Promoting your teaching studio

The hidden benefits of a full studio (cont.) 4. Teachers with full studios can charge higher fees. Given that you are no longer concerned if you lose a few students, you can afford to increase your fees. The laws of supply and demand apply to music teaching as much as to any other business—in fact if your teaching studio is obviously one of the most sought after in town, callers will be expecting the fees to be a little higher than normal. You still might elect not to put up your fees—but the point is, the option is there if you wish. 5. Teachers with full studios enjoy big income increases from small fee rises. It’s simple arithmetic. If you have ten students, and you put your weekly lesson rate up by one dollar, that’s like giving yourself a pay rise of $400 per year. If instead you have sixty students, then that same small increase will be worth an extra $2,400 to you—and this is on top of the fact that your income was six times as big to start off with. Once your studio is full, a little increase can go a long way, and handled properly, can actually add to the perception of your studio being a place of excellence in teaching. (See the chapter on setting appropriate fees on p. 44) 6. Teachers with full studios are in a stronger position to take time out for professional development or family. When student numbers are tight, you can’t automatically disappear for two weeks for a pedagogy conference, lest some of your students disappear too. With a waiting list to protect you, and a general atmosphere of a thriving studio, students not only are more understanding when you need to attend such events—they will perceive your participation as a virtue. 7. Teachers with full studios can expect greater flexibility from students when timetabling Once your studio is in demand, you can be tougher when negotiating with students over less-than-ideal lesson times. Because parents will be conscious of how hard it is to get into your studio in the first place, they’re likely to be more accommodating when it comes to available times. This also has an impact on students who are already part of your studio. Instead of expecting you to change times whenever things become inconvenient for them, parents will be more prepared to juggle their own commitments. The message is clear—don’t mess with the lesson time, because in a studio of your size, it cannot simply be assumed that another time can be found. Don't stop there! Show me the final four!

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