Looking for Studio Business advice
Mickie Vasquez is one of our fellow IVTOM teachers. She lives in Lubbock, Texas. She has taught at the South Plains College for several years and has decided to “go out on her own” and set up her own private studio. Although she has taught for years and is a very competent teacher she is apprehensive about moving out on her own and running her own studio and she is looking for advice from any of you that would be willing to share. Should she teach out of her home, rent a studio in town (she is about 10 miles outside of town)? How should she go about finding a studio? Should she advertise? How should she advertise? Any thing that has worked well for any of you? Things to avoid? etc.
Having a home studio is great, but if you have little kids around (or big kids), make sure they have a good sitter who can keep them quiet or make arrangements for them to be out of the house while you are teaching. Having a quiet, focused environment makes all the difference. The benefits of a studio in your home are that you don’t have to pay rent to anyone else, all of your equipment is right at your finger tips and you don’t have to spend money in gas to get there. However, if you are too far away from your clientele, it may be beneficial to rent a studio closer to the majority of your students.
I have moved my studio many times, back and forth between my home, and my parent’s home and most of my students have been happy to follow me within a 10-15 minute radius. However, each time I have moved, there is always a little bit of re-establishing to do. Personally, having my studio in my home has been worth it.