Ready to start the New Year out right? If you’ve been wanting to increase your piano teaching business, there are a few things you can do to breathe new life into it.
1. Start playing the piano again
Unless you are a concert pianist with the opportunity to play daily, you’ve probably fallen into the pattern of listening to your students play a whole lot more than you do. Change that up a bit this year. Schedule time each week for you to sit down and enjoy playing something new. Give yourself new exercises and a plan of action. It will energize you and make you more interested in what you teach your students.
2. Discover a new composer
We all fall into ruts. We all like to stick with things we are comfortable with. Yet with so many different composers out there creating a variety of different music styles, why stick with the same style you’ve played for years? Head back to a classic. Try someone new. Choose a new genre. Explore a new style – it may wake you up to new potential.
3. Sit down and give yourself a plan
When was the last time you sat down and created a plan for your piano teaching business? You know, thought out how many students you like to have and what you hope to help them accomplish? How would you like your business to look a year from today? Maybe bring on a few new clients with different goals? Maybe clients that help you stretch as much as you can help them? Writing a business plan creates a structure for you to vision out what you do and how you’ll help your community overall.
4. Network, network, network
You’re busy. You’ve been meaning to connect with other people in the industry, but who has the time? This year, make the time. Search out those music stores you’ve been meaning to connect with. Find other piano teachers in your area to build relationships with. Find a forum online to see what people in other parts of the world are doing. Sign up for a conference to learn some new skills.
5. Refresh your resources
Have you been using the same training materials for years? Are you still teaching in the same way? The world has changed over the past few years thanks to technology. Look for new resources that can help you teach in a brand new way. Do a search for apps. Look at new software. Because kids are more technologically savvy than ever, maybe now is the time to incorporate technology into the way you teach piano.
6. Learn something new
Speaking of technology, does it scare you? Do you use social media as well as you could? If not, sign up for a class to learn more about it. You can always look at your local community college – most have adult education programs that give you insight to many different concepts and ideas.
7. Enjoy more, stress less
What causes you the most stress in your business? Vow to find a way to reduce or eliminate that altogether. What brings you joy? Put more of that into your life. By focusing in on taking away problem areas and increasing the tasks you enjoy the most, you’ll begin to fall in love with the piano all over again.
