Author: admin

Since opening my studio almost 7 years ago, I’ve never taken more than 2.5 weeks off. But that is about to change, because I am entering an entirely new stage of my life: motherhood.

When I left my full-time job to become a full-time business owner and studio teacher, my husband and I discussed that the time would come at which point I’d need to take maternity leave. And of course, the downside to being self-employed is not having paid time off. I have to admit, giving up 3 months of my main source of income is a bit scary.

But as I know (and as everyone keeps reminding me), these first few months of my baby’s life are precious, and in the long run, I will be so happy to have made the financial sacrifice to spend every last moment with him.

I’ve spent the last few months preparing for my extended break, based on advice from other business owners and other strategies I’ve put into practice for shorter vacation periods.

people on the phone-saidaonline

Spring is here and the phone is ringing! As I respond to the many phone calls I have received about studying piano, I was inspired to do a little research on how to best handle the phone interview. Even though many of my first contacts come through email, I always make a phone call before scheduling a live interview. This spring, I have had more phone calls than emails, which is an unexpected trend. I wonder if it has to do with the many fraud emails that are now out there. Be wary of any emails that ask for your bank account information to transfer funds. I delete them immediately!

At any rate, Joanne Haroutounian in her book Fourth Finger on B-Flat recommends having a fact sheet of information close to your phone that includes pertinent information that you would like to share with prospective clients about your studio. This can include your tuition rates, lesson length, philosophy, available times, and offerings beyond lessons.

Music is For Everyone

A few years back, I was invited to join my local chapter of the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs. At first, I was completely intimidated. Most of the members had been teaching piano, voice, and other instruments for many years — some even longer than I’ve been alive! I was relatively new to teaching, since it was something I did in addition to providing music therapy.

But it was nice to be part of a group, and I’ve become more and more involved since joining. I’ve learned so much about music education from my fellow members, and yesterday, I had the opportunity to give back by presenting on a topic that is close to my heart: teaching music to children with special needs.

March winds bring April Showers! March winds were a little rough the latter part of March but April is going to be a great time at Studio Helper! Our team continues to improve Studio Helper. The recent upgrade in March included a new framework and bigger servers. This will increase the loading times for the studios, which is great news! There are a few new features...

Read More

Inspire Others, Reinvigorate YourselfI hate to admit this, but the truth is that sometimes I fall into a slump when it comes to running my studio.

Dealing with the same administrative tasks, working with the same students, and running into the same issues from week to week can leave me a little drained from time to time, no matter how much I absolutely love what I do (and I really do!).

I have a network of colleagues and friends who run their own businesses as well, so I know that I’m not the only one who struggles with burnout occasionally. When I feel it coming on, I know exactly how to nip it in the bud before it takes over.