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If you plan on making music instruction your full-time occupation, a thorough business plan is absolutely essential. If you are more of a hobbyist in your teaching, you will still need to prepare, but it may require less time and effort depending on the size of your studio. Lessons for beginners are typically 30 minutes long and will increase to an hour as the student becomes older or acquires more skill. If you have no teaching experience but are skilled at the piano, it is appropriate to charge $15-20 per 30 minutes or $30-40 per hour.  Keep in mind that the rate you charge is dependent on many factors, including your educational pedigree, playing and teaching experience, references from your students, and the city you live in. As you gain experience, it is recommended that you increase your rates a little each year. Piano teachers with significant experience and skill can charge up to $60 per 30 minutes or $120 per hour.  Charge a flat, monthly fee for lessons instead of a rate per session. This is to discourage skipping lessons, and it increases desire to make up missed lessons. While many teachers hold lessons in their own home, you may also travel to a student’s home if they have a quality piano that has been tuned recently. You can also rent a space at a music store or community center. Be sure to use a space that will allow you to keep as much of your earnings as you need while being clean, welcoming, and conducive to learning. Factor the time and cost of travel into your fees if applicable. Some great titles for beginners include Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book series, Bastien Piano Basics Primer Level, and the Hal Leonard Piano Method Book series. While you may sell your copies of the books to students, it is better to have them purchase their own personal copies so that they can mark up their sheet music with notes and tips from lessons. It is also time-consuming to be constantly replacing books that you’ve given to students. Use a well-developed method, such as the Suzuki method, if you prefer its teachings or if you are having trouble finding a place to start. Some methodologies require official certification before they may be taught for commercial purposes, so research the certification costs and requirements before using that method in your pedagogy. Make a comprehensive list of policies for your studio including information about payment schedules and amounts, weather and holiday cancellations, lesson make-ups, notice of termination of lessons, and attendance and practice expectations. Share this with the parents of your students at their first lesson, and ensure that both the student and their parents understand all of your policies. Place an ad in your local paper, on CraigsList, and inside the building where you’ll be teaching if you’re holding lessons outside of the home. Ask to place fliers on the bulletin board in your local community buildings such as a recreation center, church, or library. Tell everyone you know that you’re teaching piano, and offer a referral discount for current students. Only advertise the ages and genres you’re qualified to teach.  Reach out to local school music teachers. Introduce yourself, and offer free workshops and accompaniment for concerts and musicals. Be sure to stress that you want to help their program, rather than insisting that they send their students to you for piano lessons.  Advertise on websites specifically designed to help people find music teachers in their area (like https://takelessons.com/), but be aware that you may have to pay a fee to promote your services.

Summary:
Make a business plan according to your time allotments. Set your rate. Find a place to teach. Purchase books at the level of piano you will be teaching. Write out your studio policies. Advertise your services online, in print, and in person.