In the Spotlight:
Studio Refresh! Essential Business Topics to Revisit Annually

MTNA Business Network

MTNA Business Digest, Volume 3, Issue 4

July 2024

Times change, but strong business practices never go out of style. An annual refresh keeps a studio vibrant, relevant and meeting the needs of students and parents. Compiled by the MTNA Business Network, the Annual Studio Refresh Checklist highlights important studio topics that warrant regular review. Follow along as we explore these key studio topics in more detail.

Legal Considerations

If you have an accountant or attorney, they likely keep you apprised of new regulations and/or tax changes that affect your business. Karen Thickstun, NCTM, advises teachers to also keep up with local and state news sources, talk to colleagues and count on MTNA to provide up-to-date business resources.

This year in particular, teachers should pay attention to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s new Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) that went into effect January 1, 2024. This new federal regulation requires most small business entities that have been formed by a filing with the Secretary of State (such as a corporation, partnership or LLC) to file a “Beneficial Owner Information Report” (BOIR) with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

This is a one-time filing that discloses “beneficial owners.” A beneficial owner is an individual who owns 25% or more of a company. Current business owners have until the end of 2024 to file. New businesses created during 2024 must file within 90 days of inception. While there is no filing fee, there are large penalties for failing to comply. There are 23 types of exemptions, including sole proprietors and nonprofits (tax-exempt entities) such as MTNA state and local affiliates.

To learn more about BOI Reporting and determine if you are required to file, review the Quick FAQs resource compiled by MTNA. Additionally, the MTNA attorney has prepared a guide specifically for MTNA members and affiliates.

Teaching Philosophy

A studio refresh process can be thought of like strategic planning for an organization. This often starts with an examination of the mission and vision; for an independent teacher, that’s the teaching philosophy.

Teaching philosophies can look very different for individual teachers, but ideally there is a written statement that expresses goals, beliefs and approaches to teaching. Timothy Stephenson suggests keeping these questions in mind:

• What motivates me to teach?
• What results do I expect from my teaching?
• How do I define success in my teaching?

Big ideas likely stay consistent year after year, but it’s possible that small changes in philosophy can have an impact on your overall approach and even on the students you accept into your studio. Some teachers may prefer teaching adults while others are invigorated by the energy of preschoolers.

Another area to consider is if and how standards in music education have changed in the last year. What have you learned from your local, state or national MTNA conference experiences? Master classes, webinars colleagues? New concepts and methods or ways of integrating technology can impact your teaching philosophy.

Professionalism

Professionalism touches every aspect of our teaching and the way we run our businesses. Our definition of professionalism can and should change as we learn from our own experiences and evolving societal standards.

Consider your attitude and interactions with students/studio families in the past year, your professional development efforts, your practice habits, exploration of curriculum, adoption of technology and your participation in the broader music community. Are these areas aligned with your values and identity as a teacher? In what ways do you want to approach these differently in the coming year?

Timothy Stephenson shares one habit he adopted in his own studio after asking these types of questions for himself this past January. As a result of spending time with a local youth orchestra program, he no longer uses the word “parent.” Instead, he substitutes “adult” out of respect for the many different family situations in which students may find themselves.

Studio Policies

Ensuring our studio policies are clearly articulated and easy to understand is crucial for maintaining a positive and efficient teaching environment. By outlining practice expectations, payment procedures and scheduling policies, we can avoid misunderstandings and create a more professional relationship with our students and their families. Heather Smith recommends asking a colleague to review your studio policies to identify any discrepancies or areas of confusion. What may seem clear to you might not be as clear to others.

If you have made any recent changes in your studio operations or teaching approach that impact your policies, it’s important to update them accordingly. This could include changes in your lesson offerings, scheduling procedures or payment policies. By keeping your policies up to date, you can avoid confusion and ensure everyone is aware of the latest guidelines.

It’s also important to ensure our policies are applied uniformly to all students and there are no discrepancies in how they are enforced. This consistency helps create a fair and equitable learning environment for everyone involved and establishes a sense of reliability and professionalism in our studios.

Based on your studio operations during the past year, ask yourself, “Is there anything I need to change in my policies or the way I enforce them?”

Tuition

Studio families are accustomed to price increases for everything from school tuition to groceries, so increases in lesson rates shouldn’t be a surprise. When setting rates for the upcoming year, Andrea Miller suggests teachers consider the following questions:

• What is the rate of inflation? (The Social Security Administration’s Cost of Living Adjustment" [COLA] is a helpful guide.)
• What are your personal income goals and needs? (Have you completed more training? Is your income providing adequate support to your household?)
• What is your rate communicating about your studio? (Is your rate appropriate for the type of student you want to attract?)

Teachers are sometimes reluctant to raise their rates because they feel doing so is somehow “greedy.” When established teachers set their rates commensurate with their education and experience level, they raise the ceiling on earning potential for teachers at all levels, while creating space for entry-level teachers.

Marketing: Website + Messaging

A studio’s website is likely the first exposure a prospective student/parent will have with the studio. Make sure it is up to date with current information and branding that reflects the studio. Keep the navigation simple and test its accessibility from mobile devices.

This is a good time to update the studio’s website and social media platforms with highlight videos from the most recent concert performances and/or student recitals, along with teaching examples that give prospective parents and students a glimpse into the studio. Today’s parents and students want to know what lessons with you will be like. Add recent testimonials.

If you don’t seem to be attracting the kind of students you want, Deborah How suggests teachers first check their messaging. Persuasive messaging appeals to ethos (authority and credibility), pathos (emotions and feelings) and logos (logic).

Parent/Student Communications

Have you ever heard a parent say, “I didn’t know (fill in the blank)!” even though it’s written in your policy? It’s frustrating to spend so much time crafting thoughtful studio policies and calendars, only to have them be forgotten (or ignored).

There is a difference between expecting students and parents to follow our policies and procedures and forming an agreement with them to do so. If you don’t already have parents sign a contract agreeing to your studio policies, now is the time to seriously consider it. This can be accomplished through a Google Form or a hard copy, or it can be built into your registration form through one of the various student management platforms.

Our studio families are bombarded with information daily from their children’s schools and other activities and will appreciate over-communication for important studio dates. Share information in as many ways as possible: post it on your website, send by email, hand out physical copies and post physical copies on a studio bulletin board. Give frequent reminders for specific upcoming events such as studio holidays, performances, and deadlines.

Jennifer Walschap shares: “One new thing we are trying at my studio is a ‘Studio News Slideshow.’ We’ll post important upcoming information, events and a Student of the Month and show a slideshow in our waiting room that parents can view while waiting for their child.”

Go a step further and consider putting in place systems that ensure parents are receiving your communications. For emails, you could simply ask for a response to let you know they received it and follow up in 48 hours via email or text if you don’t hear back. If you are feeling fancy, you could investigate an email tracker, such as MailChimp. You can even set up MailChimp to send automatic follow ups if an email hasn’t been read after a certain length of time.

When running a studio business, communication can really make or break your studio’s professional appearance. These small but meaningful considerations for improving communications can contribute to decreases in misunderstandings and conflicts, and therefore decreases in stress.

Self-Care and Wellness

If left unchecked, it’s easy for our studios to run us, rather than the other way around. In your annual refresh, take a good look at your schedule and how it aligns with your goals. What are your priorities? How is your current teaching schedule/format serving your priorities? If it isn't, consider exploring different teaching formats (group classes, partner lessons or overlapping lessons) and environments (remote, early childhood, K–12, university) to craft your ideal teaching setup.

As business owners who also often work from home, it can be hard to “turn off” outside teaching hours. Consider using separate phone numbers, “Do Not Disturb” settings and automatic replies after business hours to maintain healthy communication boundaries.

Remember that you can’t keep your priorities if you don’t take care of yourself: body, mind and soul. Jennifer Stadler encourages teachers to think about something you’ve wanted to try—rock climbing, dancing, painting, woodworking, anything! Seek activities outside of music to reinvigorate your work in music. Professional development events like the MTNA National Conference are a wonderful source of fresh ideas and support!

Time Management

Three quick ideas for improving time management include:

• Abandon perfectionism, which leads to burn out, and strive for excellence instead. Read more here
• Evaluate your studio organization. What materials do you use the most? Is there a more convenient way to organize them? Can anything be digitized (Genius Scan, Kindle books, etc.) for easier access? If you need some inspiration, Jennifer Stadler recommends the recent MTNA Business Digest video article by Deborah How as well as Amy Chaplin’s favorite organizational resources
• Automate tedious activities (e.g., communication, scheduling, billing), create templated responses to common inquires and batch routine tasks like social media posts and newsletters. Schedule recurring orders on frequently used materials like toner and paper. And weigh the value of your time against the cost of outsourcing everyday chores like shopping, cleaning, etc.

Additional time management ideas can be found in the April 2024 Business Digest.

Final Thoughts

An annual refresh is key to the vitality and relevance of a music studio. It’s an opportunity to check in with ourselves and make sure our studio is serving our students and our careers in the ways we want it to.

For more insights from the MTNA Business Network, including a downloadable Annual Studio Refresh Checklist and check out other sections of the Business Resources section of the MTNA website.

Note: This article is adapted from a presentation by the MTNA Business Network at the 2024 MTNA National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Presenting members included: Deborah H. How, Andrea Miller, Heather Smith, NCTM, Jennifer Stadler, NCTM, Timothy Stephenson, Karen Thickstun, NCTM, and Jennifer Walschap, NCTM.

The MTNA Business Network is a team of successful teachers and business owners dedicated to sharing and promoting best practices for the business of teaching.