TRACY SELLE
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​Follow Your Dreams -
Inside AND Outside Your Piano Studio

​
​

4 Ways to Improve Your Studio When You Don't Know Where to Start

11/22/2017

 
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Don't freak out, but yes - that's really my cabinet.  Sometimes it's organized and sometimes it's not. BUT...no one ever knows because I can close the doors. Phew! 

Brilliant, huh?! Moving that into the music room was such a good move on my part! (Go me!)

At some point, every business needs to change and grow -  but when you're a piano teacher, where do you start? 

I started with that cabinet, but you might need a different starting point. I can't wait to share 4 low-stress ways to make BIG changes in your studio right now:

1. Get rid of the clutter.

Organizing isn't hard - but KEEPING things tidy. Now THAT'S the challenge!

I'll let you in on a little secret - if you have piles of books. games, or anything hiding in the corners of your music room, it's not "hiding" from anyone!

As you can see in the picture above, I have piles of stuff too BUT my music room definitely LOOKS clean and organized. Oh the blessing of having a pretty cabinet! 
😀
​

Remember, first impressions really do count and banishing the clutter will significantly improve the look of your studio - instantly!

​Where do you start if you've fallen into the Clutter Trap? You'll get the quickest results if you:
  1. Grab some boxes and start packing. Just get the mess OUT of your music room as fast as possible.
  2. Move all the boxes to a guest bedroom or garage - somewhere AWAY from your music room. 
  3. THEN gradually you can start organizing what's IN the boxes.

The next couple weeks.think about what storage boxes and organizers would help you manage your "piles" better. Keep an eye out for sales!
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2. Dress for success.

Oh my goodness! If I hear another teacher whine about having to look nice for piano lessons, I'm gonna go crazy! 😮
​
Yes - dressing nicely is something I'm passionate about. Teaching piano is our BUSINESS and to be successful, we must dress appropriately! 

Think about it. People get dressed differently for different things. How you would dress for a wedding or a day at the beach? Or what you would wear if you going on a winter hike in the mountains? Of course you'd wear different clothes for each event.


As piano teachers - we need to dress for WORK!  Even if we’re teaching from home. 😀 

One thing I know for sure - the way we dress affects our mood and our focus. It also affects our students. If they notice you’re wearing old jeans and a sweatshirt, THEY'RE automatically going to be laid back and relaxed too. 

And it absolutely affects our reputation! If we want to keep new customers and attract new ones, we need to treat teaching piano as a business - because it IS our business! That means we dress for WORK. 

No - you don’t have to wear a dress or high heels. 👠

Yes - it's fine to wear jeans. (But not grubby, disgusting ones!)

The point is to look put together. So wash your hair. Put on makeup. Toss on some jewelry! And for crying out loud - wear shoes. You would never trust a doctor who was walking around in the hospital barefoot! 😮

Take care with your appearance and it could  transform your business. 
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3. Do something different.

Bored students can kill a studio faster than just about anything. (Gasp! Shocker!) It's true - no studio can survive this! 

Fortunately, it's an easy fix. Though it does take some effort!

I've found that nothing brings more life to a studio than SURPRISES. So get your thinking cap on and do something different. SOON!

 ✅ Here are a couple ideas to get you going:
  • If you never play games - have a game week!
  • Have a composition competition.
  • Try a pizza and theory night.
  • Combine lessons that are side-by-side and teach some duets.
  • If you always run out of time for iPad games - START your lesson that way. (See this post for more on why I love to do this.)
  • If you tend to give a long list of homework assignments - let your students choose what they'd like to practice that week.
  • Do you have young students? Read a music themed picture book. (See this post for ideas.)
  • If you never give out treats - surprise your students with some candy kisses. Or make some homemade cookies. (I guarantee this will WOW any teen boys in your studio!)

Here's the point - students will get into a rut if you never change up your lessons. Create a few simple surprises and watch the smiles light up your studio!

Happy students make happy families. Happy families tell their friends how great you are and THAT builds business FAST!

Are you with me? Great! I've got some fabulous planner pages for you to help you map out YOUR goals! 
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4. Motivate yourself!

Since we're talking about getting into a rut....

If YOU'RE bored - your students will be bored. That certainly spells disaster for any piano studio.

​We ALL need inspiration and motivation. That's one of the reasons why I created Upbeat Piano Teachers. I wanted teachers to be able to get ideas and encouragement anytime - anywhere.

So what inspires you? Think about it and make your professional growth a priority! Do you love to read books? Hit the library and check out some business or productivity books. 📚

We also have a lot of YouTube videos that you can watch. Click here for dozens of videos to watch.

Just do something to keep yourself excited and upbeat! 

You've got this! 
How do you improve your business each year? I'd love to hear!
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Other posts you might enjoy...

10 Ways to Reset (When you don't feel like teaching)
3 Easy Ways to Add Group Lessons
6 Questions to Ask if Students are Leaving Your Studio (#1)

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    Hi there! I'm Tracy Selle. A Christian wife, mom, and author of 101 Piano Practice Tips. I'm also a piano teacher and founder of Upbeat Piano Teachers.

    Here's a little secret - I'm not always upbeat, but I do strive for an upbeat lifestyle!

    The truth is - I love teaching piano. But....I also love being a wife and mom.  And I believe with God - it's ALL possible!

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  • Home
  • About
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
  • Upbeat Webinars
  • Book Club
  • Store
    • Upbeat Webinars
    • Free Game!
    • My Books
    • The Shepherd's Adventure
    • Wise Men Matching Game
  • FREE RESOURCES!
    • Color a Key - Practice Chart
    • Valentine Printable
    • Summer Camp Checklist
    • Rainy Day Toolbox (for Preschoolers)
    • "What's Hot?" (Teens & Tweens Resource)
    • Super Monkey Music Game
    • Christmas Practice Charts
  • Blog