Piano Teacher Business School

In the past few months, you’ve seen some articles about the piano teaching business by Kristin Yost in the Dollars and Sense category of this blog. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see her workshop, “How I Made $100,000 My First Year of Teaching Piano,” then you may be interested in a new online resource that she and Kathleen Theisen are offering.  It’s called Piano Teacher School and their goal is to help you:

…maximize your efficiency and the productivity of your music studio and provide practical training in the business aspects of independent teaching!

Few pedagogy courses offer in depth training in business matters, and it looks like Piano Teacher School is designed to help fill in those gaps and help us run our businesses in profitable ways.  Classes are beginning in June, so I interviewed Kristin about Piano Teacher School to help you decide it this is just what you need.  Here is that interview:

Tell us more about what we can learn as students in the Piano Teacher School.

Piano Teacher School is an online school that facilitates and empowers Piano Teachers to be the best teacher and business owner they can be.  Students enrolled in PTS will learn about how to brand and market their strengths, define their “image” (in promotional materials), write a business plan, and teachers will learn how to organize themselves financially as well as spatially, in the most efficient way possible.

Why do you think there is a need for Piano Teacher School?

There is a need because we see time and time again how teachers are struggling with the business aspect of running their studios.  Teachers are short on students, and in turn short on money.  It doesn’t need to be this way.  You CAN make a living teaching as an independent piano teacher!  We want to offer information and courses that are affordable to piano teachers and will help them make a comfortable living.

Primarily teachers who need/want to make more money.  This includes new teachers right out of school but we also encourage established teachers who we promise will take away an incredible amount of information and learn more efficient ways of handling their day-to-day operations.  The principles and ideas we teach are also very beneficial for teachers of Piano Pedagogy to explore as well as to communicate in their classes.  If you are a teacher of guitar or voice, for instance, you can also benefit from what we have to say!

Classes will be available online as webinars, video segments, Live-Streamed video and private consulting via Skype.  All the PTS students need is an internet connection and Skype (free program)!

I am SO excited about our classes!  First of all we are offering Image and Branding 101 – this is what what visual representation of yourself you are portraying to the general public in your promotional materials.  Organizational Strategies 101 which will address online programs as well as things you can do for free, in keeping your studio organized from your student files to your business records and most importantly, keeping them easily accessible. We are offering Business Planning 101 for established and new teachers.  What this does is provide teachers a clear idea and path to financial success as an independent piano teacher. It’s incredible what you learn about yourself when you go through this process! Last but not least we are offering Technology 101 that addresses basic technologies you can use to enhance lessons.  The majority of what will be discussed is based on things you and your students already have, and then we’ll talk about some simple additions you can make to truly enhance lessons.

How do teachers enroll?