Have you figured out YOUR why yet?

​This is the VERY first thing I ask everyone I work with.

I would even be as bold to say that anyone who hasn't REALLY done some soul searching to figure out their true why will not be in business for long.

Why? Because the what will NOT motivate you.

If you want to lose 10 pounds, will saying, "I want to lose 10 pounds" get you to the gym? 

Nope. 

BUT, saying, "I want to fit into my wedding dress for my wedding day next month" would put your butt in gear! 

​The why FEEDS the what. 

So, what is your why? 

Here are 3 answers I get that I call BS on: 

1.  "I want to make more money."
2.  "I want to impact more students." 
3.  "I want more students." 

All of those are WHATS. 

If you said any of those, here's what your why REALLY is: 

• "I want to have MORE than enough money in the bank so I don't have to EVER worry again about how to pay my bills."
• "I want to have the ability to drop $5,000 on a new guitar and not feel like I sacrificed for it."
• "I want to leave this life with the satisfaction that I had a MAJOR impact on as many students as I possibly could."

So...
​

1. Why do you want to grow your studio and increase your revenue?
2. What will be achieved when you reach these goals?
3. Why do you work so hard in your studio?
4. What is your purpose? (If you work hard just for the sake of ‘growth’ or ‘building a great business’, then you’re missing the point.)

I promise you: If you figure this out, your why WILL drive you to success!


PS: Have you picked up your FREE sample of the Music School Business Kit yet?
​
Grab it here and start working towards achieving YOUR studio goals! ​

Last year I asked studio owners to name ONE thing they regretted doing in their time of owning and operating a music school. 

I received over 100 responses, but EVERYONE repeated the same 3 answers. 

Here they are... 

MOST studio owners and teachers undercharge for lessons.

Maybe you've had customers who blatantly told you they think lessons are expensive.
Maybe you've lost a student or two from parents saying they "can't afford" taking.

Here's the thing:
​Music Lessons are NOT supposed to be cheap! 
If you cheapen your value, you'll receive students and parents who don't value and respect you and your expensive equipment. You treat people how to treat you.                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Studio owners who increased their lesson prices and stopped giving discounts, said they: 

1. Found themselves more organized from simply not having to keep up with multiple tuition rates! (Don't underestimate the time and chaos that is added when you have multiple price options with multiple students...ESPECIALLY as your studio grows!)
2. Received BETTER students. Again, you treat people how to treat you. 
3. GREW more! Most students continued to take lessons after they raised their prices, and their studio was seen as more reputable and valuable in their area. The students that left after the price increase? Well, they weren't going to stick around much longer anyway and this was just an easy excuse to go.  

Charging per lesson is simply unsustainable.

Studio owners who switched to charging per month or even per semester were better able to make a living off of teaching! They worried less about paying for their studios and life.

The less time you have worry about getting paid, the more time you have to focus on being a better teacher and providing MORE value to your studio and students.                                                                                                                                                                                   
​Regarding FREE trial lessons: Some studios started charging for trial lessons while others omitted them altogether. Both groups found peace of mind and little to no push back when they started getting PAID for their time. 

Once you decide to get paid in advance for your time, you'll find students skip less and take your time more seriously. 

You created your policies, and they are there for a reason!
Stick to them and they will protect you.

You treat people how to treat you, remember?                                                                                                                                                                                 
When studio owners started sticking to their policies, they were able to focus on their businesses. They stopped getting bogged down with individual requests.

Once you start to say, "no" to special requests, parents will respect your policies and stop asking for exceptions to the rules.