitefamiliarwithPhotoshopandothergraphicdesignprograms.Ifthatroutedoesntwork,askallofyourfriendsiftheycanrecommendagoodgraphicdesigner.Ifyoudonthavethemoneytohireone,trytobarter.Offertoexchangefreemusiclessonsforfreedesignwork.Icanalmostguaranteeyourproblemof finding someonewho can design youbusiness cardswill be solved through a friend of a friendconnection.Ifnot

2.SearchCraigsListorsimilarwebsites.Thereareloadsandloadsofgraphicdesignersouttherelookingforwork.Somearebetterthanothers,andyouusuallygetwhatyoupayfor.Youmighthavetoshelloutafewextrabucksforsomeonethatdoesaphenomenaljob,butyoullprobablybethrilledwithyourfinishedproduct.Keepinmindtheimportanceofgoodadvertisingandprofessionalimage;youwillgetmorephonecallsifyourcardlooksprofessional. If youhire aprofessionalgraphicdesigner todoyour job,dontbe surprised if you spenda fewhundreddollarsonthedesign.Thatseemslikea lotofmoneytopaysomeoneforartwork,butagoodgraphicdesignerwillhelpyouattracttheattentionyouneedtostayaboveyourcompetition.Theyarewortheverypenny!Aboveall, ifyouhireagraphicdesigner, listen to themanduse theirexpertise toyouradvantage.Dontbesoquicktopickaparttheirdesignifitdoesntfityourpersonaltaste!Remember,theyarethemarketinganddesignprofessionals,theyknowhowtobringyoubusiness.

Ifyouareattemptingtocreateyourownbusinesscardsoryourgraphicdesignerasksforatemplatetoworkfrom,youcangetartworktemplatesfromGotPrint.com

2x3.5BusinessCards

http://gotprint.net/g/showStaticPage.do?page=download_templates-bc.html

8.5x11Flyers

http://gotprint.net/g/showStaticPage.do?page=download_templates-flyer.html

Make sure you download templates in either Photoshop or Illustrator file format depending on the program you areusing.Nomatterwhereyougetyourprintingdone,thesetemplateswillusuallywork.

Onceyouhaveyourprintmaterialsdesigned,itstimetofindaplacetoprintthem.Youcanfindhundredsofcompanieson the Internetwhooffer offset printing.The one that I have used for all ofmyprinting isGotPrint.com. Ive beenextremelyhappywiththeirqualityandpricesformanyyears.AsofDecember2009,youcanget1,000businesscards,infullcolor,doublesidedprint,witheithermatteorglossyfinishforlessthan$30shippedrighttoyourdoor.Inmostcases,youcantgetbusinesscards that lookhalf thatgoodfor less than$100at thoseoverpricedofficesupplychainstores.Thesamegoesforflyers:AsofDecember2009,youcanget1,000doublesidedflyers,printedinfullcolor,withaglossyormattefinishforunder$130withshippingincluded.AlthoughGotPrint.comisafantasticcompanytowork

with,youmightwanttofindalocalcompanythatcandooffsetprinting.Workinglocallyoftenhasitsadvantages;youcantalktoalivepersonface-to-faceaboutanyquestionsyouhaveconcerningyourartworkorprintqualitybeforeithitsthepress.Ifyouarenewtooffsetprintingandyouwanttoverifythatyourartworkwillprintcorrectly,trygoingtoalocalshop.Itwillprobablycostyouafewextrabucks,butitwillbeworthitifyouareanewbietotheprintingindustry.

Chapter3

PROMOTING

Byarmingyourselfwith1,000 flyersand1,000businesscards,youshouldbewellonyourway togettingyour firstroundofstudents.Butbeforeyouhitthepavement,youneedtoidentifyyourtargetmarket.Whatkindofpeopleareyoutryingtoattract?Whoisinthemarkettotakeprivatemusiclessons?Wheredotheylive?Whatdotheylooklike?Howmuch money do they make? How will they be persuaded to take lessons from you? Here are the two primaryqualificationsastowhatyoushouldlookforwhenpromotingyourbusiness

Peoplewithchildren

Middletohigherincomeareas

Over90%ofmystudentsarebetweentheagesof818.Findneighborhoodsthatarefamilyoriented.Dontspendtime in assisted living neighborhoods, retirement communities, or communities that arent known for having anychildren. Dont spend a lot of effort in lower income neighborhoods or apartment complexes. You want to targetneighborhoodswherepeoplehavedisposableincome.Peoplewhomakeminimumwagewillhaveahardtimeaffordingprivatemusiclessonsthatcost$50anhour.

Go toevery local school system(bothpublicandprivate)andsee ifyoucanadvertise there.Get toknow themusicdepartmentandseeifyoucanpassoutflyerstothechildren.Schoolscanbeveryhelpfulinfillingupyourstudentlist.Ifyourflyerslookcool,thekidswillwanttotakelessonsfromyou!Findcommunitybulletinboardstohangupbothflyersandbusinesscards.Passoutbusinesscardsandhangflyersatyourreligiousorganization,clubs,orothersocialsettingswheneverpossible.Neverstoptalkingaboutyourbusiness!

Asktoadvertiseinmusicorartstoresonlyiftheydontteachprivatelessons!Musicstoresthatalreadyteachprivatelessonsarecalledyourcompetition.Althoughtheyprobablywontbootyououtthedoor,theydefinitelywonthelpyougainanystudents.Eventhoughthemusicstoresmightbeyourcompetition,dontburnthebridgeswiththem.Themusicstoreswillmostlikelybeagreatsourceofmusicequipment,includinglessonbooks.Theyllhavenochoicebuttoloveyouifyoubringthemalotofbusinesssellinginstrumentsandlessonbooks.

DealingWithMusicStoresThatOfferPrivateLessons

IfyouareteachingatamusicstoreHelppromoteyourstoreasmuchaspossible.Sellyourpotentialclientsontheideathattakinglessonsatamusicstoreisthebestoption.Thestorewouldprovideagood,professionalenvironment,andaone-stopshopforallthingsmusic.Emphasizethestoresstricthiringpolicies.

IfyouareatravelingpianoteacherMakefriendswiththemusicstoreowners,theywillassistyougreatlyandmightevenconsidersomesortofpartnershiporincentiveprogramwithyou.Sellyourservicesassuperior,individual,private,andconvenientversusinstitutionalizedlessons.

If you are teaching from home Themusic store is your direct competition, but theymight be necessary and/orconvenienttorunyourbusiness.Eventhoughtheyareyourcompetition,gointroduceyourselfandtrytomakefriendswitheveryonethere.Itsbetterthatyoumakefriendsinthebusinessratherthanenemies.Whensellingyourservicestopotentialclients,sellyourservicesassuperior,private,personal,andmoreattentivethananoisymusicstore.

Sowhat else canyoudobesidespassoutyourbusiness cards and flyers?Howaboutputtingamagnetonyour car?Everytimeyougooutforaspin,youareamovingadvertisement.Carmagnetsarefairlyinexpensiveandcanbeeasilyremovedonceyougettoomanystudents.Bytheway,havingtoomanystudentsisagreatproblemtohave!Ifyouwanttotakeitonestepfurther,considergettingyourcarwrapped.Carwrapslookgreat,andattractfarmoreattentionthancarmagnets.Theextenttowhichyouadvertiseonyourvehicleiscompletelyuptoyou!

Theotherformofadvertisingthatwillnaturallyoccurovertimeis:Wordofmouth.Wordofmouthcanbethemost

effectiveformofadvertisinginyourarsenal.Ivegottenagoodpercentageofmystudentsthroughwordofmouthfrommyotherstudents.Wordofmouthisincrediblyeffectivebecausepeoplewillalmostalwaystrusttheirfriendsopinionandrecommendationsoverarandombusinesscardorflyer.Unfortunatelyyoucantbuywordofmouthadvertising,butitwillworktoyouradvantageonceyougetyourbusinessofftheground.

Anotheroptionistoplaceanadvertisementinyourlocalnewspaper.Placinganadinyourlocalpapermightbeoneofthemosteffectivewaystomarketyourbusiness.Ihaveneverdoneitmyself,butthemusicstoreIonceworkedfordiditonaregularbasisinmultiplenewspapersinmultiplesurroundingcities.Thatbeingsaid,themusicstoreIworkedathadover400studentsperweekbetween9teachers.Icantsayspecificallyifitwastheeffectivenessofthenewspaperads,buttheownerofthestorealwayshadadsinthepaper.

AnotherideaistopurchasesomeonlineadvertisingthroughaservicesuchasGoogleAdWords.Onceagain,Ihavenottrieditmyself,butitcouldbeaveryeffectivepieceofadvertisingthatImmissingouton.Ihaventheardmanyprivateinstructorsraveaboutadvertisingonline,butthatdoesntmeanitisntworking.ItmightnothurttospendafewbuckswithGoogletoseehowfaritgetsyou.Youneverknowwhomightfindyouincyberspace!

Chapter4

HOURSOFOPERATION

Yourhoursofoperationwilldependonhowmanystudentsyouarecapableofteachingaswellasyourfinancialgoals.Oneofthebestpartsaboutthisbusinessisthatitsalluptoyou.Youaretheboss!Youdecidewhatdaysyouwillworkandwhat daysyouwill haveoff.Some teachers teachonweekends, somedonot.Some teachers takeMondaysoff,whileotherstakeFridaysoff.Lifeisgreatwhenyoudonthavesomeoneelsemakingyourschedule!Althoughthereisnoindustrystandard,Ihavesomegeneraltipsthatstemfrommybusinesspracticesandexperience.

Sincemostofyourstudentswillbechildreninelementary,middle,orhighschool,thebesttimestoteachlessonsareweekdaysrightafterschool.ThehotzonesforteachingareMondayThursdayfrom3:00pm7:00pm.Thesesegmentsof timeareusually themostdesiredbybothstudentsandparents. Ihighly recommend teachingduring thehotzone.Youlloftenhavepeoplefightingtogetthesespots,andthesewillprobablybethefirstspotstofilluponyourschedule.Inmyearlydays,Iusedtomakealivingjustteachinginthehotzones!

Butifyoufeelliketeachingbeyondthehotzones,goforit!Yourbankaccountwillthankyouforit,andyouwonthavetoworkevencloseto40hoursperweekliketherestoftheworld.Fulltimejobsareforsuckers!Theonlyovertimeyoushouldbeputting in isyour freetime.Dependingon theschool schedule, somestudentswillbeable toarrivebefore3:00pm.Iusedtoteachadultsintheearlyafternoonaswell.Somestudents,suchashighschoolstudents,willwanttotakelessonsafter7:00pmbecausetheydontgotobeduntil10:00pmorlater.So,takingmusiclessonsat8oclockatnightisntoutofthequestionforaseniorinhighschool.Also,teachingforafewhoursonFridayisntabadidea.Tryteaching3:00pmto6:00pmor3:00pm5:00pm.Dependingonhowmuchyoucharge,thosefewextrahourscouldearnyouaround$400-$600permonth!Trustmeitsworthit;youearnafewextrabucksandthenyouhavetherestofthenighttogooutanddoasyouplease.Outofalltheweekdays,youwillprobablyfindthatyourFridaywillfilluplast.MostkidsdontwanttospendFridayafterschoolgoingtomusiclessons,andmostparentsdontwanttospendFridayafterworkdrivingtheirchildrentomusiclessons.MostpeopleliketospendFridaynightsdoingsomethingrelaxingorentertaining.ButifyoucanfitinafewstudentsonFriday,theextramoneyisquitenice.

Weallneedat leastonedayoffperweek inorder to rejuvenateourselves,keepour sanity, andenjoy life.Teachingweekends can prove to be extremely profitable, but its not for everyone. If you dontmindworking onweekends,teaching on Saturdays can potentially be yourmost profitable day of the week. Its not out of the question to startteachingat8:00amonaSaturdaymorningandgountil4:00pm.Althoughteaching8hoursstraightwillturnyouintoazombiebytheendoftheday,earningaround$400inonedayought toperkyourightup.Iknow,wakingupbefore8:00amonaSaturdayisntatthetopofthelistformostmusicians,sohowaboutaworkablealternative?Evenifyoutaughtfrom10:00am2:00pmonSaturday,youcouldmakeanextra$800permonthdependingonhowmuchyoucharge.Notbadforaquickafternoonshift,right?

DecidingwhetherornottoteachonSundayalwaysbringsupthetypicalbattleofextramoneyvs.timeoff.Whiletheextramoney always seemsgreat, dont burn yourself out by teaching7 days aweek.A friendofmine taught guitarlessons7daysperweek.Athispeak,hehad84students.Hewasworking42hoursperweekwithnorelief insight.Howmuchmoneydidhemake?Dothemath!

84studentsx$100/month=$8,400permonth

$8,400permonthx12months=$100,800peryear

Isitreallypossibletomakeover$100,000peryearteachingmusiclessons?Youbetitis,butitobviouslydoesntcomeeasy.Manypeoplehavedoneit,andmanypeoplecontinuetodoit,butyouwillburnoutifyouteach7daysperweekwithminimaltimeoff.Ivenevertaughtmorethan60studentsperweek,andeventhatspushingit.Imustsoundlikeababyfornotwantingtoworkmorethan30hoursperweek,butthebalancebetweenmybankaccountandmyfreetimeworksjustfineforme.Ivebeenunfortunateenoughtoworkjobsthatcommanded5060hoursperweek,includingsittingintrafficforoveranhour.Eventhoughthemoneywasgreat,thestresswashighandmyfreetimewasalmostnon-existent.Havingbeenthereanddonethat,Icansafelytellyouthatthereisnoamountofmoneyintheworldthatcancompensateforyourtimeorfreedom.

Gettingback to the subjectathand, teachingSundayscanprove tobebeneficial,butyouneed to thinkaboutgivingyourselfadayoff.Also,gettingstudentstoshowuponSundaycanbequitedifficult.Sundaysaretypicallyconsideredtobeafamilyday,adayofrest,etc.Mostpeoplearentexcitedtoleavethecouchandabandontheirfootballgametoattendmusiclessons.TeachingonSundaymorningscanbedifficultintheUnitedStates,whereapproximately46%ofallAmericansattendchurch.EventhoughIneverattendchurch,IhaventtaughtasingleSundayinmylife.PartiallybecausemySaturdaynightswereoftenlate,butmostotherpeopleIknewhadSundayoffaswell.Itwasagoodformetomake planswithmy friends and just enjoy life on that day of theweek. The few teachers I knew that taught onSunday usually started at 11:00am andwent until 4:00pm.Another teacher I knew taught from 12:00pm 3:00pm.Personally,ItaughtenoughduringtheweekandonSaturdaystomakeagreatliving.Sundaywasalwaysmydayoff,butoneofthebestpartsaboutthisbusinessisthatyoudictateyourownschedule.Herearesometypicalschedulesthatyoumightwishtofollowwhencreatingyourhoursofoperation

TheHotZoner(32students,16hours,4days/week)

Monday3:00pm7:00pm

Tuesday3:00pm7:00pm

Wednesday3:00pm7:00pm

Thursday3:00pm7:00pm

FridayOFF

SaturdayOFF

SundayOFF

TheExhaustedMillionaire(80students,40hours,6days/week)

Monday1:00pm9:00pm

Tuesday1:00pm9:00pm

Wednesday2:00pm9:00pm

Thursday2:00pm9:00pm

Friday3:00pm7:00pm

Saturday9:00am3:00pm

SundayOFF

TheWeekendWarrior(24students,12hours,2days/week)

MondayOFF

TuesdayOFF

WednesdayOFF

ThursdayOFF

FridayOFF

Saturday8:00am3:00pm

Sunday11:00am4:00pm

TheGraduate(40students,20hours,5days/week)

Monday3:00pm8:00pm

Tuesday3:00pm7:30pm

Wednesday3:00pm7:00pm

Thursday3:00pm6:30pm

Friday3:00pm6:00pm

SaturdayOFF

SundayOFF

TheWorkingTeacher(50students,25hours,5days/week)

Monday2:00pm8:00pm

Tuesday2:00pm8:00pm

Wednesday3:00pm8:00pm

Thursday3:00pm8:00pm

Friday3:00pm6:00pm

SaturdayOFF

SundayOFF

ThePartTimer(20students,10hours,3days/week)

Monday3:00pm7:00pm

TuesdayOFF

Wednesday3:00pm7:00pm

ThursdayOFF

Friday3:00pm6:00pm

SaturdayOFF

SundayOFF

Mixandmatchuntilyoufindacombinationthatworksforyouandyourwallet.Youcanmakeasmuchoraslittleasyoudlike.Teachingisagreatwaytosupplementyourincome,butcaneasilybeconvertedtobeyourprimarysourceof income! I used tomake a livingwhen Iwas younger just teachingMonday Thursday from 3:00pm 7:00pm.Chargingeachstudent$100permonth,Iwouldhaveatotalof32students.Iwouldwork4daysperweek,4hoursperday,andalwayshavea3-dayweekendtodoasIpleased.Iwasworking16hoursaweekandmakingmoremoneythanmyfriendsworking40or50hoursperweek.Bytheway

$100/monthx32students=$3,200permonth

BeforeIstartedteachingpiano,Iworkedatagrocerystore.RightbeforeIquitthatjob,Iwasmaking$10.70anhour

andworking40hoursperweek.Mypaycheckwouldbe$428attheendoftheweekbutIwouldonlytakehomeabout$340aftertaxes.Myaveragemonthlynetpayfromthegrocerystorewasoftenlessthan$1,500.

$340/weekx4.3weeks=$1,462permonth

NotonlydidImorethandoublemyincome,Icutmyworkinghoursby60%.IfIwantedtogross$3,200permonthworkingatthegrocerystore,Iwouldhavetoworkapproximately69.5hoursperweek.Iwouldhavetoworkover11.5hoursperday,6daysperweektomakethesameamountofmoneyIwasmakingteachingpianolessonsfor16hoursperweek.

Chapter5

INVOICING

Almost every professional companyout there provides its customerswith invoices to show a paper trail of servicesrendered,andyourbusinessshouldbenodifferent.Invoicingyourclientsisnotonlytheprofessionalthingtodo,butitsalsothesmartthingtodoonsomanylevels.Manyprivateinstructorsdonotinvoicetheirclientsorprovidethemwithareceipt;dontfallintothatcategory!Buildyourbusinessasaprofessionalbusinessfromthegroundupandgiveyourclientsapayable invoiceaswellasa receiptuponpayment. Invoicingwillalsoallowyou tobetterkeep trackof themoneyyouhavemade.Itsnicetoknowhowmuchmoneyyouactuallymakeinagiventimeperiodsothatyouhaveagoodpointofmeasurementindecidingwhetherornottotakeonmoreorlessstudents.

Youdonthavetobeanaccountanttocreateorkeeptrackofinvoicing.IfknowhowtorunQuickBooks,kudostoyou.ButyoucaneasilycreatesomethinginMicrosoftExcelorevenApplePagesorAppleNumbers(ifyouhaveaMac.)IpersonallyuseApplesPagesprogram,whichgivesagreattemplateforinvoicing.HereisasampleoftheactualinvoiceIuse

YoucaneasilycreateandevenduplicatethisinvoiceusingExcel,Pages,Numbers,QuickBooks,oranyofthevariousinvoicingprogramsoutthere.Providingyourclientswithaninvoiceisagreatservicetothem,anditwilldemonstrateyour true professionalism.You arent just some guy taking cash under the tablewith no evidence of services beingrendered;youareprovidingatrulyprofessionalservice.

Themosttroubleyoumightrunintoduringyourcareerasaprofessionalmusicinstructorisgettingpaidinfull,ontime.Havingstrictpaymentpoliciesisessentialforyourbusiness.Havinglooseorunclearpaymentpolicieswillbeasurefirewaytogettakenadvantageof,andpeoplewilltakeadvantageofyouifyouletthem!Afterdoingthisformanyyearsandhavingmanydifferentpaymentstructures,Ihavesettledonanunchangingmonthlytuition.

Mymonthly tuition is$100permonth.Thecost isnotdependenton thenumberofweeks in themonth; it simplyneverchanges.Thispaymentplanensuresthatyouwillalwaysbepaidaconsistentamounteachmonthandeliminatesanymathrelatedtoweeklypayments.Ofcourseyouarefreetochangethedollaramounttosuitthedemographicsinyourareaortocorrespondwithyourteachingabilityandexperience.Beginningteacherssometimeschargeless,whilehighlyexperiencedteachersandmusicianshavethelibertytochargemore.Nomatteryourexperiencelevelasateacher,someareasmightnotcommand$100permonthforprivate lessons,andsomeareasmightcommandevenmore thanthat!Eitherway,therearemanyadvantagestochargingaflatmonthlyfeeratherthanaweeklyfee

Ifstudentshavetopayweekly,theyarefarmoreapttoforgetyourmoney.Chargingthemweeklyalsoallowsthemtoskip lessonswithoutgettingrippedoff. If they skipunexpectedly,youdontgetpaid!Plus, theodds that theywillshow up the following week with twice the money are slim to none.Do not charge your students by the week!Chargingthemmonthlyoftenreducesthenumberoftimestheyforget,plusyougetpaidinadvance.Thisishighlyimportantandgivesyourstudentsgreattoactuallyshowuptoalloftheirlessons.Peopledontliketopayforsomethingandthengetnothing.Bychargingyourstudentsmonthly,youguaranteeyourmonthlyincomeatthebeginningofeachmonthwhetheryourstudentshowsupeveryweekornot.ANoRefundspolicyisagreatcompliment to themonthlytuition.

Whenchargingmonthly,makeyourinvoicesdueoneweekbeforethebeginningofthemonth.Thiswillensurethatyouarepaidinfullatthebeginningofeachmonthandyourbusinesswillflowincrediblysmoothly.Heresanexampleofhowsmoothlythisshouldrun

LittleBillytakesmusiclessonsfromyou.Billysparentsusuallypayontimeandinfullbecauseofyourtimelyinvoicingandcompanypolicies.OnMay18thyougiveBillysparentsaninvoiceforJuneTuition.TheinvoiceisdueonMay25thinorderforBillyslessonscheduletocontinuesmoothlyonJune1st.Billysparentsalmostalwayspayontime,butonoccasiontheyforget topayoneweekinadvance.However, theyalwayshaveyourmoney ready foryoubeforeyou teachBillyhis first lesson the followingmonth.TheywouldntwantBilly tomisshislessonorriskhistimeslot,andyourcompanypoliciesstateclearlythatnolessonwillbegivenunlessyouarepaidinfull,inadvance

Iusuallyacceptpaymentupuntilthedayofthelessonbecausesomepeoplehonestlyforget.Otherpeoplefallintothesecategories

Theycantaffordit

Theydontrespectyourprofessionenoughtopayyouontime

TheyllpayyounextTuesday

Theyhadanunexpectedbillcomeup

Whilesomeoftheseexcusesseemgenuine,Ihaveazerotolerancepolicywhenitcomestopayment.Myzerotolerancepolicyseemsabitroughtosome,butMcDonaldshasatoughzerotolerancepolicythatnobodyquestions.Youcantbuyacheeseburgerandthenasktopaythemnextweekbecauseyouforgotyourwallet.Youcanteatamealinarestaurantandthentellthemthatyoullpaythemnextweekbecauseyouhadanunexpectedbillarise.Itsnotaskingtoomuchtoexpectpaymentinfull,ontime.Mostofushavebillsinlifethathaveduedates.IfImlateonahousepayment,my

mortgagecompanydoesntcarewhyImlate.Theydidntgetpaidontime,andbecauseofthatIwillbepunishedwithalatefee.Musiclessonsarenodifferentthananyotherservice,butsomanypeopletryandtakeadvantageofus!Donotletpeopletakeadvantageofyou!Iftheydonotpaybytheduedate,theyaresubjecttolosetheirtimeslottoanotherstudentonmywaitinglist.IflittleJohnnytakeslessonsonMondayat3:30pm(ahighlycovetedspotbytheway),andhisparentsdonotpayontime,Iwillthenofferthatspottosomeoneonthewaitinglistwhowillpayontime.Atthatpoint,Johnnysparentshavetwooptions

Quitandtakelessonssomewhereelse

Payinfull,andthenrescheduleforanotheropentimeslot

Dontbeafraidtoletstudentswalk!Youwillhavedeadbeats!Youwillcomeacrossparentswhowillneverpayyouontime.Letthemgo!Letsomeoneelsedealwiththemwhowilltoleratelatepaymentsandanarrayofexcuses.Thereareplentyofteachersouttherewhotoleratedeadbeatparentsandallowpeopletotakeadvantageofthem.Dontrunyourbusiness like that!When I first started teaching, I used toget bulliedbyparentswhowould skip lessons and expectrefunds,makepartialpayments,ortakelessonsandthennotpayatall.Neverputyourselfinapositionwhereyouwillgetscrewed.Hereisaneverlistwhenitcomestopayments

Nevergivea lesson thathasntbeenpaid for inadvance.Never, evergivea lessonon the1st day of themonthwithoutgettingpaidinfull.EVER!Youaresettingyourselfuptogetscrewedonewayoranother.Ifyougivelessonswithoutpayment,theyhavetheabilitytonotshowupthefollowingweek,orneveragain!Iftheydoshowup,theymightforgettopayyouagain.Eveniftheydoshowupthefollowingweekwithpaymentinfull,youare late in receivingyourmoney,which could translate toyourpersonalbills being late.Plus, if they seeyoullaccepttheirpaymentslate,theyllcontinuetotakeadvantageofyou.

Neveracceptpartialpayments.Donotallowpeopletopayyouforhalfthemonth,oronaweeklybasis.Iftheycantaffordtopayyou,youcantaffordtoteachthem.It isnotyourobligationtoteachthem,it is theirprivilegetobetaught.

Enforceyourpolicies!Peoplewilltryandtestyou!Theyllseehowmuchtheycangetawaywithbeforeyoupushback.Ivehadallofmybuttonspushedoverthepast5yearsandIveheardeveryexcuseunderthesunastowhy Iwasnt going to be paid on time or in full. The best thing I ever did formyselfwas to enforce a zerotolerancepolicy.Itwilltakesometimetobuildupastudentbasethatconsistsofpeoplewhowillpayyouinfullandontime,butitwillhappen!Dontbeafraidtorefuseservicetopeopleorfirethemalltogether.

Therearemanydifferentandfeasiblewaystogetpaidinthe21stcentury.Afteralltheseyears,cashisstillking;butIdoacceptmanyotherformsofpayment.Cashierschecksandmoneyordersareacceptable,butIhaveyettoreceiveoneafter 5 years. People would rather just pay cash than go through the trouble of getting certified funds. I do acceptpersonalchecks,andIcharge$50forabouncedcheck.Luckilyenough,Ihaveyettohaveapersonalcheckbounceonme.ButIdoknowplentyofotherteacherswhohavegottenburnedbyacceptingpersonalchecks.Acceptingpersonalchecksisreallyuptoyou;itsariskyoutakeinordertoprovideaconvenienceforyourclients.AnothergreatwaytogetpaidiselectronicallyviaPayPalorGoogleCheckout.Bothofthesemethodsareincrediblyeffectiveandeasy.Youcansendyourclientsaninvoiceviae-mailwithbothservices,andtheclientwillbeabletopayyouwithanycreditcard,debitcard,eCheck,orevenabankdraft.Havingthispaymentoptionisfantastic;itenablesyourclienttopayquicklyandeasily.Areceiptisautomaticallygeneratedforthemviae-mailandthefundsareusuallyavailabletoyouinstantly.IvehadpeoplepaymefromtheirmobilephonetoeithermyGoogleCheckoutaccountormyPayPalaccount!TheonlydownsideisthatbothPayPalandGoogleassessyouafee.Toeliminatethatdownside,simplypassthefeealongtoyourclientasaconveniencefee.Forexample,toreceiveapaymentof$100viaPayPal,PayPalchargesme$3.30.Isimplyinvoice the client for $103.30 if they pay via PayPal.Be sure to get your clients e-mail address if they plan onpayingyouelectronically!Youneedittobeabletosendthebill.

Chapter6

CONTRACTSANDCOMPANYPOLICIES

Whenyougetanewstudent,besuretooutlineverballyyourcompanypolicies.Inaddition,giveyourclientsomethinginwritingsothattheyneverforgetyourpolicies.Also,havingthemsignoffonyourpoliciesisagreatpractice.TakealookatmyactualwrittencompanypoliciesthatIgivetoallofmyclients

NowIhavetotellyouthatIamnotalawyerandIamnotgivingyoulegaladvice.Alwaysconsultanattorneyorotherlegalprofessionalwhenseekinglegaladvice.Thiscontractisforentertainmentpurposesonly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TERMS,CONDITIONS,ANDCOMPANYPOLICIES

TimeforPayment

Allinvoicesarepayableuponreceipt.Paymentforlessonsmustbepaidinfullpriortoteaching.Monthlytuitionisdueseven(7)dayspriortostudentsfirstlessonofthemonth.Ifstudenthasnotpaidmonthlytuitioninfullpriortothestartof lessons, no lessonwill begiven.Teacher then reserves the right tomodify the students lesson scheduleor refuseservice.Therearenorefundsoncelessonsforthemonthhavebeenpaidinfullinadvance.Acceptableformsofpaymentincludecash,check,certifiedcheck,PayPal,andallmajorcreditanddebitcardsviaPayPal.A$3.30conveniencefeewillbechargedforanypaymentsmadeviaPayPal.

DefaultinPayment

TheClientshallassumeresponsibilityforallcollectionoflegalfeesnecessitatedbydefaultinpayment.

LessonCancellation

Ifstudentisunabletoattendscheduledlesson,youmustcontactTeachertwenty-four(24)hourspriortothelesson.

TeacherAbsence

IfTeachercancelslessonsduetoillness,familyemergency,oranyotherreason,amakeuplessonwillbegrantedtothestudent.Makeuplessonwillbescheduledonamutuallyagreedupontime.

MakeUpLessons

Ifastudentmissesalessonforanyreason,thestudentisnotentitledtoamakeuplesson.MakeuplessonswillbegivensolelyatthediscretionofTeacherandarenotmandatory.Tuitionwillnotbeadjustedforanyreason,includingmissedlessons.

Tardiness

Ifthestudentistardy,thestudentwillonlybegivenalessonthatlastsforthedurationoftheirprearrangedandagreedupontimeanddate.Forexample,ifthestudentslessonisfrom4:00-4:30onMonday,andthestudentarrivesat4:15;thestudentwillonlybegivenalessonuntil4:30.Nomakeuplessonwillbegivenfortardystudentsandtuitionwillnotbeadjusted.

Misbehavior

If the student becomesdisruptive, disrespectful, or otherwisemisbehaves,Teacher reserves the right to terminate thelesson without refund. The students parent/guardian will be held responsible for any damages caused to Teacherincludingbutnot limited to, equipment,home furnishings,or time lost causedby the student and/orparent/guardian.Teacheristhesoledeterminerofwhatconstitutesmisbehavior.

Holidays

Therewillbenolessonsduringthefollowingholidaytimeperiodsandspecificdates

April13

May31

July4July10

November23November29

December23January1

Tuitionwillnotbeadjustedduringthesemonths.

LessonSchedule

Eachstudentwillbegivenonethirty(30)minutelessonperweekonapre-arrangeddayoftheweekandtimeslot.Oncertainmonthsthestudentwillreceivefour(4)lessons,othermonthsthestudentwillreceivefive(5)lessonsdependingonthenumberofdaysinthemonth.

Forexample,astudentisscheduledfor lessonsonThursdayat4:00pm.DuringthemonthofAugust2010, thestudent will receive four (4) lessons. During the month of September 2010, the student will receive five (5)lessons.

CancellationPolicy

IfClientwishestocancellessons,theymustnotifyTeacherinwritingnolessthan14dayspriortothebeginningofthenextcalendarmonth.IftheClientfailstonotifyTeacherwithin14daysofthenextcalendarmonth,Clientwillincuracancellationfeeof$50.Anyandalldeposits,payments,and/ortuitionarenonrefundable.

Modifications

ModificationoftheAgreementmustbewritten.

LimitationofLiability

Client agrees that it shall not hold Teacher or their agents, relatives, or employees liable for any incidental orconsequential damages.Client herebyholds harmlessTeacher of any and all claims, demands, actions and causes ofactionwhatsoeverarisingoutoforrelatedtoanyloss,damage,orinjury,includingdeath,thatmaybesustained,whethercausedbythenegligenceofTeacher,orotherwise,whileparticipatinginlesson,orwhilein,on,oruponthepremiseswherethelessonisbeingconducted.

DisputeResolution

Any disputes in excess of $15,000 arising out of this Agreement shall be submitted to binding arbitration before amutuallyagreeduponarbitratorpursuanttotherulesoftheAmericanArbitrationAssociation.TheArbitratorsawardshallbefinal,andjudgmentmaybeenteredinanycourthavingjurisdictionthereof.TheClientshallpayallarbitrationandcourtcosts,reasonableattorneysfees,andlegalinterestonanyawardofjudgmentinfavorofTeacher.

IHEREBYAGREETOTHETERMSANDCONDITIONSSETFORTHINTHISCONTRACT.

_________________________________________

PrintedNameDate

_____________________________________________

Signature

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having written company policies will solve a lot of disputes in advance. Understand that this will not alleviate alldisputes, but it will make everything clear upfront and give you the advantage when a dispute arises. Getting yourclientssignatureonthecompanypolicymeansthattheyacknowledgeyourtermsandconditions.Soifsomeonegetsangrythatyouarenotgivingthemamakeuplesson,theywillhaveamuchmoredifficulttimetakingyoutocourtand/orsuingyou for it.Providing thisdocument to all of your clientshelpskeephonest peoplehonest. If your client has aquestiononanyofyourpolicies, theyalwayshaveapointofreferencewiththeirsignatureonit.Thisnotonlyhelpsconveytheimageofprofessionalismtoyourclients,butalsohelpsprotectyoulegallyshouldanydisputesarise.

LikeIsaidbefore,ImnotanattorneyandIdonotgivelegaladvice.Youabsolutelymustseekalicensedprofessionalwhenseekinglegaladvice,andthatincludesmakinglegaldocuments.WhatIhaveshownyouissimplyanexampleandisnotguaranteedtohelpyou.Onceagain,itisforentertainmentpurposesonly.

So,whatdoyoudowhentheinevitablearises?Atsomepointinyourteachingcareer,youoryourstudentwillhavetocancellessonsforonereasonoranother.Ihavefoundthatgivingmakeuplessonseverysingletimeastudentisabsentjust doesnt work. I wound up working far more hours than normal just to try and keep up with makeup lessons.Sometimes Iwouldhave to dedicatemydayoff to catchuponmakeup lessons.Thebestway to dealwithmakeuplessons issimplynot tooffer them.Notofferingmakeup lessonsmightseemlikea ripoff,but itsnotanuncommonpractice.HereishowIexplainandjustifymynomakeuplessonspolicy

Why:Mymonthlytuitionis$100permonthwhetherthereare4weeksinthemonthor5weeks.Onthe5-weekmonths,thestudentwill receiveafree lessonatnoextracharge.Becauseof thesefree lessonson the5-weekmonths,nomakeuplessonsareallowed.Ifthestudentmissesalessonduringanymonth,thestudentwillstillaverage4lessonspermonth.

Why:Whentheclientispurchasingmonthlymusiclessons,theyarepurchasingyourtime.Morespecifically,theyarepurchasingone30minuteblockperweekonagivendayandtimeoftheweek.Ifeverystudentmissedtheirlessonandrequestedadifferenttime,youwouldbeworkingdoublethehoursyounormallywould.Thisissimplynotfeasible.Theclientisbuyingyourtime,itsuptothemhowtouseitorloseit.

Ive had students that miss lessons habitually, but have no problem paying the tuition in full every month. I amcompletelyfinewiththat!Iftheymissalesson,itsnoskinoffmybackaslongastheyarewillingtokeepbuyingtheirtime slot. It is alsomy policy that tuition is never adjusted or refundedunder any circumstances if the studentmisses a lesson. If they argue that policy, simply let them go find another teacher who will put up with theirshenanigans.However,iftheteachermisseslessonsforanyreason,makeuplessonsmightbeinorder

Weallgetsick,weallhaveemergencies,andweallhaveextenuatingcircumstancesthatwillcauseustomisslessonsfromtimetotime.Sowhatdowedowhenwehavetocancelthelesson?ObviouslyIvehadtocancellessonsforonereasonoranotherovertheyears.ImissedanentireweekwhenIgotmywisdomteethremoved,ImissedanotherweekwhenIhadbronchitis,andIwouldmisssporadicdaysforothervariousreasons.Forunplannedteacherdaysoff,Iwouldgivemakeuplessons.Yes,Iwouldhavetosuckitupandschedulemakeuplessons(sometimesonmydayoff)tomakeupforthelosttime.Theonlyotherfeasibleoptionwastoreducetuitionforthemonth.Afterweighingtheoptionsandtrying both alternatives, Iwould have to say that schedulingmakeup lessons is theway to go.Getting paid less the

followingmonthwasnotapleasantalternative.Plus,seeingasIwasntworkinganywhereneara40hourweek,havingoneweekthatincludedregularlessonsandmakeuplessonswasnttheendoftheworld.But,Ihavetobeclearaboutthedifferencebetweenplannedandunplannedteacherabsences.InmycontractIdohaveplannedtimeoffwherethereisno tuitionadjustmentandnomakeup lessons.Thats justpartof thedealwhenyousignupfor lessonswithme. Imhuman;Igettimeoffaroundtheholidays,formybirthday,etc.Consideritmypaidvacation;therestoftheworldgetsit,sowhyshouldntI?

Whenhiringonanewclient,alwaysputinwritingforthemthetimeyouwillbetakingoff.IneverteachlessonsaroundthetraditionalAmericanholidays(MemorialDay,IndependenceDay,Thanksgiving,Christmas,NewYears,andEaster.)Plus,Iliketotakemybirthdayoffaswell.Everyoneneedsavacation,andyourclientsneedtounderstandthat.Duringthemonths that Ihaveadayoff,orevenaweekoff, tuition isnot adjusted.Having themknow this inadvancewillpreventanysurprisesaround theholidayseasons. If theydont like itordontagreewith it, tell themnot tosignup.Theyeitherfullyagreewithyourcompanypoliciesortheydonot.Ivefoundthatveryfewpeoplehaveaproblemwiththis, asmany of them are busy or traveling during the holidays aswell. If they quibble about the tuition not beingadjusted,theyareprobablycheapskatesandwillmostlikelybethetypetopaylateornotwanttopayinfullbecausetheymissedalesson.Letthemgo!

Chapter7

WHATTOTEACH

Letsgettothemeatandbonesofwhatthisbusinessisallabout:Teaching.Thischapterfocusesonwhatmostofyourclientswillexpecttobetaught.LikeIvestatedbefore,thereisnoonesizefitsallinthisbusiness,butthesearejustsomerecommendationsfromanexperiencedteacher

ReadingSheetMusicNomatterwhichinstrumentyouteach,manyclientswhotakeprivatelessonswillexpectto learn how to read sheet music.Withmost instruments, teaching your students how to read sheet music ismandatory.Ifyoudontknowhowtoreadsheetmusic, learnhowtobeforeyoustart teaching!Althoughyoumight think that reading sheetmusic isnt that important (especially if you are teaching guitar, bass guitar, ordrums),letmeassureyouthatitishighlyimportant.Remember,youwantpeopletorespectyouasaprofessionalmusician.Professionalmusiciansknowhowtoreadmusic,period.

EarTrainingIfyouhavetheabilitytoteacheartraining,doso.Remember,youhavetosetyourselfapartformotherprivateinstructors.Makeyourlessonsinteresting,fun,andoutoftheordinarytokeepyourstudentscomingbackformore.Eartrainingishighlypopularwithstudentsinhighschool,asitallowsthemtobeginplayingtheirfavoriteradiosongsbyear.

MusicTheoryMusictheoryisthebuildingblocksofmusic,andIfirmlybelievethateverymusicianneedsasolidbackground inmusic theory.Students thatknowmusic theorycanswitch fromone instrument toanotherwithgreaterease.Asolidknowledgeofmusictheorywillbenefityourstudentsmorethananythingelseyoucanteach them.Whenparents see their children learningmusic theoryyearsbefore their classmates, they feel liketheyvereallygottentheirmoneysworth.

InstrumentSpecificsLastofall,teachyourinstrumentspecifics.WhenIteachpiano,IprefertouseBastienbrandmusicinstructionbooksforyoungerstudents,Fingerpowerforsupportexercises,andAlfredbrandmusicbooksforadults.Forallotherinstruments,findmusiclessonbooksthatwillaccommodateyourteachingstyle.Getfamiliarwiththemusicbooksbeforeyouteachthemandtryafewdifferentbrands.Makesureyouareabletoplayeachandeverysonginthemusicbookbeforeyoustartteachingit!

Youwilldevelopyourownteachingstyleafterafewmonthsofgivinglessons.Itwillgeteasierandeasiereverytimeyouteach,andyouwillfeelmoreandmoreconfidentwitheachlesson.Eventuallyteachingprivatemusiclessonswillbecomeaseasyasbreathingin,andbreathingout.Notonlywillyoubeputtingyourmusictalentstogooduse,butyouwillalsobegettingpaidverywellforyourefforts.

Chapter8

GOFORIT

ItmakesmesickwhenIseeexceptionalmusiciansslavingawayatabrainlessdayjob.YouandIwerentborntohideourtalents,wewereborntoshareandexpressourmusicalgiftwiththerestoftheworld.YouandIhaveanimpacttomakeontheworld;wehaveajobtodo,adestiny,acalling.Partofmycallingistohelpyoufulfillyourdestiny.Itstohelpyougetawayfromthatcrummydayjob,helpinspireyoutoreachyourfullpotential,andhelpyougetontracktobecomingaprofessionalmusician.

Every time a talentedmusician shows up at a day job, a piece of their soul dies.You dont need to beworking forsomeoneelse;youneedtobehelpingoutthenextgenerationofmusiciansfollowinyourfootsteps.Byteachingothers,youarebecomingpartofthebiggerpicture.ThenextBeethoven,thenextBach,thenextMetallica,thenextU2,thenextElvis, the nextMadonna could be taught by your hands. Perhaps you have an impact tomake on themusic worldyourself

Life ismore than just takingwhatcomesyourway;youhave tocarveyourownpath.Youvegot tograb lifeby thehorns and direct itwhere youwant it to gowithout the fear of failure.Musicians never fail; some of them just getmisguidedormakemistakes.Ivedoneboth.Weallhaveacallinginlife;yourcallingismusic.Musicallowsyoutobecomesomethinggreaterthanyourself,andsomethinggreaterthananaverageJoewithanaveragejob.

Whateveryouaredoing rightnow,keepyourheadup.Planon leavingyourcurrent job in30daysandvow to startutilizingyourtalentsthewayyouknowtheyshouldbe.Ifyourlongtermgoalistoteachmusic,Ihopethisbookservesas a stepping stone to your new career. But even if your long term goal isnt to teach music, becoming a privateinstructorisagreatwaytoreachanygoalyouhaveinthemusicbusiness.Youwillteachyourstudentsalot,butyourstudentswillteachyouevenmore!

Havingtheluxurytocallyourselfaprofessionalmusicianistrulyamazing.Theresnoreasonwhyyoushouldntjointheclubandlivealifeoffreedom,financialsuccess,andhappiness.

Bestofluck!

Livefast

Rockhard

andbesuretoshakeafewhandsalongtheway!

About

THEAUTHOR

LloydSteinerhasbeenteachingprivatemusiclessonsforover5years.Atjust27yearsold,heisaproudhomeownerandself-employedmusician.Lloydhasbeenaprofessionalmusiciansincehewas19yearsoldandplayedinanotablerockbandformanyyears.HecurrentlylivesintheAtlantametroarea,andcontinuestoenjoyasuccessfulmusiccareer.

OtherWorks

BYTHEAUTHOR

TheUnsignedBandsBlackBook:TheDefinitiveGuideToTheMusicBusiness

QuickAndEasyMusicTheory:GoFromMoronToMozartInLessThan14Days