So last year was a great one, but one where I really was testing the waters to see how my business would take to this world. Would I be able to get enough work to sustain me and if so, how long would it take? These were the big questions that I had. For those of you who haven't read any of my previous posts, I stopped working a full-time music teaching job at the end of last 2013, in pursuit of starting my own music school.
While I have written posts documenting and reflecting during this year, I feel that the beginning of a new year is always a turn of the next page and so while we ponder and plan what is next, we have to review how the previous year went.
This is my analysis now that the year is officially complete:
Was it successful or not? (Do I regret quitting my job?)
While I do miss the steady income and the peace of mind that my salary comes in during the school holidays, for the first year, having 10 committed private students is a success story in my books. I don't regret quitting my job because I am happier in what I am doing now. I have made enough money to get me through the year, and while it hasn't been easy, my husband and I believe that it can only get better from now on.
Did it grow enough, or did it exceed my expectations?
It was my dream to have 21 students by the end of the year, but in all honesty, I am satisfied to end the year with a good 10. I already have interest for 2015, so I am happy to continue to grow the numbers steadily. It's important not to grow too quickly, I believe. As a teacher I am constantly giving my energy to others all day, but when I am not teaching I need to make sure that I am prepping lessons, sending the correct invoices, tracking payments, replying to emails and of course making sure that I am ready for my students to arrive (house-keeping becomes a HUGE priority when you have students in your home every day). I found that at the beginning of the third term I suddenly had a flood of interest. I went from having 6 students to 12, and found the sudden jump made me a little frazzled. Remember that I do still have a part time job of 15 students and I was temping at another school during that time.
What would I change or do differently next year?
Somebody once told me that if you are not growing and improving your business, it is going to start getting worse because there is no such thing as a stagnant business. This has rung true for me for many years and so, while I am incredibly happy with the way things have gone this year, it is important that I continually aim to improve my teaching methods and techniques, but also that I continually create a place where students feel that they are getting what THEY want out of the lessons.
Why are you teaching part-time if you are trying to grow your business?
The most obvious reason for this is that I only had two private students at the beginning of the year and the part-time job promised an income every month. Most of my private students are either working people or school-going. This means that their lessons are usually after school or average working hours. So to maximize my teaching time, teaching at a school during the school hours just makes sense. It doesn't pay as well, but it is better than sitting on my butt all day and not earning during this time. With that being said, I do have some adult students who work flexi-hours and are able to come for lessons in the mornings. This is why it is so nice to not have a full week of school teaching as I am still able to accommodate these students.
What plans do you have for you music school?
I have long term goals for the school, but for this year I plan to do more concerts and enter my students for international examinations and local eisteddfods. At the end of 2014, we did an end-of-year-concert. It was a collaboration with a colleague. My students enjoyed themselves so much that we have decided to also put on a mid-year concert as well as the end-of-year-one. But we might throw in a few more if we can.
Do you consider yourself a business woman?
Well at college I did a semester business course, but they touched on such a little about running a business. I have learnt more about business this year from one of my students who is a businessman. Sometimes reading and learning is not the same as doing it and so I guess you learn as you go. I have certainly made mistakes, but it is getting better. The actual running of the business side is one of the biggest things that I aim to improve. When you think of running your own music school you think that most of your time that you dedicate to your business will be spent teaching, but I spend a lot of time researching and advertising and learning. I am also learning to not be afraid to charge or actually collecting monies. It's so scary to think that I could be overcharging, especially because most public schools charge far less for lessons, but then I have to remind myself that firstly school music lessons are subsidised by the schools and that the whole point of why I am specialised is that I offer something that is very unique in my area. I'm getting better at being on top of invoicing and learning which systems work better. I'm learning that people value what I offer and it isn't just my qualifications that makes me valuable!
Do you consider yourself a business woman?
Well at college I did a semester business course, but they touched on such a little about running a business. I have learnt more about business this year from one of my students who is a businessman. Sometimes reading and learning is not the same as doing it and so I guess you learn as you go. I have certainly made mistakes, but it is getting better. The actual running of the business side is one of the biggest things that I aim to improve. When you think of running your own music school you think that most of your time that you dedicate to your business will be spent teaching, but I spend a lot of time researching and advertising and learning. I am also learning to not be afraid to charge or actually collecting monies. It's so scary to think that I could be overcharging, especially because most public schools charge far less for lessons, but then I have to remind myself that firstly school music lessons are subsidised by the schools and that the whole point of why I am specialised is that I offer something that is very unique in my area. I'm getting better at being on top of invoicing and learning which systems work better. I'm learning that people value what I offer and it isn't just my qualifications that makes me valuable!
Boundaries in business
It seems that it is a trend when running your own business, especially one from home, that it can be hard to separate work and home life. So it is important to remember that you need to run your business and not let it run you! Keeping business hours is important, especially with regards to admin. Obviously being a private teacher you want to be accessible to your students but late night Watsapp messages and emails can wait until the next morning. I'm still learning how to do this.
At the same time it is important to stay focused on YOUR business. So many people are doing wonderful things in the music industry and in the bloggers world that I admit I sometimes get a bad case of FOMO. The last few weeks I have been trying to put systems in place where I can make sure I am more productive by focusing on what MY business has to offer rather than comparing myself to others. It's hard because you can feel like you are trying to bury your head in the sand, but I know that is not strictly true and it will pay off.
All good wishes to everyone for the New Year. Live each day to it's fullest and may it be one that brings you and your family such great peace and joy!
Robyn
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